Quick Create Tool update

[Jack_of_Arts]

Unfortunately, I spoke with Customer Service earlier this week and I was told that the Quick Create Tool is on hiatus indefinitely, with no ETA on its return. I expressed how dependent I am on the tool and that I already have hundreds of product templates prepared to use. I haven't posted anything substantial in months waiting for its return. This is a real set back for me; it was my 'go to'. I'm sure we're not the only designers using it.

I also explained that there are other sites out there who have the automatic inclusion of multiple products at once, which I'm sure the zazzle team is already aware.

So, zazzle, if you're reading this, I'm begging you to restore the quick create tool.
Thanks,
Jack

[CrazyMermaid]

Many of "those other sites" are in significant distress right now and increasing designer fees to make ends meet. I think it is great that Zazzle is forging a different business model that encourages a more thoughtful approach to unique, personalized product design. Zazzle has also been focusing on innovations such as incorporating digital downloads. I am quite happy with this approach.

[Jack_of_Arts]

Hey Crazy Mermaid, I've been poking around and I haven't seen any increase in fees. I like having my art on as many items as possible for ease and simplicity and easy sales rather than have it passed over. (IMHO)

[KeegansCreation]

I agree with CrazyMermaid. The lack of QuickCreate makes posting new designs slower and that's a good thing. This enforced slowdown optimizes for quality over quantity. Other PODs have built their design infrastructure around mass product creation and this may be what is now hurting them. Zazzle meanwhile has built design infrastructure around creating single, specialized, customizable products. Removing QuicCreate while adding cover photos only emphasizes this.

[Jack_of_Arts]

I always use the "customizable" option for customers to add something personal to one of my images. I've had some surprising successes with images selling on some products onto which they may not have been transferred otherwise had they not been placed using the Quick Create template.

[KeegansCreation]

You don't need QuickCreate to do that. If you are looking for speed, using Design Transfer yourself is a pretty fast way to make products. You make a product then transfer design to the next product. The customizable template transfers along with it.

[Jack_of_Arts]

OOH! didn't know that!

Thanks Keegan!

[almdrs · Accepted solution]

I used to like it (I remember in the past we could create dozens of products at once).

Today I think that option is not a good thing. Too many irrelevant products can be created using the QC. 

It is important that each listing have its on description to be indexed by the search engines and bring people looking for that specific product. With QC we had a generic description for all products listed. 

My thoughts!

[Jack_of_Arts]

Hey almdrs, while I agree irrelevant products can bog down the system, it's the majority of non-discontinued products that I depend on showing up in my store. More options is better than fewer choices as people are more inclined in my opinion too look for something else than transfer the design themselves.

[MasterpieceCafe]

We had the same image description, which to be fair, it was the same image on all of the products we chose in QC. The product description side came from Zazzle and did make each product page unique. I liked using QC, but it was easy to abuse the power. It might be helpful to bring back QC on a limited basis.

[JenniferWhite]

I really wish they would bring this back. I used the QC all the time for products that I didn't offer customization on. Now it takes me sometimes 2-3 days to add products with a new image. It's so frustrating. My sales have dropped dramatically too. Used to get a lot of sales after a QC was posted as I believe Zazzle saw them and promoted them. 

[Jack_of_Arts]

Hey Jennifer, I agree completely and miss it immensely. I seriously depended on creating dozens of products at a time... now I'm down to 2 or 3 before I get bored. zazzle has practically slowed to a crawl for me too. But I (we) appear to be in the minority.

Good luck!

Jack

[pjwuebker]

I have/had a rather sophisticated system set up for QC and used it frequently. But I don't miss it.

The transfer option is pretty good (I see a good many sales with customers using it). I don't have to manage my templates anymore (Still saving them, just in case). But transfer needs some simple upgrading to allow designers to pick multiple items at one time for the transfer and then the opportunity to tweak the textual details for each.

QC can create poorly laid out designs and there are plenty of examples in the MarketPlace in which the product/design is junk. Back in the day, there were people who used a script and QC to create 30,000 products in a day. All spammy, of course, and 99% unsalable.

[ilonagarden]

I'm glad it's gone. It was embarrassing how some of the graphics applied to products, and the transfer is much better, albeit slower if you take time to make sure the design looks correct on the product. Good riddance to everything spammy and poorly created. It is in the best interest of customers.

[Jack_of_Arts]

Hi Ilona, 

when I used the quick create tool, I edited each item in the collection to make sure the design fit properly and those that didn't I deleted immediately. I say that, but every once in a while one would slip by... 😀

[jackynet]

I'm with you on that, Jack_of_Arts.  I have lots of templates but did use discretion when I thought an image was not fit to use on certain products.  For instance, not using images of baby birds on dartboards, etc.   I do wish they will bring it back, even if with some limitations.  I, too, have held off putting up new products.  I have maybe a couple thousand images so you can see it would be difficult to add new stuff. 

[Krysanthe]

Seeing as many of the shirts I uploaded using quick create last year are now in my "needs optimization" area, I'm quite fine with it not coming back tbh. 😂 I had already decided not to use it, but I only used it for shirts because it was the easiest way to just use one file to create 9 items. I edited each one individually, if needed, so honestly, I'm not even sure how much time it saved.