We work hard to include the best designs from the best shopkeepers but still we have problems that make us want to pull our hair out!

I deleted hundreds of shops that I just got tired of dealing with. And I as I go through more products I may soon delete more.

So If you want us to affiliate you...help us out a bit.

1. DO NOT DELETE PRODUCTS FROM YOUR STORE
I don't care if you like the design or don't like the design. I don't care if you rework the design. I don't care if think it has never sold, and do not want it in the store anymore. DO NOT DELETE IT. Move it to a hidden section so no one can find it or (in the case or a reworked design ) just use the bulk add/change image tool to replace it over the same products so that the link still works.

2. DO NOT INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS OR YOUR WEBSITE OR ANYTHING OTHER THAN DESCRIPTION OF DESIGN IN PRODUCT DESCRIPTION AREA
Think about this the only purpose for putting this crap in a description is to try to steal an affiliates sale of your product. If someone finds this design in the marketplace CAFEPRESS already gives them a link to your shop. If you don't want us to affiliate your designs then DO NOT ASK FOR AFFILIATES.

***EDIT***I realize some shopkeepers had these links in descriptions before the affiliate program. I understand and sympathize with the pain of redoing descriptions...and at some point you have to decide what's best for my shop? However you must also understand in the end that if you choose to keep them... affiliates will not want you but instead will market someone else's product.

3. If you personalize products for your Aunt Ida Mae and your Cousin Harry and your friend's Family Christmas Calendar for the Potters, put them in a hidden section with NO NAME AND NO DESCRIPTION AND NO TAGS SO THAT THEY DO NOT COME UP IN OUR PRODUCT DISPLAYS.
You do not know how many times I have had to delete an entire shop out of my affiliate shop because people's personalized items pop up under random searches for popular search terms.

4. PUT DESCRIPTIONS IN YOUR PRODUCTS THAT PEOPLE WILL SEARCH FOR. You do not know how many times I see descriptions on a really cool product design and I really want to feature the design...but I can't because the description says buy this on tshirts, mugs and more or you can find a coupon in my sidebar. WHAT IS THAT???? Tell people about the design. CP tells them about the product all you need to do is tell them what style design it is.

5.MAKE ALL OF YOUR PRODUCTS FIT
When you load a design check your buttons and your magnets and your clocks and your tiles etc. If it does not fit RESIZE IT OR REDESIGN IT TO FIT. Just please put stuff that fits the whole bumper sticker not two inches of it and don't leave a design on a product where the design is not centered.

These are a few of my gripes I may have more...but this is it for now

So before asking me why I deleted your shop, fix your shop problems and I will take you back.

hugs
Susan

This message has been edited. Last edited by: DesignsOutOfMind,

Great post Susan. I found myself nodding in agreement to each and every point. Each point you posted are reasons I skip over shops for inclusion in my affiliate sites. Point 5 always leaves me shaking my head. I have found 100s of designs that were awesome designs that I skipped over because they didn't fit the product. Yeah its a pain in the butt to create 5 or 6 different graphic files of a design, but not doing so makes the end product look crappy.

to be honest, some of that stuff just isn't practical. putting your shop name into a description helps SEO (in my opinion).

more stuff in the ever famous internal debate...do things to make affiliates want me that may hurt my shop? or do what's best for my shop while ignoring affiliates wants and needs.

I can understand your frustration, Susan...however, I do personalization and have to put a redirect to my shop when the items in my personalization section show up in the MP. If I don't, people order the item before it's personalized, and it turns out to be a big frustrating mess. If you can figure out a way to solve that problem, I'd appreciate it to no end. It's driven me nuts for months now....

Shawn...Thank you kind sir! It's nice to have a friend in the frustrating affiliate world

Burntees...I still have your stuff in my shop. My preference is that you would say A Burntees original or just by Burntees. If you go to this link this is a search for Burntees in my shop
http://www.fracturedtees.com/store.php?fc_term=burntees

as you can see the shop automatically stops links and html. So what you end up with in some instances is an incomplete description. When you just put Burntees.com it cuts the .com off so it looks fine. It will not work that way in everyone's shop tho. Even Adam said it the other day. I don't care if you put Burntees original. Just makes it look like I am selling Brands which I like

Cowpie...That's my point I do not think it's ok to have personalized items in the marketplace. I think those items should be shopkeeper only designs...no tags, no descriptions. That way there is no misunderstanding. Problem solved


hugs
Susan

quote:

Cowpie...That's my point I do not think it's ok to have personalized items in the marketplace. I think those items should be shopkeeper only designs...no tags, no descriptions. That way there is no misunderstanding. Problem solved

I disagree. Having them in the MP makes them in the feed and available for search using 3rd party programs, like search CP, as well as getting MP exposure. Tag them well, with the name on the item. Make it very clear what they are getting... an example (from old personalizations we did). The name isn't "Personalized T-Shirt" - it includes the name "Mrs. Ditlove", as does the description. If they purchase this thinking they will be getting one with their name, they are a fool. I have got hits from the marketplace for people looking for their name on things, and made sales. So I don't see any reason not to have them in the MP.

That I have no problem with as long as you do not put words in there that are popular search terms

I personally love especially on children's clothes, the personalized names...search for any one's name and you bring up results

I did one for my grandchild that I left in the marketplace because it says Captain Triston and have sold a few

I do however disagree that if it's for let's say Sissy and Joe's Anniversary and it has the date they were married it can't be sold for anyone else. Or it's my first birthday and a picture of the child it was personalized for. Or an image and date of your pet that has passed on etc

They should not be tagged and should not have descriptions period

hugs
Susan

I honestly disagree with your example...that design is gonna show up in my shop under

retro
wedding
bachelorette

I just think that those personalized type items should be limited to Soon To Be Mrs Ditlove

Then their would be no problems in affiliate shops

I don't mind the Lekkerbrand, I actually had your items featured in my shop before, but had to take them down after so many of the personalized items were showing up first

I love your work tho...I have you affiliated in most of my shops, you just don't get the featured spots or the front page...I have to put you on a much lower page to keep the personalized stuff down at the end. I sold several of your skull designs a few weeks ago. Love Love Love those!!!! I have sold alot of lekkerbrand and love your stuff

hugs
Susan

quote:

2. DO NOT INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS OR YOUR WEBSITE OR ANYTHING OTHER THAN DESCRIPTION OF DESIGN IN PRODUCT DESCRIPTION AREA
Think about this the only purpose for putting this crap in a description is to try to steal an affiliates sale of your product. If someone finds this design in the marketplace CAFEPRESS already gives them a link to your shop. If you don't want us to affiliate your designs then DO NOT ASK FOR AFFILIATES.

Well, as someone who does a lot of personalizing, I have to just hop in here and say that remark is SO not true! I have had my email address in (some) of my descriptions since the beginning of time. Most I have removed, some I'm sure remain. My point is, those links were there longggg before the affiliate program so it's a bit unfair to say the purpose is to cheat affiliates. There are many reasons for having those links.

quote:

Originally posted by BurnTees:
to be honest, some of that stuff just isn't practical. putting your shop name into a description helps SEO (in my opinion).

more stuff in the ever famous internal debate...do things to make affiliates want me that may hurt my shop? or do what's best for my shop while ignoring affiliates wants and needs.

I have to agreed with BurnTees. Unless your store is built for the affiliate, you are not going to do your own marketing, SEO, whatever.

quote:

Originally posted by BurnTees:
to be honest, some of that stuff just isn't practical. putting your shop name into a description helps SEO (in my opinion).

more stuff in the ever famous internal debate...do things to make affiliates want me that may hurt my shop? or do what's best for my shop while ignoring affiliates wants and needs.

I agree with BurnTees as well. The BurnTees name is in the item descriptions, and you still use the products, so both your interests are served. After all, shopkeepers design for themselves first, and want their "brand" known.

This is good info to know that I personally never considered. But also I agree with others that said we don't do these things with intention to take sales from affilliates. By all means, I want affilliates to get credit where credit is due and thank you & others that affiliate my designs. 1, 3 & 5 I think everyone would agree with - great tips for anyone. I just sold something today actually that I almost deleted a few weeks ago because I didn't like it anymore and hadn't sold any yet. I like the tip to have a hidden section for deletions & will definitely use that suggestion. That gave me an idea for things that need removed for CUP reasons as well - replace with a new design that is similar in topic instead of removing the items with the image.

quote:

2. DO NOT INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS OR YOUR WEBSITE OR ANYTHING OTHER THAN DESCRIPTION OF DESIGN IN PRODUCT DESCRIPTION AREA
Think about this the only purpose for putting this crap in a description is to try to steal an affiliates sale of your product. If someone finds this design in the marketplace CAFEPRESS already gives them a link to your shop. If you don't want us to affiliate your designs then DO NOT ASK FOR AFFILIATES.

The link cafepress gives for our shop is small and not easily found (based on usability testing I've done with friends/family). Every single person I tested with did not click the link, and when I compare the clicks to my shop I get from the marketplace to my sales it is very very small. So recently I did add my website (new domain) to the description of a couple new designs. I just started my domain site and get almost all of my sales through the marketplace, and actually never even thought of the descriptions from an affilliate point-of-view. Not sure yet if I'll remove it, but it's something I'll consider & weigh the pros/cons.

quote:

4. PUT DESCRIPTIONS IN YOUR PRODUCTS THAT PEOPLE WILL SEARCH FOR. You do not know how many times I see descriptions on a really cool product design and I really want to feature the design...but I can't because the description says buy this on tshirts, mugs and more or you can find a coupon in my sidebar. WHAT IS THAT???? Tell people about the design. CP tells them about the product all you need to do is tell them what style design it is.

Okay, I do this one also, but again this is something done with a marketplace & google products mindset. You are right, it's better for SEO to be more descriptive about the design and I think this is something I will change since it would help my own SEO as well. What I've done on some is something like "available on t-shirts, mugs..." etc. - good for marketplace because when someone is clicking around within product types, CP only shows them the product category they are in and the link to view the rest of the products is also not very obvious. Again it was something I did based on my little tests of usability, but since I am now trying to build up a domain & better (actually any) SEO it makes sense to change that.

In all, good info to know, but like I said.. don't assume we've done these things to be rude to affiliates! We just want to make sales & don't always think from all sides. If I had more affiliates, or agreements with good-selling affiliates to have my products on first pages then I'd be more apt to jump right in and take all your suggestions. But as it is now I don't even know who is selling most of my stuff. Here's a little tip for affiliates: try & let us know when you add our shop/products and tell us what would be helpful for your specific affiliate shop. I know, easier said since you often have no clue how to contact, but most of us have an email or form somewhere on our site that could be used. If you like my designs but don't like the descriptions.. I'd quickly change them to be included on a successful affiliate shop.. but I have to know about the problem first.

With constant prodding and complaining, it can take a "real" merchant a year to grasp the affiliate marketing channel

CP isn't a real merchant. It's a collection of a zillion different artist/designers. Getting each artist to grasp the affiliate channel will be a monumental and time-consuming task

Sorry to disagree with you Susan, but I'm not at CP solely to make the affiliate's life simple. I was here before the affiliate program, hence, a lot of my descriptions didn't take affiliates into consideration. Sorry, but I'm not going to go back and redo all of my descriptions to make the affiliate's life less complicated.

I think the key to this thread is in the title.

"... How To Make An Affiliate Want Your Shop."

True that people were adding things in their descriptions before there was an affiliate program, but it does detract from attracting affiliates if that is part of your business plan. I may still have some stuff in my older descriptions, as I don't have the time to go back and worry about those. If I have older designs that sell, I might remove html in those descriptions.