With the introduction of Zazzle’s marketing fees in April, many of us began reevaluating what our creative work is truly worth. I tried to offset those costs by raising my royalty rate hoping it would balance the equation without disrupting sales. Instead, my sales plummeted. I assumed shoppers were passing over my now higher-priced products in favor of similar designs at lower price points.  Longtime gift shop buyers who used to stock my cards and tissue paper disappeared. Then in June I lowered the royalty on my most popular items, and soon after, the orders returned. Did I discover my “sweet spot”? Not quite. What I found was my long-lost repeat customers and while selling to them again brings joy, earning significantly less for the work I’ve poured my heart into remains discouraging. So now I’m curious: Have you adjusted your royalty rate to accommodate the marketing fees? Did it affect your visibility or sales? How do you strike that balance between pricing with integrity and staying competitive? Let’s talk about what’s working, what’s not. ... View more

Hi everyone, With Zazzle’s latest tissue paper mockups now live, I wanted to open up a friendly conversation about what really works when it comes to showcasing these products and what doesn’t. As sellers, many of us rely on visual storytelling to connect with customers, and tissue paper deserves a presentation that enhances its beauty and potential. Just to share a bit of context before shifting into digital design, I spent 10 years as an Area Visual Merchandiser for the Fang Brothers Group (parent company of Episode), based in Hong Kong. I oversaw retail stores throughout Florida and Atlanta, where visual presentation strategies were essential in connecting customers to products. Much of what I recommend for mockup styling today is drawn from that experience in large-scale fashion retail especially when it comes to showcasing texture, clarity, and emotional appeal. From my perspective, the new Zazzle mockups unfortunately fall a bit short. Rather than elevating the designs, they often flatten clarity and dull the resolution especially when framed. For intricate seasonal patterns or woodland-inspired motifs, a frame mockup doesn’t convey the richness or purpose of the product. Plus, when the most compelling part of the design is minimized or cropped, it’s unlikely to inspire a purchase. A few mockup alternatives to consider: First, try showing the tissue paper as a lightly folded sheet with a small gift (like a tie set) placed in the center. Add a gift bag off to the side with the same tissue paper peeking out from the top. This visual pairing tells a powerful story how a wrapped gift and matching bag come together as a complete presentation. It subtly encourages customers to buy both at once. Second, for craft and decoupage audiences, lay the tissue paper perfectly flat on a white background to preserve clarity and color accuracy. Around it, include crafting elements like scissors, Mod Podge, and a brush to evoke the creative process. Off to the side, show a completed craft such as an ornament, plate, or decorated jar featuring the same tissue paper. This creates a strong visual link between inspiration and execution. In my experience, Zazzle's frame mockups rarely do justice to tissue designs. They compress detail, dull vibrancy, and rarely connect to how the product is actually used. At best, they can highlight a small swatch but they’re not ideal for selling a seasonal or decorative product intended for wrapping or crafting. Thinking ahead, before creating your mockup, take a moment to consider what you want to achieve. Are you promoting a singular product like tissue paper on its own or are you trying to show the customer’s need for a coordinated set, such as tissue paper paired with a matching gift bag? That decision shapes everything: the layout, the props, the emotional tone. A bundled visual often encourages duplicate purchases, while a focused shot may highlight design detail. Both have value it just depends on your goal. If you're ready to create your own visuals, here are some free platforms that make it easy: Pixelied’s Free Mockup Generator (https://pixelied.com/mockups), Canva Mockup Generator (https://www.canva.com/create/mockup-generator/), Freepik Mockup Generator (https://www.freepik.com/mockup-generator), FlexClip Mockup Tool (https://www.flexclip.com/tools/mockup-generator/), and DesignHub’s curated list of mockup tools (https://designhub.co/best-mockup-websites/). I’d love to share my visual vision with all of you, if you're open to it. After all, helping each other is one of the surest ways we open doors to success ... View more

Hi everyone, As we move through seasonal sales cycles like Halloween, Thanksgiving, Winter Solstice, and Christmas, it’s easy to focus on individual product tags but don’t overlook your storefront tags. These quiet champions play a big role in Zazzle’s internal search visibility and external SEO. Recently, I realized my store tags hadn’t been updated since 2009 (😳), and when I refreshed them with trend-driven, seasonal keywords like “Christmas in July,” I saw a clear increase in traffic and sales. Within five days, I sold a table lamp and 21 sheets of tissue paper. Coincidence? Maybe. But when your storefront  speaks the language of the season, customers (and algorithms) tend to listen. So what does updating store tags really do for you?  Features of a Seasonal Tag Refresh: Highlights your current niche, such as “Halloween decor,” “Yule gifts,” or “Christmas in July tissue paper” Helps Zazzle correctly categorize your shop for algorithm placement Aligns your brand with current search behavior and seasonal buyer intent  Benefits You Might See: Increased impressions during trend-driven searches More engagement with in-season products Sharper brand identity that evolves with the calendar Better alignment between About Page, homepage visibility, and customer expectations How to Update Store Tags Effectively: Use 5–8 specific keywords that reflect current offerings Rotate quarterly or monthly depending on your niche Explore trending phrases in Zazzle’s search bar or Google Trends Keep the language customer-friendly and seasonally relevant (e.g. “Spooky Halloween Invitations” vs. “October cards”) If your store’s still rocking tags from a bygone decade (guilty as charged), consider giving it a seasonal refresh your future views and sales might just thank you. Footnote: The strategies shared here came out of some weekend house cleaning. While updating my About section, I scrolled down and realized my store tags hadn’t been touched in years and they no longer reflected what was happening in my shop. I updated them using SEO phrases based on how customers actually search when shopping online. For anyone curious, Zazzle offers its own tagging recommendations in the Maker Manual: Make Your Tags Count and their broader Title, Description & Tagging Best Practices guide.   ... View more

If you've sold backpacks is it with names or without names? I'm curious cuz I know some mom's are careful about not putting their kids names on backpacks because of strangers. Just curious if anyone knows what sells more ... View more

Zazzle, you've had a lasting effect in my life, ever since I came across you in 2013. You've made a huge impact in my life, all positive. Zazzle has been such a great platform for all the designers, all these years - its technology, its customer centric approach, the excellent Zazzle support team, the backend Zazzle Creator Team - one can't ask for a better set of professionals - people - fellow Zazzle designers who've always lent a helping hand when it was needed the most. Pushing the boundaries of the designers with the constant introduction of new products, the challenging market scenarios - everything has pushed one to do better. I will never be able to thank you enough Zazzle for everything. You've no clue how important a role you've played in my life. And I thank everyone in the Zazzle Team for these years and I wish you Zazzle a hundred anniversaries more. Thank You! Happy Anniversary! Vipul iCoolCreate iSmiledYou ... View more

Hello, I have products (around 60) posted since April with an average of 1-5 views each. My zRank is 4 and 100% store set up. What could I be doing wrong.? These are wedding invitations for autumn. Is there a way to see on the product page that the listing is indexed? I heard someone explain the tags highlighted in blue means it has been indexed. I am new to Zazzle and looking for some advice. Thanks in advance. ... View more

Can someone explain this  excess royalty fee to me? i feel like i'm  being robbed on every sale. ... View more

Okay... when you click share then click link thing should there be an ?rf=then ambassador referral whatever you call it number after it if it is my own products? Pic below showing what I am talking about because no matter what I do Zazzle is refusing to may me my royalties and I have had every variety of response back, my fault.I Laos explained all of this better in another post no one seems to be looking at or helping me on. So this one is shorter  ... View more

Someone gave me a Zazzle-made acrylic tumbler as a gift. The print quality is great, and so is the quality of the tumbler. I use it every day. The only drawback is the tumblers have to be hand washed to preserve the printed design. But that’s really no biggie. I like this product so much that I’m considering creating a variety of designs to sell on them. But before I put in a lot of effort, I wanted to ask you all if you’ve successfully sold this product. So, what’s been your experience with selling acrylic tumblers? Thanks!! ... View more

I am concerned about a series of product listings on the platform that feature the phrase “86 47.” While some may view this as political satire, the broader public interpretation often reads as an incitement to harm the 47th President of the United States. As you may know, “86” is slang for “eliminate” or “get rid of,” and “47” is widely associated with President Trump. Together, this phrase is frequently understood as a coded message advocating violence—something that goes beyond humor and into territory that can incite hate. I understand that Zazzle values creative expression. However, allowing slogans that can be construed as violent undermines the spirit of respectful dialogue and inclusive marketplace ethics. This goes against Zazzle’s stated content guidelines prohibiting hate speech or threats of violence. I request that your team review these listings with this context in mind and consider their removal. Doing so would send a strong message that Zazzle prioritizes ethical standards and public safety over politicized messaging that can provoke real-world harm.  (I searched 8647 and there are 6000+ products)  Thank you for your attention and commitment to maintaining a respectful and responsible platform. ... View more

Why are the thermal insulated Wine Tumblers being referred to as Water Bottles in the item description? Is this an error? The same thing is happening with the larger Insulated Tumblers. I have given links to the items in question. https://www.zazzle.com/mocha_stylized_wedding_bridesmaid_name_thermal_wine_tumbler-256220379323760304  https://www.zazzle.com/mocha_stylized_wedding_bridesmaid_name_insulated_tumbler-256107323536945420  ... View more

Can someone clear better about this? Solved: Allow Zazzle to sell products on other affiliated ... - Zazzle ... View more