Newbie 1st steps

[peanutfarm]

I'm just starting a store.  I tried one last year but failed because I didn't know what I was doing.  Hopefully I'm learning better this time with titles/tags/niche.  I've listed my first 10 products.  Not sure if I'm clicking all the right buttons when creating the products but crossing figures.  My question is my store says it is 65% complete - needing to create 10 store collections, sharing 10 store collections and upload 10 media.  Not sure what all the means.  https://www.zazzle.com/store/peanutfarmdesigns

[peanutfarm]

I'm also struggling as I work on the store.  I've been trying to add categories but when I go back to the store, I have no products.  Is it an issue of allowing it time to populate?  I need a mentor!  LOL!

[Jadendreamer13]

Zazzle mentor/coaching is available, but it’s not free. If you’re interested, google Zazzle coaching for more info.

[Sara_H · Accepted solution]

@peanutfarm  The Help files are really helpful https://help.zazzle.com/hc/en-us/categories/202956047-Selling

To answer your questions on collections - https://help.zazzle.com/hc/en-us/articles/360000289534-How-Collections-Work

Once you have made collections - it's easy to share them to your socials

With the media uploads - you can use promos/mockups that you have created for your products and upload them to your store's settings/media

Then press "upload media" and add images that way.

The store completion should eventually hit 100% but having a lower percentage is not a deal breaker. Setting up a new store can take a while with a lot of patience needed. And you can still make sales by promoting your products even with a low store %

It can take a few days for new products to appear on your store front.

The forums are very helpful and by using search, you'll probably find all the information you need.

Baby steps

[peanutfarm]

Thank you for your very kind help.  For some reason, I am having a very difficult time navigating the website.  Until I can get a routine down, I feel like I am floundering.  Not seeing immediate changes is difficult for my brain.  I'm just hoping that I am doing the right things and not wasting time and effort again.  

[Sara_H]

@peanutfarm It takes time to learn the ins and outs. There's always someone to help on the forums with any questions (there's even an Ask a Question forum) 

"Immediate changes" is one thing you'll get used to not seeing but you'll get a routine down in no time.

Create a product/Put it in a Collection/ Create a Mockup/Promote on socials  - rinse and repeat

[Barbara]

It sounds as if you're overloading your brain, thinking about all the things you'll have to do, to understand, in the future. For now, and as Sara mentioned, create products and learn how to post them for sale. Learn what each item in the process of posting means. For instance, what Zazzle category does each belong in, that is, if they even belong in any specific category. They don't always. And learn how to tag to the best advantage of the product. Just do that and nothing else until you've got it down to sort of a science. After that, you can tackle collections, which are no longer the easy thing to do that they once were. I've been here 11 years, and in the last couple years, Zazzle has changed the collection setup to a process that still remains opaque to me. Perhaps you're better off learning how to promote your products first, and then you can move on to collections. Learning one thing at a time, while cutting yourself some slack will help a lot.

And definitely, peruse the forums.

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[peanutfarm]

Thank you!  It is helpful to know an experienced person finds it difficult.