topic Re: Collection Types in Collections

Collection Types

Beautiful — Sat, 22 Jul 2023 03:19:26 GMT

Hello All!

I need Help understanding the New Collection Types. I'm a little confused about them. So any Help I could get would be Greatly Appreciated!

I think that I have to completely overhaul all of my Collections with this New Collection Type system. But I'm not sure how to do it. Which of the following should a Collection be???

An example of a Collection should be: example- 1) "Necklaces" OR should it be 2) "Bird Necklaces" OR should it be 3) "Cardinal Bird Necklaces."

And do we still have to have at least 10 items in each Collection???

Thank You for Your Help!

Re: Collection Types

Cat — Sat, 22 Jul 2023 03:36:11 GMT

I'm completely confused by all of these collection changes - there's about a million new settings, but as far as I can tell nothing looks any different to the customer. Not sure if I'm missing something or if it isn't fully rolled out yet?

Anyhow, not sure if you've read this or not: Introducing Collection Types | Zazzle

I can't say that it helped me at all... I'm mostly just overwhelmed and confused, but maybe you can get some useful info from it?

Re: Collection Types

rebeccaheartsny — Sat, 22 Jul 2023 06:27:01 GMT

I'm also confused, and judging by the number of similar threads that have popped up, everyone is equally baffled. Hopefully these can be consolidated into one thread for ease of discussion.

I'd planned to do some work on my collections this weekend, but I honestly can't make heads or tails of these new changes, so I think I'll wait until we have some clarification.

Re: Collection Types

Barbara — Sat, 22 Jul 2023 11:57:47 GMT

@Beautiful I can't answer any but one of your questions and it's only with the number of products in a collection. At first, it was 7 products, then it was reduced to 6 products, and then it seemed there was no specific number at all. So, don't worry about it for now. We all have to wait for Zazzle to give us details far beyond what they've given us so far. Gosh, they didn't even give us a description of their vision. Only that it would be wonderful.

Colorwash's Home

Re: Collection Types

alissag — Sat, 22 Jul 2023 15:24:22 GMT

My understanding was it was more for how Zazzle was going to use collections for marketing purposes. Sort of like how they do currently with displaying other items from a collection on a product page, but building more on that with email and other marketing. I could be wrong, though.

Re: Collection Types

Anne — Sat, 22 Jul 2023 16:18:50 GMT

Exactly. I have several collections with a similar or same design on several different products, as the customer can't just migrate it to another product without lots of adjustments. So showcasing a design on an array of different products. The theme being that particular design. Doesn't seem to fit into any category or "type". Do I need to delete these collections?
I see yet another huge pile of work coming my way and I haven't even recovered yet from the loss of Blooming Elegant font, which requires re-doing all these products. Not to mention all cover images.
Where's my staff ... ?

Re: Collection Types

CrazyMermaid — Sat, 22 Jul 2023 16:46:03 GMT

I have sorted through that some collections like the Wedding Cross-sell Event suite requires 4 products, but that those four products have to be in different categories. For example a collection of 4 wedding invitations won't show up under each other in this category. I have to have an invitation, a napkin, gift tag or sign. There are gobs of other categories that work as well. I think the different collection types might require different things. For now I am focusing on this category, so I can learn the new rules a little at a time. (I also have collections that don't fit neatly into categories.)

Re: Collection Types

CrazyMermaid — Sat, 22 Jul 2023 16:51:51 GMT

Maybe eventually they will look differently. I am trying to get the products to sort into the right groupings in the Wedding - Cross-Sell/Event Suite. Then I am checking that I have enough categories represented to make the channels work. While I am sorting through this, I am trying to get my head around the media I need to create. I think this is where we can show products together - which is very exciting.

Re: Collection Types

CrazyMermaid — Sat, 22 Jul 2023 16:54:09 GMT

I think you are spot on. That is why they are trying to force some consistency in the collection products and order. As well as adding "eyecatching" banners and media.

Re: Collection Types

PenguinPower — Sat, 22 Jul 2023 17:08:56 GMT

Exactly... I have a lot of collections that are based on a single design made for multiple products because few things migrate seamlessly... There appears to be little place for these types of collections in the new system....

Re: Collection Types

PenguinPower — Sat, 22 Jul 2023 17:18:08 GMT

Sigh.... Come on Zazzle, show your bias to weddings and baby showers a little more. There NO proper category for most of my collections. They are mostly design based. They aren't appropriate for any of the categories that are looking for a specific event, but they certainly aren't "Other" either - in fact the wording is downright insulting "Use this type for collections with no clear purpose or intent." and btw we won't be showing them to people either....

Re: Collection Types

Jadendreamer13 — Sat, 22 Jul 2023 17:35:03 GMT

I agree. If you’re not in the wedding, bridal shower, birthday, graduation, stationary business you’re a second-rate player in this new collection category setting. And I am particularly annoyed with “you can use the Other category, but your collection will not be featured.”

It seems to me that Zazzle needs to include enough categories that every designer’s products will receive equal billing.

Don’t be so quick to roll out a new feature until you’re certain it mostly works (I understand a few hiccups), and that you’ve covered all bases where the feature works with your designer’s existing products and product suites.

Re: Collection Types

Barbara — Sat, 22 Jul 2023 17:38:54 GMT

@CrazyMermaid You mentioned "channels." What is a channel?

Colorwash's Home

Re: Collection Types

Cat — Sat, 22 Jul 2023 18:03:00 GMT

@CrazyMermaid Have you found a way to move things around in terms of the channels/groups? Like can we move something out of the bonus section into one of the channels/sections/whatever they're called? Not sure if I'm doing something wrong or if that feature doesn't exist.

Re: Collection Types

ArtVixen — Sat, 22 Jul 2023 18:07:15 GMT

How do I share a collection? I can't find the social media sharing buttons and link.

Re: Collection Types

Sara_H — Sat, 22 Jul 2023 18:14:35 GMT

@ArtVixen

I've found you have to be in the front end of your store - collections - find the collection you want to share - click through to it and the share button is there.

No option to share the whole collection from the new Collection Management area that I've come across

Re: Collection Types

ArtVixen — Sat, 22 Jul 2023 18:20:38 GMT

One thing I just noticed, is that some of my collection tags are messed up. For example, I had a tag "Mother's Day", but it now has two tags, "Mother's" and "Day."

Re: Collection Types

ArtVixen — Sat, 22 Jul 2023 18:22:24 GMT

Thank you! I will check. I hope Zazzle puts the sharing option back to the way it was. Much faster for me to promote that way.

Re: Collection Types

Jadendreamer13 — Sat, 22 Jul 2023 19:52:27 GMT

Yes, I’ve noticed that, too.

Re: Collection Types

k8hayes — Sat, 22 Jul 2023 20:32:46 GMT

BINGO. Thank you for saying this. I am with you 100%. It is insulting, and completely frustrating. I'm a square peg with SO MUCH purpose and A HELL OF A LOT OF intent. Now what?