Quiet Sales: Turning the Tide on Zazzle

[Maddy1]

It's disheartening to note that my Zazzle sales have experienced a noticeable decline compared to the previous year. Last year, the momentum was strong, and my creations seemed to resonate well with the audience, resulting in a more robust sales performance. However, the current scenario paints a different picture, Especially at the commencement of the Q4 I was Expecting a bit of a boost atleast, and the once lively marketplace appears to be less receptive. Despite maintaining the same dedication to quality and creativity, the sales figures have taken a dip, leaving me puzzled and eager to explore strategies to revive the engagement and interest in my Zazzle offerings. I Would love to have some feedback about this!

[Connie]

You could try making cover photos for your former best selling products- Zazzle said in the past that they give preference in the marketplace to products with covers. Also, try doing more promotion on Pinterest or whatever social media sites you use.

[Maddy1]

Thanks for your feedback, however i'm aware of the cover photos thingy, your best selling product don't last that long, i had a winning product that's been viewed 13k and sold out around 300+ times the last year, but this year my best selling didn't generate the same result as previous year, because POD mechanism work that way, when your best selling is turning off you should create another best selling, and it's not that easy with the current traffic, But yea maybe i should promote my stuff more on social media.

[LMGildersleeve]

Connie has good advice concerning cover photos. If you have not already, make a cover photo for that "winning product" than do so. You may be surprised by the results. Try making that best seller into different colorways. Or change the font to a more popular / fresh one. Don't walk away from a former best seller when you can always alter something to make it a fresh design.

[creativeprints]

What do they want for cover photo? Let's say for a poster print, does the cover would be the post placed on a mock up wall?

[LMGildersleeve]

Under "Creator News" in the Z forums you'll find this article. Read the article and find the link for details.

[AdekDesigns]

I don't have advice for you, but wanted to let you know I'm also struggling. I struggle to get views, let alone actual sales. Countless hours get put in, and I celebrate making $0.35 off of selling a sticker hahaha. I peruse a lot of posts like yours (and consider making my own all the time) and so many responses give great advice, or say their sales are still fine, which is all great and valid and I definitely would take a lot of that advice to heart. But it also makes it seem like everyone else is just effortlessly making this work for them. So I wanted to reply to let you know that isn't the case. We're not all just chilling, riding the success train and watching the dollars roll in haha.

That being said, for two whole months I made no sales at all, zilch, zip, and it really hurt my morale. Then in September I made 6 sales. It's certainly not quit-your-job money, but it's at least a little bit validating. I thought my shop was dead and suddenly there was a breath of air. Sometimes you lose momentum for a while, and then suddenly and without explanation, it comes back. You might just be in a slump, and you might just have to wait it out.

[Maddy1]

Thanks for your feedback, Appreciate it, However, I'm not Struggling to make sales, nor views, I make decent amount of sales everyday, but my thing is, sales aren't peaking as they should at the beginning of the Q4, My concerns are, is everyone's experiences the same thing or is it just me, Because it's important to take other creator's takes on this, to whether improve my current working strategy or change it

[BKMuir]

In response to Maddy1 request ... My sales for September were minimal compared to Sept. 2022.

Number of sales were 1/3 of last year. Amount ($) was 1/5th of last year.

However ... I made 2 sales today for a total of $2.15 ... Yeah!

[Jadendreamer13]

My September sale were dismal, too. But October is really hopping.

[MadjackGG]

I'd also been looking forwards to a Aug/Sep spike, which never eventuated.
Given the climb up to Xmas typically starts at the beginning of November, I'm not expecting much to happen in October at this point. Certainly can't say my sales right now are hopping.

[Maddy1]

I Had some sales going on in september, but not promising  however, we're almost 15th of october and sales haven't peaked yet, usually sales start peaks at the 1th , Wouldn't have high hopes on october to not get disappointed.

[Westerngirl2]

I also make daily sales, but there is definitely a dip in sales from this time last year. I think, in my case, there are several factors.

1. The economy. Despite what news sources tell us, the middle class in America is suffering to keep up with living expenses, and I think most of my sales were generated there previously. It makes me wonder how long we can sustain this, if we don't get an up turn soon.

2. Despite making cover photos, and very strong sales in the past, some of my best selling products seem to have partially disappeared from the MP. I can find them readily in my store, and even in the MP if I search for them by their EXACT titles. They are all in collections, and I can find them that way. BUT....if I search for them with the keywords that I've assigned, the ones customers are most likely to search for AND are included in their titles, they do not appear, even though they should appear on page 1 of those search terms. I still market them, and that results in some sales, but far fewer than the MP used to generate. This has been reported since April, when I first noticed it, and I've corresponded with Zazzle regarding it.....they were "looking into it". But I haven't received a reply to my latest inquiry, which was about 3 weeks ago. It's extremely frustrating, and disheartening.

I have enough sales to reach Gold....just waiting for the domestic sales tp push out the international, which evidently still don't count toward the total. And I've been updating tags, descriptions, adding collections and cover photos, and TONS of new designs and products. But yes, it's currently a battle to stave off discouragement.

Wishing you a BIG upturn in sales, soon!

[Maddy1]

Thank you for your feedback, it's Really Good to see someone Finally seeing things my the same aspect as mine, We Have A similar situation, I thought about the economy as well, and the world's inflation, and yes if The american's middle class are suffering to keep up with the current economy, we as a zazzle sellers are the one's who's being pushed to the top of the edge with no helmet, unfortunately, and doesn't matter if you update your product covers or tags, keywords, title even, it won't change the fact that customers aren't consuming as they used to, i may self on my way to silver as you, and we both can tell that the previous years were good compared to this year, however, I'm wishing you a Upswing in sales asap aswell, Let's hope november treat us differently! 

[Deb]

Experiencing the same here. And I have lost 1 point in the Z-rank in my top shops from 9 to 8.. they have been at 9 for a very long time.. been trying to clean up, removing  discontinued and no sellers from years ago..  to try to reach 10 but apparently lost a point now. 😞   my sales  this year compared to last year are horrid.  I have not had this low of monthly sales in years .. my sales  have  dropped by considerable amounts: 

I decided to go back 2 years to see the trend.. the difference between one year vs the following year .. So last year vs this year down every month ..  2022 compared to 2021 UP every month...  

anyone else seeing a similar trend? 

• Nov 2022/2023 down by $765
• Oct 2022/2023 down by $1065
• Sept 2022/2023 down by $800
• Aug 2022/2023 down by $984
• July 2022/2023 down by $1655
• June 2022/2023 down by $105
• May 2022/2023 down by $1137
• April 2022/2023 down by $1046
• March 2022/2023 down by $837
• Feb 2022/2023 down by $737
• Jan 2022/2023 down by $460
• Dec 2022/2021 down by $55
• Nov 2022/2021 up by $248
• Oct 2022/2021 up by $481
• Sept 2022/2021 up by $38
• Aug 2022/2021 up by $413
• July 2022/2021 up by $2195
• June 2022/2021 up by $885
• May 2022/2021 up  by $891
• April  2022/2021 up by $2083
• March 2022/2021 up by $1510
• Feb 2022/2021 up by $422
• Jan 2022/2021 up by $878
• Dec 2021/2020 up by $310
• Nov 2021/2020 up by $12

[Connie]

Wow, that is a significant drop! I'm very sorry to hear that, and hope your sales pick up soon. My month over month sales are up a bit from last year, but I've added a lot more products, as I'm still growing my store, so I don't know if they are where they should be or not. (Nowhere near your sales, LOL!) I've also put a ton of time and money into cover photos, reworking collections, etc., to try to keep up with everything because I don't do much promotion and rely on Zazzle's built in marketing.

[ColsCreations]

Just a thought on your stats ...

2020 was the first year of Covid. We saw improvement in 2021 but it was still marred by Covid, notably the Delta variant and then the Omnicron which surged around the 2021 holiday season. We saw almost two years of quarantining, lockdowns, travel restrictions, people out of work, businesses going under, shortages, people living in fear ... It wasn't until 2022 that life started to feel normal again with most of the fear & havoc behind us. So it makes sense to me that in comparing 2022 to 2021 there was a big jump in sales as 2021 sales were probably unnaturally low, and 2022 sales maybe being unnaturally high because people finally feeling more comfortable, even eager, to shop and socialize again. Then 2023, things have calmed down again because the post-Covid euphoria has subsided plus inflation has set in, the COL has gone up, and people are tightening their belts again. So 2023 vrs 2022 looks like a big dip just like 2022 vrs 2021 looks like a big jump. Maybe try comparing 2023 to 2019 to sort of eliminate most of the Covid effect and see if that looks any better?

[almdrs]

Some numbers about the economy.

Amazon Sales Set Company Record In Q3

"Amazon sales in Q3 grew 13% over $127.1 billion in 2022. In North America, Amazon sales increased 11% year over year to $87.9 billion. And internationally, Amazon sales grew 16% year over year to $32.1 billion. Sales from AWS, or Amazon Web Services, increased 12% year over year to $23.1 billion."

...

Walmart

"Year over year net sales of Walmart U.S. grew by seven percent in fiscal year 2023 when compared to the previous period."
...

Retail Sales Rose 0.7% In September, Much Stronger Than Estimate

Consumers showed surprising strength in September, boosting retail sales well above expectations despite high interest rates and worries over a weakening economy.

[ColsCreations]

Amazon is such a mega-beast I wouldn't use its numbers as a barometer for anything as nothing can compare. In addition to the insanely popular e-shopping site for physical goods they are best known for, they sell digital content (streaming music & TV) and own dozens of other companies including, much to my surprise, Zappos shoes, Ring door cams, Goodreads and IMDB. And of course Whole Foods with over 500 brick & mortar stores.

Wal-mart's kind of the opposite in that they are best known for their brick & mortar stores but have been expanding their online presence to try to compete with Amazon. And they too own a surprising number of other companies, including art.com and shoes.com.

What these giants have in common is that while they sell almost anything you can think of, they still sell all the necessities. Everything from food & groceries to underwear and automotive supplies. Things that people NEED regardless of how tight things might be for them.

Zazzle, there's not a single thing on this site that people NEED. It's all wants, things that would be fun/cool if you have the discretionary income for it. I think a fairer picture of how Zazzle is doing in this economy would be painted by comparing it to luxury retailers and other companies that deal just in wants.

[alissag]

I kind of look at this as part of the problem. They aren't talking about numbers of sales, but overall dollar figures, as in everything simply costs more now, as I'm well aware of every time I purchase groceries. If anything this could indicate why sales are slowing here--everyone's spending way more on essential items, they don't have as much for everything else.

[AirTwin]

I don't know how to ask this.

Are our products on Amazon? What affiliated sites are these?

"Zazzle markets, promotes, and sells your products on Zazzle.com and its affiliated sites, and may also do so on other websites." (under advanced store settings)

[Maddy1]

Firstly, I want to express my appreciation for your openness in sharing your sales statistics. It's never easy to see a decline in numbers, especially when you've put so much effort into your creations. Your detailed comparison over the past two years provides a comprehensive view of the trend, and it's disheartening to witness the consistent downturn.

I share your sentiments about the Zazzle platform. It's disappointing to note that despite our dedication to maintaining quality and creativity, the platform's overall engagement seems to be on a decline. Your experience with the Z-rank also highlights a broader issue that many creators, including myself, are grappling with.

I believe many of us on the platform were expecting a boost, particularly at the beginning of Q4, and it's concerning to observe a lack of receptivity in what was once a lively marketplace. Your efforts to clean up your shop and make improvements, only to see a drop in Z-rank, adds another layer to the frustration.

I'm hopeful that as a community, we can collectively voice our concerns and work towards constructive solutions. It's clear that we all want to see Zazzle thrive, and your shared statistics echo the challenges many are facing.

Thank you again for sharing your insights, and let's stay optimistic that positive changes are on the horizon!

[Marcia]

My sales have been in the toilet the last 2 months and my z rank also dropped 1 point a few weeks ago. Normally, this month is the 2nd highest month of the year for me. Last week was great but this week the new low levels of sales are back. My best sellers have dropped off the radar. I had an unexpectedly great summer of sales & then beginning of October everything came to a halt. Around the time the revamped collection addition came into play. Coincidence? hmmm... I've also been heavily concentrating on mockup photos for the last 6 months or so, which had been working for me until October. It's quite disheartening, to say the least, especially when you're still working hard and counting on those consistent monthly sales. But I keep plugging away & hoping the tide will turn once again in my favor.

[Malissa]

I have had sales consistently up compared month to month from last year for most of this year (making this my best year to date since I joined Zazzle though no where near the sales of big sellers), but sales have dwindled considerably since about mid September.  I experienced a surprisingly good November and December last year and had high hopes of the upward momentum continuing this holiday season, but so far I've been very disappointed going days without sales again or only making a few pennies.  I have also been unable to upload new files since mid September with no solution yet from tech and have been unable to use new designs for the season as I had hoped along with any other economic or site wide factors that came into play.  I did have a small uptick once I was able to get most of my collections active, but they still are not all optimized or have media photos and videos because there is just so much time in the day.

[Maddy1]

I can imagine how frustrating and disheartening it must be to experience such a sudden and significant dip in sales, especially when you've been putting in the effort consistently. The timing with the revamped collection addition is indeed interesting and could be a factor to consider. Changes in platform dynamics sometimes have unforeseen effects.

It's commendable that you've been adapting and even focusing on mockup photos, which had been successful until October. It's unfortunate when your tried-and-true strategies seem to lose their magic. 

We're all in a similar boat, each with our unique perspective on the situation. Personally, I invest effort throughout the year, but it's particularly intense in Q4. With the anticipation of increased traffic and demand, the hope is for favorable results. However, things don't always unfold as planned, unfortunately.

[Marcia]

Unfortunately, I'm seeing it's not just me. (Although it does make me feel that I'm not alone in this!) I've heard in the past that sometimes best sellers/niches do run their courses. However, this is just the 1st time I'm personally experiencing it. But my gut feeling is that the collection thing algorithms are somehow involved. Time to pivot!

[Deb]

Well I had hoped November would be different - this is usually my biggest or at least second biggest sales month - NOPE not this year  - so far my sales are abysmal , less than half what they were last year.. I'm working harder and making less  BY ALOT .. something's gotta give 😞 

[Sea-Change]

Thanks for sharing, Deb, and I'm sorry your sales and zRank dropped.

Did you by any chance update your default royalty, or perhaps the royalty for multiple items? My zRank dropped unpexpectedly in my four active stores, despite modest recent sales activity in each, after updating mine. My former royalties generally varied from 8ish to 15%, and I set the new royalty to 14%, so the new royalties didn't necessarily increase for all products.

My sales are nowhere near yours, so kudos for your sales numbers in general, but my zRank has been reasonably consistent in my stores for years, since 2-3 months after their conception. It's possible my zRank wasn't impacted by my default royalty change, but I can't think of any other recent activity on my end that would have triggered this. I add items slowly, with covers, and promote them before creating the next item. My only other thought is that the zRank algorithm was recalibrated with new factors.

Anyway, I hope holiday sales pick up soon for you and many other Zazzlers!

[CreativeLeahG]

Zazzle has made a number of changes which have seen many of us experience our best sellers dropping out of the MP which is contrary to how everything worked up until these changes. It was always the case that the more you sold .. the more you sold! The only way was up and sales doubled or tripled year on year. That's nolonger the case.

My strategy to compensate is to introduce new niches to Zazzle that have low to no competition. This means cover photos, editors picks are irrelevant to your growth due to the lack of competition.

The niches however need to be profitable and so you need to create items that despite not already being available on Zazzle are in demand.

This is how to grow your store in a way that you are not dependant upon trying to be seen in an ocean of samey samey products.

[Westerngirl2]

What you have said makes sense. Dismissing best sellers before they have run the normal course of diminishing returns, however (which is what seems to have happened to a number of us) seems contrary to good business sense, but, like it's been said before, it's Z's business and individual designer's contributions to it are fairly insignificant, in the long run.

It's pretty irksome, though, to see that ocean of samey samey when a huge number of products brought up by search in some categories are blatant tag spamming by folks who know darn well what they are doing. So previous best sellers are sometimes nowhere to be found, but I can find an "awesome gamer" or "proud parent of a graduate", or "killing (name your profession" in a huge number of tag word searches that have absolutely nothing to do with too many of the designs brought forward.

Best thing to do is shrug and move on as best we can, I suppose.

[Maddy1]

Your adaptive strategy to navigate the changes on Zazzle by exploring new niches is a smart move, and I appreciate your innovative approach. Introducing low-competition niches indeed presents a fresh perspective, detached from the fluctuations in the Marketplace.

To further enhance your growth, you might consider actively engaging with your audience on social media platforms, creating a buzz around your unique niches. Collaboration with influencers or other creators within these niches could amplify your reach.

Additionally, refining your SEO strategy might help your products surface organically in relevant searches. Leveraging Zazzle's promotional tools, like running targeted discounts or promotions, could also spark renewed interest in your creations.

Finally, it's important to note that Zazzle's visitor statistics this year compared to the previous year have experienced a noticeable decline. Last year, the platform reached up to 17/18 million visitors per month, particularly during Q4, and there were no complaints at that time. However, the current figures have dwindled to 13.9 million, a significant drop that contributes to the challenges many are facing in this Q4. My own experience in Q4 this year has been less than optimal, and the overall decline in Zazzle's visitor numbers is concerning. As some of us rely on this platform as a full-time job, it adds an extra layer of risk. Looking ahead, I sincerely hope for a resurgence in visitor numbers next year and trust that the Zazzle team will actively work towards that goal, recognizing the impact it has on those who depend on the platform for their livelihoods.

[Marcia]

That's quite telling that the Zazzle visitor statistics are down so much for this year. Puts my poor performance these last 2 months into perspective.

[Deb]

---

@Maddy1 wrote:

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@Maddy1 wrote:

Finally, it's important to note that Zazzle's visitor statistics this year compared to the previous year have experienced a noticeable decline. Last year, the platform reached up to 17/18 million visitors per month, particularly during Q4, and there were no complaints at that time. However, the current figures have dwindled to 13.9 million, a significant drop that contributes to the challenges many are facing in this Q4. 

---

Just wondering.. where did you see these statistics? Are these available to the public and if so where? Thanks

---

[CreativeLeahG]

Zazzle relies on 'US' for those visitor numbers in the main. As such you can expect their visitor numbers to drop by around another 182,000 (per year) as I am reducing my linkovers by removing my pins and social media links. And I am just 1 person. If (when) they fix the landing page redirect I'll reconsider. 

[Maddy1]

There's bunch of website that gives statistics, but i've been using this one, it's legit, it gives you insights about the target audience, how many visitors per month, top keywords by traffic share, organic traffic, ads etc..

https://www.similarweb.com/website/zazzle.com/

[CreativeLeahG]

It's more than a smart move Maddy it's how I managed to soar my income to $355k in a relatively short period of time and it's the strategy I promote via my courses. I spend less time Zazzling myself now as I have been working to assist fellow creators, and recent developments are regrettably moving me further and further away from the platform I've been so passionate about for so many years. 

Driving sales via my own marketing was extremely successful ... I've bought 1,399,696 customers to Zazzle over the years via referral links alone.

But it means nothing, apparently ...

[klstock]

Hi Maddy, where could I find this Q4 info? Have you looked at comparative numbers for competitors by any chance?

[tanyadraws]

Hi Maddy, just wanted to share my feedback about this too. I've noticed sales dip on all of the places I sell print on demand, and not just Zazzle. I think a large part of it can be attributed to the general economic downturn we're seeing globally. But also, in the past year a lot of PODs have been making background changes to combat the flood of low quality AI artwork spamming their marketplaces - I've seen changes to how and when my artwork will show in search. I think both of these combined are definitely taking their toll.

It's hard to say what to do about it - as far as PODs changing up their search and marketplace, we have little control. What I'm doing personally is doubling down on my self promotion efforts, and have decided to focus on 2 social media sites as to not get burnt out (this has always been my side hustle; I still have a full time job). On Zazzle specifically I'm going through my best sellers and adding cover photos to try and help my marketplace placement, as well as going through some of my popular selling designs to see if there are any other products I could add them on.

[Maddy1]

Hi, Tanya, Your insights into the current POD landscape are spot on—it's like we're all navigating uncharted waters together. Thanks for sharing your strategies; it's always great to exchange notes with a fellow creative pro.

The economic downturn and algorithm tweaks have indeed presented challenges, but your focus on self-promotion is a strategic gem. Managing two key social media platforms is a pro move, ensuring you're effective without the burnout factor.

The approach of enhancing your Zazzle storefront with cover photos and exploring new product avenues is solid. To add another layer, have you considered analyzing the demographics of your audience? Tailoring promotions or creating targeted campaigns might give your sales a boost.

Furthermore, as we chart our course through these challenges, it would be fantastic if Zazzle's management and team could take our collective feedback into consideration. A revamp or renewed effort in their advertising strategy might be the key to bringing more traffic to our stores. Perhaps they could explore innovative promotional campaigns or collaborations that spotlight the unique offerings on Zazzle. Our success as creators is intricately linked to the platform's success, and a collaborative approach could propel us all towards greater heights. Here's hoping that our voices, combined with their expertise, can create a wave of positive change in the Zazzle seas!

[tanyadraws]

Appreciate your response Maddy, I'm hopeful that our efforts can pay off despite the changing landscape!  I do hope they consider the feedback and are able to strike a balance that can still benefit both Zazzle and creators. It definitely feels like an experimental period for all of these marketplaces so I think your discussion about different strategies is more important than ever. 

I for sure got too comfortable with the marketplace on all the places I sell at - keyword research was working, designs were selling, all was good - aaaand I neglected my personal channels. So while I'm still going to put efforts into marketplace placement, I have definitely learned that I can't rely on it solely and that having my own platform can help me pivot to new marketplaces and endeavours if needed. 

Good point about the audience! My promotion strategy in previous attempts did not focus so much on demographics (or strategy as a whole tbh... 😂). It is definitely something I am paying more attention to this time around, especially as some of the insights on the social platforms are really great!