Running A Zazzle Business: What Works For Me

I work full time at an online company called Zazzle.  They are based in California and produce print-on-demand products which contain designs created by professional and amateur designers.  No interviews are necessary, and no waiting to be hired, only an agreement to abide by Zazzle's terms of service.   Anyone at all can build a "store" at Zazzle.com and sell their images.  Zazzle sells Brand names such as Disney, Harry Potter, Star Wars, and other recognizable names, along with designs created by everyday people like me.

I currently run 10 stores at the site.All that is needed is to register and provide the information needed to receive payment once your products begin to sell.  (The opportunity is open to people all over the world and Zazzle has international sites as well.)  Open a store and fill it with useful and unique products.  Promote items using social media, blogs or writing sites such as Wizzley, Squidoo, or any other place you can think of, and soon you will be on your way to earning a paycheck! 

When we enjoy what we do for a living, we tend to do better work.

When I began at Zazzle I was not focused.  I was adding pictures of my pets, flowers, artwork and anything else I liked, to products in my stores.  After looking around at what others were offering, I realized that what I had to offer did not stand out in any way.  I may have loved my own flower and scenic photos, but what was the incentive for customers to buy from me when these same types of images were everywhere?

My floral photography had potential, but I realized that I had to find ways to be unique with my designs, so customers would buy from me.  That is when I started using the free Paint.net program to design my own images for stationery.  (I still haven't had time to master PhotoShop.)  I get to use my own floral images, but with changes that make them mine only.

I like working with paper products best.  Fortunately Zazzle's invitation and card paper quality is outstanding, so I know that the art and images I add to their paper products will end up looking great in the customer's hands. 

Zazzle sells many products, but I have chosen a few to focus on to be the bulk of what I sell and other products are more like accessories to the main items.  Finding your own niche is key.

There are many great things about working at Zazzle. 

1. Opening a store of your own is absolutely FREE!
2. Zazzle provides themes for a beginner to use when setting up their store, or if you are more advanced and knowledgeable, you can totally customize your store and even make it match your website.  Read more.
3. Zazzle has a forum, blog and newsletters to keep you up to date.
4. It's easy to connect with Twitter, Facebook and other places to promote your work.
5. There are incentives to sell and move up in ranks to become a Pro-Seller on many levels.
6. Do as much or as little as you want.
7. You will make new friends and most likely learn a lot.

Making great products is important, but getting them ready to sell (the posting part) is equally important.  The title, description, categories and tags all work to help search engines pick up on what you are offering.  Also customers searching the Zazzle site will more easily find your products with correct tags.

This area is not my strong point, but I know enough to take my time and write a good description with tag words that represent my products.  Single tags and multiple word tags can be used, but they must be more than two letters.

At the present time, the first ten tags listed at Zazzle will be the primary ones, called "power tags" and are used for searchers within the Zazzle site.  Read more at the tagging and keywords page at the Zazzle site.

Once sales begin to come in, it will be good feedback as to what your customers like.  Keep your store fresh by continuously creating new things, but when a certain design begins to sell, consider expanding upon it by either using it to make another product, or creating complimentary products.

Remember that all people have different tastes and likes, and you should make as many great products as you can even if they are not particularly in line with what you would buy.  As long as the quality is there, anything can sell.

Zazzle is well known as a custom design site.  Anyone who wants to make a personalized gift or product can easily do so at Zazzle.  To make this simple for the customer we should be making products with photo templates and text templates.

Adding templates to your Zazzle products is a must to increase your sales, in my opinion.  And it is not difficult to do.  

This photo ornament has a baby picture which will be replaced with the customer's own baby picture.  They can also use both text templates to add his or her name, age and more text as the bottom - such as "First Christmas".

Giving customers the option to make the item look exactly as they want is what sells many products that would otherwise be passed over.

It will take more time posting products for sale, but making links in the description seems to help customers find related items more easily.

For instance, when I have a section of products, such as wedding stationery, I will add a photo link in the description to include the RSVP card, and other items with the same design.  Most engaged couples are looking for a matching set, so I try to make things easy for them to find it.

However, Zazzle has recently implemented a new product page set up with similar items shown down the page and customer reviews beneath that.  If you have related items with the same design in your shop, tag them with the same tags to get them to show up there.  The easier you can make it for customers to find related products, the better. 

***This seems to work for me, however, some sellers say to NOT make any text links in your descriptions as the affiliates will not pick up the products to promote.  I am still experimenting with this.

(Aqua Moonlight Palms is a wedding set at Sandpiper Wedding.)

 Although I always considered Zazzle to be my business, at first it was more like a fun pastime.  I'd make some products and they might sell, so I'd make some more, and so on.  I just sat at my desk creating and posting without much feedback.  I also wasn't making much money.

Once I learned to make text templates for use on invitations, all that changed.  Suddenly customers were contacting me for help.  They liked the invitation, but... something needed to be changed; wording, font style, color, size.  It was wonderful.  I finally had interaction with people who wanted to buy what I made! 

Honestly, I have met some really great people through customer contact.

Here are some pointers for serving customers:

• Reply to them ASAP.  They almost always mention, after my fist contact with them, that they appreciate my quick response.
• Be helpful no matter what they are asking for. And if I can't answer their question, I either find the answer through the forum or direct them (with a link) to a page at Zazzle that has their answer.
• Be honest about your abilities.  I can't do everything, and I know it.  If I can't provide what the customer wants, I will direct them to a shop owner at Zazzle who can help them.  I have never had to do this, but I have a list of my favorite designers at Zazzle and know what kinds of work they do, just in case.
• Know as much as possible about the products Zazzle sells.   I can't discus card sizes and paper types with a customer if I don't know anything about them myself.
• One more time.  Be ready to answer the same questions over and over, with patience.   "Can you send me a sample?"  (If you already have contact with customers, you will know that this is a common one!)
• Say Thank You.  This may sound silly to mention, but no matter how small the custom job was, always tell your customer how much you appreciate their business.  You should appreciate them - there are lots of other places they could have shopped!

Think about what you expect from a business when shopping, and provide it for your customers. 

Also, be prepared to answer questions not directly related to you and your shop.  I have been asked numerous times about shipping and returns and I always direct them to the Zazzle page with that information.

In the five years I have been at Zazzle, I have either never learned to use the referral linking code correctly, or the referral sales are just few and far between. I believe it is the latter.

Without getting into the use of the referral code, using your special number attached to the end of a link will (sometimes) bring extra money with the sale of the item, or group of items it links to. Some people say that they make a lot of money this way.

I am more interested in simply making sure I bring customers to shop at my store than worrying about a referral. I always use the code, but seldom see the extra money, with one exception.

The exception being, when I use the link in a direct e-mail to a customer.

Within your Zazzle store you have the option to be contacted by customers or not. I suggest you choose to do so. Whenever a customer contacts you directly through e-mail you have the opportunity to send them a link to whatever they are looking for. Most often they want something specific made for them. In doing so, you will use the link shown above which says it's for email or IM. Make the item for the customer and send it to them using this link and you will almost always see the extra 15% in your referral sales section.

It won't take you long to become a basic ProSeller at the Zazzle site. Once you have earned $100 you are considered a Pro. 

Zazzle gives it's sellers benefits according to their lifetime income totals.

At the present time (2012), the ProSeller accounts are set up like this.  Each income level separates the ProSellers and Zazzle will notify you once you reach each level.

Basic ProSeller - Earn $100, Bronze ProSeller - $1,000

Silver ProSeller - $25,000, Gold ProSeller - $100,000

Platinum ProSeller - $250,000, Diamond ProSeller - $500,000

Each level has it's own special benefits and after reaching Silver you'll be allowed to participate in the "elite" forum.  Read all about the benefits on the ProSeller Program page at Zazzle.

What if you have a beautiful store, full of products, on the Zazzle site but no one knows it exists?  That can happen if you sit back and wait for customers to find you.

Zazzle is a huge place, with loads of individual shops and zillions of products.  It's hit and miss at best that somebody will "walk in Zazzle's front door" and find your store.

Every day I spend much of my time promoting and being social.  That way I can find people with similar interests and customers who are looking for exactly what I make.

This is how:

• Write at Wizzley (where you are now!).  This is a friendly site with a great forum and although good written content is most important, showing off what you sell is allowed too.
• Many Zazzler's have Squidoo pages.  Similar to Wizzley, with the ability to direct customers to products and / or your store(s).
• Use Twitter and Twitterfeed.  This a fast and easy way to tell everyone who follows you what is new, what has sold, and advertise sales.
• Blog about something you like.  Chances are it relates to what you are selling.
• Use Facebook and set up a Facebook Store page.

There are lots of online places to write.  Not every post has to be about selling - people will get tired of that.  Try to include useful information about something that interests you, and build a following.

I am not a very social person, but visiting the forums is an essential part of working at Zazzle.

Here are seven great reasons to visit the Zazzle Forum.

1. Find out what is new, such as new products that will be available to sell.
2. Get the scoop on problems, customer feedback, etc. from other shop keepers.
3. Ask questions!  In stead of spending loads of time trying to figure something out, ask in the forum - or use the "search" button which may direct you to a thread where your question has already been answered.
4. Answer questions and share your knowledge if you are able.
5. Find sites to link to and promote your products.  Many Zazzlers have Squidoo lenses and websites or blogs and are looking for products to feature.
6. Find helpful tutorials and learn something new.
7. Share your own ideas and news with fellow Zazzlers.

As I searched the Zazzle site years ago, I saw so many wonderful designs made by talented people.  I wondered if I'd ever be able to make such lovely looking designs.

After almost five years, I am a high-ranking ProSeller and I can say "yes" I think I do measure up, but I also have a long way to go.

When I look back and see how far I have come since 2007 when I began my first shop - Narrow Road Designs, I find the incentive to push forward and improve even more. 

Trying new things and learning new techniques is imperative.  I don't want to churn out the same old thing over and over.  It bores me, and it will bore my customers eventually.

Yes, mine is a story of success, that did not come overnight, but did come with perseverance and determination. 

How badly do you want it?  Success can be yours too.

(Photo credit: Pixabay)