Home > Lensmaking Tips > 21 Common Lens Mistakes (that can be easily fixed)

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This is a super reminder for getting your holiday lenses in tip top shape!

What makes a great lens?

I mean a really, really out of the ball park, share with your friends, amazing work of art?

The answer to this question is a lot simpler then you think.

A few months ago ProBlogger posted this article: Eliminate 21 Reputation-Crushing Writing Mistakes from Your Blog and it’s a big eye opener as all 21 mistakes can be applied to a lens as well as a blog.

Fixing these common lens mistakes can be the difference between a good lens and a great one. Let’s go through the list.

#1: You have no proverbial welcome mat.
Your identity on Squidoo can make or break you. Provide an empty, sloppy or spammy bio page and your readers will walk away. On the other hand if you establish yourself as a professional, expert hobbyist or knowledgeable in your field you’ll get an automatic nod of approval. People want to know who they are getting their information from. No one is going to read an article written by a blank faceless bio page.

#2 Too many FAQ’s make for a boring lens.
Everyone (even my 78 year old Aunt) knows about WikiPedia. It’s an excellent source for facts and basic information. If I want to know what year Cold Stone Creamery opened their first store I’ll look on WikiPedia. However if I want to find the best ice cream shoppes in Butte, Montana I’ll want some personal reviews. That’s where a lens can become the most valuable source of information on the web. Give readers something they can’t find on WikiPedia.

#3 Answer the 5 W’s and you’ll be a hit with your readers.
Who? What? When? Why? Where? How?
If you’re sharing a lens about your best friends band these questions are a must. People want to know exactly what the scoop is in a nice organized fashion. This does not mean you need to sacrifice creativity, it just means that you need to incorporate the information that your readers need on your lens.

#4 Photos are a BIG hit on the internet, use them…wisely.
The best photo you can use on a lens is one you take yourself. Of course that’s not always possible. The second best way to show off a photo is to use the Creative Commons. Sharing real photos means that your lens has credibility and it could even give your lens an SEO boost. Just be sure to credit any image you do use.

#5 The 4 line paragraph rule.
This is a favorite tip with me. Long drawn out paragraphs do not belong on the web. Follow the 4 line paragraph rule and your readers will thank you. A 4 line paragraph is visually more appealing and grammatically more digestible.

#6 The Goldilocks rule.
Keep your titles short, but not too short. This rule is a bit more flexible on Squidoo (as opposed to blogs) because sometimes a longer title is needed to convey the content of a lens. Good use of subtitles is also a smart practice.

#7 Provide a byline.
Luckily Squidoo does an excellent job of showing your reader who you are by providing a link to your bio page on the right hand side bar of every lens. You can also add an “About Me” module at the bottom of your lens as a “Squidoo Style” byline.

#8 Incomplete sentences.
No one. Likes. To read. Weird and incomplete thoughts. Unless of course. You’re William Shatner. He can do it.

#9 Blundering your FAQ’s.
Saying that Thanksgiving falls on the second Thursday of November or that the average snow fall in Florida is 58″ per year will not only garner you weird looks but also discredit your expertise. Check your facts before your publish.

#10 Typos that are actual words.
It’s easy to pick up that “wongderful” should actually be spelled “wonderful” thanks to spell check but what about typos that are actual words? Saying…”Chef Feeble is making your a good dinner” is a bit harder to pick up because “your” won’t get noticed by your spell checker.

#11 Ah… excessive/incorrect punctuation!
I am a self proclaimed exclamation point junky but even I know when to stop. Using !?! or !!!! after every sentence is extreme, annoying and will irritate your readers. So tone it down a notch and use punctuation marks wisely.

#12 Inconsistencies in your lens.
Inconsistencies are a tiny thing that can become a big problem on a lens. For example, if you’re talking about “Twilight” and refer to Bella’s boyfriend as Edward in one sentence, then Eddie in the next you’ll confuse and bewilder your readers. A less obvious example is the use of measurements. Don’t flip between using 12″ and a foot. Consistency makes for an easy and more logical read.

#13 Vagueness
Here is the dictionary definition of vague: 1. not clearly or explicitly stated or expressed. No one wants to read vague lenses. So keep editing your lens until you’ve fleshed out the most concise and clear content on your topic.

#14 Plurals and Possessives.
It’s really easy to confuse your plurals and possessives. So watch your grammar and when in doubt consult a style guide.

#15 Too many links.
Having too many links (especially in a Text Module) can be distracting so be sure to include only the most relevant and useful links. You can always use the Link List Module to add more relevant links as it creates a visually appealing directory style list. Here’s an example of a good Link List in action.

#16 Quotation Mark Misuse.
Know when to use “quotation marks” and when not to. Putting too many “words” into “quotes” looks strange and unprofessional.

#17 Direct Quote Blunders.
Anytime you quote from another source be sure to cite that source. Simple as that. Also be aware of how much quoted text you are using. You can read more about using direct quotes in the Squidoo Scroll of Originality.

#18 Word Errors.
It’s easy to mix up words…whether vs. weather, effect vs. affect and finance vs. fiancée (OK, that’s an easy one but you get the picture). Make sure you are using the correct word.

#19 Using too many UPPERCASE, Bolded and italicized words.
We all know that WRITING IN CAPS IS CONSIDERED SHOUTING, but also be sure to watch your Bolded and italicized words. Too many extras can make a lens look sloppy and unprofessional.

#20 CSS abuse.
Less is more on a lens. Having too many fancy fonts, colored boxes and extra coding can distract from your content. CSS is also time consuming to produce. Instead use a Squidoo theme to add style to your lens. Here are 3 of our newest themes to play with.

#21 Publishing a first draft.
This applies a bit more to blogs as it’s easy to shoot off a rant without thinking it through. However, it can also be a good lesson for your lenses too. After you craft your lens do a complete read through before you publish. I can guarantee that you’ll find some places that you can improve.

These small lens fixes can really give you a leg up in terms of quality. If you had to write a #22 to this list what would it be?