topic Re: maybe my math is wrong but in General Zazzle Discussion

maybe my math is wrong but

pichick712 — Wed, 08 Nov 2023 23:35:03 GMT

This is a LONG STANDING issue that I am having with Zazzle among other issues and I wanted to warn others about this.

Please click on the link. you should see like I see 24 Holiday garden flags. https://www.zazzle.com/collections/holiday_garden_flags-119383684989558847

however when I look at my christmas store as a whole, I only see that there are 8 holiday garden flags. https://www.zazzle.com/store/jlbchristmas/collections

this is the case with about 30+ collections. I have brought this up with zazzle who asked for links and screenshots ALL OF WHICH I SPENT TIME DOING and still the issue is not fixed. now, they as the builders of this website should be able to see this problem and correct it but they can't seen to which really makes me question what they are doing besides making things harder for the creators to sell their products.

Everyone should be checking to see that the number of products in your collections match what is exactly in the collection. These are all public so they are not being "optimized" which is another whole thing I have an issue with. Everyone does know that you basically have to build all your collections all over if things do not sell resulting in your having wasted your time in the first place.

Re: maybe my math is wrong but

Sara_H — Wed, 08 Nov 2023 23:41:12 GMT

@pichick712 I only see 8 flags in your collection

Re: maybe my math is wrong but

Scott — Wed, 08 Nov 2023 23:46:07 GMT

If you see 24 products in a collection while logged in, but only 8 products in the same collection while logged out, then some of the products are probably in need of optimization.

https://help.zazzle.com/hc/en-us/articles/223160488-Marketplace-Optimization

Re: maybe my math is wrong but

CreativeLeahG — Thu, 09 Nov 2023 00:11:13 GMT

Same here

Re: maybe my math is wrong but

whimsywhim — Thu, 09 Nov 2023 00:29:04 GMT

I'm having the same problem. When I log in, I have all my tissue paper in my collections. When I log out, there is none - zero. A customer alerted me to this. Is this a technical issue or am I doing something wrong?

Re: maybe my math is wrong but

pichick712 — Thu, 09 Nov 2023 00:38:51 GMT

So instead of fixing issues, Zazzle just keeps making changes that make it more difficult to sell our products. I am going to send them an email every single day with another example until they fix it.

Re: maybe my math is wrong but

pichick712 — Thu, 09 Nov 2023 00:41:23 GMT

if everything is listed as PUBLIC, then screw that optimization BS. I have just sold products that have been available for over a year, AND by pulling that stupid move, it necessitates us having to realize that the time we spent creating those products was for NOTHING, that we have to re-do ALL our collections AT THE WHIM OF ZAZZLE. I refuse to optimize anything. I created the product and I expect ZAZZLE to keep it available until I DECIDE to do something with it.

Re: maybe my math is wrong but

pichick712 — Thu, 09 Nov 2023 00:41:49 GMT

but there are actually many more. Click on the other link.

Re: maybe my math is wrong but

ColsCreations — Thu, 09 Nov 2023 02:06:04 GMT

If one goes to your store you can see the flag collection and that you have added 24 products to it.

If one clicks to view the collection, there are only 8 products available for browsing:

This is most likely because, as has already been explained to you, the other 16 products have been hidden as they need Optimization. You can read about what this means here. Optimizing a product can be as simple as changing one tag and clicking the button to reset it from Hidden to Public. You don't have to re-do the design or re-do the Collection or do anything at all with the Collection actually. Flagging products in this way is actually helpful as it alerts Creators to products that haven't gotten even a view in 15 months. You can then decide whether to "optimize it" and give it another 15 months, or delete it. You can refuse to optimize anything but you are only hurting yourself that way. The time spent emailing Zazzle every day would be better spent just reviewing & "optimizing" your products.

Your can find which products in a store have been hidden for optimization by going to your All Products back-end and selecting the"Optimization Needed" filter.

Re: maybe my math is wrong but

ColsCreations — Thu, 09 Nov 2023 02:02:30 GMT

I believe this is because out-of-stock products are hidden to the public until they are back in stock and tissue paper is currently out-of-stock.

Re: maybe my math is wrong but

James — Thu, 09 Nov 2023 10:30:46 GMT

Hi @pichick712 , following Scott's advice earlier, the issue is with specific products in your Collections that need optimization. These products haven't met the criteria outlined in the shared article. You don't have to recreate Collections, but you can make them public again without changes. However, it might not be very effective, as the products could end up in the same state later. This feature flags items that could benefit from your attention, making them more appealing to customers and contributing to your success on Zazzle. There's no technical issue to fix, just some adjustments on your end.

Re: maybe my math is wrong but

whimsywhim — Thu, 09 Nov 2023 12:13:06 GMT

But if you put "tissue paper" in the store's search engine, many show up. That's what confuses me.

Re: maybe my math is wrong but

pichick712 — Thu, 09 Nov 2023 12:13:42 GMT

and how can I see what items ZAZZLE has now decided should need optimization/hidden? According to what I am seeing, they are PUBLIC. I have THOUSANDS of products and the wasted time spent "optimizing" are time I am not creating new products. There is no where that indicates these products are not visible to the public. This whole "optimization" is just ANOTHER bad move by Zazzle to make it harder for us to sell products. If you look at my entire site, u will see I have thousands of items. I am NOT going through all of them when they don't need to be. NOT EVERYTHING ZAZZLE DECIDES TO DO IS A GOOD MOVE. Do you want to waste time "optimizing" products that zazzle will once again decide need MORE optimization. Where does it end? HOW DO U SEE WHAT PRODUCTS ARE NOW HIDDEN AT ZAZZLE'S DISCRETION? i can't see where anything of mine is hidden and how is it that ZAZZLE can't even tell me what the issue is. I mean it is THEIR website. This whole "optimization" has to stop. NO ONE wants to optimize anything. We spent time creating the product and it should be OUR decision when we delete it, NOT ZAZZLES. When they do this TO US, they ensure the item will NEVER sell and then NO ONE makes anything on the product. Just ANOTHER bad decision on Zazzle's part. Creating collections USED TO BE so easy, now it's way more steps and very disjointed. There is no more banner on a new collection and the existing banners cannot be changed. Isn't anyone else really frustrated at what zazzle is doing? I NEED MY MEAGER 2 (if that) sales a week. I NEED EVERY PRODUCT TO BE VISIBLE IN THE HOPES I MAKE A SALE. We all have spent time creating products and ZAZZLE decides they are not good enough? Talk about morale deflating. AND YET, when I do make a sale, it IS an item that was NOT just created so their methods don't even make sense. I recently sold products that I know have been in my stores for at least 2 years. Guess they didn't need "optimizing?" Fine Art America does not do this to its creators.

Re: maybe my math is wrong but

pichick712 — Thu, 09 Nov 2023 12:14:37 GMT

ZAZZLE can't even explain to me what they are doing. Go figure.

Re: maybe my math is wrong but

pichick712 — Thu, 09 Nov 2023 12:16:06 GMT

If the item is out of stock, that is one thing even though the items still show up but these are in stock products. And how can we really do a "gift giving" collection without tissue paper which is all sold out.

Re: maybe my math is wrong but

pichick712 — Thu, 09 Nov 2023 12:20:32 GMT

both are while logged in and so what am I supposed to do? Use the force to figure out which ones Zazzle deems unworthy of being public? I have 229 COLLECTIONS and within each collection are a lot of products. Who has the time OR DESIRE to go back in an "optimize" anything. You are left just deleting the whole collection and starting over which negates EVERYTHING u did in putting that collection together in the first place.

Re: maybe my math is wrong but

pichick712 — Thu, 09 Nov 2023 12:27:42 GMT

why should I have to do this? Why can't they just leave it up to the creator to decide what they want to do with THEIR products? I do not have access to that screen at all. I tried to upload what I see but I don't have PERMISSION from the zazzle gods to upload anything.

Re: maybe my math is wrong but

James — Thu, 09 Nov 2023 12:34:20 GMT

You can review all the products that need optimization on your 'products' tab in store management, and then by selecting the filter for optimization needed. As seen below.

By default, your Store Management Product view is set to 'newest to oldest', but you can change these filters to whichever you like and you will see a red triangle next to products that need optimization among your other, public products (if you don't use the above filter).

Re: maybe my math is wrong but

pichick712 — Thu, 09 Nov 2023 12:40:13 GMT

WHY SHOULD ANYONE EVEN HAVE TO DO THIS??????? I am just going to delete them. I am not going to spend time thinking of "creative keywords" that zazzle may or may not like. Deleting the item means that NO ONE makes ANYTHING ON THAT PRODUCT. Everyone LOSES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ANOTHER BAD MOVE BY ZAZZLE!!!!!!!!! Why should ANYONE spend ANY TIME creating products if Zazzle is going to decide to make it go away whenever it wants to? Is there an answer to that question? I have been a creator for 10 YEARS and it used to be an easy and NICE place to create products. Now, NOT SO MUCH.

Re: maybe my math is wrong but

pichick712 — Thu, 09 Nov 2023 12:41:46 GMT

I HAVE 1,388 PRODUCTS THAT ZAZZLE HAS DECIDED NEED OPTIMIZATION!!! U WANNA HELP ME?????????????????????????????