Feedback for On-site notifications

[James]

Hi Community members,

Please feel free to share your feedback on our newly released on-site notifications in this thread. In case you missed the announcement, you can view it here.

Thanks!

The Creator Team. 

[NadineMay]

Thank you so much

[LMGildersleeve]

Quick question... how does a designer now add another designers product to a Collection from the Product page?

[ColsCreations]

See here:
share-your-tips-tricks/how-can-i-add-your-product-to-my-collection 

@LMGildersleeve 

[LMGildersleeve]

Thank you @ColsCreations That is a ton of work.

[klstock]

How do you adjust the settings for the in store notification bell?

Today I noticed I was getting notifications via the bell that someone added a new product to their store. I do NOT want notifications for people adding product to their store. I only want notifications for sales and likes pertaining to my store. I have looked and cannot find settings/preferences to adjust this. I know there is a "notifications" setting under account settings but that seems to pertain to email notifications only and not the bell notification that you see on your store page. 

[Scott]

Try unfollowing the store that you're receiving the notifications for.

[klstock]

Thanks but I don't want to unfollow them, I just don't need to see the red bell anytime someone I am following adds products to their store. Is there no way to adjust this? I was not getting these type notifications via the bell until today - not that I have noticed before, and today I got several at once.

[klstock]

I should add....maybe this would be useful for affiliates. I just wondered if there was a setting to choose whether you want those type notifications (or not). 

I do like the notification bell feature in general.

[Marcia]

Starting today, same here. I just got a notice regarding someone I follow adding products. I also don't want to unfollow them, but if that's what it takes so I no longer see these, I guess I'll have to unfollow everyone.

[Scott]

"Thanks but I don't want to unfollow them."

This is a very interesting comment. I'm curious about why you're following other Zazzle users. Do you use the following tools as a sort of bookmark for interesting stores? What are you expecting out of this feature?

The Following feature was originally developed to allow customers to keep up to date with stores that they're interested in. These new notifications are a move in this direction, and we hope that they'll help you generate additional interest in new products that may not surface well in search results early on. But...you're a Creator and not a customer so your approach to Following may differ. This is why I'm curious about your comment above.

Also, everyone is welcome to share their thoughts on the Following feature from a Creator point of view. If conversation takes off I'll split this out into its own conversation.

[Marcia]

For me, the reasons are that some of these are designers I "know" from mutual groups we're in together and they followed me first so I did the polite thing and followed them back. I used to think that the more followers one had, the more zrank, mp standing, etc. was affected. Generally, now though, I'm happiest when my new followers are my customers or potential customers.

[klstock]

Of the 25 total I was following, 2 are people I know personally and a few others are from a group Pinterest board.  For the rest, it's been so long, I forgot why! I cleaned up a few, so now I am down to following 13.

[Connie]

I think you are one of the designers I follow- I love all your beach stuff!

[klstock]

You are one I follow! You have great beach stuff also and always are helpful in the forum! 

[klstock]

I thought I was following you all this time but checked and didn't see your name, sorry!  I know I have "liked" your products and thought I was following you....I am now! 

[ColsCreations]

I loved the notification feature. Seeing the red icon up there was exciting, you knew it signaled something positive about your account. Logged on today and had 2 notices. Cool! But then they were just telling me two of the stores I follow added new products. 😞  Notifications about what other stores are doing feels spammy and akin to getting junk mail. Takes all the fun out of seeing and clicking that red notice.

I'm curious about why you're following other Zazzle users. Do you use the following tools as a sort of bookmark for interesting stores?

Yes, exactly.

What are you expecting out of this feature?

For it to be just a private collection of bookmarks. 😉
I don't need to know what those store's are up to. (I can go to them and sort by Newest if I want to see their latest products.) I don't need others to be able to see who I've bookmarked Followed. (I don't actually care that the public can see who I am Following, it's just not necessary or beneficial in any way I can figure.)

The Following feature was originally developed to allow customers to keep up to date with stores that they're interested in. These new notifications are a move in this direction ...

Understandable. But I would like to see the Following feature kept separate from the Notification feature which IMHO should be reserved for the more utilitarian things related to the customer's account like:
- Updates on orders placed - that they've moved from Review to Making to Shipping to Delivered etc...
- Notice that order has been canceled by Z for content/copyright reasons.
- Notice that something that was OOS that they were interested in is now available again
- Warnings that a payment method on file has expired
- Notice that a credit/refund has posted
- Notice that something left in one's cart (or Saved Designs or Likes) is now on sale at x% off. This is a big one; I get notifications from Amazon when something on one of my lists is reduced in price and that does actually get me to click and go look to see if I want to pull the trigger on ordering it or not now. (Including Saved Designs and Liked items in this notice would be a nightmare for Creators, but for straight-up customer-only accounts, I think it would def prompt sales.)

Those are the types of things I think should be in Notifications, in addition to the ones applicable only to Creators like when you've made a sale, etc... These are things specific and important to the account holder. The social media and marketing attempts, like what store's you're Following are doing, should be somewhere else. Like in the assorted emails we're able to opt in or out of. 😉

[KeegansCreation]

All of those are things worthy of being in Notifications. A designer adding something to their store is so unworthy/spammy that it runs the risk of designers being unfollowed just to cut down on spam. I am currently being followed by a number of people, some of whom are probably affiliates and customers. I don't want them unfollowing me just because they don't care about every single thing I post. Better they should just pop into my store when they are in the mood. They are far more likely to buy/link if it's on their terms than if they get inundated with junk mail notifications from me.

In any case, scrolling down on the landing page reveals a horizontal scroll of "trending from stores you follow" which is a much less intrusive and more user friendly and browsable way to see new products from followed stores. 

[Connie]

@Scott, I follow other designers for a variety of reasons. A few of them are in groups that I'm in. Some of them do such a good job with titles and tags, which is always a struggle for me, so if they are in my same niches, following makes it easy to go to their stores and get ideas for the tagging from their products (and no, I don't copy everything word for word!). Most of them I just like their products SO MUCH, or their stores are a particular inspiration to me. (I'm a sucker for anything nautical or beach related, LOL!) Don't forget, we designers are also shoppers, and while I currently just buy mostly my own products, there are several by other designers that are on my wishlist. But like other people have commented, I have absolutely no need or desire to be notified when these designers post new products, or make new collections. I visit my favorites periodically to see what new stuff they have, when I'm in a shopping mood. 

Also, while I don't do much affiliating, I do have a few Pinterest boards where I promote other people's designs that I think are particularly clever, or beach/ nautical products I like best. So I like to follow the stores I'm most likely to get these products from.

[Lais]

Certainly, there are different ways people follow each other, I'm one of those people who like to follow everyone, like an excited customer who sees a store and says "wow, nice!" and starts following it. I also like to follow some stores to show support. And I have to confess I kinda follow some stores too for the purpose of "spying", like "this one seems to be successful, let's see what they're doing!". For this matter, the notifications about their new products and collections are very appreciated 😂 LOL. 
I'm currently following 575 stores by the way. That's one of the reasons I'd like to have an option to favorite some stores, also separate the stores I'm following into different categories, organize them on the following page, etc. 

(Please don't get me wrong on the "spying" thing, I do that like when I'm on Pinterest and I search for different stuff to get new ideas, I don't do that with the purpose of copying/stealing what others are doing.)

[Lais]

I agree that there should be an option to choose which types of notifications we'd like to receive. I personally believe most customers will like the suggestions of stores to follow and the notifications on new collections. That's something I don't think most creators will like, though. 

[WHS_Designs]

I am so glad to see notifications now include alerts for and links to products that have been hidden (due to lack of sales/views) and need optimization.

[Connie]

Oh, that's a really great option! I haven't seen that yet.

[WHS_Designs]

that might be a good thing ... which might mean that most (or all) of your products are regularly seen by potential customers!! 🙂 

[Lais]

I agree!

It can be a bit frustrating sometimes though...

[Ms_Contrary]

And...hilariously, that "you need to optimize these now hidden products" is what spurred me into coming over here and seeing if anyone had found settings to turn that off yet! 🤣 

I don't need notifications for that--I regularly take care of optimizing or deleting old products as part of my shop maintenance. Also, the sheer numbers of these notifications that I'm receiving is overwhelming (I have thousands of products in my stores). 

@Scott, please can we have a way to turn some of these notifications off? 

[Shar-Ken]

I was trying to find a conversation that addressed the numerous notifications I am now getting about items needing optimization.  Like you, Ms_Contrary, I check often and do as many as I can (I have hundreds if not thousands of designs) and prefer not to be annoyed with the constant red bell.  I would like to know it there is a way to turn this particular notification off.  I do however appreciate and enjoy the other notifications.

[CherylsArt]

That is why I came over here too. I do not want to receive notifications of this product needs optimizing. And then when I clicked on it, that product wasn't even viewable because of all of the other products sitting there that needed optimizing. Enough with the products needing optimizing. I get to it when I get to it; I don't need or want reminders of that.

Just the sales and likes, please.

[JLynnW]

I just got a notice today that one item needed optimization, but clicking on the notice brought me to the same view that I see when I sort products on the backend to needing optimization and there was no item needing optimization.  I don't see how that is very helpful.

Also, I have gotten a few notices of products receiving likes, but the stats haven't changed to reflect those like.  Again, not very helpful, but it's a short feel good moment.

[Doodles]

I follow people because they follow me I guess I am just not sure who follows me and takes links from my shop for third party sells to let who ever know I appreciate them following me. About half my followers are other shops.

[BKMuir]

Getting notified that something "might" need optimization does not seem practical (I got 5 different notices on slightly more #s of products today). It would seem that our notification drop down would be flooded with these items.

I routinely view my products when reviewing various items I search for. This may miss some of those marked for optimization, but it is not too taxing. Also, I review multiple pages of products that come up in a particular sort and see other things that might need tweaking.

[Cherie]

I do like the notifications, I appreciate the updates on my sales, the products needing to be optimized and it doesn't bother me that I see other designer's newest collections and such.  

Now, if you'll just notify me of when it's time to get off the computer? I spend too much time sitting on my behind!😆

[Marcia]

In the last couple of weeks I've gotten 2 notifications of new reviews written. However, when I go to my reviews tab, nothing new is there. Were they bad reviews & that's why they weren't posted? Regardless, I'd like to see what they were. Because otherwise, why bother notifying me in the first place?

[Sandra-]

Hi @Marcia it’s possible the reviews are posted in your store but on another country’s Zazzle site, depending on where customer lives and which site they purchased from as I believe they only show on that particular site. The reviews I see of mine on the US site are different to those on the UK and other Zazzle domains. If you log into your store on any of the other Zazzle country sites you may find several reviews you weren’t aware of, as I did. 

[Marcia]

Thank you so much, @Sandra- I had never even thought of that! I checked it out and found a dozen additional reviews from UK, Australia & Canada! So this was exactly the reason I wasn't seeing them.

[Sandra-]

You’re very welcome @Marcia happy to help 😊

[BKMuir]

Sandra - Please refresh my memory and explain where I can see reviews of my products that others have posted (only on the product page itself?).

[Sandra-]

Hi @BKMuir you’ll find them to the right hand side on the home page of your member profile (next to your Saved Designs), as well as in your individual stores on the menu bar you’ll see Reviews between News and Settings. 

[BKMuir]

Thank you Sandra!!

I had found them before, but just couldn't find them yesterday.

[Sandra-]

You’re very welcome 😊

[JB]

I'd love technical issue notifications on our store backends like this. Letting us all know when there is a known technical issue (many many people don't use or know about the forums) and what it is and what is being done, and an ETA, etc. Right where we see alerts and new product announcements etc would be really useful and sow a lot of goodwill to the designers (creators, as we are not referred to?)