News broke earlier that Squidoo has been sold to Hubpages. I'm not going to use the terms like “Sold out” that I've seen scattered around the web already, but I am going to write a little article today about the future of these types of sites.
A lot of people seem annoyed about not only the sale, but the nature of it and the announcements made. Wikipedia already has some negativity written up about it. I'm sure editors will fix this soon, so I took a screenshot:
Why Was Squidoo Sold To HubPages?
Squidoo had been struggling for a while, especially compared to the glory it used to enjoy. Users left en-mass over a year ago when they started having lenses locked, content deleted, and a whole bunch of other tweaks were going on. I left around that time, but not out of anger or frustration at having lenses locked (none of mine were affected).
The reason I left then, and the same reason I think it's time for everyone to move on, is because in the long run it's better to have your own site. Your content, your rules, your increased income. Affiliate marketing takes more time, but has much more potential.
Squidoo was popular for a long time because it paid well, it ranked well too, and it was fun and creative. You could build some pretty good articles and the interface was great. It was popular among those who couldn't be bothered, or didn't know how to build their own sites.
I used it for some writing practice and initial income when I first started out online. After a couple of months I realized I was wasting my time and in the long run my own sites would make me more money.
Fast forward to the future, Squidoo is moving to Hubpages. The official reason given on their website was that Hubpages are the industry leaders and it will be beneficial to users if their content is on the best site.
It's going to be very easy for Squidoo users to transfer their content:
…but I'm wondering…what happens if Hubpages starts going downhill like Squidoo? For now I still see Hubs in the search results, but will this new group of users lead to the same results?
Is it still even worth it?
Sites like Squidoo, Hubpages, eZineArticles etc, are on the way out. Many of them have gone in the last couple of years. Yes Hubpages is still there and doing things right for now, but I can't see them leading the way into the future. It's just not the most practical way to make money online anymore.
If you really want to start affiliate marketing, embrace the opportunity now.
It really wasn't a surprise that Squidoo shut down after all, so I feel like moving across to Hubpages is just further delaying the inevitable.
Starting Out On Your Own
If you agree with me and you're not sure how to get started with your own site, there are actually quite a few options. WordPress has come a long way and if techno-phobia was keeping you at Squidoo, have no fear, you can have your own site very quickly.
You can get started for FREE if you use somewhere like SiteRubix, and you'll get a lot of training in the back-end too via Wealthy Affiliate (the SiteRubix owners). You'll also get the option to upgrade to your own domain later on.
Try it below:
If you'd prefer to have a site built for you to save all that time, you can have me build a custom one for you, or buy one of my ready-made ones. All you'd need to do is add the content.
Continuing With HubPages
If you DO continue with Hubpages, then good luck! I hope that they do stay strong and continue to give income to people for years to come. I just fear that this will not be the case.