Please recommend a tutorial. The Member setup vs. Store setup has me confused.

[BothHands]

I'm new here.   Hello.  =] 

I don't expect to purchase a lot on Zazzle.  My focus is on selling, but I seem to be trapped in a "confusion loop" as I try to setup my first Zazzle Store.  I keep going round and round, never sure whether I'm adding photos, descriptions, etc. to a Member profile or the Store.  My real concern the Store.

Can someone point me in the direction of a good, concise tutorial on Zazzle.com or YouTube, or elsewhere?
Thanks,
Tom 

[WHS_Designs · Accepted solution]

in a nutshell the difference is:

a (member) profile lets you tell customers about yourself, the designer, upload media to showcase your past (and/or present) work, and tell them how to contact you on various social media platforms. you can't sell items from your profile.

with your store, you are able to design and publish products for sale. 

[WHS_Designs · Accepted solution]

@BothHands, 100% completion of your member profile, as well as the ToDo lists for your stores and profiles is strongly recommended. the more your potential clients know about you and what you can offer them (perhaps you serve an underserved niche), the better.

however, not completing your profile ASAP will *not* keep you from selling right away. as soon as you have uploaded your artwork and published it onto products with a descriptive title, product description, and 10 tags, your products should be visible on the Zazzle marketplace within 24-48 hours. 

[PacifierCity · Accepted solution]

I think Zrank needs to be mentioned in this thread as well.  Zrank is a system that Zazzle uses to rank our stores.  I believe that you need a Zrank of 4 or higher to be seen in the marketplace.  This is easily accomplished by completing the steps in your store to reach 95% or higher.  You will see your stores Zrank on the stores home page and can click it to be taken to information provided by Zazzle about it.  To many of us it is a bit of a mystery, but we know that the higher your Zrank the better.  Once you reach 95% or higher it may take a bit of time for your Zrank to update, fyi.

PC

[WHS_Designs]

How to Start Selling On Zazzle – Zazzle Help Center

[BothHands]

Thanks, WHS_Designs.  The content you recommend seems to be "right where it should be" but I'm going in so many directions right now, I don't think I could have found it.  =]

I appreciate the assist.  

[WHS_Designs]

you're welcome, @BothHands.

I was a newbie once, too, 😊 and it's soooo easy to be overwhelmed at the beginning! 

[Windy]

There are help pages here. https://help.zazzle.com/hc/en-us/categories/202956047-Selling

Video about how to set up your store. I do not know if either of these will help you with the distinctions. I had a terrible time with the difference between store and profile, also. I am really not sure how i ever figured it out.

I'll follow you at Pinterest.

[WHS_Designs · Accepted solution]

in a nutshell the difference is:

a (member) profile lets you tell customers about yourself, the designer, upload media to showcase your past (and/or present) work, and tell them how to contact you on various social media platforms. you can't sell items from your profile.

with your store, you are able to design and publish products for sale. 

[Windy]

I wish I had read this post in 2005 when I started here, and in 2008. And in 2012 and a few more times. I am sure I was in and out of zazzle at least that many times, over that many years before I figured it out. You have stated it perfectly. This should be in a tutorial.

[WHS_Designs]

you're welcome, @Windy! 😊 and you're right, it should be in a tutorial.

having said that, I'm not really one for structured learning (i.e. sitting down and reading tutorials). I'm far too impatient ... I prefer to learn on the fly and figure things out without resorting to the available resources first. 😉

[BothHands]

Thank you for that distinction, WHS_Designs.   
Do you happen to know if setting up the Profile is required?  

Also, there's a ToDo List for my Store (35% COMPLETION)  and a similar ToDo List for my Profile.  Do you know if either (or both) lists must be completed before I'm qualified to present and sell on Zazzle? 

[WHS_Designs · Accepted solution]

@BothHands, 100% completion of your member profile, as well as the ToDo lists for your stores and profiles is strongly recommended. the more your potential clients know about you and what you can offer them (perhaps you serve an underserved niche), the better.

however, not completing your profile ASAP will *not* keep you from selling right away. as soon as you have uploaded your artwork and published it onto products with a descriptive title, product description, and 10 tags, your products should be visible on the Zazzle marketplace within 24-48 hours. 

[BothHands]

@WHS_Designs, thanks for that clarification.  I don't have 10 designs to post at this time.  In fact, I just want to post my own artwork as I produce it.   At present I could paste test graphics on test products, but am not entirely sure I can really delete those products afterward.   

My Stuff  >  Products  >  View All  seems to provide the option to delete, but I need to experiment more.

I see that I can hide products, which is appropriate for "test products", but I'm not sure I can use "hidden products" to experiment with Categories, Collections, etc.  Not sure the products will appear, or even register as "products."

LOTS to learn here.  =O  Thanks for a nudge in the right direction.

[WHS_Designs · Accepted solution]

@BothHands you don't have to have 10 designs. you can even have just 1 design** that you choose to publish to as few or as many products that you feel are a good fit (there are hundreds of products on Zazzle to design on -- check out Custom Gifts - Create Your Own Custom Gifts | Zazzle) for a partial directory.

**although of course it helps to have a larger variety of designs with which to build your brand.

tags are what you use to describe each product. this is how customers and search engines will find your product(s). the more descriptive (and long-tailed, in my opinion) your tag is, the better your product(s) will stand out in the Z marketplace.

Title, Description & Tagging Best Practices – Zazzle Help Center

Hidden products are available (and visible) in Collections, so long as the Collections themselves are not hidden. 

[BothHands]

And even MORE valuable insights!  I much appreciate your pointing out the difference between designs and products.   I understand the difference, but haven't really started thinking that way yet.  You're right.  A single design on ten products is entirely do-able.  Since it appears I can delete products easily, I'll go ahead and make 10 test products.  Thanks.

Thank you for the information on Tags, and for the add'l links, which I'll study when I have time tomorrow.  And I very much appreciate learning that hidded products will appear in unhidden Collections. 

Thank you for being a truly helpful resource,   
Tom

[WHS_Designs]

you're welcome, Tom! 😊

[BKMuir]

Deleted -- repeat of previous posting.

[BothHands]

Thank you, Windy.  I saved the links you provided for future reference.  I also saved the link by WHS_Designs.  I'll study up later this evening.  I think they'll help a lot, and I'm glad to know it's not just me who's confused by the "Store vs. Member Profile Conundrum."   

I took a quick look at your Pinterest link.  That's a very interesting focus for your design work.  =]  

[Windy]

Thank you!

[PacifierCity · Accepted solution]

I think Zrank needs to be mentioned in this thread as well.  Zrank is a system that Zazzle uses to rank our stores.  I believe that you need a Zrank of 4 or higher to be seen in the marketplace.  This is easily accomplished by completing the steps in your store to reach 95% or higher.  You will see your stores Zrank on the stores home page and can click it to be taken to information provided by Zazzle about it.  To many of us it is a bit of a mystery, but we know that the higher your Zrank the better.  Once you reach 95% or higher it may take a bit of time for your Zrank to update, fyi.

PC

[BothHands]

@PacifierCity  Thanks for introducing Zrank to this discussion.  I agree, it's an important consideration.  When my head stops spinning I'll look into that, as well.  I appreciate the added context.  

[BothHands]

I received an email from Z asking me to choose one post to be the "ACCEPT AS SOLUTION."  In fact, there are several posts by several contributors that are solutions - especially when read in context to one another.  But I can only choose one, so I chose the post by WHS_Designs on 2/2/22 at 5:33pm.  Sincere thanks to ALL contributors to this thread.

[WHS_Designs]

Tom,
You can actually accept multiple posts as solutions -- you just have to go to the post thread and click on 'ACCEPT AS SOLUTION' for each post you want to do so.
Cheers!
W.H.

[BothHands]

W.H. ==
If only you could follow me around in my daily life, and keep me out of trouble.  =]  
Thanks a lot.  You are truly a wealth of helpful information, for me and others new to Zazzle.  I like the fact that threads such as this will provide guidance for new users well into the future, IF they stumble upon it.   

It's Monday morning.  MAKE IT a great day!  =D

[WHS_Designs]

Tom -- you mean, like some sort of Zazzle spirit animal? 😉 W.H.