How to Explain Squidoo

"So, what are you working on today?"

"Squidoo."

"SquidWHAT?"

"Squidoo. It's creative...um...sort of like building a website, except it's just one page."

"Oh, so you're designing websites? Cool! I hear web designers make good money."

And so it goes.

Explaining Squidoo sometimes makes me weak-kneed and speechless. It's like trying to drink Jello through a straw--possible, but not without a lot of time and effort.

Kind of reminds me of an experience I had in Germany when I tried to ask for directions to the zoo. We were living there at the time, and had just arrived in-country two weeks prior, when we decided to take our kids on a big outing. The zoo's name was the Wilhelma Zoo and Botanical Gardens, but of course I didn't realize that before our first visit. After our fourth loop around the city, I spotted a bus driver standing by his empty tour bus. Probably waiting for everyone to return from a lunch stop, I figured. All I knew is that I couldn't communicate and this poor man tried his best to understand what I meant by "zoo".

I resorted to setting aside my pride and acting like a stupid tourist. I pantomined an elephant walk. I know, I know. It wasn't the brightest thing I'd ever done, but all I could see were my kids' disappointed faces pressed against the car window. So finally, the guy points to a sign bearing the silhouette of an elephant. Seems we were parked directly across the street from the zoo, on the opposite site of the main entrance, but all we'd seen was a big wall that circled the grounds.

Until Squidoo visitors stay and try their hand at Squidoo, all they may see on their first trip there is a big wall, too. That's where good, practical lenses of Squidoo Tips come in handy. If we receive the infamous Blank Stare at the mention of Squidoo, just direct 'em to one of the excellent technical lenses there.

Or, we can share examples of our own best lenses and let them speak for themselves.