Newbie with a question about creating designs

[Kat FlaminCatDesigns]

Hello group, I just joined here and I have been on Zazzle a couple of months. So as you would expect I don't have a lot of products yet. I so far have resisted making any with quick create. I try to get each one the way I believe it will print well. Is that how most of you create your products? I see pro sellers with thousands and thousands of products. I keep wondering, did they do one at a time or quick create? I have been told you have to get lots of products in your store for visibility in the market place. I don't know if that is true or not. The bottom line is, I am trying to figure out if I am wasting my time not using the quick create function, or should I stick with my one at a time method?

[Lynne Schroeder]

I tried the quick create and let Zazzle create the products a few times initially but now the way I use it is to create a similar product set to one I have created previously. You do this using the "Use your own templates" option see below. Then click through to a category of your own products. So for example I created about 8 products with an orchid image then when I wanted to create a new range with a different image I used my previous template. Not all the products show up this way but then you just go to "Add single" under the "Zazzle defaults" menu and choose from another limited selection. I find this helps me create a small custom range of products.

 

 

Once you have created the products you can then go in to each one to reposition the image if necessary and name your item. The final stage before publishing is to add a description and tags and once again it saves a bit of time to do this for a number of products rather than individually. I don't know if others do it this way but I find this a good compromise between the mass produced auto create where some of the products just don't suit my images or vice versa and laboriously creating them one at a time.

 

Here is the result: Orchid Products. The stamps and wrapped canvas products had to be created individually and the fade invitations are a different but matching design

[Kat FlaminCatDesigns]

This looks interesting. I do have some photos that this concept would work for. Thanks for this tip.

[GypsyOwl]

Hello kat,

 

I have used both, but, usually design one product at a time so I can relate to your desire to design products rather than quick create.  

 

I have a suggestion.  I have actually thought of doing this.  We can have more than one store, perhaps we can quick create in a 'second' shop and see if it makes any difference.  This way we have a 'market place' shop and  a 'boutique'

 

:-)

your thoughts,

Deb 

 

 

[Kat FlaminCatDesigns]

Now that you mentioned market place shop and then boutique, I have another question :)

 

Are you suggesting that the quick create items make it to the market place much quicker than the one at a time boutique process?

 

My highest number of views is 18 on  2 products, which I understand is a direct view from the market place.

My store when I click on all products has 177 customizables and 119 templates.

 

I have posted some products on FB and tweeted some. I have a paperli that I try to get in a few. I think I suck at promoting. Anyway, that is another topic :)

 

[GypsyOwl]

Hello Kat,  I didn't say that, I have no idea how that works.  I was replying to your comment about what you had 'heard'.  

 

I will clarify, but first off... "promoting" IS the topic.   You said "'that is another topic" but I believe it is all about promoting when you are exploring the marketing world.  That is what marketing is all about.  Anyway, let me try to explain my other comment first.  

 

In your original post, You said "I have been told you have to get lots of products in your store for visibility in the market place."  My reply was a suggestion -- so you can test what you have heard.  I suggest you test the theory  out by creating a separate shop and use quick create in only the one shop.  Maybe it can be Kat's Warehouse (or the comparable to tie into your shop -- if you want it to) Where is your Zazzle shop?  I think I have been there... what is the URL?

 

Promoting Zazzle:
You seem to have the tools (twitter, facebook, etc.) but, based on what you said, maybe some automation would help you?  

 

Here is an idea (what I do).

If you set up an automated post (each time you create a new item you put a post on Posterous (for example) and have it sent from there automatically to FB, Twitter and any other sites you are on that are listed on the posterous auto post options.

Next.. set your paper.li to capture your tweets (so that is a second step of the automation).  You have only set up one product and emailed a message about it to Posterous.  The rest happens automatically (once you set it all up).

 

How about promoting on Squidoo?

I have three Zazzle shops and am managing a handful of others for clients.  The best 'traffic' stats I have had are from fans (so it is good to network by joining other fan pages) and from my Squidoo lenses.  

But, sales have been random.  No evidence of where they originated and only a handful of orders from people in my network (those seemed to be directly from the Squidoo pages).  

So, all that said, test test and test some more...

What works for you may not be the same thing that works for someone else.  The best tests are automated (the only worries I have is to make sure there are not any "loop" errors.  such as , for example, a post to Posterous

goes to Twitter

then automated from Twitter goes to FB

a FB rss feed is on a blog that posts to Twitter...

you can see this might cause a loop (which would duplicate posts like crazy).

 

I do have Posterous sent to FB and to Twitter

I do have Twitter sent to FB

but I watch any other auto-posting tools carefully to see if they are overlapping, or looping.

 

So My advice:
Create a Test Zazzle shop to quick create.

Create a Posterous site to auto post about both of your Zazzle shops.

Post your new items by email to Posterous (and have it set up to auto post to your twitter and FB streams.)  

 

Finally, DO you have a Squidoo Lens about your zazzle shop?  That has been the best thing I ever did regarding Zazzle.  

Here are mine... http://www.squidoo.com/gypsyowlszazzlegalleryshowcase

and  http://www.squidoo.com/gypsyowl_zazzle

 

You can us Zazzle settings so the lenses will automatically collect new items you publish on both of your shops AND you can feed the Posterous site as an RSS to the lens.

 

;-)
I'm a marketing artist... ♥

My ideas are just suggestions to spark your imagination.  

Deb 

 

[Kat FlaminCatDesigns]

Thanks for your reply. That is an excellent suggestion. I will play with a test shop. I haven't signed up with Posterous yet but I do have a Zazzle lens and have promoted other stores products in a couple other lenses.

 

I got the shareaholic toolbar today and need to set it up and sign in on a few more sites.

 

So far have only been sending Zazzle stuff to FB, Twitter, and Paperli.

 

I feel like I am on the caboose of this sales stuff, so much to learn. Promoting doesn't seem to come to me naturally.

 

I appreciate your advice.

 

Kat