Feedback for videos: please don't skew the marketplace

[Connie]

I'm extremely disappointed in Zazzle for adding videos to Media Manager! As a shopper, I find them annoying, distracting, and aggravating (especially with sound!), but what really bothers me is that Zazzle penalizes those who don't have the time and money to jump on every "shiny new object" they come out with.

"Our existing commitment to an enriched customer experience is only enhanced as products that feature Cover Photos (and now Videos!) will continue to be favored in the Marketplace and will be showcased throughout the customer experience."

So then, they will say: "See, it increases sales!" Well of course, products that are featured and promoted will have more sales than those that aren't! But it doesn't accurately reflect the actual impact of those added distractions.

REAL, ACTUAL Marketplace testing would be if they didn't favor them in the Marketplace, and "let the chips fall" naturally.You can't honestly claim to have done real-world testing, when customers only see the products you want them to see!

It would be fine to have that option for those who have unlimited time and resources to make videos. But it is extremely unfair to penalize the rest of us. And they can't honestly claim they AREN'T penalizing us, when they admit right in the Media Manager Playbook, that they are actively favoring the products with videos in the Marketplace and customer experiences! If you favor certain products over others, not because of the actual merits of the designs, but because of the "bells and whistles," you ARE in effect penalizing the products that don't have those bells and whistles.

I'm resigned to the fact that the viability of my store is time-limited, and I will eventually be phased out. But it is really disheartening, after all the hundreds of hours and dollars I've spent on cover photos, (not to mention losing all that time I could have spent making new products) to be shunted aside because I'm unable to make videos.

I wonder if there is any way to get a petition going to Zazzle, to stop the artificial skewing of the Marketplace, and let actual real-world customers shopping in a fair marketplace be the determining factor of search results.

[idraw]

@Connie 

You made a very accurate and valid point. Took Stats in college, results can be skewed when and if the product is promoted by any company and then claims are made stating that sales are increasing. So that can then mean the stats are not clean, and highly probable having been adjusted to reflect  the  desired results.  It's a convoluted assumption, to explain further, if I claim that sales increase (without showing/including/posting/making public... the influence/numbers data in promoting those same products which are included in the stats) then the statistical results are not accurate and do not reflect the actual sales of all products, just those being promoted.  Probable statistical bias. Also consider psychological motivation that affects the subcontractor/supplier.
Thank you Connie, for bringing this up, great observation.

[Jadendreamer13]

I have not jumped on the cover photo bandwagon. I can either produce high-quality designs or high-quality cover photos. Customers ultimately make their purchase decisions based on the quality of the design and the usefulness of the product. So, naturally, I also have no plans on making videos. Instagram changed from a photo sharing application to a TicToc copycat. I still have my Instagram account, but I only post still photos; no videos. If I wanted to watch endless videos, then I’d join TicToc, but I have not joined.

I am a designer, not a cover photo mock-up expert, a videographer, a sound technician, or a product mock-up generator. If I dilute my work with all these other new Zazzle requirements, then I am also diluting the quality of my artwork. And it’s the quality of my artwork and designs that has always set me apart.

If Zazzle wants to dabble in all these other areas, then it needs to hire experts in each of these fields to accomplish all these tasks. They already have a top-notch team of designers. Let them focus on the work they do best: creating high-quality designs.

Zazzle may be encouraging its designers to take over more roles, but designers don’t have to step up to those tasks.

[Barbara]

The only case in which I've seen video to be of value is when it's created by a company for a piece of equipment, showing it in real-life use. You can see it all the time on Amazon where it serves an important purpose. What purpose do videos serve for event stationery, gift wrap and tags, posters, tote bags, etc?

Colorwash's Home

[Cat]

Well, I can see it being useful for one thing - choosing the right paper on certain products. Anything designed on a paper sheet is super confusing for the customer because one of the paper choices (semi-gloss) is a thin cardstock and the others are foldable bond weight papers. Ideally, Zazzle would do a better job of explaining this in their paper descriptions, but a video would be ideal. Whether that's something I'm capable of creating or not is a completely different question!

I'm also wondering if there's a generational component here. When I'm looking for info or instructions, I tend to avoid videos like the plague because I don't want to sit through a bunch of crap when I could easily just scan the written instructions to get the piece of information that I need. But since people in the modern world don't seem to read, maybe it's a way to get through to them?

I dunno. The idea of trying to actually film something presentable, or having my face and/or voice on video sorta makes me feel like I'm gonna puke, but maybe there are some alternatives out there that I could stomach. Oy!

[Barbara]

@Cat, that's an interesting observation about paper. It sure isn't something we should do individually--it would be for Zazzle to do.

As for videos, when I'm buying a small appliance such as I did recently, I needed to watch the operation of the thing to get a true feel for the variety offered, and this included the noise level of the thing. Instructions are often all that's required, but when you need to see and hear, instructions don't cut it. However, how many of Zazzle's products require even instructions?

Colorwash's Home

[Cat]

@Barbara "It sure isn't something we should do individually--it would be for Zazzle to do." No argument there, but I'm not gonna hold my breath on that one! 😁

[Connie]

You are correct- ZAZZLE should have a video that explains the paper types, that is automatically added to ALL the relevant listings. If they don't want to directly add the video to each product, they should have a link to the video right there in the Paper Choices menu.

[chefcateringbiz]

I can promise never to click on a video in fear I will be blasted with sound.

[Pixelan]

From the media manager help page: "Please note that videos will be played without sound on the Product Page to prevent possibilities of copyright infringement". Personally I also prefer videos without any sound on product pages.

[Connie]

Well, THAT's a relief, anyway!

[LMGildersleeve]

Must be a snaffu, but I heard a video's sound last week.

[Sq]

I agree, there is only so much time we can spend on cover pics, collections, etc without taking time away from designing new quality products.  What is the purpose of the videos?  Apart from showing the product in use, which could be done by Zazzle as they do with t-shirts.  Thanks Connie for bringing this up.

[LFL]

I don't see the value in videos either.

However, I do like having the option to have my own cover photos. Many of my designs look better on customized mockups.

[Connie]

I like the fact that they have the OPTION, for photos anyway. It's quite handy for double-sided invitations, for example, or products like duvet covers that don't have any in situ images already. But what I don't like is that the penalize the people who don't have Cover Photos, and now even worse, VIDEOS!

[Sea-Change]

I agree with you. The hoops to jump through are increasing and resulting in massive churn. I understand the potential benefit of cover photos, aka to present more variety of images for SEO or to show an item in situ. I've created quite a few, while also putting in hours of social media promotion daily. Cover photos, however, have been followed by collections churn, and now videos. I'm also finding the multiple announcements about the contest to be rather spammy.

I'm also concerned about the impact of some of Zazzle's algorithms on their MarketPlace, It seems like they favor this shiny tool, then that shiny tool, a particular aesthetic, or potentially a set of designers. I realize Zazzle can't feature all the possible designs for a product, but it's disappointing how much they narrow down their own field, which in the long run impacts designers.  I'm always surprised when I search outside of Zazzle, and I see so many great designs for a product. When I perform the same search within Zazzle, it's a fairly small offering, all too often with a very specific aesthetic, products with spammed tags, or sometimes, similar "one-off" designs from the same designer.

Promoting designs that perform well in the MP can create a self-fulfilling reality, e.g., where Zazzle' boost creates an inordinately huge spread. For example, one design might get 21K views while another one of similar quality gets 21 views. While it's also up to the designers to promote their own designs, self-promotion can't always close that marketing gap.  

I am overall grateful for Zazzle, and I respect that it is their platform, their choices, etc. I am disappointed, however, about the constant wave of noise and UI changes and impact on their MP SEO. At the very least, Zazzle could have provided designers with a strategic roadmap and general timeline of what to expect. I wish the product managers and developers could spend a few days shadowing designers in a contextual inquiry or actually designing themselves to better understand the impact of their decisions.

I do not want to sound unappreciative, but I don't think I'm alone in feeling overwhelmed by the constant churn. What was once a satisfying process that yielded reaonable results is starting to feel like a black hole of time, energy, effort, and good will. 

[Barbara]

Yes, it's constant change without ever being able to complete any one thing. I've done product covers but was nowhere near finished before the revamping of collections showed up wherein I was supposed to figure out how to categorize them and create covers without full knowledge of what Zazzle wants and why, and now we're supposed to get excited about videos? I'm not excited because I've reached the well-known stage of being a deer in headlights, the result being that I've been drained of any desire to come up with new designs. Oh, I've fiddled with what I already have, maybe transferring a design here or there, but that's it.

Zazzle needs to slow down. I already have and to the point of stopping.

Colorwash's Home

[JulieV]

Hi Barbara, I'm with you! Zazzle has drained all the joy and excitement out of the process of publishing designs on this platform. Too much, too quick, together with a lack of information on how this will work in the "real" world. The world we creators live in, often juggling a multitude of demands with little time (or inclination) to jump on Zazzle's next "new thing", tempting us with "carrot on a stick" promises of an "increase in sales".  
Lately I've been feeling more and more disheartened by the constant stream of changes and have also felt like quitting. 
But...I love designing and that keeps me here, trying to upload whenever I can despite very little spare time due to other commitments.
So happy to see I'm not only one who feels overwhelmed by recent events. I don't like to complain and am holding out hope that Q4 provides the motivation to not throw in the towel. Wishing you and all the other "deer in the headlight" folk all the best and hope Zazzle takes a look at this forum and works with us not against us. 
Cheers to all!

[TAngelone]

Spot on! Deer caught in a headlight describes me. Also fear of breaking things in collections. Thanks Julie V, Barbara, Sea-Change and others. 

[Sea-Change]

Thank you and others for sharing. It's good to hear other people's perspectives and to know I'm not alone! 

[TAngelone]

Let me preface this by stating that Zazzle is a great platform. We as creatives do appreciate being afforded the opportunity to showcase our art and designs on beautiful and very functional products that Zazzle Makers have crafted and created and that Zazzle offers. We are all very grateful for that. 

However let me first address the videos issue that Connie raised.

I myself have no problem with making videos for my products and product lines as I have many in progress for social media that can in turn be used to promote on Zazzle. 

However creatives and shopkeepers viability and visibility should NOT be based on whether their respective shop has videos and cover images. 

It should be based upon design quality first and foremost.  

There should be equal opportunity for all to showcase their product and product designs with in the confines of the Zazzle marketplace regardless of whether they use cover photos and videos or not. 

Videos add to the ever increasing workload for creatives whose creativity is being squelched because of all of the demands. Videos, cover photos, collection descriptions etc. 

I myself am feeling very overwhelmed, burnt out, drained, frustrated, lost and deflated not unlike others on the Zazzle platform. 

I have not even begun one collection yet! Not one! 

Why? I have spent literally hours daily searching exhaustively on the Zazzle forums, Youtube etc. to get answers to my questions regarding collections and to proceed with creating them. 

The collections tool as it stands right now is next to impossible to create collections with for the many valid reasons myself and others have posted about on this forum. I do NOT want to be forced to give up altogether. 

Adding videos which makes everything more visually and aesthetically pleasing is taking precedence over the Collections Tool functionality and usability. 

Meaning that the Collections Tool is still very limited in terms of what it will and will NOT allow in terms of collections creation due to it catering to a limited number of events or occasions and excluding products and their designs, use cases and intent altogether.

Also it is bogged down and buggy.  

Again the narrow and very limited choices and scope with in the collections category tree excludes many designers and creatives. Myself included. 

Videos will NOT translate into higher ranking and increased sales for Zazzle or its designers if the marketplace is saturated with videos of subpar, low quality mediocre designs and collections that only cater to certain events or occasions that Zazzle believes are what's "highly relevant in search", "hot" or "in demand". 

Bombarding the marketplace with videos will NOT enrich or enhance the customer experience. 

Too many videos will only serve to cheapen and diminish the Zazzle brand while bloating and overloading its already glitchy and bloated eco system. 

As of 27th, August, 2023 I have read that others have attempted to upload videos unsuccessfully. I myself have NOT attempted this and will NOT to alleviate stress on the Collections Tool. 

That stated please again consider what has been stated and consider implementing this.

Please also consider making the Collections Tool more useable by limiting the number of videos we can post. Otherwise again the system will get too bloated and bogged down. 

Please add more categories to the drop down menu with in the Collections Tool. This is great for SEO and allows GOOGLE to crawl which is what translates into higher ranking, visibility, traffic and ultimately sales. 

The Collections Tool also needs to be more flexible in terms of types of products that can be added to a collection and under a category. Also more selection in terms of mandatory versus recommended products. 

Again I thank Zazzle moderators for their continued patience with my postings and suggestions. 

It is now almost September and the 4th Quarter is fast approaching and I don't even have one collection created. 

Thanks again. 

ZAZZLE please DO NOT aspire to be another TIK TOK 

[TAngelone]

Sorry there is a typo and the system timed out before I could edit my post. I meant to say a wider selection and array of recommended and mandatory products with in a collection type. Shoppers habits are ever changing. So therefore Zazzle should keep this in mind and plan recommended and mandatory products accordingly. 

[TAngelone]

I need to clarify a statement I made in a previous post. Because the time to edit timed out and there is no way to delete a post I am posting this here.

Videos will NOT translate into higher ranking and increased sales for Zazzle or its designers if the marketplace is saturated with subpar, low quality mediocre videos of products and product collections that only cater to certain events or occasions that Zazzle believes are what's "highly relevant in search", "hot" or "in demand". 

With videos less is more. Does Zazzle want to become the next Tik Tok? How many videos are we supposed to make for a collection? As others have pointed out, it is NOT possible or even wise to make videos for all of our products. What about those who cannot for whatever reason make promotional videos? 

What types of videos should we aim to make? Most who create videos are using Place it, Canva, Adobe Express etc. I myself am equipped with all three as I have an active Canva, Place it and Adobe Creative Cloud subscription which includes Adobe Express. That alone is a massive business expense for me monthly. 

Here in lies the problem. If the vast majority of designers are using the aforementioned tools then a lot of the videos being uploaded will look the same or similar. That is another reason why there should be some guidance about types of videos we should aim to make and how many of them. 

Finally designers who themselves cannot for whatever reason create videos should NOT be excluded from the Zazzle Marketplace altogether. That is NOT fair or equitable and will only serve to force very talented designers off of the platform. 

We need more clarity about video promotion please. 

Finally please consider making a roadmap for designers to follow in terms of collections from start to finish that can be practically applied and aid in streamlining our ever increasing workloads. 

Also please consider promoting designers who may opt to just feature cover photos without videos and please make the Collections Tool easier and more flexible to work with.

It should NOT be this hard or confusing. 

Thanks again. 

[Barbara]

I agree with a lot that you've said, but I'm not sure they're envisioning wiggling, jiggling posters, clocks, throw pillows, etc. If we think about it, the product covers aren't appearing all over the place, which means a lot of designers have decided to continue doing what they know how to do and want to do. Zazzle isn't going to tell all those designers they're no longer wanted and to please get lost. They'd be shooting themselves in the foot.

I used to own a business involved with video, and what I saw was precious few people who could put together a truly good short video. It's a quite different from creating beautiful images. Who knows? Zazzle may end up nixing the whole idea.

After a number of days of being confused and wondering if I should pack up and move elsewhere, I've come to the decision to simply wait for whatever fallout there might be.

Colorwash's Home

[TAngelone]

Barbara - I do NOT want my posts to discourage you or anyone else. I am here on the forum trying to learn and troubleshoot just like everyone else. I am NOT posting for entertainment just so everyone knows. I work alone and have no support and am feeling very lost, overwhelmed, drained and frustrated just like everyone else. I too am determined NOT to give up as it were. 

That stated what I stated in my post regarding videos may have been misconstrued. 

What I meant to say was that based upon what I have read on the forum and on Zazzle, only artists/designers (I am both) who promote their collections using videos and cover photos will be promoted by Zazzle internally with in the confines of their marketplace. This will in turn send very talented designers off of the Zazzle platform as a result. 

If I am wrong about this. I stand to be corrected. And I am sorry. 

That stated my fear is that Zazzle will be inundated with a barrage of sub par, mediocre, dime a dozen videos which will detract from what is being offered within their marketplace as Connie outlined previously.

Again bombarding shoppers with videos will NOT enrich or enhance their shopping experience and it most certainly will NOT translate into sales. It will make Zazzle appear spammy, dodgy, disreputable and ultimately diminish the Zazzle brand. 

You yourself stated that only a small percentage of people can create and produce quality product videos or short videos. 

Adding videos at least right now is just adding more stress to the Collections Tool and adding to our ever increasing workloads. 

Again a clear and concise roadmap for Collections Creation is more conducive to helping us than videos at this juncture. 

Finally Zazzle has a wide array of beautiful, functional, high quality products that we as creatives can design for. Why then should we be limited in terms of what products can be featured in collections? 

The Collections Tool limits the products, the product types etc. and the collections types. It is too rigid and needs more flexibility as I have stated repeatedly. 

Zazzle has stated they are basing recommended and mandatory collections products on shopper's buying habits. Shoppers buying habits are ever changing and Zazzle needs to adjust accordingly. 

Finally in light of the economy and worldwide inflation shoppers are looking to buy products that are versatile for multi use cases that are for year round and daily use not for certain moments, events or occasions solely. 

They are looking for products and product suites that are not emphemeral, that have longevity and will not go out of style or become useless after 6 months. Shoppers want their money to go further and to feel they are getting real not just perceived value. 

I hope this makes sense. 

With that I will close. 

Please DO NOT give up on Zazzle Barbara. You and your work are needed, valued and appreciated.

Sorry for the long winded response. I am very passionate. 

[Barbara]

You misinterpreted what I said. I'm not planning on quitting Zazzle, not unless they implode, which I rather doubt. I've simply slowed down and am waiting for things to go back to a state of calm. I've been here for over 9 years during which there have been other upsetting changes. We've all, for the most part, survived and carried on.

It's the confusion that drives me nuts, and so I'm happily indulging in my other interests. Those interests tend to inform me of what I might design next, even if they'll inevitably fall into the "Other" category.

Colorwash's Home

[Connie]

Yes, I wholeheartedly agree!

[WBartworks]

Absolutely agree!

[Digitalbcon]

Zazzle is headed for a blind alley…if they haven’t already reached there.

[cniem14]

I am certainly in agreement with the general consensus/feelings of using cover photos and now videos, but for a minute, will play devil's advocate. Z is likely feeling the pressure of other huge media platforms that are video-based (Tik Tok, Reels). To stay competitive, video is the angle Z needs to pivot. I know with my own kids (all teenagers), video and interactive chat platforms are the "in" thing right now. Facebook or platforms without an engaging interface, is not attractive to most younger people and these are platforms the younger crowd are not using. Kids and young adults now are engaged with interactive live-action social media sites. I am not certain Zazzle is intentionally trying to frustrate or confuse designers but selling designs and being marketable to a large demographic of people that have the disposable income to spend, Z needs to shift gears in order to stay competitive and make sales. Zazzle can move forward making no changes to this platform, but sales will likely tank. Static "catalog-like" photos no longer appeal to the masses as they did 10-plus years ago. Amazon also is pushing for video vs word reviews. My kids often opt to watch the Amazon video review rather than read the few sentences written by a buyer.

[Cat]

Very interesting - especially he part about your kids preferring to watch video reviews rather than read the written variety. I have to believe that the generational thing is real, and while it may be a challenge for some of us to adjust, I do believe that you are spot on in terms of Zazzle trying to stay competitive.

[Barbara]

I'm unsure video is relevant here, mostly because I can't imagine seeing a video of items like stationery. Perhaps with a pair of hands (nice ones please!) opening a card, perhaps wrapping a gift, or things of that ilk, but this would require a designer to buy each and every product he or she wants to promote, then do at least a semi-professional job with a video.

Money doesn't lie with the very young but more with the older folks who aren't as drawn to video. And did you know the percentage of young people is dropping? More old codgers (like me) than anyone else.

Amazon's videos are mostly for equipment, not things like clothes or bedspreads or posters or clocks. Maybe it would work here for luggage on the move or a slender young thing dancing in leggings, but how many of us could create a video attractive enough to push a sale for those things?

I'm a total YouTube addict but also a total grouch when it comes to things moving around on a web page.

Colorwash's Home.

[Cat]

@Barbara Have you heard of "haul" or "unboxing" videos? Basically, people buy stuff and then record a video of themselves opening the boxes when it arrives. Seriously, there are tons of YouTube channels with this theme, and incredible as it may seem to many of us, they have millions of followers - plus I imagine they get paid by the companies whose stuff they buy. I don't personally get it, but apparently it's a "thing."

Anyhow, there's no way I'm gonna buy a bunch of my own stuff - maybe some paper samples but that's about it. I do think that recording a few "how to" videos might be helpful - sort of FAQ instructional videos on the ordering process etc. I don't actually have a clue how to go about it, but if Zazzle's going to reward us with better marketplace rankings, it may be worth my time to learn. Plus, if it stops some of the onslaught of chat messages with the same questions/misunderstandings over & over & over it will be well worth my time even if it doesn't result in more sales. People clearly don't read the instructions, but maybe they'll watch a video? Who knows!

In terms of who has the money to spend, I think you're probably right that older folks have much more in the way of disposable income, but for weddings at least, I think it's the young folks deciding what to buy even if mommy & daddy are footing the bill!

[Digitalbcon]

@Cat @Most YouTubers are selling themselves not products.  I don’t see the comparison between YouTube, TikTok or anything else of the kind.  It’s entertainment/influencing that is the catch and paid advertising gives them an income.  They spend all their time getting people to to like and subscribe.  

[Cat]

@Digitalbcon I just find it interesting that anybody is willing to watch that sort of thing. It says to me that people might actually watch a 30 second video showcasing a product that doesn't necessarily require instructions (like stationery or clothing.) Of course, I still don't have the means to buy thousands of my own products so I can make videos of them, the math just doesn't work, but I don't think it's a totally crazy idea. 

[Digitalbcon]

@Cat I don’t see the math work at all.   But I guess they’ll find out.  Brick and mortar stores don’t do it.  The vast majority still use flyers, pamphlets and brochures.  That form of marketing hasn’t changed even with all the online stores.  Owners have done the math and it doesn’t add up so guess what they do?  They close up shop.

Videos (even short ones) are expensive and time consuming to produce (if you want quality that is)

I don’t see this going beyond creatively done placement images for products.

[KeegansCreation]

OMG this is brilliant and suddenly I see some utility. For products with complex templates, I could make a video of myself using the design tool to show how it's done. I'm thinking of photo templates where maybe they want to shift the position of their photo but you can only do that inside the design tool and then they are hopelessly lost.

[Cat]

@KeegansCreation Exactly! I think there's software that will record your screen as you move around and do things. Only problem is that most people are trying to navigate this on a phone rather than a computer, and I haven't got the faintest idea how to record anything I'm doing on my phone. Actually, that's not the half of it - I don't even have a clue how to customize anything using my phone, let alone record myself doing it! Ahhh well... I'll just have to look at it as more opportunities for mental challenges - you know, Zazzle trying to keep me from becoming addlebrained or something like that! 😁

[KeegansCreation]

I don't know how to do it on a phone, but on a laptop or desktop with Windows it's as easy as Windows key +Alt +R. On a phone (or a Mac) I don't know. Maybe there's a screen app recorder for phones.

I just did one where I demonstrated adjusting a photo but it was terrible. The recording was fine but on watching it I discovered I do a lot of unnecessary movements around the screen and it looks choppy and awkward. So I deleted it. Clearly I'll have to rehearse doing this in the most efficient and seamless way possible so I always "hit my mark".

This is even more labor intensive than cover photos so I'll only do a few unless it pays off in an obvious way. It's a moot point anyway since apparently the IT team has to fidget with it some more before it's ready anyway.

[Cat]

Ooooo... thanks for the shortcut! I knew there was something simple, just couldn't remember what it was. Well, even if we demo it on a computer, I think it will still be at least somewhat helpful for people on phones.

My plan (if you can call it that) is to try to create some generic videos that can be used on multiple products. Like, for paper choices, I'm thinking I'll order some blank paper samples and then do a video that shows the differences between them just on the blank paper rather than the actual product. Not as fancy or nice as if I did a separate video for each product, but it might actually be doable. I've been looking at these ring light overhead camera/phone holder contraptions that will allow you to video what you're doing on a table top. I have a friend who's an art teacher and she uses something like that to record how-to videos for her online lessons. Looks like you can get them for under $50.

Anyhow, I think the "generic video" thing could apply to how-to videos as well. So rather than doing a separate video for each product, just create something generic to demonstrate the process and use it on all applicable products.