Saint Patrick's Day Prep

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[15:59:25] shopaholicchick: hi there
[15:59:42] Karen: Hi everyone
[16:00:03] PeggyWvB: Hi all!
[16:00:08] electricgreen: Howdy
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[16:00:37] Scarebaby: hi Dafna! Hi everyone!
[16:01:08] DafnaCP: Hi everyone. Sorry about the mix up last Thursday, we had technical difficulties.
[16:01:30] Kate@LittleLizzyLou: Hi Dafna!
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[16:02:23] DafnaCP: Welcome to today’s St. Patrick’s Day Shopkeeper Discussion. This discussion format is intended for you all to share ideas for fresh, festive content for your shop.
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[16:02:44] DafnaCP: As always, this chat will be moderated.
[16:02:57] DafnaCP: This means that you will not immediately see your responses posted. Instead, they will go into a queue and the moderators will do their best to get all the response posted live.
[16:03:29] DafnaCP: I hope that you’ll all leave this discussion feeling inspired and excited about creating designs to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day.
[16:03:46] NiftyGaloot: Hi Folks! :)
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[16:04:22] DafnaCP: So, I'll start. I'm curious as to how many people plan to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day?
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[16:04:56] Lorilei: I do!
[16:05:00] electricgreen: i'll wear green..but no drinking!
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[16:05:03] Stratman: cornned beef and cabage for sure
[16:05:12] Kate@LittleLizzyLou: We'll definitely be celebrating! Lots of Irish in our family.
[16:05:23] DafnaCP: How do you plan to celebrat Kate?
[16:05:54] DafnaCP: celebrate*
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[16:06:31] shopaholicchick: i will celebrate when my check from the st pats sales arrive...does that count?
[16:06:39] DafnaCP: I guess it does!
[16:06:46] matisse: I am boiling orange potatos in green beer right now!
[16:06:54] Kate@LittleLizzyLou: I'll definitely have on one of my shirts! But also, we're likely going to go to this Irish Pub near our house. I plan to take mini-buttons to hand out.
[16:07:20] DafnaCP: That's a great idea.
[16:07:23] Tropicando: My irish friend opens a pub in his garage but i never make it because of geography
[16:07:25] Tropicando: Oh yeah, I don't drink either :S
[16:07:51] NiftyGaloot: I celebrate St. Urho's instead! :)
[16:07:58] DafnaCP: Is that a Finnish thing?
[16:08:22] Lorilei: :-D
[16:08:29] NiftyGaloot: Yep... Live in what was a Finnish community
[16:08:36] DafnaCP: Ah...cool!
[16:08:38] Tropicando: You know, I might go out to downtown LA for the parade, last time I was there for the st paddy parade by accident
[16:08:56] DafnaCP: You should certainly go -- and wear one of your shirts!
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[16:09:29] DafnaCP: I plan to go out with friends. There is a great place in San Francisco that does corned beef and cabbage for St. Paddy's
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[16:10:00] DafnaCP: I'll be wearing a bunch of mini buttons and a CafePress shirt!
[16:10:08] Tropicando: No one will remember it
[16:10:31] DafnaCP: :-D
[16:10:34] shopaholicchick: kate - for mini buttons...buy a package of return address labels and print your website on them only 1/2 the wodth though like www. (enter) site (enter) .com ....and centered then cut the labels into little squares...with tweezers to hold the sticker & a qtip to push it down you can slide them in and stick them to the back of every mini button
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[16:11:37] Kate@LittleLizzyLou: Shopaholicchick - I have one of your buttons sitting right here! It's a great idea!! Thanks for the reminder!
[16:11:43] DafnaCP: well that's one way to make sure that they remember
[16:11:45] horselovergurl: @shopaholic great idea! I may use it for myself!
[16:12:18] Tropicando: A wild idea has slapped me. St paddy's stickers (for face) as alternative to face painting
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[16:12:47] DafnaCP: I've seen people wearing little shamrocks and glittery things before
[16:12:50] shopaholicchick: lol kate your welcome...it is not as hard as it sounds...cute one side then cut the other after peeled it is easier to peel that way
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[16:13:27] DafnaCP: Are there other products that any of you use creatively for St. Pat’s?
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[16:14:38] DafnaCP: For example, the coasters and steins would make good decoration for a party
[16:14:54] DafnaCP: and it's nice that they're both functional and decorative
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[16:15:51] shopaholicchick: the framed tiles make goot hot plate trivits
[16:16:23] DafnaCP: good idea
[16:16:48] DafnaCP: Has everybody seen the Kelly Green t-shirts? Are you all adding them?
[16:17:06] Lorilei: I'm adding them
[16:17:11] Tropicando: I've added 2 I think
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[16:17:22] horselovergurl: adding!
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[16:17:39] matisse: done
[16:17:43] shopaholicchick: i added them
[16:17:54] thsgirl: hi all, i've added to a couple designs
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[16:17:58] NiftyGaloot: I added a bunch of them...
[16:18:02] electricgreen: Adding to new sections
[16:18:05] webdvl: yep
[16:18:11] Lorilei: I love the green tees. I just wish the women's fitted tee waas a tad larger
[16:18:24] shopaholicchick: dafna why does it say limited time only on them???
[16:18:31] servopuff: I'm disappointed the color is considered seasonal.
[16:18:40] horselovergurl: oh no! i hope they last longer!
[16:18:45] electricgreen: I only wish they were in the v-necks, I'd buy some!!
[16:19:35] DafnaCP: Shoppa, to answer your question. They are a "seasonal" product so the plan is to have them for a limited time and then perhaps extend that if we see that there is demand.
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[16:19:43] Lorilei: We have to get people to buy these all the time, not just St. Patrick's. I'm adding lots of Earth Day designs, too
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[16:20:22] DafnaCP: Yes, I think the color could be something we keep long term. But it would depend on how many shopkeepers added the products and how many customers bought them.
[16:20:27] electricgreen: Seasonal? I buy green all year (of course it is my fav color). Think Christmas!
[16:20:32] shopaholicchick: i agree earth day needs green...and my Go Green stuff will want green year round!!!
[16:20:42] electricgreen: ACK! Keep them! Keep them!! If we can sell the bright green ones, we can sell nice green ones
[16:20:44] Tropicando: I need to add them to my actual st paddy designs- i sell few, but one went zombie today
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[16:21:27] PamelaC (CPV): I hope they stay around too
[16:21:35] shopaholicchick: i wish theyw ere plus sizes...but then i wish plus was anything but black and white
[16:21:49] webdvl: Hopefully they sell well. As it has been pointed out in forum threads, these would make great additions to environmental designs, Christmas designs, and spring and summer products as well.
[16:21:54] Lorilei: I'll also be adding Christmas designs to green tees. I want a couple, at least, in case they're discontinued
[16:22:06] PamelaC (CPV): Fishing & outdoor themes would be nice with green
[16:22:12] PamelaC (CPV): I've added all of them in SEVERAL sections, but haven't sold any yet. I updated my Google feed to include them.
[16:22:18] horselovergurl: i already sold one, so let's keep em around? :)
[16:22:26] shopaholicchick: i used bulk add last week and added them to everything but my i heart shop....cuz green with a mauve heart is just painful to think about
[16:22:58] DafnaCP: ha ha, yes Green and Mauve are a little scary but the nice thing is that each of the products come in black as well
[16:23:09] art313: If they're short term do we have to add them all back again for next year's St Patrick's Day?
[16:23:42] DafnaCP: Nope, the color has been added to products that have additional colors so if we were to remove the Green, it would simply revert to the black.
[16:23:46] webdvl: I've sold a couple of the BLACK fitted shirts, but not the green ones.
[16:23:50] Lorilei: We need to convince American Apparel that we aren't all size sixes
[16:24:24] PamelaC (CPV): :bow: Lorelei
[16:24:26] DafnaCP: Yes, their sizing is a bit limited
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[16:24:46] Lorilei: They might all default to black. But mine aren't all designs that will look good on black
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[16:25:25] PamelaC (CPV): They way my shop is setup, it'll be a royal pain if they disappear or default to black.
[16:26:09] DafnaCP: well, hopefully we can all promote them well and then we can keep them around
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[16:26:31] DafnaCP: ;)
[16:26:39] horselovergurl: i kind of hope they default to black, some of my designs look really strange on the green and i have yet to fix them
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[16:27:00] DafnaCP: For many images it should be a simple fix.
[16:27:34] DafnaCP: You can change the design to white or some other color that will pop with both the green or on a black
[16:27:41] Lorilei: I've been working on redoing several of my designs, tweaking them for green
[16:27:50] DafnaCP: How have you been doing it?
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[16:28:06] Lorilei: Most of my transparent images were designed for black
[16:28:16] PamelaC (CPV): I think lots of SKers are reluctant to put loads of time in adding them only to possibly see them go away. But it's a Catch 22. If they don't add them, they for SURE won't sell and they will for SURE go away. I say add them.
[16:28:19] GalaxyGirl: I work part-time clothing retail, and there's alot of Plus-size women!...looking for stuff their size...CP needs to market to them more!
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[16:29:01] Lorilei: Some of my text is white, but a lot of it would look better black. It shows up great on the green
[16:29:06] shopaholicchick: with bulk add and bulk remove
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[16:29:13] shopaholicchick: it is not a huge deal to add things....
[16:29:27] DafnaCP: Yes, agreed. Those tools are real time savers.
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[16:29:47] shopaholicchick: galaxy from a plus sized woman i agree....i would love to be able to get something other then black or white...and i cannot buy the mens shirts because i have boobs!
[16:29:57] Lorilei: The same designs look good on red, violet, and that turquoise blue, too
[16:30:18] CRschilliger: In bulk add it would be nice if we could chose the default color for the new stuff
[16:30:27] PamelaC (CPV): I don't always do WHITE as an alternative on dark shirts. Many times I do a lighter version of the main color (i.e. lighter green or khaki)
[16:30:34] DafnaCP: Oh I bet that looks really good.
[16:30:40] Lorilei: I wear men's shirts too, but I so love the fit of a women's shirt
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[16:31:21] shopaholicchick: i switched to grey in place of black & white on a lot of my designs LOL so it works on both...but it means work to make the design without black & white
[16:31:33] CRschilliger: Most of my designs go both ways, I don't really design for one or the other. I try to choose colors and outlines that will help things stand out on all of them
[16:31:50] PamelaC (CPV): or a LIGHTER border around the dark areas that "semi-disappears" on light colors but it there when I need it on darks
[16:32:24] webdvl: I do the same thinig on a lot my stuff
[16:33:04] DafnaCP: What colors are you finding look good on the green? Anything that looks terrible?
[16:33:07] PamelaC (CPV): Another SKer taught me that. Then I only have to upload one design and bulk changes are super fast.
[16:34:14] PamelaC (CPV): The light browns/khaki seem to look good, but like all dark colors, do NOT use thin lines or thin fonts!
[16:35:00] DafnaCP: any other dos and don'ts we should know about for the green or darks in general?
[16:36:07] Tropicando: Can't think of any, but Pam is right about using thin elements
[16:36:24] DafnaCP: Britta isn't around be she was insisting that orange looks good on the green. I think that remains to be seen.
[16:36:41] PamelaC (CPV): If you're using Illustrator, you can always add a stroke to thin fonts.
[16:37:20] Lorilei: I'm sure that green/orange thing is one of those eye of the beholder issues...
[16:37:23] PamelaC (CPV): I would think that a fuchsia / hot pink might look good too.
[16:37:54] matisse: orange is a color of Ireland's flag
[16:38:01] DafnaCP: well, that's a good point
[16:38:24] Tropicando: and guiness??
[16:38:38] PamelaC (CPV): When I started using thicker/broader fonts on the dark shirts, I started selling them a lot more.
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[16:38:45] matisse: white, green and orange - I'm using them all together.
[16:38:47] PamelaC (CPV): with very few returns
[16:38:53] shopaholicchick: i think like golden yellows or orangy yellows tend to look good on green
[16:39:02] Tropicando: i don't know my alcohol :(
[16:39:41] DafnaCP: Well I thought we could brainstorm a few of the different kinds of designs/topics that work well for St. Patrick's Day.
[16:39:53] Kate@LittleLizzyLou: Sometimes what looks strange to the SK, is what the customer wants though. I've sold quite a few bizarre color combos.
[16:40:28] DafnaCP: We can start with my favorite…
[16:40:40] DafnaCP: leprechauns!
[16:41:01] PamelaC (CPV): A quick browse of the MP St. Paddy's designs shows the gamut of possibilities!
[16:41:15] PamelaC (CPV): I've sold a few leprechaun designs already.
[16:41:45] DafnaCP: Well I see a lot of Beer/Drinking related things, obviously that's huge.
[16:41:52] thsgirl: lucky and shamrocks
[16:42:04] PamelaC (CPV): Don't forget certain city or state designs.
[16:42:21] DafnaCP: Pamela, can you expand upon the city/state thing?
[16:42:30] Tropicando: I guess that one order in production I have is an leprechaun dog
[16:42:47] webdvl: Kiss Me I'm... is a big one too.
[16:43:01] CRschilliger: I sold a shiny shamrock (proper, three leaf) on a kelly green about an hour after I put it up
[16:43:14] CRschilliger: a lot of people assume four leaf/lucky clovers are shamrock's which buyers will grab them because they don't know either...
[16:43:42] PamelaC (CPV): I did some research on what areas of the US have large Irish populations and targeted a few areas.
[16:43:51] Tropicando: I like the Irish Yoga ones =)
[16:43:56] PamelaC (CPV): Irish for a Day
[16:44:07] CRschilliger: celtic knotwork shamrock designs and tattoo style "lucky" ones are good
[16:44:17] NiftyGaloot: And... We have an Irish President this year... O'Bama ;)
[16:44:21] DafnaCP: LOL!
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[16:44:29] matisse: Boston, New York, etc
[16:44:32] shopaholicchick: i sell more 4 leaf then 3 leaf
[16:44:49] PamelaC (CPV): Also, don't forget about the wee little lads & lassies!
[16:45:13] matisse: Scottie, is that you?
[16:45:18] DafnaCP: Irish pride is another big one
[16:45:26] PamelaC (CPV): Beam me up!
[16:45:35] CRschilliger: shopaholic, it's because people assume a 4-leaf/lucky clover is a shamrock, they both look good but 4-leaf shouldn't be really called shamrocks
[16:45:46] matisse: :-D
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[16:46:24] shopaholicchick: i usually list it as a shamrock/clover
[16:46:28] Lorilei: Otherwise Adam will come after you...
[16:46:46] CRschilliger: Lor *snicker*
[16:46:53] PamelaC (CPV): So 3-leaf is a shamrock and 4-leaf is a lucky clover?
[16:47:10] Tropicando: yes
[16:47:34] PamelaC (CPV): Got it!
[16:47:53] CRschilliger: Pamela, yes, some people actually get really offended when they see it mixed up. *shrug*
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[16:48:00] horselovergurl: i always used to get those confused ;)
[16:48:09] PamelaC (CPV): Got a shamrock design in my head. I'll be sure to use a three leaf!
[16:48:12] Lorilei: Three leaf clover is the normal one. It was used as a device to teach about the Holy Trinity in Ireland
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[16:48:39] shopaholicchick: LOL lori me and adam have had this discussion for 3 years every year he yells at me at st pattys and 4 leaves...and every year i tell him i offer both and the pattys 4 leaves sell better for me LOL
[16:49:04] matisse: I am selling a ton of 5 leaf!
[16:49:06] Lorilei: Oh, well
[16:49:13] DafnaCP: Didn't it used to be blue that was worn, not green?
[16:49:15] PamelaC (CPV): What an education in here!
[16:49:24] Lorilei: He's just being traditional and taking pride in his heritage
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[16:50:16] Tropicando: hey that 5 leaf thing is against cup
[16:50:23] shopaholicchick: lol lori i know...i just tell him to come across the pond and see what they say about it LOL
[16:50:36] DafnaCP: So is anybody changing the look of their shops to make them more festive?
[16:50:45] DafnaCP: or is it mostly about the designs?
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[16:51:10] PamelaC (CPV): Just a countdown banner at the top of St. Paddy's section.
[16:51:21] CRschilliger: I have a wee bit of Irish but not enough to badger people too much :) I have more German. hehe. And Pamela, yes, one neat thing about CP (and the interwebs) is the hugely diverse bunch of knowledge to be shared :)
[16:51:27] PamelaC (CPV): Most of my sales are still MP and CP has done a good job of "greening it up".
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[16:51:50] NiftyGaloot: I just rearrange and move the Holiday designs up front.
[16:52:02] Lorilei: I used to change my colors and such pretty frequently, but I don't do it as much as I used to. I usually change my header for the season, though
[16:52:15] webdvl: I try and do a little something for the different seasons/holidays. I've got a bit of a green background and some St. Pat's designs featured in my header right now.
[16:52:28] shopaholicchick: i move my holiday stuff to the top of the shop
[16:52:36] horselovergurl: i'm going to make banners but that's all really
[16:53:21] CRschilliger: I had been changing a banner and a button on my main shopfront but one is still wintery and one is a heart *rolls eyes* I have too many things on my proverbial plate, plus most my sales are MP. Very few shop
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[16:54:12] DafnaCP: So it seems then that for most people it's enough that the homepage is St. Patified
[16:54:21] Tropicando: You know what- I just realized my st paddy's designs in the basic shops should be permanently Greened Up .
[16:54:29] Lorilei: I don't even bother counting which are MP anymore. It isn't a good use of my time, because most of mine are MP
[16:54:47] DafnaCP: Oh good point! If you have a shop that's specifically for the holiday then you should really go all out!
[16:54:54] i am one: Ive already sold a few Earth Day designs on the green shirts so hopfully they at least stay through April
[16:55:36] CRschilliger: Lor, I don't get enough sales anymore for it to be a pain for me to check, I get maybe one shop sale per 20 MP sales... and that might be between 2-3 months...
[16:55:46] Lorilei: According to which holidays are coming up, I have a representative design in a top section in my storefront
[16:56:17] DafnaCP: Well we're coming to the end of the hour. Any last thoughts?
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[16:56:27] shopaholicchick: i have a holiday shop...so i just rearrange it as the holidasy pass i move them to the bottom
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[16:56:58] shopaholicchick: my last tought is keep green year round and add more plus sized colors
[16:57:04] Lorilei: We love green! We want larger shirts! And we love CP! <3
[16:57:26] CRschilliger: I agree with shopaholic and Lor :)
[16:57:30] Tropicando: Happy st Paddys
[16:57:35] GalaxyGirl: Amen!

Vday prep

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[2009.01.08 18:58:42] DafnaCP: Hi everybody, welcome!
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[2009.01.08 18:58:48] shopaholic chick: hi everyone!
[2009.01.08 18:58:50] SagArt: Good evening!
[2009.01.08 18:58:51] bikerchick: Hi Dafna!
[2009.01.08 18:58:59] boldavenue: hola!
[2009.01.08 18:59:00] wheedesign: Hey all!
[2009.01.08 18:59:04] AlienShack: howdy all
[2009.01.08 18:59:05] horselovergurl: hi!
[2009.01.08 18:59:06] DafnaCP: Did you all enjoy the holidays? I went to Tennessee to visit my Sister-in-Law who just moved there. It was cold!
[2009.01.08 18:59:12] TexasFiddler: Dooni, Nifty, Kippy, Sag! Good to see you! You to Dafna!
[2009.01.08 18:59:24] Dooni Designs: hi hi hiiiiii
[2009.01.08 18:59:34] SagArt: You came to TN and didn't visit me??? I am crushed!!!!
[2009.01.08 18:59:44] Cyndi has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2009.01.08 18:59:49] DafnaCP: I know, I know. I only had 3 days though!
[2009.01.08 18:59:52] NiftyGaloot: Are we all ready for... LOVE!!!
[2009.01.08 19:00:11] dreamup has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2009.01.08 19:00:19] LittleLizzyLou Josh has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2009.01.08 19:00:22] SagArt: LOVE:bow:
[2009.01.08 19:00:38] DafnaCP: Welp, let’s get started then:
[2009.01.08 19:00:45] upatree has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2009.01.08 19:00:47] Kate@LittleLizzyLou has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2009.01.08 19:00:53] DafnaCP: As always, this chat will be moderated. This means that you will not immediately see your responses posted. Instead, they will go into a queue and the moderators will do their best to get all the response posted live. The benefit is that moderated chats help us stay on subject and are easier to keep up with.
[2009.01.08 19:01:28] DafnaCP: In Prep for Valentines Day, here are the topics I’d like to cover today:
[2009.01.08 19:01:56] DafnaCP: V-Day Overview
What we’re doing at CP
Popular V-Day themes
Products to Pimp (pardon the expression)
[2009.01.08 19:01:56] DDKnight has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2009.01.08 19:02:06] GalaxyGirl has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2009.01.08 19:02:17] cyi has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2009.01.08 19:02:32] DafnaCP: Does everyone have plans to celebrate V-Day in some way? I know I do!
[2009.01.08 19:02:48] SagArt: Of Course!
[2009.01.08 19:02:50] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2009.01.08 19:02:56] shopaholic chick: i don't celebrate vday.....i do enjoy the $ i make on it normally though
[2009.01.08 19:03:00] bikerchick: My daughter's b-day is the day before, so we will do something
[2009.01.08 19:03:11] matisse: Nope!
[2009.01.08 19:03:14] wheedesign: I'm one of those single ones just going out with friends.
[2009.01.08 19:03:22] DafnaCP: Well, according to the US Census Press, a lot of people plan to celebrate Valentines Day.
[2009.01.08 19:03:38] boldavenue: shop celebrates about 45 days later...when the check comes thru! ;)
[2009.01.08 19:03:44] bikerchick: I hope to sell something this year, because I haven't had any luck in the past
[2009.01.08 19:03:55] DafnaCP: GL bikerchick, I'm sure you will!
[2009.01.08 19:03:59] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2009.01.08 19:04:07] Annek has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2009.01.08 19:04:08] shopaholic chick: bold oh so very true....but by then i am celebrating the st pats sales too LOL
[2009.01.08 19:04:28] kunstrxns has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2009.01.08 19:04:32] DafnaCP: It's true, the holidays really stack up on one another don't they?
[2009.01.08 19:04:57] DafnaCP: Anyway, here are the household participation rates as listed by the US Census Press:
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[2009.01.08 19:05:19] Annek: If customers show up for the holidays, they can go ahead and stack up all they'd like! Ka-ching!
[2009.01.08 19:05:25] DafnaCP: Greeting Cards 64%
Date Night 44%
Candy 38%
[2009.01.08 19:05:43] DafnaCP: Flowers 32%
Gift Cards 29%
Other Gifts 17%
[2009.01.08 19:05:53] DafnaCP: Plush 12%
Perfume/Cologne 12%
Jewelry 11%
[2009.01.08 19:06:13] baconation has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2009.01.08 19:06:16] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2009.01.08 19:06:21] horselovergurl: Good for us, lots spent on greeting cards
[2009.01.08 19:06:27] shopaholic chick: my teddy bears do well normally - as do keepskae boxes and oddly buttons
[2009.01.08 19:06:30] boldavenue: so it sounds like cards are the best thing to push as far as our shops go
[2009.01.08 19:06:52] DafnaCP: Well, this does give us a good idea about which products we might try
[2009.01.08 19:06:55] matisse: What are CPs most popular selling products for VD?
[2009.01.08 19:07:52] Annek: But go after things like bears and other things opportunistically...
[2009.01.08 19:07:56] LittleLizzyLou Josh: New Product: Candy Boxes! :-)
[2009.01.08 19:08:23] DafnaCP: LizzyLou, what about the keepsake boxes merchandised as candy boxes?
[2009.01.08 19:08:38] Cyndi: Or candy bowls! LOL
[2009.01.08 19:08:43] terraformtees has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2009.01.08 19:08:49] DafnaCP: The main thing to remember is that above all, Valentines Day happens in February, when most of our customers are cold.
[2009.01.08 19:09:06] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2009.01.08 19:09:10] Kate@LittleLizzyLou: We haven't tried marketing the keepsake boxes or pet bowls as candy keepers yet, but we might have to! Good idea!
[2009.01.08 19:09:12] shopaholic chick: i marekt my dog bowls as perfect for candy dishes
[2009.01.08 19:09:18] LittleLizzyLou Josh: chocolate wouldn't do too well in a wooden box? *speculating*
[2009.01.08 19:09:35] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2009.01.08 19:09:44] Cyndi: Yeah, the pet bowls
[2009.01.08 19:09:47] shopaholic chick: the keepsakes boxxes are too small for candy it hink - but the dog bowls are HUGE
[2009.01.08 19:09:51] SagArt: Or the Keepsake box as a gift box with an engagement ring inside or a necklace or braclet for your gal! Uh-huh!
[2009.01.08 19:09:54] DafnaCP: Great idea!
[2009.01.08 19:10:11] AlienShack: maybe the Pet Bowls should be relabled as 'Multi-Purpose Bowls' or something like that
[2009.01.08 19:10:12] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2009.01.08 19:10:20] terraformtees has left the room (logged out)
[2009.01.08 19:10:30] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2009.01.08 19:10:35] DafnaCP: that's probably not something we would do on the CP end but you could certainly rename the product
[2009.01.08 19:10:50] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2009.01.08 19:10:50] kunstrxns: pets need love too!
[2009.01.08 19:11:00] shopaholic chick: danfa with 9600 designs i cannot rename them all
[2009.01.08 19:11:13] DafnaCP: nope, agreed. I'd just rename the ones that pertain to V-Day
[2009.01.08 19:11:23] boldavenue: alienshack: i have pet bowls in houseware sections just named "bowl" and dupes in my pet sections named "pet bowl"
[2009.01.08 19:12:28] DafnaCP: So just to get back to the question from Matisse....
[2009.01.08 19:12:47] Annek: No tank tops...
[2009.01.08 19:13:04] DafnaCP: right, warm weather garments are key for this holiday. So are Mugs and the Ceramic travel mugs.
[2009.01.08 19:13:20] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2009.01.08 19:13:34] DafnaCP: For your apparel you’ll want to feature Valentines colors like the red and the pink t-shirts and the pink zip-up hoodie.
[2009.01.08 19:13:49] DafnaCP: If it looks good, consider changing the default product color on your V-Day related products to red for men or pink for women.
[2009.01.08 19:14:11] DafnaCP: Other popular products for V-Day:
[2009.01.08 19:14:31] wheedesign: Are those (travel mugs) back in stock again? One I had in pending since before Christmas finally completed, but there is still one there.
[2009.01.08 19:14:34] DafnaCP: I think they are
[2009.01.08 19:14:39] SagArt: Yep, you can take a mug, line it with pretty food wrapping, fill it with Valentine candy and tie it up with a bow as a gift for anyone. Kids love it too.
[2009.01.08 19:14:51] bikerchick: Don't forget the thong! :)
[2009.01.08 19:14:54] kischitsch has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2009.01.08 19:15:00] DafnaCP: How could I forget the thong?!
[2009.01.08 19:15:02] wheedesign: I actually sold quite a few boxers and thongs last year.
[2009.01.08 19:15:12] DafnaCP: Yes, they do well.
[2009.01.08 19:15:27] DafnaCP: Obviously there are also the greeting cards -- singles
[2009.01.08 19:15:31] SagArt: Oh and the thong!!!! :bow: and matching boxers :bow::-D
[2009.01.08 19:15:35] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2009.01.08 19:15:46] DafnaCP: so cute! Could do matching t-shirts also!
[2009.01.08 19:15:50] shopaholic chick: i sold a lot of thong cami or thong tank top combos last year
[2009.01.08 19:16:08] DafnaCP: Yes, a special V-Day outfit maybe
[2009.01.08 19:16:17] DafnaCP: Then there is the Teddy Bear
[2009.01.08 19:16:33] DafnaCP: and strangely, the Tote Bag
[2009.01.08 19:16:51] LittleLizzyLou Josh: do some people have designs that are complimentary, to make sets, or is it common for people to buy the two that have the same design featured.
[2009.01.08 19:17:05] DafnaCP: I think you could do a matching set with different images
[2009.01.08 19:17:09] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2009.01.08 19:17:10] hazeleyes7 has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2009.01.08 19:17:12] matisse: tote bag?
[2009.01.08 19:17:15] shopaholic chick: tote bags make good giftbags they stuff them with items
[2009.01.08 19:17:20] Annek: SagArt - do you promote your mug that way in your shop? I mean, suggest ways for people to "gift" their love?
[2009.01.08 19:17:26] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2009.01.08 19:17:38] shopaholic chick: 2 of the same design normally a matching pair....ladies like matching Pj's....
[2009.01.08 19:17:46] SagArt: Yeah, and I have pictures of how they are put together too.
[2009.01.08 19:17:49] Karen has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2009.01.08 19:18:11] DafnaCP: That's a great idea! The easier you can make it for the customer to visualize all of the unique things they can do with your products, the better.
[2009.01.08 19:18:47] kischitsch has left the room (logged out)
[2009.01.08 19:18:55] DafnaCP: Am I forgetting any products or are we ready to move on?
[2009.01.08 19:19:23] matisse: keepsake boxes?
[2009.01.08 19:19:29] DafnaCP: yes, I think we talked about them
[2009.01.08 19:19:39] LittleLizzyLou Josh: is too late to get snuggly warm sweatshirts? I love the grey hooded sweatshirt!
[2009.01.08 19:19:47] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2009.01.08 19:19:53] DafnaCP: Nope, February is still cold so sweatshirts do well!
[2009.01.08 19:19:58] boldavenue: anyone sell lots of something unusual (out of the box) around val day?
[2009.01.08 19:20:01] shopaholic chick: framed prints
[2009.01.08 19:20:15] AlienShack: love or heart themed flip minos for that 'perfect gift for valentines'
[2009.01.08 19:20:29] DafnaCP: oh that's a good one!
[2009.01.08 19:20:53] horselovergurl: love that idea!
[2009.01.08 19:21:12] bikerchick has left the room (logged out)
[2009.01.08 19:21:57] SagArt: You guys can google gift mugs and get ideas for how to present your mugs online with your own products if you want to do that.
[2009.01.08 19:22:04] DafnaCP: So some more thoughts on V-Day sales...
[2009.01.08 19:22:25] DafnaCP: Valentines Day is a procrastinator’s holiday. The heaviest shopping time is usually the 5th and 6th weeks after Christmas.
[2009.01.08 19:22:51] DafnaCP: This year that should be Jan 25th through Feb 8th with the majority of cards being bought in brick and mortar stores the week preceding the holiday.
[2009.01.08 19:23:46] DafnaCP: Though Valentines Day is a procrastinator’s holiday, don’t let that stop you from planning for it and getting those designs up now.
[2009.01.08 19:23:51] NiftyGaloot has left the room (logged out)
[2009.01.08 19:24:02] DafnaCP: Like you, here at CP we’re working on our campaign at the moment so I don’t have details about what we’re going to do.
[2009.01.08 19:24:18] DafnaCP: However, in years past we’ve done both a Pro and an Anti push and it’s been successful so we’ll likely do something similar this year.
[2009.01.08 19:24:25] matisse: How big is the VD sales for CP?
[2009.01.08 19:24:40] DafnaCP: Matisse, you know I can't answer financial information. We do well.
[2009.01.08 19:25:09] bikerchick: I notice that CP is sponsoring a contest, Anti V-day. How well does the anti v-day theme do?
[2009.01.08 19:25:22] LittleLizzyLou Josh: I got an email today about an Anti- contest?
[2009.01.08 19:25:40] DafnaCP: Yes, back by popular demand is our Anti Valentines Contest.
[2009.01.08 19:25:50] DafnaCP: This year we have three categories. The single life, anti-love, boycott valentines day.
[2009.01.08 19:26:05] matisse: bah humheart!
[2009.01.08 19:26:13] DafnaCP: To participate, you’ll need to upload and tag your designs with the appropriate tag no later than Jan 22nd.
[2009.01.08 19:26:49] DafnaCP: These are the tags:
[2009.01.08 19:27:17] DafnaCP: The Single Life: AVCsingle
Anti-Love: AVClove
Boycott Valentine’s: AVCboycott
[2009.01.08 19:27:30] GalaxyGirl: For contest-we can enter as many designs as we want, right?
[2009.01.08 19:27:51] DafnaCP: Yes but I ask that you please only enter each image for the category(ies) that seem appropriate.
[2009.01.08 19:28:18] DafnaCP: For more information be sure to check out the official guidelines and rules here: http://community.cafepress.com/?p=562
[2009.01.08 19:29:01] AlienShack: do they have to be new images or can they be existing images that have been entered in other v-day contests?
[2009.01.08 19:29:32] DafnaCP: They can be existing images but I'm hoping that y'all will design a few new ones specifically for the 3 categories
[2009.01.08 19:30:19] DafnaCP: buyers' taste evolves so updating your product offering to meet the "in" design style is a good idea now and then
[2009.01.08 19:31:01] DafnaCP: Any questions on the contest?
[2009.01.08 19:31:07] DafnaCP: Are you all entering?
[2009.01.08 19:31:27] Annek: Yeah!!!!
[2009.01.08 19:31:40] kunstrxns: yep
[2009.01.08 19:31:52] DafnaCP: Great!
[2009.01.08 19:32:08] GalaxyGirl: Instantly got an idea!
[2009.01.08 19:32:09] Cyndi: Yup
[2009.01.08 19:32:12] wheedesign: Already have one design up and going to do a bunch more.
[2009.01.08 19:32:43] DafnaCP: So next let’s talk about popular topics and themes.
[2009.01.08 19:32:53] DafnaCP: We already know that Anti V-Day is one theme.
[2009.01.08 19:33:09] DafnaCP: We also know about the famed I heart… stuff.
[2009.01.08 19:33:40] DafnaCP: Last year we also talked about the different kinds of love from true love, to companionship to pure lust. You can create designs for a any kind of relationship.
[2009.01.08 19:33:47] SagArt: Valentine gifts for teachers
[2009.01.08 19:33:49] SagArt: Valentine gifts for friends - friends forever kind of thing
[2009.01.08 19:33:56] matisse: We all heart Dafna!
[2009.01.08 19:34:00] DafnaCP: Excellent, yes!
[2009.01.08 19:34:09] SagArt: Valentine gifts for family members - mom, dad etc.
[2009.01.08 19:34:10] Dooni Designs: hmm i gotta make some baby's 1st vday stuff =)
[2009.01.08 19:34:27] DafnaCP: Yup Sag. Over the years we’ve even seen an increase in V-Day gifts for non romantic relationships such as gifts for Best friends, Moms & Dads, your children, coworkers
[2009.01.08 19:34:34] LittleLizzyLou Josh has left the room (logged out)
[2009.01.08 19:34:42] DafnaCP: Am I missing anybody?
[2009.01.08 19:35:59] boldavenue: pets?
[2009.01.08 19:36:03] wheedesign: There's always the teacher vday card in the packs at the store.
[2009.01.08 19:36:18] SagArt: You know the tiles on a tiny easel and ornaments on an individual ornament holder are great gifts for Valentines Day and cherished by many who get them.
[2009.01.08 19:36:27] blackunicorn has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2009.01.08 19:36:29] LittleLizzyLou Josh has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2009.01.08 19:36:47] DafnaCP: Those are all good ideas.
[2009.01.08 19:37:10] DafnaCP: The point that you want to impress upon your customers is that Valentines Day is not just about your significant other; it’s about all of the people you love most.
[2009.01.08 19:37:31] DafnaCP: In addition to designing for all kinds of love, I also recommend that you target niches instead of creating more of those generic valentine heart designs.
[2009.01.08 19:37:36] SagArt: Give your heart to anyone when you place it on an ornament and give it to a friend, teacher or loved one. They really like that.
[2009.01.08 19:37:55] DafnaCP: We’re seeing a trend toward things that seem more “special” because they represent who the giftee is: what’s important to them and what they’re all about.
[2009.01.08 19:38:09] upatree: ...or those you tolerate - (joke) anti valentines for the inlaws, etc...
[2009.01.08 19:38:36] DafnaCP: :)
[2009.01.08 19:38:41] SagArt: Everyone sells the common generic stuff, it has to be different to sell.
[2009.01.08 19:38:58] DafnaCP: Agreed. This is truly a movement in the vein of “it’s the thought that counts”.
[2009.01.08 19:39:07] DafnaCP: We saw this over the holidays and I expect this trend will continue for as long as the economy slumps.
[2009.01.08 19:39:20] GalaxyGirl: And a good time to make things right with people you've hurt or offended-I'M SORRY!
[2009.01.08 19:39:51] DafnaCP: You know, that's a fantastic idea. You could certainly promote V-Day as a time to make ammends with people you care about.
[2009.01.08 19:41:35] DafnaCP: Your shop can be a place where someone on a limited budget, who perhaps can't afford that new violin for his girlfriend (I don't know why I'm using that as an example but hey)
[2009.01.08 19:42:10] DafnaCP: he can come to your shop and find the perfect shirt that speaks to his girlfriends love of orchestra without breaking his budget
[2009.01.08 19:42:35] DafnaCP: and it's still really special because it demonstrates how well he know her and that he really thought about what to get her
[2009.01.08 19:42:40] SagArt: If you can keep it unique and use lower cost items to promote, I think they will sell better in this economy.
[2009.01.08 19:44:14] SagArt: You can also promote non-traditonal designs as gifts for valentines day as they can be utilized all year long. Favorite sport, love of pets, etc. It doesn't have to have hearts plastered all over it to be a Valentines Day Gift and it is money well-spent for the long term.
[2009.01.08 19:44:58] DafnaCP: Yes! That goes back to the whole niche thing. Think about what they might use year round because they love it that much
[2009.01.08 19:45:52] DafnaCP: Okay, so while we’re still on the topic of themes, does anybody want to share some of their own clever ideas?
[2009.01.08 19:46:48] boldavenue: a really beautiful design (landscape painting or nice calligraphy, etc.) can be marketed as a romantic gift - doesn't have to necessarily be pink hearts
[2009.01.08 19:47:03] Annek has left the room (logged out)
[2009.01.08 19:47:06] DafnaCP: Mhmm
[2009.01.08 19:47:07] Annek has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
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[2009.01.08 19:48:02] GalaxyGirl: Yes, some people might be tired of all the hearts, hearts, hearts!!!
[2009.01.08 19:48:16] SagArt: Note cards are a nice gift for anyone and can be promoted during as a Valentine gift.
[2009.01.08 19:48:16] Kippy has left the room (logged out)
[2009.01.08 19:48:23] DafnaCP: As stationary you mean?
[2009.01.08 19:49:09] SagArt: Yeah, stationary. Brain fart!:-D
[2009.01.08 19:49:12] wheedesign: Wedding/engagemenet stuff for people proposing this Valentine's Day.
[2009.01.08 19:49:18] wheedesign: Valentine Anniversary designs for those married on Vday
[2009.01.08 19:49:29] DafnaCP: It is a popular day for weddings isn't it
[2009.01.08 19:49:36] AlienShack: i made a design of a green heart with red alien shaped eyes, and then made a whole bunch of unique 'I heart' designs with it also (love.alienshack.com)..something different i guess
[2009.01.08 19:49:44] horselovergurl: don't forget about goth valentine's! dark hearts and love! my friends love that type of stuff, so I'm sure there must be buyers out there...
[2009.01.08 19:50:16] DafnaCP: yep, there is a market for that kind of dark, pretty, gothy stuff. Even little skulls with hearts and things of that nature.
[2009.01.08 19:50:27] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2009.01.08 19:50:32] shopaholic chick: my goth love stuff is under anti-valentines
[2009.01.08 19:50:41] SagArt: Goth is great, so are the will you marry me stuff. Lots of guys get down on bended knees.:-D
[2009.01.08 19:50:45] boldavenue: think about your target audience. what would they buy for val day?
[2009.01.08 19:51:09] horselovergurl: twilight valentine's day! haha
[2009.01.08 19:51:16] DafnaCP: That might do very well!
[2009.01.08 19:51:33] DafnaCP: Edward is my Valentine...that kind of thing
[2009.01.08 19:51:42] DafnaCP: :)
[2009.01.08 19:51:59] horselovergurl: Just what I'm thinking :)
[2009.01.08 19:52:00] wheedesign has left the room (logged out)
[2009.01.08 19:52:17] DafnaCP: So we're getting down to the time limit
[2009.01.08 19:52:27] wheedesign has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2009.01.08 19:52:42] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2009.01.08 19:52:44] DafnaCP: are there any burning questions?
[2009.01.08 19:53:07] shopaholic chick: good chat dafna!
[2009.01.08 19:53:17] SagArt: One more, a love poem on a pillow for a girlfriend. Oh my oh my!
[2009.01.08 19:53:22] DafnaCP: that's awesome!
[2009.01.08 19:53:27] kunstrxns: great chat! Thanks a bunch
[2009.01.08 19:53:31] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2009.01.08 19:53:39] SagArt: great chat!
[2009.01.08 19:53:40] shopaholic chick: can u reopen the lobby before you go so we can keep chatting over there about ideas?
[2009.01.08 19:53:43] DafnaCP: will do!
[2009.01.08 19:53:54] cyi has left the room (logged out)
[2009.01.08 19:54:08] boldavenue: sag = genius
[2009.01.08 19:54:17] AlienShack: yeah...do you recommend or know of any software to handle all of the social networks? i just set up twitter and squidoo sites today...there's too many!
[2009.01.08 19:54:18] mamm has left the room (logged out)
[2009.01.08 19:54:19] DDKnight has left the room (logged out)
[2009.01.08 19:54:30] Cyndi has left the room (logged out)
[2009.01.08 19:54:33] DafnaCP: There was something called addthis or addme
[2009.01.08 19:54:36] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2009.01.08 19:54:37] DafnaCP: you might Google it
[2009.01.08 19:54:44] shopaholic chick: alien not really it is a lot to run them all
[2009.01.08 19:54:50] Dooni Designs has left the room (logged out)
[2009.01.08 19:54:50] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2009.01.08 19:54:53] Kippy has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2009.01.08 19:55:01] shopaholic chick: alien come to the lobby when it reopens we will discuss it further
[2009.01.08 19:55:03] SagArt: I believe it's addthis
[2009.01.08 19:55:16] boldavenue: thanks for the chat dafna!
[2009.01.08 19:55:17] matisse: Thanks Dafna!

post holiday

[2008.12.18 19:02:36] Welcome to the CafePress Chat Room
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[2008.12.18 19:02:37] All users in this room have been allowed to talk
[2008.12.18 19:02:45] BrittaCP has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2008.12.18 19:02:46] teesa has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2008.12.18 19:02:50] Cyndi has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2008.12.18 19:02:52] DafnaCP has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2008.12.18 19:02:55] kitschbitsch has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2008.12.18 19:02:56] Stratman has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2008.12.18 19:03:04] mydeas has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2008.12.18 19:03:10] NiftyGaloot has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2008.12.18 19:03:22] rogers has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2008.12.18 19:03:25] GetYerGoat has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2008.12.18 19:03:26] dreamup has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2008.12.18 19:03:27] AngelaCP has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2008.12.18 19:03:29] Lace has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2008.12.18 19:03:41] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.12.18 19:03:46] AngelaCP: hi everyone!
[2008.12.18 19:04:00] Shopaholic chick: hi everyone!!!
[2008.12.18 19:04:01] GetYerGoat: HI Ang
[2008.12.18 19:04:08] DafnaCP: hi all
[2008.12.18 19:04:10] AngelaCP: hi goatlady! how have you been?
[2008.12.18 19:04:12] Cyndi: Hola, Chicka! Chickas...
[2008.12.18 19:04:14] kitschbitsch: Hey
[2008.12.18 19:04:16] rogers: hello
[2008.12.18 19:04:19] teesa: hi all!
[2008.12.18 19:04:39] GetYerGoat: Busy tired and cold
[2008.12.18 19:04:46] mydeas: hello!
[2008.12.18 19:04:53] AngelaCP: me too... very cold and tired...
[2008.12.18 19:04:55] AngelaCP: busy too
[2008.12.18 19:04:57] GetYerGoat: sales this month are good though
[2008.12.18 19:05:04] AngelaCP: that's so good to hear!
[2008.12.18 19:05:27] GetYerGoat: 900 + orders so far this month
[2008.12.18 19:05:40] kitschbitsch: Whoa!
[2008.12.18 19:05:40] AngelaCP: Oh my! The DONOT fairy has been really good to you
[2008.12.18 19:05:51] teesa: wow!
[2008.12.18 19:05:53] Lace: somebody send me some cold weather...70+ degrees here
[2008.12.18 19:05:55] electricgreen has left the room (logged out)
[2008.12.18 19:06:00] AngelaCP: i wish lace...
[2008.12.18 19:06:02] AngelaCP: let's trade
[2008.12.18 19:06:07] NiftyGaloot: Was a bit nippy this morning... 24 below zero
[2008.12.18 19:06:14] Lace: it's a deal! :D
[2008.12.18 19:06:15] GetYerGoat: Need to do this Every Month THEN I'll be happy ;)
[2008.12.18 19:06:18] AngelaCP: ;)
[2008.12.18 19:06:27] armymom has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2008.12.18 19:07:04] Cyndi: LOL No you won't...it's a CP sickness...always wanting more than last month...
[2008.12.18 19:07:16] DafnaCP: Hi everyone. Thanks for coming.
[2008.12.18 19:07:28] DafnaCP: As holiday sales slow down, this is a good time to put together your game plan for transitioning your shops, or de-seasoning if you will.
[2008.12.18 19:07:49] Cyndi: Hi Dafna
[2008.12.18 19:08:02] DafnaCP: Before we get started, I just want to remind everyone that this is a moderated chat. That means that questions come in to a queue and we push them out and answer them as quickly as we can.
[2008.12.18 19:08:22] DafnaCP: We can not get to all of the questions due to time and subject constraints but we will do our best to get all of the relevant questions out.
[2008.12.18 19:08:48] DafnaCP: So let’s talk about how you can best transition your shops from their holiday personas back to their normal un-holiday selves.
[2008.12.18 19:09:04] DafnaCP: Has anyone started doing this yet?
[2008.12.18 19:09:14] teesa: no
[2008.12.18 19:09:42] Cyndi: Nope. I thought I should wait til the day...
[2008.12.18 19:09:43] rogers: no my shop doesnt really look any differnt
[2008.12.18 19:09:45] Lace: just behind the scenes stuff
[2008.12.18 19:09:47] kitschbitsch: Not yet waiting for end of december
[2008.12.18 19:09:51] NiftyGaloot: Don't we just switch holidays? V-Day's comin' up!
[2008.12.18 19:10:01] AngelaCP: that's perfect...it's definitely behind the scenes as there's still a week left for holiday shopping
[2008.12.18 19:10:11] DafnaCP: Yes, the first thing to remember is that this should be a gradual transition.
[2008.12.18 19:11:10] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.12.18 19:11:23] Shopaholic chick: i agree with nifty - xmas comes down vday goes up
[2008.12.18 19:11:33] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.12.18 19:11:35] Cyndi: I was in Walmart today and they were already replacing Christmas stuff with Valentine's Day stuff...which made me mad since I'm not done Christmas shopping yet...
[2008.12.18 19:11:56] DafnaCP: Yes, it's important to retain the look and feel of Christmas for as long as the Holiday season is upon us
[2008.12.18 19:12:03] DafnaCP: Your transition should begin on December 22nd by featuring the Gift Certificates option for those last minute shoppers who won’t make the shipping deadlines. Consider putting up a banner promoting the Gift This Cart feature.
[2008.12.18 19:13:00] mydeas: How do we feature them? Do you have a code?
[2008.12.18 19:13:30] DafnaCP: No code. I suggest creating a banner and putting it in the welcome message section of your custom html. That's the easiest way.
[2008.12.18 19:13:45] DafnaCP: Anybody else have suggestions on how to feature the gift certificates?
[2008.12.18 19:14:18] kitschbitsch: Not everyone is html savvy
[2008.12.18 19:14:23] mydeas: K. Thanks. :)
[2008.12.18 19:15:10] DafnaCP: Even if you're not html savvy, you can still feature them. You can do something as simple as putting it in that section in text -- no banner necessary.
[2008.12.18 19:15:22] GetYerGoat: Stupid question, I must have missed how the Gift this Cart feature works, is this something that credits our shop?
[2008.12.18 19:15:25] rogers: what gift certificates?
[2008.12.18 19:15:54] DafnaCP has left the room (logged out)
[2008.12.18 19:16:08] AngelaCP: When checking out, there's an option called Gift This Cart.
[2008.12.18 19:16:39] DafnaCP has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2008.12.18 19:16:41] Cyndi has left the room (logged out)
[2008.12.18 19:16:52] AngelaCP: Their gift recipient will receive a code to redeem and purchase what was picked out by the customer
[2008.12.18 19:17:18] Cyndi has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2008.12.18 19:17:32] AngelaCP: The shop will receive the commission after the gift recipient redeems the "cart"
[2008.12.18 19:17:36] GetYerGoat: OK and then what happens to the cart?
[2008.12.18 19:17:50] AngelaCP: an email will be sent to the gift recipient
[2008.12.18 19:17:58] rogers: you mean the thing that asks if it is a gift order?
[2008.12.18 19:18:06] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.12.18 19:18:10] AngelaCP: no, that's separate
[2008.12.18 19:18:27] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.12.18 19:18:33] Shopaholic chick: that could explain the people leaving on the cart without buying...
[2008.12.18 19:18:34] Cyndi has left the room (logged out)
[2008.12.18 19:19:08] AngelaCP: under the Keep Shopping/Proceed to Checkout buttons in the shoppiong cart
[2008.12.18 19:19:14] deadhippo has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2008.12.18 19:19:23] AngelaCP: there's a Gift This Cart option
[2008.12.18 19:19:34] Dooni Designs has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2008.12.18 19:19:36] Shopaholic chick: so basically you can pick out what you want and then send the list in the form of the cart to someone in an email
[2008.12.18 19:19:40] Cyndi has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2008.12.18 19:19:44] AngelaCP: that is correct
[2008.12.18 19:19:47] AngelaCP: and it's already paid for
[2008.12.18 19:20:14] veggiet has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2008.12.18 19:20:18] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.12.18 19:20:19] GetYerGoat: Does the customer who gets the gift certificate code have an option to change shops or items?
[2008.12.18 19:20:28] AngelaCP: the benefit is that the gift recipient can select the right size and color
[2008.12.18 19:20:39] AngelaCP: they do... so that is the risk
[2008.12.18 19:20:40] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.12.18 19:20:42] DafnaCP: Yes, that option is available but a person would really need to try in order to do that. It's not an easy thing to see.
[2008.12.18 19:20:50] teesa: is there a traditional gift certificate to purhcase in a monetary value without the person putting specific items in the cart?
[2008.12.18 19:21:14] kitschbitsch has left the room (logged out)
[2008.12.18 19:21:28] DafnaCP: Yes. A customer could simply buy a gift certificate for a specified amount here:http://www.cafepress.com/cp/members/giftcertificates/product_details.aspx
[2008.12.18 19:21:38] Shopaholic chick: paid for?
[2008.12.18 19:21:39] AngelaCP: The customer basically buys the amount in the cart...and then sends it over to the gift recipient.
[2008.12.18 19:21:46] mydeas: How do people get teh gift certificates? Sorry haven't used them.
[2008.12.18 19:21:53] DafnaCP: by email
[2008.12.18 19:22:01] Stratman: is this feature explained to potential customers anywhere
[2008.12.18 19:22:03] AngelaCP: it is
[2008.12.18 19:22:15] AngelaCP: in the shopping cart, under the procced to checkout buttons
[2008.12.18 19:22:27] GetYerGoat: So I f I did the gift this cart and sned it to you the gift is for you and I paid for it and chose the item for you ?
[2008.12.18 19:22:30] DafnaCP: exactly
[2008.12.18 19:22:44] AngelaCP: Turn this cart into a Gift Certificate and send it today! [paragraph explaination] Gift This Cart button
[2008.12.18 19:23:18] DafnaCP: So gift certificates is a good way to capitalize on the late shoppers
[2008.12.18 19:23:24] DafnaCP: anyone do anything else?
[2008.12.18 19:23:29] Lace: gonna have an after christmas sale to start the transition ;)
[2008.12.18 19:23:34] Lace: hit up all those folks that got $$$ for gifts lol
[2008.12.18 19:23:49] DafnaCP: that's a great idea Lace
[2008.12.18 19:24:12] teesa: how do you "have a sale"?
[2008.12.18 19:25:06] Lace: lower the prices in my shop (all shop or different sections) and advertise on my sites with banners and posts and my email list
[2008.12.18 19:25:34] GetYerGoat: I only put a few items in a sale section for ashoirt amount of time- blog aboutit then take it down or replace the prices with normal pricing after a certain time (Remember! These saleprices will hit the MP!)
[2008.12.18 19:25:55] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.12.18 19:26:27] Lace: me too gyg
[2008.12.18 19:26:29] Lace: one tweet on twitter about the sale and you've told the world!
[2008.12.18 19:26:31] mydeas: How do you get an email list?
[2008.12.18 19:26:46] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.12.18 19:27:15] Lace: there is one you can use in your premium shop but I was talking about my website email marketing list
[2008.12.18 19:27:24] teesa: thanks, but is there a say to show a sale price next to the regular price?
[2008.12.18 19:27:42] Lace: you have to build your list from people who have purchased or subscribed to your newsletter
[2008.12.18 19:27:43] rogers has left the room (logged out)
[2008.12.18 19:28:36] rogers has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2008.12.18 19:28:51] mydeas: So, was I. What are you using for an email list? Is there a way to get emails from people who have purchased?
[2008.12.18 19:29:11] teesa has left the room (logged out)
[2008.12.18 19:29:43] Lace: I built my list from my website
[2008.12.18 19:29:50] AngelaCP: For us, St Patricks is bigger only because people find the need to get
[2008.12.18 19:29:55] GetYerGoat: Which is a bigger selling audience? Valentines day or St Patricks day? which to hit when and
[2008.12.18 19:30:08] AngelaCP: Sorry for pushing that out w/o finishing my thought
[2008.12.18 19:30:12] AngelaCP: GetYerGoat
[2008.12.18 19:30:13] AngelaCP: Turn this cart into a Gift Certificate and send it today!
[2008.12.18 19:30:21] AngelaCP: Sorry again
[2008.12.18 19:30:23] AngelaCP: ignore that
[2008.12.18 19:30:28] teesa has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2008.12.18 19:30:30] DafnaCP: LOL!! We're having technical difficulties y'all
[2008.12.18 19:30:41] GetYerGoat: lol
[2008.12.18 19:30:51] AngelaCP: so the bigger selling of the two is St Patrick' s Day because of the drinking and party related topics
[2008.12.18 19:31:17] AngelaCP: Vday is big too
[2008.12.18 19:31:23] AngelaCP: but more the smaller stuff
[2008.12.18 19:31:41] AngelaCP: cards does really well
[2008.12.18 19:31:49] AngelaCP: anti does much better though
[2008.12.18 19:32:17] AngelaCP: i think because for vday, it's traditional to get flowers, candy and diamonds
[2008.12.18 19:32:44] DafnaCP: so for cards and keepsake boxes and things of that nature, the positive items sell best
[2008.12.18 19:32:57] DafnaCP: but for t-shirts and things like that we do better with anti valentines
[2008.12.18 19:33:09] DafnaCP: though there truly is a market for both so you could go either way
[2008.12.18 19:33:27] DafnaCP: I wouldn't hit Valentines Day just yet though
[2008.12.18 19:33:44] DafnaCP: if you have a political shop, I suggest moving into Inaguration
[2008.12.18 19:33:44] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.12.18 19:33:52] Shopaholic chick: i start vday on 1/1 and st pats on 2/15
[2008.12.18 19:34:12] AngelaCP: who has a political shop? I bet you're still selling political related designs...
[2008.12.18 19:34:13] DafnaCP: normally, that'd be the way to go shoppa. But this year, we have something special happening
[2008.12.18 19:35:23] DafnaCP: we only get to do an inaguration every so often so let's take advantage of that by promoting both your pro and con political merch
[2008.12.18 19:35:42] GetYerGoat: selling pornaments like crazy - like many many a day still
[2008.12.18 19:36:05] GetYerGoat: (I was thirlled my ornament was featured in one of the cafepress blogs letter to santa :)
[2008.12.18 19:36:11] Cyndi: Pornaments? Is that a special kind of ornament?
[2008.12.18 19:36:23] Cyndi: :D
[2008.12.18 19:36:28] GetYerGoat: TYPO LOL LMAO sorry
[2008.12.18 19:36:51] DafnaCP: And moving right along..... :)
[2008.12.18 19:37:43] DafnaCP: For those of you who do not have political shops, you can still transition to Winter
[2008.12.18 19:37:53] DafnaCP: The timeline should look like this:
[2008.12.18 19:37:56] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.12.18 19:38:03] DafnaCP: On December 23rd through the 25th you can start to slowly – gradually remove the holiday look and feel in your shops. Remove those cute graphics one at a time over the course of a couple of days.
[2008.12.18 19:38:05] AngelaCP: i was wondering what that was? ;)
[2008.12.18 19:38:25] DafnaCP: Remember, it’s still the Holidays so any shoppers who come to your site during this transition time should still see a semi-festive vibe.
[2008.12.18 19:39:00] DafnaCP: On the 26th I recommend moving over completely to whatever topic you think will work best for your shop. Either inaguration, winter, V-Day and/or St. Pats
[2008.12.18 19:40:17] DafnaCP: each niche is different so think about the one that's going to be best for your design style etc...
[2008.12.18 19:40:54] DafnaCP: It's also important to make sure that you've got the right products for the season.
[2008.12.18 19:41:13] DafnaCP: Cards are going to be less popular for Winter or Inaguration and more popular for V-Day
[2008.12.18 19:41:48] DafnaCP: and Sweatshirts, the Travel Mug, and Longsleeve shirts are going to be good for all niches
[2008.12.18 19:41:54] NiftyGaloot: Can we combine inauguration and St. Pats... O'Bama and O'Biden... The Irish guys?
[2008.12.18 19:42:15] DafnaCP: You may be on to something there nifty :D
[2008.12.18 19:43:14] DafnaCP: I've also notices a shortage of dark sweatshirts in the shops I've looked at recently.
[2008.12.18 19:43:21] DafnaCP: noticed*
[2008.12.18 19:44:16] DafnaCP: add those!! It's cold these days and people are going to be looking for dark sweatshirts and dark long sleeved shirts.
[2008.12.18 19:44:32] mydeas: I have some :)
[2008.12.18 19:44:39] Cyndi: LOL That's funny, cuz I actually had doubles in some of my sections because I was playign with the bulk add feature...
[2008.12.18 19:45:10] DafnaCP: oops! I guess doubles is better than none though!
[2008.12.18 19:45:23] rogers: me to havent sold any yet
[2008.12.18 19:45:36] Dooni Designs: so is cp giving anti and vday less marketing this year cuz of the politics this year?
[2008.12.18 19:45:38] AngelaCP: No, we'll be doing something. However, the reality is... politics is big. It's in the news, it's everywhere...and if we don't capture it, someone else will. That said, we will do something for V and anti-Vday but something for inauguration as well
[2008.12.18 19:45:59] GetYerGoat: I've been selling a lot of dark long sleeves and hoodies lately
[2008.12.18 19:46:03] Cyndi: I have sold quite a few...maybe doubles is the ticket...LOL
[2008.12.18 19:46:06] Dooni Designs: ive sold some of those and the zip hoodies
[2008.12.18 19:46:12] DafnaCP: awesome!
[2008.12.18 19:46:21] AngelaCP has left the room (logged out)
[2008.12.18 19:47:46] DafnaCP: So we're running low on time but I do want to touch upon SEO for a bit.
[2008.12.18 19:48:59] DafnaCP: As you're cleaning things out, it's important not to delete your "holiday" section(s).
[2008.12.18 19:49:09] Cyndi has left the room (logged out)
[2008.12.18 19:49:11] DafnaCP: If the sections have ranking in Google or other search engines, deleting them will only hinder your ranking.
[2008.12.18 19:49:34] DafnaCP: Instead, move the sections to the bottom of your shop and/or hide them if you feel that's necessary.
[2008.12.18 19:49:52] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.12.18 19:49:56] Shopaholic chick: i sell holuday off season all the time - i sold 4 st patricks day int he last 2 weeks
[2008.12.18 19:50:12] Cyndi has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2008.12.18 19:50:45] DafnaCP: yep, you never know
[2008.12.18 19:51:39] veggiet has left the room (logged out)
[2008.12.18 19:51:53] DafnaCP: The other point about SEO that I want to throw out there is that it takes time to build ranking
[2008.12.18 19:52:04] SagArt has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2008.12.18 19:52:12] DafnaCP: so the earlier you can start building those sections for V-Day or St. Pats, the better.
[2008.12.18 19:53:02] Cyndi: Good point...I am usually way behind on that...
[2008.12.18 19:53:44] DafnaCP: I wouldn't put the sections front and center in your shop (not just yet) but do start creating them and keywording the teasers, descriptions etc...
[2008.12.18 19:53:51] NiftyGaloot: Like... is a good gift for her Birthday, Valentine's day, Mother's day, or any day.
[2008.12.18 19:53:57] DafnaCP: exactly!
[2008.12.18 19:54:41] DafnaCP: We've got just a few minutes left. Any last questions?
[2008.12.18 19:55:35] Cyndi: Really good ideas...thanks!! I am actually going to go make some pornaments now...:whistle:
[2008.12.18 19:56:04] Lace has left the room
[2008.12.18 19:56:05] mydeas: lolol
[2008.12.18 19:56:16] DafnaCP: Lol! Okay then, have a good night everybody. And happy holidays!

googlebase

this was supposed to be about the various shipping search engines but 99% of the time was just on google...eventhough 95% of the people here use it already...if you use google already....dont waste your time on this transcript...

[2008.12.04 18:59:56] Welcome to the CafePress Chat Room
[2008.12.04 18:59:56] Shopaholic Chick has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2008.12.04 18:59:56] All users in this room have been allowed to talk
[2008.12.04 18:59:56] matisse has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2008.12.04 18:59:58] AngelaCP: hi everyone!
[2008.12.04 18:59:58] RowdyJRT has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2008.12.04 19:00:00] mr servopuff has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2008.12.04 19:00:02] kdbrown has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2008.12.04 19:00:03] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.12.04 19:00:03] twopurringcats has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2008.12.04 19:00:06] BrittaCP: we'll be ready in a second
[2008.12.04 19:00:07] DDKnight has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2008.12.04 19:00:13] Shopaholic Chick: hi all
[2008.12.04 19:00:16] AngelaCP: hi! :)
[2008.12.04 19:00:16] buffaloworks: Hey Britta and Angela
[2008.12.04 19:00:20] AngelaCP: hi jean!
[2008.12.04 19:00:24] buffaloworks: and all
[2008.12.04 19:00:29] matisse: twas the night before Christmas.......
[2008.12.04 19:00:36] twopurringcats: Hi :)
[2008.12.04 19:00:49] DafnaCP: Hi everyone
[2008.12.04 19:00:57] buffaloworks: Angela, replacement check arrived, original is still awol
[2008.12.04 19:00:59] kdbrown: hey this is my first chat!
[2008.12.04 19:01:00] DDKnight has left the room (logged out)
[2008.12.04 19:01:01] AngelaCP: yay!
[2008.12.04 19:01:10] AngelaCP: welcome kdbrown!
[2008.12.04 19:01:13] DDknight has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2008.12.04 19:01:18] NiftyGaloot: All I want for Christmas is... Lefse!
[2008.12.04 19:01:22] AngelaCP: what's a lefse?
[2008.12.04 19:01:55] NiftyGaloot: Norwegian potato pancake... very thin
[2008.12.04 19:01:58] buffaloworks: yum
[2008.12.04 19:02:01] buffaloworks: oooh, nifty, I havent had that for years!
[2008.12.04 19:02:06] AngelaCP: oh, sounds good
[2008.12.04 19:02:11] RowdyJRT: Hi All :)
[2008.12.04 19:02:22] buffaloworks: like potato tortillas
[2008.12.04 19:02:31] bacon has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2008.12.04 19:02:34] DafnaCP: So let's get started. Welcome all.
[2008.12.04 19:02:41] NiftyGaloot: Top lefse with butter and brown sugar, roll up!
[2008.12.04 19:02:47] Cyndi has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2008.12.04 19:02:51] DafnaCP: I just want to go over "the rules"....
[2008.12.04 19:02:56] TexasFiddler has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2008.12.04 19:03:54] DafnaCP: This is a moderated chat which means that comments come in to a queue and we push them out as fast as we possibly can.
[2008.12.04 19:04:01] MaxMuhlin has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2008.12.04 19:04:20] DafnaCP: Due to the limited time, not all comments get out.
[2008.12.04 19:04:49] DafnaCP: Also, please be respectful of one another. Anything else I forgot?
[2008.12.04 19:05:31] matisse: I am googling "the rules"
[2008.12.04 19:05:41] DafnaCP: Guess I covered it all then
[2008.12.04 19:05:54] Ga has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2008.12.04 19:06:01] Cyndi: LOL @matisse
[2008.12.04 19:06:51] DafnaCP: Today's chat is on Shopping Engines. With us to talk about that is Jeremy who manages the online marketing team here at CafePress
[2008.12.04 19:06:57] JeremyCP: hi everyone
[2008.12.04 19:07:10] matisse: Heh Jeremy!
[2008.12.04 19:07:14] CupcakeGirl has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2008.12.04 19:07:47] JeremyCP: I'm going to jump right in with a quick intro then ping you all with a couple questions
[2008.12.04 19:08:03] JeremyCP: Comparison shopping engines allow consumers any easy way to view and compare prices of categorized products offered by hundreds of retailers around the world.
[2008.12.04 19:08:16] JeremyCP: For retailers, they provide a great way to showcase products to consumers who are actively shopping.
[2008.12.04 19:08:36] JeremyCP: Here are some of the most popular shopping engine sites out there based on their monthly visitor volume:
[2008.12.04 19:08:55] JeremyCP: Shopzilla.com – 40 million
Shopping.com – 20 million
Google Base – 20 million
NexTag.com – 8 million
PriceGrabber.com – 5 million
Shop.com – 4 million
PriceRunner.com – 3 million
[2008.12.04 19:09:12] JeremyCP: Anyone use these to shop?
[2008.12.04 19:09:23] DafnaCP: I do!
[2008.12.04 19:09:26] kdbrown: nope
[2008.12.04 19:09:38] DDknight: i have
[2008.12.04 19:09:41] CupcakeGirl: I've used Shopzilla
[2008.12.04 19:09:43] Pandion: I get emails from PriceGrabber.
[2008.12.04 19:09:56] Cyndi: Mostly google
[2008.12.04 19:10:05] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.12.04 19:10:15] Shopaholic Chick: i have used shopzilla....i tried to add my stuff to shopzilla but they want $ to be added lol
[2008.12.04 19:10:25] JeremyCP: true
[2008.12.04 19:10:41] JeremyCP: Most shopping engines charge a fee for every “click” (or visitor) they drive to a retailer’s website. But, some shopping engines allow you to list products for free – the biggest freebie is Google Base, aka Google Products Search (formerly Froogle)
[2008.12.04 19:11:32] JeremyCP: Is anyone currently uploading their products to Google Base?
[2008.12.04 19:11:36] matisse: Google Products is my friend!
[2008.12.04 19:11:42] buffaloworks: yes!!
[2008.12.04 19:11:44] servopuff: Yes!
[2008.12.04 19:11:53] twopurringcats: I have
[2008.12.04 19:12:01] NiftyGaloot: Trying to... uploaded on the 27th still processing
[2008.12.04 19:12:06] Cyndi: I did it for the first time yesterday!
[2008.12.04 19:12:27] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.12.04 19:12:35] matisse: Good for you Cyndi!
[2008.12.04 19:12:55] kiwi: Nifty, if it doesn't process in 24 hours, upload it again.
[2008.12.04 19:13:05] Dooni Designs: google base now keeps activating my cp products because some dont have descriptions and they won't accept a generic one that doesnt match what is on the site.
[2008.12.04 19:13:09] Cyndi: Heh. Teesed and Bambi helped me. I am so lame sometimes...
[2008.12.04 19:13:14] JeremyCP: Great! Because Google is the cheapest (FREE!) and easiest comparison shopping engine to advertise in, I wanted to chat about how to get your products listed in Google Base (for newbies), and answer any questions others might have about their experiences with Google.
[2008.12.04 19:14:16] JeremyCP: For you Pros, I'll ask you to bear with us...
[2008.12.04 19:14:37] JeremyCP: Google makes it (relatively) easy to get started.
[2008.12.04 19:14:56] JeremyCP: You'll want to bookmark this page: http://www.google.com/base/help/sellongoogle.html
[2008.12.04 19:15:02] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.12.04 19:15:04] JeremyCP: That's your starting point.
[2008.12.04 19:15:18] twopurringcats has left the room (logged out)
[2008.12.04 19:15:32] JeremyCP: From that page, you’ll click the “Start a Datafeed” button. You’ll need a Google Account (also free). Google will ask you to sign in using your Google account. If you don’t have one, you can create one on the fly.
[2008.12.04 19:15:49] hazeleyes7: Will you be covering any of the other shopping engines or just Google?
[2008.12.04 19:16:23] JeremyCP: the details on Google, but I can answer questions on the others after
[2008.12.04 19:16:28] twopurringcats has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2008.12.04 19:16:44] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.12.04 19:16:54] JeremyCP: Back to Google for now...
The first time in the system, you’ll be dropped on a page which asks you to specify your feed file. We’ll talk more about how to create a feed file later, but for now, you should enter/select the following options on this page:
[2008.12.04 19:17:33] JeremyCP: [Dafna will send a screen shot in a second]
[2008.12.04 19:17:44] DafnaCP sent a picture:
[2008.12.04 19:18:19] DafnaCP: If you can't see the image, just click on it and it'll pop up bigger
[2008.12.04 19:18:25] JeremyCP: on that first page, there are some important settings you'll need to make
[2008.12.04 19:18:43] JeremyCP: Country: United States
Item Type: Products
Type of Feed: GoogleBase
Data feed filename: anything_you_want.txt
[2008.12.04 19:18:52] dreamup has left the room (logged out)
[2008.12.04 19:19:13] dreamup has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2008.12.04 19:19:36] JeremyCP: for the filename, you can just makeup a filename that you'll use after you create your feed
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[2008.12.04 19:20:15] JeremyCP: Now that your feed settings are correct, you’ll need to create a feed file, or flat file – that’s a single file which contains relevant info on all the products you want to submit to Google.
[2008.12.04 19:21:08] Kelly C has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2008.12.04 19:21:53] JeremyCP: Here’s a link to the guidelines on how to create and format your feed file:
http://base.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?hl=en_US&answer=73932

On that page, you’ll follow the instructions for creating a tab-delimited text file to use as your feed file. Here’s a direct link to those instructions: http://base.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?answer=58083&hl=en
[2008.12.04 19:22:19] JeremyCP: so, i know a lot of you probably have specific questions about the feed files and where to get your data
[2008.12.04 19:22:26] JeremyCP: we can pause to cover those now
[2008.12.04 19:23:09] hazeleyes7: What about using Instant Cafe to create your feed?
[2008.12.04 19:23:13] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.12.04 19:23:27] DafnaCP: You can use it, it's a 3rd party tool. I've heard other shopkeepers have had success with it.
[2008.12.04 19:23:33] Shopaholic Chick: there are several programs to make feeds....and 2 are free....www.squidoo.com/cpinstantcafe explains step by step how to use instant cafe & www.squidoo.com/ilovecafetoolbox emplains how to use the other
[2008.12.04 19:23:37] JeremyCP: There's also CafeGrabber.com
[2008.12.04 19:23:58] JeremyCP: or you can use the API directly with your own queries
[2008.12.04 19:24:06] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.12.04 19:24:19] JeremyCP: not typically for the beginner...
[2008.12.04 19:24:28] mr servopuff has left the room (logged out)
[2008.12.04 19:24:54] servopuff: I noticed that CafePress also submits to Google Base. Sometimes I see products I have hidden in my shop listed Google Base, submitted by CP. Do you list hidden products on purpose?
[2008.12.04 19:25:08] mr servopuff has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2008.12.04 19:25:19] DafnaCP: Nope, not on purpose. If you've opted out of the MP then the products aren't supposed to be in the feeds.
[2008.12.04 19:25:34] DafnaCP: which also means that products in hidden sections should not show up
[2008.12.04 19:25:49] JeremyCP: We also generate feeds once every 30 days, so if anything about your products has changed in that time, it won't get picked up until we refresh
[2008.12.04 19:26:02] Shopaholic Chick: is cafegrabber free??? last i heard there was a charge for that one
[2008.12.04 19:26:12] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.12.04 19:26:17] AngelaCP: it's not free...there is a charge
[2008.12.04 19:26:25] MaxMuhlin: i would think, since people went to all the trouble to create these Feed Generators, one may as well take full advantage of the wonderful FREE benefit there ! I certainly appreciate having Instant Cafe to generate my feeds for 16 shops !!!!!
[2008.12.04 19:26:26] JeremyCP: CafeGrabber is software you'll need to purchase
[2008.12.04 19:26:38] JeremyCP: exactly
[2008.12.04 19:27:03] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.12.04 19:27:14] Shopaholic Chick: if you show a sub section inside a hidden section...the showing subsection is still in the marketplace
[2008.12.04 19:27:24] kdbrown: is there a limit to the # of characters for descriptions?
[2008.12.04 19:27:31] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.12.04 19:27:54] lizartdesign has left the room (logged out)
[2008.12.04 19:27:55] JeremyCP: the nice thing about understanding how Google works, is that you can begin to optimize the feeds that services like InstantCafe spit out
[2008.12.04 19:28:05] JeremyCP: 10,000 characters on the Description field
[2008.12.04 19:28:16] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.12.04 19:28:53] lizartdesign has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2008.12.04 19:28:54] JeremyCP: if you visit this link http://base.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?hl=en_US&answer=73932 and click on the different fields, they have descriptions and character limits listed
[2008.12.04 19:29:13] kdbrown: that should do it
[2008.12.04 19:29:19] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.12.04 19:29:23] Shopaholic Chick: kd the description MUST MATCH your cafepress product description exactly or google will reject it
[2008.12.04 19:29:52] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.12.04 19:30:24] JeremyCP: Description must match, but but you can append to beginning or end of Titles
[2008.12.04 19:30:33] JeremyCP: also, description is NOT required
[2008.12.04 19:30:43] JeremyCP: These are the required fields
[2008.12.04 19:30:52] JeremyCP: ID – CP product number
Title – Name of product
Description – Description of product
Link – URL for product in your shop
Price – Retail price in $USD
[2008.12.04 19:31:02] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.12.04 19:31:22] JeremyCP: I'm sorry -- Description IS required
[2008.12.04 19:31:39] servopuff: Where does it say that Shopa? We change ours. Do you mean the product description?
[2008.12.04 19:32:05] JeremyCP: and must match text that exists on the PDP you send traffic to
[2008.12.04 19:32:08] chm has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2008.12.04 19:32:21] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.12.04 19:32:41] JeremyCP: For example, if your description is "Men's Organic T-shirt"
[2008.12.04 19:33:05] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.12.04 19:33:07] JeremyCP: and the "generic" CP description on the site is:
Lightweight for summer comfort or winter layering, our Men's Organic T-shirt is one of our most popular fine tees. It's what to wear when you care about having 100% organically-grown cotton next to your skin. The next best thing to nothing, naturally.
[2008.12.04 19:33:33] JeremyCP: there description matches enough of the text on the page to qualify in Google
[2008.12.04 19:33:51] JeremyCP: these are the rules we abide by when we submit for MP
[2008.12.04 19:34:02] Dooni Designs: google has been deactivating ALL of my items for descriptions that don't match
[2008.12.04 19:34:04] Shopaholic Chick: servo - it does not say it - until you load it and it rejects the lines saying description does not match the one on the site
[2008.12.04 19:34:52] Shopaholic Chick: jeremy it will not accpet that as a description anymore if that is the name also....it says the name and description MUST me different
[2008.12.04 19:34:59] bacon has left the room (logged out)
[2008.12.04 19:35:19] JeremyCP: that's right, you'll need to make sure your Title and Description are not identical
[2008.12.04 19:35:45] JeremyCP: but basically, Google will scan the landing page to make sure it's relevant
[2008.12.04 19:35:49] twopurringcats: Do we just copy and paste what is on our store description when submitting to Google?
[2008.12.04 19:35:55] Luppy has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2008.12.04 19:36:17] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.12.04 19:36:22] JeremyCP: That's probably the best option, and typically what InstantCafe or CafeGrabber will do
[2008.12.04 19:36:44] JeremyCP: sometimes we append to beginning or end of those fields to help boost click-thru
[2008.12.04 19:36:56] JeremyCP: we've had no troubles with Google declining those listings
[2008.12.04 19:37:09] Shopaholic Chick: two use the feed genertor and you dont have to do anything but type your shopname into their box and then upload the file they make for you
[2008.12.04 19:37:17] Dooni Designs: I got a 100% success and then they emailed me 3 days later and made everything inactive. Just a warning to check your emails if yours differ and you THINK you have active items
[2008.12.04 19:37:58] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.12.04 19:38:00] JeremyCP: absolutely, Shopaholic Chick -- I only suggest you modify if you'd like to test and tune your feed -- this is how we get more traffic from the same feed each month
[2008.12.04 19:38:28] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.12.04 19:39:18] JeremyCP: More questions on Google, or should we cover some of the other engines?
[2008.12.04 19:39:23] dreamup: we want more traffic too =) where do you add descriptions on google?
[2008.12.04 19:39:40] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.12.04 19:40:15] JeremyCP: by default, if you have supplied CP with unique descriptions and you use a service like InstantCafe, etc -- they will be pulled into your feed file automatically
[2008.12.04 19:40:54] MP: Is there a way to handle the flat rate economy shipping prices with single item (card, button etc.) shipping prices with the new Google requirements?
[2008.12.04 19:41:05] JeremyCP: MP: short answer is no
[2008.12.04 19:41:22] MP: Bummer
[2008.12.04 19:41:42] JeremyCP: we've tweaked our settings in Google to match shipping as closely as possible, but the bottom line is they don't REQUIRE you to upload or select shipping info
[2008.12.04 19:42:06] JeremyCP: basically, you just want to offer the user a close approximation of shipping costs
[2008.12.04 19:42:17] NiftyGaloot: Are we better off uploading only our best selling designs... or should we upload all designs?
[2008.12.04 19:42:31] JeremyCP: NiftyGaloot: we upload as much as we can
[2008.12.04 19:42:53] JeremyCP: basic Google accts are limited to 100K products, i think -- so that should cover most folks
[2008.12.04 19:42:59] JeremyCP: submit it all!
[2008.12.04 19:43:06] JeremyCP: 2 notes
[2008.12.04 19:43:44] JeremyCP: on the Settings page for your account, make sure to use your SHOP URL, not just "CafePress.com" in the optional field here
[2008.12.04 19:43:52] JeremyCP: otherwise, you'll get declined
[2008.12.04 19:44:30] JeremyCP: and for the Brand field in your feed, I'd recommend using your Shop name (the field is optional)
[2008.12.04 19:44:30] dreamup has left the room (logged out)
[2008.12.04 19:44:39] twopurringcats: I just made a feed and uploaded an image it just says "processing", now what do I do?
[2008.12.04 19:44:47] JeremyCP: now you wait, twopurringcats
[2008.12.04 19:44:48] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.12.04 19:44:48] Kelly C has left the room (logged out)
[2008.12.04 19:44:57] Shopaholic Chick: two you wait 24 hours
[2008.12.04 19:44:58] JeremyCP: Google will take some time to review
[2008.12.04 19:45:11] dreamup has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2008.12.04 19:45:14] JeremyCP: then approve the items they see as "relevant"
[2008.12.04 19:45:17] chm has left the room (logged out)
[2008.12.04 19:45:42] chm has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2008.12.04 19:45:52] JeremyCP: Also note: any products with "adult" language in titles/descriptions could cause errors with Google
[2008.12.04 19:46:02] JeremyCP: they have a pretty strict content filter
[2008.12.04 19:46:08] DafnaCP: I believe that includes even the word "adult"
[2008.12.04 19:46:39] NiftyGaloot: Very slow on dial-up with 12 meg file... hours...
[2008.12.04 19:46:49] JeremyCP: correct Dafna
[2008.12.04 19:47:12] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.12.04 19:47:16] JeremyCP: NiftyGaloot: You can also break up your feed into smaller files -- ex: 2x 6 meg, or 4x 3meg
[2008.12.04 19:47:24] JeremyCP: Google seems to do better with smaller files
[2008.12.04 19:47:36] JeremyCP: even on dial-up:)
[2008.12.04 19:47:45] Cyndi: Even if you mark it as "may not be suitable for children" when you upload?
[2008.12.04 19:47:50] Shopaholic Chick: yeah i have to appeal every month for my "stop child pornography" designs to be removed from the banned queue LOL
[2008.12.04 19:47:59] servopuff: Yes, tits are not allowed. Tits are birds!
[2008.12.04 19:48:17] JeremyCP: yeah, they'll make exceptions, but you need to request them AFTER they block your product
[2008.12.04 19:48:21] NiftyGaloot: Thanks, will try breaking file into smaller chunks.
[2008.12.04 19:48:29] DafnaCP: So we have only a little bit of time left
[2008.12.04 19:48:32] art has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2008.12.04 19:48:33] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.12.04 19:48:38] DafnaCP: I'd like to move on to some of the other shopping engines
[2008.12.04 19:49:23] lizartdesign: I'd be interested in learning about the other engines.
[2008.12.04 19:49:26] buffaloworks: Does anyone use any of the others?
[2008.12.04 19:49:40] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.12.04 19:49:49] matisse: no
[2008.12.04 19:49:51] Shopaholic Chick: you can now sbmit to shopzilla and shopping.com thru google.....but you hae to sign up and pay for them first
[2008.12.04 19:49:53] MP: Are any of the others no cost?
[2008.12.04 19:50:11] JeremyCP: You can also submit to TheFind.com for free
[2008.12.04 19:50:23] JeremyCP: but most others charge on a cost-per-click basis
[2008.12.04 19:50:26] servopuff: We use MSN/Live Product Search
[2008.12.04 19:50:29] buffaloworks: Has anyone found the cost worth it?
[2008.12.04 19:50:47] MaxMuhlin has left the room (logged out)
[2008.12.04 19:50:49] buffaloworks: I've never had luck with adwords.
[2008.12.04 19:50:51] JeremyCP: We manage the paid ones very closely, because ROI tends to be tight there
[2008.12.04 19:50:55] mr servopuff: We tried Yahoo but that was a waste of money (no sales for $50)
[2008.12.04 19:51:08] JeremyCP: I'd also recommend MSN live search, and even CashBack
[2008.12.04 19:51:21] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.12.04 19:51:27] JeremyCP: if you're willing to share a percentage of your confirmed sales, it could work for you
[2008.12.04 19:51:35] Shopaholic Chick: i JUST got my adwords to convert for the first time to a profit...and it is on a VERY niche set of designs
[2008.12.04 19:52:08] servopuff: WTG Shopa
[2008.12.04 19:52:11] JeremyCP: adwords is a bit different -- that's straight Search Engine Marketing, not necessarily Shoppng Engines -- but they can work well for you
[2008.12.04 19:52:16] mr servopuff has left the room (logged out)
[2008.12.04 19:52:31] mr servopuff has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2008.12.04 19:53:07] JeremyCP: the lowest cost per click we've seen on the big shopping engines is NexTag and PriceGrabber -- almost half what we see in Shopping and Shopzilla
[2008.12.04 19:53:16] servopuff: Do you have stats on Yahoo or MSN Live Search?
[2008.12.04 19:53:33] JeremyCP: For paid search, or shopping engines?
[2008.12.04 19:53:55] MP: Do you only share a percentage of true sales without other fees for MSN Live and CashBack?
[2008.12.04 19:54:11] JeremyCP: MP: Sales minus tax/shipping
[2008.12.04 19:54:20] servopuff: Monthly visitor volume, eg 40 million for Shopzilla
[2008.12.04 19:54:46] JeremyCP: not off the top of my head, but I can follow-up
[2008.12.04 19:54:53] JeremyCP: you may want to check Quantcast
[2008.12.04 19:54:55] JeremyCP: .com
[2008.12.04 19:55:04] Luppy has left the room (logged out)
[2008.12.04 19:55:31] DafnaCP: Time is almost up. Any more last imnute questions about anything we covered?
[2008.12.04 19:55:39] DafnaCP: minute*
[2008.12.04 19:56:23] MP: Any chance CP could shorten some of the titles like "Women's Plus Size V-Neck Dark Long Sleeve. . . Not much room left for a descriptive title
[2008.12.04 19:56:48] JeremyCP: MP -- I've put in a request to Merch/Marketing along those same lines -- we'll see what happens ;)
[2008.12.04 19:57:10] matisse: How often does CP upload product feeds to google base? The reason I ask is that it is not often enough to keep up with any price changes.
[2008.12.04 19:57:18] JeremyCP: Every 30 days
[2008.12.04 19:57:54] JeremyCP: we'd do it more often, but we're limited to 10 million, and we have to analyze all 200+ million to figure out which once would be best to submit
[2008.12.04 19:57:58] JeremyCP: takes time
[2008.12.04 19:58:18] JeremyCP: we're trying to shorten the update to 2 weeks this year -- fingers crossed

sk 2 sk

[2008.11.05 18:00:56] Welcome to the CafePress Chat Room
[2008.11.05 18:00:56] shopaholic chick has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2008.11.05 18:00:56] All users in this room have been allowed to talk
[2008.11.05 18:01:08] wheedesign has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2008.11.05 18:01:08] DafnaCP has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2008.11.05 18:01:09] Suzzie has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2008.11.05 18:01:15] NotReallyHere has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2008.11.05 18:01:22] barbd has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2008.11.05 18:01:35] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.11.05 18:01:49] JeffsPress: hello all
[2008.11.05 18:01:53] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.11.05 18:01:53] bappa: hai
[2008.11.05 18:01:58] shopaholic chick: hi jeff
[2008.11.05 18:02:12] shopaholic chick: hi dafna - not sure everyone realized the time change on chat....seems a bit slow so far
[2008.11.05 18:02:25] DafnaCP: Hi all, I'm substituting for Britta as she's super busy today
[2008.11.05 18:02:44] DafnaCP: so this does look a little small, I know the time changed on y'all a few times
[2008.11.05 18:03:05] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.11.05 18:03:11] shopaholic chick: will this be moderated or open chat?
[2008.11.05 18:03:18] DDKnight has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2008.11.05 18:03:27] DafnaCP: this will be a moderated chat; it makes it much easier to read
[2008.11.05 18:03:46] DafnaCP: I'll push everything out as quickly as possible but go easy on me, it's my first time modding : )
[2008.11.05 18:04:00] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.11.05 18:04:06] shopaholic chick: and they left you all alone!!!
[2008.11.05 18:04:14] DafnaCP: haha, we'll get through it together!
[2008.11.05 18:04:51] DafnaCP: So today's chat is open. This is a great time for you all to ask eachother questions, share your shops etc...
[2008.11.05 18:04:56] DDKnight: Dafna! my hero! :)
[2008.11.05 18:05:02] saucepot: Hello, I have a quick question. I have a premium shop. Last week I I have a premium shop. Last week I noticed a product carousel on the item description pages that I thought was great. It's no longer there and the only reference I find to a carousel is in the information about the recent makeover of basic shops. Is the product carousel no longer available for premium shop items?
[2008.11.05 18:05:32] preggoprincess has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2008.11.05 18:05:42] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.11.05 18:05:51] shopaholic chick: it was never available on premium shops as an option - some people write their own code for it....it can lag your page though if you want shoppers on dial up yo are losing them all
[2008.11.05 18:06:14] barbd: Teesed offers a great one as a substitution. Though it isn'at a carousel. Cafewish Likewise.
[2008.11.05 18:06:20] Bacon has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2008.11.05 18:06:31] DafnaCP: So the product carousel wasn't exactly what we wanted out of it. We're working on some kinks and hope to put it out again as an option in the future.
[2008.11.05 18:07:12] DafnaCP: Barb, can you explain a little more what is available through 3rd parties?
[2008.11.05 18:08:00] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.11.05 18:08:13] shopaholic chick: if you look in the third parties thread on the forum there are a lot of third party tools to "pimp out" your shop - just keep in mind they also lag your shop
[2008.11.05 18:08:46] barbd: Teesed offers CafeWish likewise. Any easy copy-paste script you put in the html. When someone clicks on a product in your store, you get this nifty little feature that puts up other products the design is on. I have seen lots of hits from it.
[2008.11.05 18:09:15] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.11.05 18:09:23] shopaholic chick: another note - little flashing lights or snowflakes look pretty on your site - but are a turn off to many shoppers including those on dial up who get lagged - and those with eye problems or seizure disorder
[2008.11.05 18:10:11] DafnaCP: that's a good point shopa -- customization looks nice but it's not worth it if it interferes with the performance of the site
[2008.11.05 18:10:32] barbd: Other 3rd Party tools I have: Teesed replacement dropdown menu as a top nav bar. Anything to help customers find what they want. www.Cafepress.com/witnwhimsy -- my store if you want to see some of these in action. Just don't pay attention too closely, I'm switching from fall to christmas colors. ;)
[2008.11.05 18:10:44] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.11.05 18:11:03] shopaholic chick: adding a flat snowflake background and holiday colros is nice - but nothing moving blinking or flashing
[2008.11.05 18:11:45] DDKnight: I believe Teesed also offers an easy to add code that will take a shopper directly to the product they click on in the market place...right now when a shopper clicks your link in the MP it goes to the shop front. With the code added it takes them right to the product in your shop
[2008.11.05 18:12:25] barbd: I was just typing that one DDKnight. Too fast for me!
[2008.11.05 18:12:34] preggoprincess: I wish Cp could do something with the dropdown menu - MAT-Dark T aint' pretty :-)
[2008.11.05 18:12:35] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.11.05 18:12:38] DDKnight: lol
[2008.11.05 18:12:55] Tropicando has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2008.11.05 18:12:55] shopaholic chick: also rememebr placing your url or HTML in the product description will prevent many people from affilaiting you
[2008.11.05 18:13:32] barbd: Use Teesed drop down. It doesn't have to be spread out like mine! There is a simple, one line replacement drop down one. And super easy to install.
[2008.11.05 18:14:13] wheedesign: Actually, I was wondering if the ability to put HTML in the product desc has been turned off. Any time I tried, even to add bold or something I couldn't save it.
[2008.11.05 18:15:37] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.11.05 18:15:49] Tropicando: Hi
[2008.11.05 18:15:54] barbd: I thought you could only do that for section descriptions, not products.
[2008.11.05 18:16:41] DafnaCP: at one time we allowed html in product descriptions but we no longer do
[2008.11.05 18:16:46] Suzzie: there was a thread about that, you can't put HTML in product desc any more
[2008.11.05 18:17:02] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.11.05 18:17:34] shopaholic chick: there are a few people with HTML in thier product decription - i find them when affilaiting and a lot of people type their url in there without html
[2008.11.05 18:18:41] preggoprincess: Still want CP to change theirs :-) I do not like to be dependant on others - and I think it's easy for CP to do that if they want to do so :-)
[2008.11.05 18:19:27] wheedesign: I think I still have some old descriptions with the HTML still there. I was linking back and forth between paired designs (TRICK and TREAT for Halloween for example). But I stopped doing that a while ago.
[2008.11.05 18:19:36] wheedesign: Now I need to remove the old ones.
[2008.11.05 18:20:06] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.11.05 18:20:16] shopaholic chick: old designs or descriptions
[2008.11.05 18:20:32] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.11.05 18:20:39] shopaholic chick: i dont remove anything unless it has a date on t - unless i NEED the space
[2008.11.05 18:21:18] wheedesign: Old descriptions. I need to get the HTML out of them, so if/when someone comes by and wants to affiliate, they won't be totally put off.
[2008.11.05 18:21:50] DDKnight: same here, I'v had designs from when I first started Cp(4 yrs ago next month) sell...its surprising! lol
[2008.11.05 18:21:58] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.11.05 18:22:02] shopaholic chick: yeah i have been doing a lot of affilaiting and i either delete the html or if i am in a pissy move i just skip the design and go to the next one - even if i really like the design
[2008.11.05 18:22:43] wheedesign: Yeah. NEVER delete an old item. I actually sold a Clinton/Obama ticket button just a few days before the election. You never know what someone might want to buy.
[2008.11.05 18:22:56] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.11.05 18:23:00] shopaholic chick: i sold an obama today LMAO
[2008.11.05 18:23:17] DafnaCP: Are we all seeing the post-election upswing today?
[2008.11.05 18:23:33] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.11.05 18:23:36] DDKnight: again..same here shoppa! I have 7 offsites for affiliating CP....I pass up on some really good designs becuase of stuff like that...no description...image no fitted right...etc...frustrating!
[2008.11.05 18:23:45] shopaholic chick: no dafna - i am seeing the same as i have for a weeek
[2008.11.05 18:24:12] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.11.05 18:24:22] DDKnight: yeaterday was good for me, 21 products sold
[2008.11.05 18:24:26] barbd: I have sold a few election things today.
[2008.11.05 18:24:37] DDKnight: but..i have 14 prem shops LOL
[2008.11.05 18:24:43] wheedesign: I got nothing today. The election was HUGE for me. Mostly one design. Things have slowed down a LOT.
[2008.11.05 18:24:45] shopaholic chick: oj and if everyone comes to the lobby afterchat i have an affiate site needing designs so stick around to find out how LOL
[2008.11.05 18:25:04] Tropicando: low activity here. sold halloween-obama mini buttons today
[2008.11.05 18:25:12] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.11.05 18:25:18] shopaholic chick: oh and everyone please excuse my typos - the typo fairy hates me apparently
[2008.11.05 18:25:21] flipk@charter.net has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2008.11.05 18:26:18] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.11.05 18:26:21] DafnaCP: Do consider adding Obama victory designs as I suspect we'll see sales for those items for the next week or so
[2008.11.05 18:26:33] barbd: so, when can I expect the holiday sales rush? Economy not with-standing of course
[2008.11.05 18:26:46] DDKnight: i did one today and put it up in a basic
[2008.11.05 18:26:53] barbd: Ahem, some of us are adding anti-Obama victory stuff
[2008.11.05 18:26:58] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.11.05 18:27:11] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.11.05 18:27:16] DafnaCP: either way Barb! I'm an equal opportunity t-shirt seller!
[2008.11.05 18:27:23] shopaholic chick: honestly i swore i was not going to add any poltiical then in sept i was inspired and made a line for each candidate and make like $3000 off them - even making them late
[2008.11.05 18:27:28] Tropicando: I seen those selling in the news- homemade obama tees
[2008.11.05 18:27:41] DDKnight: agreed! hope you sell millions! lol
[2008.11.05 18:27:43] Tropicando: I was putting the finishing touches on an Obama Vday tee myself
[2008.11.05 18:27:51] wheedesign: From what I've been readin gin the forums, it looks like holiday sales should pick up i nthe next week or so. I sure hope so.
[2008.11.05 18:27:53] shopaholic chick: barb starting soon hopefully
[2008.11.05 18:28:03] NotReallyHere has left the room (logged out)
[2008.11.05 18:28:51] Tropicando: wow shoppa, mai frend, mai monied frend
[2008.11.05 18:28:55] barbd: Oh tip: if you use the copy section to put up new designs, it seems to take longer than a new section. I tested it out. Some items one day with the copy section. New section, next day -- designs were up before the older section.
[2008.11.05 18:29:26] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.11.05 18:29:34] shopaholic chick: lol actually i would liek to take this time to say thank you mccain for my new wacon intuos3 pen-pad LOL
[2008.11.05 18:29:54] electricgreen has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2008.11.05 18:30:20] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.11.05 18:30:25] shopaholic chick: barb do you mean in the MP or in your shop?
[2008.11.05 18:31:08] barbd: in the MP. Sorry should have been more specific.
[2008.11.05 18:31:52] Tropicando: am i the only one to have sold a mccain-palin thong and matching camisole?
[2008.11.05 18:32:14] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.11.05 18:32:19] shopaholic chick: i sold a thong i dont thin they patched it with a top thouh
[2008.11.05 18:32:31] barbd: LOL Tropicando. I've sold some odd items, but not that.
[2008.11.05 18:32:46] barbd: I did sell a dog bowl with a Clinton theme.
[2008.11.05 18:32:59] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.11.05 18:33:08] Tropicando: I sold a mccain dog bowl
[2008.11.05 18:33:12] Gandalf Parker has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2008.11.05 18:33:30] shopaholic chick: i can only hope that a stripper was wearing some of them LOL
[2008.11.05 18:34:08] Tropicando: What do you think about Obama/Thanksgiving themes
[2008.11.05 18:34:32] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.11.05 18:34:38] shopaholic chick: i think i am dun with political for 3 1/2 more years
[2008.11.05 18:34:50] barbd: I think if you can find a unique way, there will be someone who REALLY like Obama to buy them.
[2008.11.05 18:35:33] DafnaCP: Tropicando, I might try holiday cards instead
[2008.11.05 18:35:38] Tropicando: Well I thought it was the end. But I think you cannot understimate the Obama post election afterglow
[2008.11.05 18:36:15] Tropicando: You mean thanksgiving cards?
[2008.11.05 18:36:27] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.11.05 18:36:30] DafnaCP: Nope, I mean I'd skip Thanksgiving and do Holiday instead
[2008.11.05 18:36:33] shopaholic chick: i am not underestimating it - i am tired of it lol
[2008.11.05 18:37:03] Tropicando: You mean December then
[2008.11.05 18:37:08] DafnaCP: Yup!
[2008.11.05 18:37:29] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.11.05 18:37:36] shopaholic chick: ohhh big tip tedn out your holiday cards thanksgiving week - with your bsness card in them so they arrive immediatly after black friday for all those shoppers who cant fidn what they like in the stores on that day!!!
[2008.11.05 18:37:44] barbd: Actually, for Christmas cards, you'd want them out soon -- most mail them early December. That means they'll order within the next few weeks.
[2008.11.05 18:38:24] DafnaCP: Yeah, this is the time to get those Holiday cards up and available, they're an early-sell product
[2008.11.05 18:38:31] Tropicando: I had a close one die xmas week so it's tuff, but I'll give it a shot this year for xmas designs
[2008.11.05 18:38:46] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.11.05 18:39:12] Suzzie: i couldn't put a business card in a christmas card.. i think i would be smited from above.
[2008.11.05 18:39:25] shopaholic chick: i dont sell a lot of holiday cards to be honest - prolly cuz of the cost - we buy ours the day after xmas for next year and spend like $.99 for a 20 pack at target
[2008.11.05 18:39:49] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.11.05 18:39:56] shopaholic chick: LMAO - i just got a donot for an obama while we are in chat
[2008.11.05 18:40:32] Tropicando: right on
[2008.11.05 18:40:36] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.11.05 18:40:43] shopaholic chick: suzzie i put them with a note that says "hope your family is doing well, this year my shop is doing good, please keep it in mind for those hard to find gifts"
[2008.11.05 18:40:53] barbd: I always do a newsletter with mine. So I'm including my url (and maybe business card) with a "This is what I've been doing" aspect.
[2008.11.05 18:41:24] cole has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2008.11.05 18:42:40] Tropicando: I have a question. I notice some shops have ordering phone numbers; do you need permission from CP to use them or can you post them on your own?
[2008.11.05 18:43:16] barbd: I think I remember hearing the numbers were on old templates and not new ones.
[2008.11.05 18:43:23] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.11.05 18:43:31] alicethelna has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2008.11.05 18:43:33] DafnaCP: go ahead and post 'em! Do keep in mind that phone orders will usually be counted as an MP sale (unless the customer has a cart number).
[2008.11.05 18:43:41] shopaholic chick: that is CP's number that is built into the CP templates - rememebr call in order means it gets marked marhetplace not shop
[2008.11.05 18:44:38] barbd: I think it's important to have them as there are occasionally bugs in the system. Rather have an MP sale than none at all!
[2008.11.05 18:44:42] BrittaCP has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2008.11.05 18:44:51] Tropicando: That's not a problem, most of my sales are MP. Until I begin promotions on youtube...
[2008.11.05 18:45:00] DafnaCP: Some customers just prefer to order by phone.
[2008.11.05 18:45:01] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.11.05 18:45:05] shopaholic chick: britta your late:-p
[2008.11.05 18:45:17] alicethelna: is the place where Britta is hosting the chat 4pm?
[2008.11.05 18:45:18] BrittaCP: Hi Alice... yes it is. However it was bumped to 3pm at the last minute
[2008.11.05 18:45:29] BrittaCP: I apoligize for the last minute change
[2008.11.05 18:45:46] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.11.05 18:46:13] wheedesign: I suppose that has to be weighted against, either making a marketplace sale or not making any sale though. Hmmm.... Now I'm wondering if I should remove the number from my site. It's small, so I don't think I'm actually driving anyone to call instead of buy online.
[2008.11.05 18:46:16] BrittaCP: but worth the wait ;)
[2008.11.05 18:46:45] barbd: Youtube huh? How is that working for you?
[2008.11.05 18:46:51] wheedesign: I see I missed barbs comment while I was typing. Makes sense. So the phone number stays.
[2008.11.05 18:47:08] Tropicando: By the way is that phone line 24hrs?
[2008.11.05 18:47:36] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.11.05 18:47:54] Tropicando: I'm guessing yes
[2008.11.05 18:47:56] shopaholic chick: i dont think it is....
[2008.11.05 18:48:22] Bacon has left the room (logged out)
[2008.11.05 18:48:35] cole: no its not
[2008.11.05 18:48:57] DafnaCP: nope, hours are 9am to 9pm Eastern Monday through Saturday
[2008.11.05 18:49:02] wheedesign: Monday - Saturday 9:00 am - 9:00 pm EST.
[2008.11.05 18:49:12] cole: what is the difference on our end if the sale is marketplace or shop? we get a bonus if its stright from the shop?
[2008.11.05 18:49:39] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.11.05 18:49:44] shopaholic chick: we only get bonus on sales from shop not from MP
[2008.11.05 18:49:48] Tropicando: youtube, I have not actually uploaded anything, but in the past I have sent animated greeting to my friends, so why not use it commercially :)
[2008.11.05 18:49:59] alicethelna: will you be in seattle on saturday?
[2008.11.05 18:50:01] alicethelna: or can I come by the offices in San Mateo when I'm in the Bay Area for Thanksgiving
[2008.11.05 18:50:03] alicethelna: I have LOTS of questions
[2008.11.05 18:50:24] BrittaCP: Yes... both dafna and I will be in seattle on saturday
[2008.11.05 18:50:28] BrittaCP: we look foward to seeing you
[2008.11.05 18:50:34] DafnaCP: ome find me and I'll be happy to answer your questions.
[2008.11.05 18:50:35] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.11.05 18:50:41] shopaholic chick: alice feel free to come to the lobby after this chat ends and there are a lot of us shopkeepers who can help you out
[2008.11.05 18:50:47] bignumpt has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2008.11.05 18:50:53] cole: How is teh bonus worked out, a percentage, a flat rate? Sorry I dont know how this works
[2008.11.05 18:51:02] alicethelna: ok - thanks!
[2008.11.05 18:51:23] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.11.05 18:51:40] Gandalf Parker has left the room (logged out)
[2008.11.05 18:51:41] alicethelna: it should read: alicethelma
[2008.11.05 18:51:42] alicethelna: but my name is really Chris
[2008.11.05 18:51:45] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.11.05 18:51:49] alicethelna: and the shop is "I LOVE KNITTING"
[2008.11.05 18:51:55] BrittaCP: i recall that from the RSVP lsit
[2008.11.05 18:52:01] alicethelna: confusing I know
[2008.11.05 18:52:03] shopaholic chick: alice u can ask here too that way others can profit from the answers
[2008.11.05 18:52:08] Tropicando: shopa is very informative
[2008.11.05 18:52:11] shopaholic chick: cole it is a % of your base shop sales once you reach $100 in base shop sales....and the % goes up the more base shop you have
[2008.11.05 18:52:19] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.11.05 18:52:24] shopaholic chick: thanks trop....but even i learn new things every dayu
[2008.11.05 18:52:42] cole: Ah, got it! Thanks so much.
[2008.11.05 18:52:46] alicethelna: well one question is this: Why is the graphic on my mugs offset - cockeyed.
[2008.11.05 18:52:55] Suzzie has left the room (logged out)
[2008.11.05 18:53:00] alicethelna: off to one side
[2008.11.05 18:53:29] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.11.05 18:53:29] BrittaCP: but yes... i recommend also haning out in the lonny after this chat. we will reopen it
[2008.11.05 18:53:34] BrittaCP: *lobby
[2008.11.05 18:53:43] shopaholic chick: oh you can set it to print right left or center - if you want it to wrap around you have to make it like a bumper sticker
[2008.11.05 18:53:44] Tropicando: I've noticed that on embroidery
[2008.11.05 18:53:54] alicethelna: how can i get in touch with "Chairman Meow" ....
[2008.11.05 18:54:26] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.11.05 18:54:37] BrittaCP: i here he is quite busy these days... with his royal kitty duties
[2008.11.05 18:54:49] BrittaCP: but there maybe contact info in the shop
[2008.11.05 18:54:54] bignumpt: Are you using the correct Mug Template?
[2008.11.05 18:54:58] alicethelna: I greatly admire his shop...
[2008.11.05 18:55:00] Tropicando: I love chairman meow
[2008.11.05 18:55:06] barbd: you meant loony... as in loony bin, admit it Britta! ;)
[2008.11.05 18:55:12] bignumpt has left the room (logged out)
[2008.11.05 18:55:14] BrittaCP: my brain often belongs there
[2008.11.05 18:55:18] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.11.05 18:55:18] shopaholic chick: you cant contact other shop keepers unless they have their email posted - or on the forums you can try to right click on their name and invite them to a private topic
[2008.11.05 18:55:22] alicethelna: I feel stymied by my lack of hardcore html coding skills
[2008.11.05 18:55:26] Tropicando: If i was versed in afiliation I would affiliate it- chairman meow that is
[2008.11.05 18:55:30] shopaholic chick: barb we are all loony
[2008.11.05 18:55:43] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.11.05 18:55:59] BrittaCP: Alright gagn... well thanks for taking it easy for Dafna
[2008.11.05 18:56:05] electricgreen has left the room (logged out)
[2008.11.05 18:56:10] BrittaCP: *gang
[2008.11.05 18:56:12] shopaholic chick: alice i have NO html coding skills unless you count me copying and pasting other peoples code LOL
[2008.11.05 18:56:16] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.11.05 18:56:18] Tropicando: i am one of the sane ones
[2008.11.05 18:56:22] shopaholic chick: britta i think u and ang owe dafna a beer for leavig her alone with us!!
[2008.11.05 18:56:46] BrittaCP: agreed
[2008.11.05 18:56:49] DafnaCP: mmmm, beer
[2008.11.05 18:56:52] alicethelna: has anyone submitted their url directly to google?
[2008.11.05 18:57:00] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.11.05 18:57:03] BrittaCP: I will open up the lobby now... actually it's already open
[2008.11.05 18:57:09] Tropicando: thanks dafna and master of chats
[2008.11.05 18:57:15] alicethelna: I am driving up to Seattle from Vancouver, WA and there's a possibility of flooding on I5 - it's that time of year...
[2008.11.05 18:57:18] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.11.05 18:57:25] BrittaCP: fingers crossed you can make it
[2008.11.05 18:57:27] shopaholic chick: alice come to the lobby and i will give you a ton of ways to get exposure like that fro free
[2008.11.05 18:57:35] BrittaCP: Thanks for joining!

Holiday Prep

[2008.10.23 18:33:01] Welcome to the CafePress Chat Room
[2008.10.23 18:33:01] shopaholic chick has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2008.10.23 18:33:01] All users in this room have been allowed to talk
[2008.10.23 18:44:57] electricgreen has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2008.10.23 18:51:53] Ellen has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2008.10.23 18:52:34] Ellen has left the room (logged out)
[2008.10.23 18:54:02] Ellen has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2008.10.23 18:55:14] SusanFaye has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2008.10.23 18:55:28] dreamup has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2008.10.23 18:57:40] matisse has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2008.10.23 18:57:44] Heni has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2008.10.23 18:58:29] MaxMuhlin has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2008.10.23 18:58:36] BrittaCP has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2008.10.23 18:58:42] MenagerieMayhem has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2008.10.23 18:58:58] BrittaCP: Greetings and Salutations everyone
[2008.10.23 18:59:16] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.10.23 18:59:18] Kate@LittleLizzyLou has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2008.10.23 19:00:08] DafnaCP has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2008.10.23 19:00:21] Max has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2008.10.23 19:00:21] Heni has left the room (logged out)
[2008.10.23 19:00:33] matisse: bah humbug!
[2008.10.23 19:00:36] MaxMuhlin: Hi, Everyone!
[2008.10.23 19:00:38] shopaholic chick: hi all!
[2008.10.23 19:00:49] Dooni Designs: boo!
[2008.10.23 19:00:50] twopurringcats has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2008.10.23 19:01:02] BrittaCP: @ dooni: that's more like it
[2008.10.23 19:01:02] Heni has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2008.10.23 19:01:23] BrittaCP: but there's a reason why we start talking about the holidays in october
[2008.10.23 19:01:37] BrittaCP: because in the retail world... that's when it begins
[2008.10.23 19:02:15] LittleLizzyLou Josh has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2008.10.23 19:02:42] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.10.23 19:02:43] BrittaCP: So as you can guess (if you didn't know already, that's is) today we're doing our second installment of Holiday Prep talk
[2008.10.23 19:03:32] BrittaCP: A few weeks ago we went over site navigation
[2008.10.23 19:04:18] BrittaCP: http://community.cafepress.com/?p=475
[2008.10.23 19:04:50] BrittaCP: The tips that we gave in it (as well as tonight) are really things that you can implemnt all year... but if you're not already... you really want to start now
[2008.10.23 19:05:03] BrittaCP: so you have everything ready at go time when the season kicks in
[2008.10.23 19:05:19] BrittaCP: Tonight we'll be talking about Shop Promotion
[2008.10.23 19:05:50] BrittaCP: and we've got Dafna, our Top Shop Rep to talk to us about some best practices
[2008.10.23 19:06:02] DafnaCP: Hi everyone!
[2008.10.23 19:06:08] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.10.23 19:06:17] shopaholic chick: hi dafna
[2008.10.23 19:06:34] Pandion has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2008.10.23 19:06:34] BrittaCP: So before we go any further let me go over the rules...
[2008.10.23 19:06:49] QueenBee has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2008.10.23 19:06:54] BrittaCP: This chat is moderated which means all your questions and comments go into a queue
[2008.10.23 19:07:05] BrittaCP: so you will not see them right away
[2008.10.23 19:07:34] BrittaCP: A moderator will review it and push it out
[2008.10.23 19:07:56] BrittaCP: aat the end of the chat we'll open up the loibby again, so you guys can continue the conversation and fun
[2008.10.23 19:08:08] BrittaCP: and we'll have the transcript up in a day or so
[2008.10.23 19:08:27] BrittaCP: ok... enough of that babble... let's get on with the show
[2008.10.23 19:08:30] twopurringcats: hi
[2008.10.23 19:08:32] matisse: Hi Dafna!
[2008.10.23 19:08:35] Kate@LittleLizzyLou: Hi Dafna!
[2008.10.23 19:08:35] Bacon has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2008.10.23 19:08:37] shopaholic chick: all the discount stores around us put the xmas stuff out same day as the halloween stuff!
[2008.10.23 19:08:51] DafnaCP: So, I see a lot of familiar shopkeepers in the chat room this evening (hi y’all!). But is there anybody here who is preparing for their very first Holiday Season at Cafepress?
[2008.10.23 19:09:19] electricgreen: I just bought some Christmas stuff today for a promo at work at the dollar store near me-people almost expect to see it now
[2008.10.23 19:09:43] BrittaCP: dpn't be shy
[2008.10.23 19:10:02] BrittaCP: we'll make you speak up eventually
[2008.10.23 19:10:07] QueenBee: Yup, first timer here
[2008.10.23 19:10:11] twopurringcats: this is the first year I'm actually working on Christmas promotion
[2008.10.23 19:10:37] DafnaCP: Great! I’m glad there are a few new “faces” and I hope that you old timers can help me prepare the newer shopkeepers for the months to come.
[2008.10.23 19:10:44] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.10.23 19:10:57] Max: This will be my first CP holiday season
[2008.10.23 19:11:00] shopaholic chick: this year iupgraded from just a section to making a whole holidays shop
[2008.10.23 19:11:11] DafnaCP: With the economic slowdown it can sometimes be hard to get motivated but don’t let that stop you from prepping your shop for the holiday season.
[2008.10.23 19:11:20] DafnaCP: I’m here to offer some tips for maximizing your sales this time of year.
[2008.10.23 19:11:31] DafnaCP: We just had a Shop Navigation chat so I don’t want to get too much into that but if you couldn’t make it, please be sure to read the transcript.
[2008.10.23 19:12:23] DafnaCP: Navigation is important because shoppers have a short attention span. In the rush of trying to find the perfect gift in no time, shoppers have no patience for cluttered shops. They want to find the gift fast and move on to the next one!
[2008.10.23 19:12:50] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.10.23 19:13:02] shopaholic chick: other then the regular googlebase, blogs, squidoo - are there any new ways this year?
[2008.10.23 19:13:36] DafnaCP: We’ve also recently had a chat about Promoting offline.
Don’t neglect the basics! If you didn’t get a chance to check out the chat on promoting offline, please go take a look at that one:
http://community.cafepress.com/?p=441
[2008.10.23 19:14:06] BrittaCP: there are tons of way... and a lot of this may be repeat for some of you... so please share your exepreninces.
[2008.10.23 19:14:18] DafnaCP: Remember, this is the season of holiday parties and craft fairs.
[2008.10.23 19:14:21] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.10.23 19:14:25] John has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2008.10.23 19:14:25] DafnaCP: My Mother-in-law even throws craft parties where she and her friends get together to showcase their art. These are great opportunities to network to your immediate social sphere so don’t let these chances pass you by!
[2008.10.23 19:14:34] DafnaCP: Does anyone currently do any offline promoting?
[2008.10.23 19:14:50] shopaholic chick: ohhhhh this time of year the best thing is something you do already - holiday cards!!! when you send them to friends and family include a business card and note about your shop....and mail them the week thanksgiving!!
[2008.10.23 19:15:05] Scarebaby has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2008.10.23 19:15:07] MaxMuhlin: I have Magazine Ads running
[2008.10.23 19:15:10] twopurringcats: I hand out business cards but that's it at present
[2008.10.23 19:15:38] BrittaCP: what magazines max?
[2008.10.23 19:15:41] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.10.23 19:15:52] BrittaCP: and do you care to share how you go about doing that?
[2008.10.23 19:15:58] AureySorrow has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2008.10.23 19:16:02] BrittaCP: for those that may be curious?
[2008.10.23 19:16:06] MaxMuhlin: Modern Dog and Top Notch Toys
[2008.10.23 19:16:21] shopaholic chick: i am listed on a full page ad for my friends surf shop/grill in the local paper - i added his menu to my website....
[2008.10.23 19:16:44] MaxMuhlin: I contacted the advertising dept at each Mag. . .made up the ads and submitted them. . .Top Notch Toys was a full page at about $450.00 but they distribute the mag free at the big dog shows. . .
[2008.10.23 19:17:04] DafnaCP: That's awesome Max!
[2008.10.23 19:17:06] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.10.23 19:17:21] DafnaCP: So lets launch right in to Holiday SEO
[2008.10.23 19:17:25] MaxMuhlin: and Modern Dog is costing me an arm and a leg for 1/4 page but I've been getting hits. . .
[2008.10.23 19:17:27] shopaholic chick: max thats not bad!
[2008.10.23 19:17:40] DafnaCP: I just want to give a quick overview for the newbies here:
[2008.10.23 19:17:52] MaxMuhlin: Plus I get 20 free issues of Modern Dog and distribute them myself to Veterinary and Grooming offices here in town
[2008.10.23 19:18:11] DafnaCP: Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the process of using the text on your webpage to draw traffic from search engines like Google and Yahoo.
[2008.10.23 19:18:24] MaxMuhlin: For any newbies that are wondering. . .I paint dogs. . .Ha!
[2008.10.23 19:18:29] AureySorrow: that's brilliant MaxMuhlin
[2008.10.23 19:18:42] DafnaCP: By adding keywords to your webpage (and in this case, your shop) you have the potential to be indexed in search engines’ organic (read: free) results.
[2008.10.23 19:18:46] Bacon has left the room (logged out)
[2008.10.23 19:19:07] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.10.23 19:19:23] DafnaCP: For more information on the basics of SEO please take a look here:
http://www.cafepress.com/cp/learn/tutorial_seo
[2008.10.23 19:20:00] BrittaCP: you can also check out or previous chat transcrips with our SEO guru Laura
[2008.10.23 19:20:30] BrittaCP: http://community.cafepress.com/?cat=14
[2008.10.23 19:20:33] BrittaCP: they are all listed here
[2008.10.23 19:20:38] BrittaCP: good information
[2008.10.23 19:20:42] shopaholic chick: max LOL i am now picturing you trying to get a dog to stand still while you apply paint to them....
[2008.10.23 19:21:01] DafnaCP: LOL!
[2008.10.23 19:21:20] Scarebaby has left the room (logged out)
[2008.10.23 19:21:35] DafnaCP: So, we like the word “gifts” year-round and I encourage you to add the word gifts to your section names, teasers, descriptions etc…
[2008.10.23 19:21:43] Tropicando has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2008.10.23 19:21:47] TexasFiddler has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2008.10.23 19:21:50] DafnaCP: But for holidays you should also add “Christmas” and “Hanukkah” as well.
[2008.10.23 19:22:10] MaxMuhlin: I get that comment all the time. . .Shop,. guess I'll have to think of a better way to explain it
[2008.10.23 19:22:15] matisse: I wrote my url on my neighbor's dog but I haven't got any hits yet.
[2008.10.23 19:22:22] BrittaCP: i'm sure your neighbor loved that
[2008.10.23 19:22:25] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.10.23 19:22:27] BrittaCP: :P
[2008.10.23 19:22:31] MaxMuhlin: LOL
[2008.10.23 19:22:33] shopaholic chick: but do NOT ADD them to your TAGS!!!! unless it is a related design
[2008.10.23 19:23:00] AureySorrow has left the room (logged out)
[2008.10.23 19:23:03] electricgreen: Is it Hanukkah with an H or CH??
[2008.10.23 19:23:07] BrittaCP: either is fine
[2008.10.23 19:23:08] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.10.23 19:23:21] DafnaCP: That's right, don't add those words to your image tags. Those words should be added to the text on your storefront. Teasers, Descriptions etc...
[2008.10.23 19:23:28] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.10.23 19:23:37] shopaholic chick: there are 4-6 acceptable spellings for hanukkah depending where in the world you live
[2008.10.23 19:23:45] DafnaCP: Can anyone think of other words that would work?
[2008.10.23 19:23:56] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.10.23 19:24:31] shopaholic chick: yule kwanzaa happy holidays
[2008.10.23 19:24:35] matisse: Christmas presents
[2008.10.23 19:24:38] MaxMuhlin: Winter, Snow, Santa Claus, presents!!! Santa's Helper, Elf
[2008.10.23 19:24:47] TexasFiddler: Yule, Christmas, Xmas, Holidays, Navidad
[2008.10.23 19:25:00] DafnaCP: Those are all great.
[2008.10.23 19:25:07] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.10.23 19:25:08] Tropicando: Noel?
[2008.10.23 19:25:09] DafnaCP: It’s also important to remember that your SEO should be as focused as possible.
[2008.10.23 19:25:11] Dooni Designs: season's greetings stocking stuffers
[2008.10.23 19:25:13] shopaholic chick: mrs claus, saint nicholas, st nick,
[2008.10.23 19:25:14] Bacon has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2008.10.23 19:25:35] DafnaCP: So Dooni, you make my point about being focused. For example, don’t stop at “Christmas Ornament”. That’s a competitive search term. Try something more specific like “Sleeping Pug Christmas Ornament”.
[2008.10.23 19:26:12] mousecrafter has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2008.10.23 19:26:18] DafnaCP: Does that make sense to everybody?
[2008.10.23 19:26:21] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.10.23 19:26:33] flyingwolf has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2008.10.23 19:26:35] Tropicando: Since I have mixed couples as friends , I was going to do Christmikah designs this year :)
[2008.10.23 19:26:49] shopaholic chick: the phrase "hate holiday shopping lines" is usually well searched too lol
[2008.10.23 19:26:54] QueenBee: What about common misspellings? Where's the best place to cover this?
[2008.10.23 19:27:20] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.10.23 19:27:28] shopaholic chick: queen that is hard without making your shop look like it was written by a 3rd grader
[2008.10.23 19:27:40] DafnaCP: I'd limit it to one or two misspellings and you can certainly add them in to a discreet place
[2008.10.23 19:28:24] DafnaCP: While we’re on the topic of SEO, I want to talk about the idea of creating a Holiday Gift Ideas section.
[2008.10.23 19:28:35] Bacon: maybe put the misspelled terms in your store meta tags?
[2008.10.23 19:28:39] flyingwolf: I think holiday designs would depend on who gets elected
[2008.10.23 19:28:51] DafnaCP: That term gets searched often during this season.
[2008.10.23 19:29:12] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.10.23 19:29:56] PhotoGirl has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2008.10.23 19:31:03] TexasFiddler: Silly question that I've never had answered well. If I have the words sleeping, pug, christmas, and ornament all there, do I also need to tag or keyword "sleeping pug christmas ornament" or will the search engines and marketplace pick the whole combo up?
[2008.10.23 19:31:03] DafnaCP: If all of the words are included somewhere on the page, you may still come up in search engines for the full term. But, you're much more likely to come up for that phrase if you use the phrase somewhere on the page in its completion.
[2008.10.23 19:32:33] DafnaCP: So Holiday Gift Ideas does well.
[2008.10.23 19:32:36] DafnaCP: As do, “Gifts for Her” and “Gifts for Him”.
[2008.10.23 19:34:51] Tropicando: Sorry, is this an image tag or for the store?
[2008.10.23 19:34:52] BrittaCP: we're talking about your shop.
[2008.10.23 19:34:58] BrittaCP: in the storefrony
[2008.10.23 19:35:01] BrittaCP: not tags
[2008.10.23 19:35:14] Tropicando: ok
[2008.10.23 19:35:19] MaxMuhlin: You are talking here about Section Descriptions, right? Naturally one needs to beef up those with good descriptions of the individual desigsn, but a Holiday Mood could still be created in the general SHOP
[2008.10.23 19:35:19] DafnaCP: Yes, I'm talking about SEO only. Places for SEO: your meta tags, shop intro, section descriptions, section names, section teasers, product descriptions
[2008.10.23 19:35:42] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.10.23 19:35:42] MaxMuhlin: Did I break the Chat?
[2008.10.23 19:35:44] BrittaCP: oooh... so it was you, huh? j/k. seems to be working fine for us.
[2008.10.23 19:36:26] MaxMuhlin: :-o
[2008.10.23 19:37:14] matisse: Can we now change "shop info" without breaking our CP templates?
[2008.10.23 19:37:14] DafnaCP: Yes, that's fixed.
[2008.10.23 19:37:40] KiniArt has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2008.10.23 19:37:41] matisse: cool!
[2008.10.23 19:37:56] DafnaCP: The point is, you should consider adding sections that suggest gift ideas for those shoppers who aren’t quite sure what they want.
[2008.10.23 19:38:01] DafnaCP: Make sure you work those keywords into the text in those sections.
[2008.10.23 19:38:13] cyi has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2008.10.23 19:38:14] DafnaCP: This is also the time of year where people are attending parties and looking for gifts to give their Hosts and Hostesses.
[2008.10.23 19:38:21] DafnaCP: Call that out on your storefronts.
[2008.10.23 19:38:32] DafnaCP: Point out an item or two that would make a good gift for your boss or neighbor at that yearly party they host.
[2008.10.23 19:39:05] jerseygirl has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2008.10.23 19:39:07] BrittaCP: Wear your products... and engage in conversation that includes mention of your shop or business
[2008.10.23 19:39:15] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.10.23 19:39:27] BrittaCP: have a card handy for those who are curious
[2008.10.23 19:39:31] shopaholic chick: i have sold tote bags for office gifts - a law firm bought a whole set of them - my design on one side their firm on the reverse!
[2008.10.23 19:39:38] Kate@LittleLizzyLou: make sure to always ALWAYS carry your busines cards with you!
[2008.10.23 19:40:01] flyingwolf: how about suggestions for the people you only see once a year
[2008.10.23 19:40:14] DafnaCP: Yeah, that would work too!
[2008.10.23 19:40:17] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.10.23 19:40:21] Tropicando: I have seen text in sk's description/content that is like a page of text, but less than a paragraph on the actual webpage, is that neccesarily bad?
[2008.10.23 19:41:28] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.10.23 19:41:34] BrittaCP: Can you clarify? do you mean like huge chunks of text in the storefront?
[2008.10.23 19:41:44] matisse: I wrote my urls on my forehead for the Holiday season.
[2008.10.23 19:41:51] LittleLizzyLou Josh: My friends tell me I'm a walking billboard, because I wear littlelizzylou all the time. But I often get asked about my shirts/buttons, and I tell them how they can get one just as cool! :-)
[2008.10.23 19:41:55] TexasFiddler: Tropicando, I experimented with that just to see if it would do anything for me in search engines.
[2008.10.23 19:41:55] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.10.23 19:41:58] KiniArt: Teachers and babysitters are a neglected gift group too
[2008.10.23 19:42:02] Tropicando: like from wikipedia
[2008.10.23 19:42:08] shopaholic chick: matisse - can the url be mine?
[2008.10.23 19:42:22] TexasFiddler: It didn't seem to make a difference.
[2008.10.23 19:42:56] matisse: I am affiliating my forehead!
[2008.10.23 19:43:06] DafnaCP: So lets move on to products
[2008.10.23 19:43:16] DafnaCP: Cards are already taking off.
[2008.10.23 19:43:26] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.10.23 19:43:30] DafnaCP: We’re seeing sales start to ramp up for them so be sure that you’ve added Greeting cards to your storefront and that you’re featuring them.
[2008.10.23 19:43:38] BrittaCP: and don't forget about single cards
[2008.10.23 19:44:07] Dooni Designs: I'm selling alot of mugs all of a sudden
[2008.10.23 19:44:21] DafnaCP: Mugs are big during the holidays
[2008.10.23 19:44:30] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.10.23 19:44:30] DafnaCP: This is also a good time to add calendars and ornaments.
[2008.10.23 19:44:48] shopaholic chick: i always sell a lot of mugs for the holidays - people like to make thier own little gift packages in mugs at holidays
[2008.10.23 19:44:49] TexasFiddler: Sold two ornaments last week!
[2008.10.23 19:45:10] Kate@LittleLizzyLou: you can add that you can fit shirt, bib, buttons, magnets in the mug for a nice gift
[2008.10.23 19:45:17] matisse: I'm getting hits and a few sales of ornaments already.
[2008.10.23 19:45:33] DafnaCP: That's a great idea Lizzy!
[2008.10.23 19:45:59] DafnaCP: I have a list of products that sold well last December
[2008.10.23 19:46:16] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.10.23 19:46:17] DafnaCP: dark t-shirt
white t-shirt
hooded sweatshirt
sweatshirt
mugs
oval stickers
[2008.10.23 19:46:24] DafnaCP: in no particular order
[2008.10.23 19:47:15] TexasFiddler: I asked a long time ago and there were no statistics. Are the cards that are selling well including a sentiment, or are they blank inside? The answer at that time was, "We haven't tracked that."
[2008.10.23 19:47:16] BrittaCP: I don't know the solid information on that. But I would think that if you are doing a holiday specific gift card... it's better ot have a sentiment. That mostly what you see on the shelves.
[2008.10.23 19:47:25] shopaholic chick: the ornaments make a great personal gift tag to hang on a wine bottle
[2008.10.23 19:47:29] Tropicando: Oh wait, I can't complain, I don't think I have christmas designs at all.
[2008.10.23 19:47:37] matisse: oval stickers?
[2008.10.23 19:47:59] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.10.23 19:48:06] DafnaCP: yes, we have oval stickers and apparently they did well last year
[2008.10.23 19:48:12] MaxMuhlin: Put a gold string between two oval stickers and hang them on the Tree!!!!
[2008.10.23 19:48:18] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.10.23 19:48:25] shopaholic chick: matisse a lot of people will add a sticker or a button to hit the coupon thresholds;)
[2008.10.23 19:48:52] Bacon: remember stocking stuffers: buttons, stickers etc.
[2008.10.23 19:49:30] DafnaCP: Let's not forget decoration items. This is a good time to start selling those.
[2008.10.23 19:50:07] DafnaCP: Framed prints and pillows, yard signs, keepsake boxes, tile coasters are all items that make great holiday decor
[2008.10.23 19:50:58] DafnaCP: Does anyone currently have items up that are meant more as holiday decor rather than gifts?
[2008.10.23 19:51:11] MaxMuhlin: Yard Signs to give the neighborhood a Holiday Greeting
[2008.10.23 19:51:24] Tropicando: I have to tell Cafepress something, for the longest time I ignored ornaments, I thought they were like cardboard thingies. Didn't realize they were ceramic. I thought they were like those pine tree car ornaments :)
[2008.10.23 19:51:30] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.10.23 19:51:40] DafnaCP: they're really nice aren't they?!
[2008.10.23 19:51:46] BrittaCP: They are very nice. Aren't you glad you discovered them?
[2008.10.23 19:51:50] LittleLizzyLou Josh: If you haven't seen a yard sign yet - they are great, and impactful!
[2008.10.23 19:51:52] MaxMuhlin: Christmas. . .or I should say HOLIDAY Banners !
[2008.10.23 19:52:01] Dooni Designs: i sell "ornaments" year round.. picking up now though
[2008.10.23 19:52:31] Kate@LittleLizzyLou: the banners are really nice too. very big! would make a nice party sign or something.
[2008.10.23 19:53:02] DafnaCP: yes, I love the banners and I can just see someone putting Noel on one and turing it into mantel decor
[2008.10.23 19:53:13] DafnaCP: I’m often asked which topics sell best on Cafepress.
[2008.10.23 19:53:24] Tropicando: Yeah, I have thank Sag with getting me into selling yardsigns
[2008.10.23 19:53:32] MaxMuhlin: Dogs !!
[2008.10.23 19:53:37] DafnaCP: There isn’t really a good answer to that question.
[2008.10.23 19:53:51] DafnaCP: The answer is, if you’re passionate about it then so are others. The bonus there is that you already know something about your market – because your market is you.
[2008.10.23 19:53:58] DafnaCP: That said, the holidays are all about interest related gifts.
[2008.10.23 19:54:10] DafnaCP: For example, I have an Aunt who is very much into softball.
[2008.10.23 19:54:10] LittleLizzyLou Josh: holiday parties/seasonal house decor
[2008.10.23 19:54:37] DafnaCP: For the holidays I’ll be looking for a shirt that speaks to that interest. Think “Softball Sweetie” or “# 1 Softball Aunt”.
[2008.10.23 19:54:47] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.10.23 19:54:55] DafnaCP: Maybe your aunt is into dogs or music. Whatever the interest, the point is to play it up!
[2008.10.23 19:55:23] MaxMuhlin: I have two very productive Dance - related Premium Shops
[2008.10.23 19:55:55] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.10.23 19:56:14] DafnaCP: Great Max, be sure to add that holiday SEO and you'll do well with them this season!
[2008.10.23 19:56:46] MaxMuhlin: Yes, Teacher gifts. . .
[2008.10.23 19:57:01] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.10.23 19:57:10] QueenBee: When I worked in a retail store we noticed that people bought decor in November and then gifts in December. Is it the same online?
[2008.10.23 19:57:14] BrittaCP: you bet
[2008.10.23 19:57:22] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.10.23 19:57:23] BrittaCP: that's why it's important to be ready to go now
[2008.10.23 19:57:29] shopaholic chick: people start earlier online though
[2008.10.23 19:57:45] DafnaCP: that's true, they do start earlier online
[2008.10.23 19:57:51] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.10.23 19:57:55] DafnaCP: so get 'em up now!
[2008.10.23 19:58:13] shopaholic chick: gifts start going in november because they want to allow for shipping - then right after black friday it will go nuts grabbing everything they couldnt find on black friday
[2008.10.23 19:58:17] TexasFiddler: My sales basically ended last year about the fifteenth of Dec
[2008.10.23 19:58:21] MaxMuhlin: People also buy Whatever Holiday strikes their eye whenever they are in your shop, so leave the designs up all year
[2008.10.23 19:58:25] Kate@LittleLizzyLou: Also, something about this year is that people may start buying earlier, and we might see that sales happen in waves, to go along with paychecks
[2008.10.23 19:58:33] Bacon: Anyone have a Holiday themed shop or section they'd like to show off?
[2008.10.23 19:58:42] BrittaCP: We'll open up the lobby in just aminute
[2008.10.23 19:58:46] BrittaCP: and you guys can all share
[2008.10.23 19:58:49] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.10.23 19:58:51] TexasFiddler: Good point, Kate
[2008.10.23 19:59:01] MenagerieMayhem has left the room (logged out)
[2008.10.23 19:59:21] flyingwolf has left the room (logged out)
[2008.10.23 19:59:29] DafnaCP: So unfortunately it's 5:00 and while we didn't cover everything, hopefully you've got a good idea of the creative ways you can make the most of the season.
[2008.10.23 19:59:30] matisse: How soon after 11/4 should we remove poltical designs or should we?
[2008.10.23 19:59:33] BrittaCP: Think about rediesigning those election themes... to comment on the winner and the losers
[2008.10.23 19:59:36] MaxMuhlin: Thaks for some great ideas, Dafna !!
[2008.10.23 19:59:42] MenagerieMayhem has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2008.10.23 20:00:05] PhotoGirl has left the room (logged out)
[2008.10.23 20:00:10] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.10.23 20:00:12] QueenBee: Does CP have a shipping deadline for Christmas?
[2008.10.23 20:00:13] BrittaCP: We'll be announcing those when we roll out our Holiday campaign.
[2008.10.23 20:00:16] Tropicando: Thanks Dafna

Holiday organization and shop appearance

[2008.10.09 18:27:15] Welcome to the CafePress Chat Room
[2008.10.09 18:27:15] Shopaholic Chick has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
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[2008.10.09 18:52:46] PeggyWvB has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2008.10.09 18:55:04] Linda has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2008.10.09 18:55:58] preggoprincess has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2008.10.09 18:56:40] dreamup has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2008.10.09 18:57:37] foxvox has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2008.10.09 18:58:00] LakeEffects has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2008.10.09 18:59:19] Tropicando has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2008.10.09 19:00:09] Mark has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2008.10.09 19:00:24] Heni has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2008.10.09 19:00:44] Jaenne has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2008.10.09 19:00:45] Kate@LittleLizzyLou has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2008.10.09 19:00:55] Bacon has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2008.10.09 19:01:21] AngelaCP has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2008.10.09 19:01:51] Barbara Burns: Hi Everyone :)
[2008.10.09 19:01:52] PeggyWvB: Hi all!
[2008.10.09 19:01:54] Tropicando: hello all
[2008.10.09 19:01:55] Linda: :)
[2008.10.09 19:01:57] Linda: hi
[2008.10.09 19:01:59] AngelaCP: hi everyone!
[2008.10.09 19:02:01] BrittaCP has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2008.10.09 19:02:02] AngelaCP: happy thursday!
[2008.10.09 19:02:08] BrittaCP: Hello Hello Hello!
[2008.10.09 19:02:09] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.10.09 19:02:14] Shopaholic Chick: hi everyone!!!
[2008.10.09 19:02:29] AngelaCP: I'm going to jump in and get started
[2008.10.09 19:02:36] Shopaholic Chick: hi gand
[2008.10.09 19:02:37] twopurringcats: hi
[2008.10.09 19:02:38] Kate@LittleLizzyLou: Hi Everyone!
[2008.10.09 19:02:48] foxvox: Hi All!
[2008.10.09 19:02:49] Gandalf Parker: Hi ALl
[2008.10.09 19:03:28] AngelaCP: we have to leave a bit early today so let's get started -- we'll stop chat at 4:45 and then open up the lobby for you guys to continue chatting about holidays
[2008.10.09 19:03:42] LakeEffects has left the room (logged out)
[2008.10.09 19:03:46] AngelaCP: Let’s start out with the usual chat rules, for any newcomers.
[2008.10.09 19:04:00] BrittaCP: This chat is moderated. All your questions and comments will go into a queue until reviewed by a moderater, which is why you may not see them right away. We’ll try to get all questions, but apologize ahead of time if we don’t since there’s only an hour.
[2008.10.09 19:04:09] BrittaCP: At the end of the chat we’ll open up the lobby for you to continue chatting, and the transcript will be up in a day or so.
[2008.10.09 19:04:12] Tropicando: this is like the miranda rights
[2008.10.09 19:04:15] AngelaCP: you got it ;)
[2008.10.09 19:04:17] BrittaCP: Ok, let’s get this chat started…
[2008.10.09 19:04:24] AngelaCP: Ready to jump start the Holiday season? As you guys are aware…things aren’t looking great in the economy and so we’re here to offer tips to help you maximize sales starting with optimizing your shop for shoppers.
[2008.10.09 19:04:40] AngelaCP: We’re not sure how shoppers will spend their money this holiday season… They might feel the pinch and tighten their pocket books for gifting.
[2008.10.09 19:04:56] AngelaCP: Or, shoppers might skip the big ticket items and go for smaller ticket items such as t-shirts and other gift items found in your shop which is an advantage for you.
[2008.10.09 19:05:05] lakeeffects has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2008.10.09 19:05:10] AngelaCP: Either way, shoppers are going to be careful how they spend this holiday season.
[2008.10.09 19:05:29] AngelaCP: Today’s chat is Holiday Prep: shop navigation and we’ll go over a few ways how you can optimize your shop for shoppers. Some of you here are seasoned Shopkeepers so please share your experience – what has worked, what hasn’t.
[2008.10.09 19:05:35] Me has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2008.10.09 19:05:40] Tropicando: we see brick and mortars closing
[2008.10.09 19:05:53] AngelaCP: yes... so that is a big benefit for online
[2008.10.09 19:06:05] AngelaCP: holiday crowds in the mall, save gas, etc
[2008.10.09 19:06:13] AngelaCP: First of all, let’s start with the storefront. Let’s call this window dressing – it’s popular over the holiday season.
[2008.10.09 19:06:33] AngelaCP: You have a few seconds to grab your visitor’s attention. Be sure the top part of your shop is a billboard for what you have to offer. If your sections are below the fold, feature your top sellers above the fold.
[2008.10.09 19:06:49] AngelaCP: “Below the fold” - meaning that part of a screen where you have to start scrolling down.
[2008.10.09 19:06:58] AngelaCP: Here’s an example:
[2008.10.09 19:07:02] BrittaCP sent a picture:
[2008.10.09 19:07:21] BrittaCP: you can click on the image if you can't see it
[2008.10.09 19:07:47] BrittaCP: Here you can see the difference between above and bleow
[2008.10.09 19:07:48] AngelaCP: Items that you want your customers to see first is above this area, the fold,, and in this case that would be your most festive and top selling designs.
[2008.10.09 19:08:30] AngelaCP: Since this is where customers will land first use it as a starting spot to get them excited about holiday shopping in your shop. Get them in and get them clicking on the goods all the way to checkout.
[2008.10.09 19:08:46] AngelaCP: any questions so far?
[2008.10.09 19:08:49] AngelaCP: feel free to ask them...
[2008.10.09 19:08:56] AngelaCP: Put your message on top using rich content to help drive SEO (Search Engine Optimization) as the top part of the page is most beneficial for SEO. [SEO chat transcripts: http://community.cafepress.com/?cat=14]
[2008.10.09 19:09:25] AngelaCP: Although it’s important to add an intro with rich content, don’t overdo it. Too much content on the top is a bad customer experience and may scare visitors away. It also pushes your shop down – below the fold. Just include a headline and a sentence or two. If you’re featuring items, use a descriptive phase.
[2008.10.09 19:09:51] Kari has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2008.10.09 19:10:00] AngelaCP: Make your shop festive and include holiday imagery – including photographs. Make your visitors feel like it’s holiday and get them into the gift buying spirit.
[2008.10.09 19:10:09] PeggyWvB: Will CP be offering sales for the holidays?
[2008.10.09 19:10:10] BrittaCP: Really, quick... who here is celebrating thier first holiday with us?
[2008.10.09 19:10:15] Melhi has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2008.10.09 19:10:26] AngelaCP: We're still working on that. Stay tuned for the announcements.
[2008.10.09 19:10:56] AngelaCP: Does anyone want to share their storefront they feel are enticing and proud of it?
[2008.10.09 19:11:02] Kari: We are here for our first holiday
[2008.10.09 19:11:09] AngelaCP: welcome kari
[2008.10.09 19:11:20] Kari: ty
[2008.10.09 19:11:22] AngelaCP: 2008 Tip: With the shoppers being budget-minded – market your shop so it speaks to them. “Get gifts for the whole family and spend under $100!” Something similar to that to get their attention
[2008.10.09 19:11:40] PeggyWvB: And when will the "don't modify your header "bug be fixed so we can update our shops look for the holidays?
[2008.10.09 19:12:10] AngelaCP: Great question: this bug is currently being QA'd and should be fixed early next week - we're aiming for Monday.
[2008.10.09 19:12:13] Tropicando: Ive been around, but not really active till this year.
[2008.10.09 19:12:57] PeggyWvB: great! Thanks ANg! be sure to let us know how the fix goes!
[2008.10.09 19:13:05] AngelaCP: Welcome tropiocando, the holidays is a busy rush. Although it's hard to say this year as the economy is different than what it was last year. It will still be a big increase from what you've seen from the other months....
[2008.10.09 19:13:12] AngelaCP: definitely Peggy!
[2008.10.09 19:13:19] Tropicando: Can our CP shops play music?
[2008.10.09 19:13:20] Gandalf Parker: if you do NOTHING else, at least edit the descripts of a couple items on each page. Add something like "a great xmas gift for Grandma" or something. Major search engines love "dynamic" pages. Changing the text will move you up in searches. And then in a couple of months you can change it back getting another boost.
[2008.10.09 19:13:41] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.10.09 19:14:16] BrittaCP: Tropicando... there are HTML players that you can plug into your shop to play music... but it can be overwhelming and I would take caution in adding a music player
[2008.10.09 19:14:18] foxvox: I do NOT recommend having your shop play music AUTOMATICALLY - it will drive shoppers on dialup nuts and make them leave. ;)
[2008.10.09 19:14:21] DDKnight has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2008.10.09 19:14:27] AngelaCP: I have to agree with foxvox -
[2008.10.09 19:14:33] Shopaholic Chick: ang having the ability to offer multiple levels of coupons would be great like $5 off $40, $10 off $75 or free shipping over $100 would be awesome
[2008.10.09 19:14:34] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.10.09 19:14:39] AngelaCP: thanks for the feedback.
[2008.10.09 19:14:41] Shopaholic Chick: gandolf I agree - I go in an randomly change descriptions on 5-10 designs each week (i have 9000 designs) and i see those items will come back to life!!
[2008.10.09 19:14:42] Blipfishimus Maximus has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2008.10.09 19:14:49] PeggyWvB: trop, I often hav my own music playing when I'm online. I HATE it when I come across a shop that plays it's own music
[2008.10.09 19:15:11] AngelaCP: Any more questions? This is really important in terms of shopping experience as you want to give the best first impression and encourage visitors to navigate into your shop.
[2008.10.09 19:15:15] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.10.09 19:15:20] Karen has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2008.10.09 19:15:26] Shopaholic Chick: if a website has music playing i immediatly close it and will not go back to it (part of why i left myspace)
[2008.10.09 19:15:37] Gandalf Parker: unless its a shop selling music of course.
[2008.10.09 19:15:48] PeggyWvB: I did very well when we had the $5 off $25 coupon
[2008.10.09 19:16:02] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.10.09 19:16:02] BrittaCP: exactly... music is neat... but chances are someoen is shopping at home becuase it's convientent to be in their own surroundings... and remember, the more bells ands whistles you add... the longer a page load could be
[2008.10.09 19:16:16] Linda: music...will the cds be fixed so we can sell our music on cd?
[2008.10.09 19:16:24] AngelaCP: I believe that is fixed... but let me check...
[2008.10.09 19:16:29] Shopaholic Chick: also a lot of flashing items will cause slower computers or those on dial up to freeze up - so videos on shops is a BAD idea
[2008.10.09 19:16:34] AngelaCP: Correct, keep it simple.
[2008.10.09 19:16:52] Jaenne: Gadget-rich, or as I call them, "fancy'd" up pages take longer to load on slower systems and some people are not willing to wait.
[2008.10.09 19:17:03] AngelaCP: Showcase your products and make your message a highlight
[2008.10.09 19:17:11] Me: Does anybody have an opinion on falling snowflakes, blinking Holiday lights--that sort of thing? Annoying or festive?
[2008.10.09 19:17:14] AngelaCP: do not distract with music and blinking things
[2008.10.09 19:17:21] AngelaCP: my opinion of course....
[2008.10.09 19:17:37] PeggyWvB: Ang what is going on about the travel mugs?
[2008.10.09 19:17:50] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.10.09 19:17:51] twopurringcats has left the room (logged out)
[2008.10.09 19:18:00] twopurringcats has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2008.10.09 19:18:10] AngelaCP: We're having some manufacturing errors on those...no news. No promise it will be back in time for the holidays :( I haven't announced an update yet because we're still waiting to hear.
[2008.10.09 19:18:22] PeggyWvB: Don't distract your customer from the desired objective- making a purchase!
[2008.10.09 19:18:31] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.10.09 19:18:38] Gandalf Parker: if you want to go upscale with flash and music and videos then the best bet is to create a website, with a domain. Then the shop becomes one of the links at that domain. This frees you up to do whatever you want, and frees CP up from their servers trying to do everything above and beyond shops.
[2008.10.09 19:18:43] Shopaholic Chick: falling snowflakes blonking lights and music can cause peoples computers to lag - and turn off the non-christmas shopers
[2008.10.09 19:18:47] Jaenne: This is the first year I am foing any real Christmas designs. Do Christmas-themed items sell better in October and November than they do in December?
[2008.10.09 19:18:55] AngelaCP: I think it depends
[2008.10.09 19:19:13] AngelaCP: Holiday designs do better on products such as ornaments, cards, stickers, tiles, pillows
[2008.10.09 19:19:28] AngelaCP: they do sell on apparel - but more for home/decorative items
[2008.10.09 19:19:44] Gandalf Parker: I think the economy will have people shopping early to try and find the best items in their new price range
[2008.10.09 19:19:53] AngelaCP: that may be the case
[2008.10.09 19:20:00] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.10.09 19:20:19] Shopaholic Chick: jaenne I have been selling them since august
[2008.10.09 19:20:32] AngelaCP: It's a good transition to talk about Shop Organization. Group your merchandise so it's easy for your shoppers to find gifts. Think groupings by gift recipient or theme. Here are some ideas to help you get started:
[2008.10.09 19:20:43] Linda: I sold a holiday ornament the other day
[2008.10.09 19:20:56] AngelaCP: • Gift Recipients such as: Gifts for Her, Gifts for Him, Gifts for Kids & baby
[2008.10.09 19:21:10] AngelaCP: Organizing by recipient is the best way to help shoppers find what they want as they tend to shop by person. When your products are organized this way, you can also take advantage of SEO by including top keywords in the section and section intro.
[2008.10.09 19:21:37] AngelaCP: • Holiday Decorations such as Ornaments, Tile Frames, Yard Signs, Pillows, Buttons, and Magnets
[2008.10.09 19:21:57] AngelaCP: What a great way to help your customers kick the Holiday off with all the trimmings. In the beginning of the Holiday season, start with gift sections for recipient and a section for Holiday Decorations.
[2008.10.09 19:22:21] PeggyWvB: Can that be added to the dropdown menue in the sidebar pls?
[2008.10.09 19:22:42] AngelaCP: Not the product drop down - but you can make a top nav using the code
[2008.10.09 19:22:59] AngelaCP: I have seen SKs do it... if anyone here wants to share their shop, please post a link
[2008.10.09 19:23:10] PeggyWvB: how?
[2008.10.09 19:23:12] AngelaCP: anyone?
[2008.10.09 19:23:21] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.10.09 19:23:24] Shopaholic Chick: peggy you can use http://blogacow.com/CPCreateAPage/home2-beta.php
[2008.10.09 19:23:40] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.10.09 19:23:43] Shopaholic Chick: it will let you create a mirror basically of any page on your shop....
[2008.10.09 19:23:45] PeggyWvB: thanks Shop!!!
[2008.10.09 19:23:51] AngelaCP: I have seen shops that uses on the top nav: drop downs for "kids apparel" "gifts for him",etc and when you mouse over the tab, there's a list of products categorized
[2008.10.09 19:23:57] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.10.09 19:24:00] Shopaholic Chick: peggy PM me if you get stuck ill help you out with it
[2008.10.09 19:24:07] AngelaCP: • Greeting/Note Cards section and organize by the theme such as Merry Christmas, Holiday, Hanukkah, Happy New Year... to name a few
[2008.10.09 19:24:18] AngelaCP: • Create a “Gifts under $10” section or “Stocking Stuffers” such as Buttons, Stickers and Magnets
[2008.10.09 19:25:56] AngelaCP: shop organization is really important - think of it in terms of a brick and mortar store. If nothing was organized in a way that's easy for you to shop, would you continue?
[2008.10.09 19:26:13] AngelaCP: what's the experience at walmart vs target?
[2008.10.09 19:26:47] AngelaCP: There's a difference... even though it's subtle, I think most people have a better shopping experience at Target
[2008.10.09 19:26:52] Linda: what about flea markets and antique stores? some people like to rummage in them
[2008.10.09 19:27:25] AngelaCP: that's different because they are rummaging knowing they might find a gem
[2008.10.09 19:27:56] Jaenne: I think people appreciate organization more online than in real life. Disorganized sites frustrate the heck out of me.
[2008.10.09 19:28:18] AngelaCP: the take away is to organize your shop so your customers can immediately find what they are looking for, and see products for other gift recipients they may not have planned to buy in your shop but will now buy
[2008.10.09 19:28:57] BrittaCP: Exactly Jaenne... it can be just as frustrating a s disorganized brick and mortar shop... where the kids clothes are mixed up with the women's sweates
[2008.10.09 19:29:13] AngelaCP: Marshalls, TJ Maxx, Ross -- ;)
[2008.10.09 19:29:26] chm has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2008.10.09 19:29:43] Blipfishimus Maximus has left the room (logged out)
[2008.10.09 19:29:46] Gandalf Parker: try to hit the "perfect fit" crowd. Use many key words that people might use to find the perfect gift. Perfect subject, perfect thoiught, favorite color, favorite animal, etc. Offer them in variations of the words. 12 of the same design do not have to have 12 of the same description.
[2008.10.09 19:29:59] AngelaCP: a part of shop organization is visual....
[2008.10.09 19:30:06] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.10.09 19:30:14] Shopaholic Chick: it is also important to make your section buttons clear & say what is in the section, do not count on shopkeepers to read the tiny text underneath - shoppers like big easy to see pictures - even though the section name and teaser is important for search engines
[2008.10.09 19:30:32] BrittaCP: we'll touch on section buttons in a second
[2008.10.09 19:30:37] AngelaCP: Make sure your section thumbnails really show case your design or product if that’s how you organize. Your customers want to immediately know where they’re going, and click on it. That’s why you want to stimulate them with nice big thumbnails.
[2008.10.09 19:30:52] AngelaCP: Here’s an example of good vs. bad.
[2008.10.09 19:30:57] BrittaCP sent a picture:
[2008.10.09 19:31:02] BrittaCP: ooops
[2008.10.09 19:31:09] BrittaCP: wrong screen shot
[2008.10.09 19:31:23] BrittaCP sent a picture:
[2008.10.09 19:31:28] BrittaCP: there we go
[2008.10.09 19:31:53] BrittaCP: this screenshot looks a little bigger than it would in a live shop
[2008.10.09 19:32:05] BrittaCP: it's enlarged to show you the example
[2008.10.09 19:32:31] AngelaCP: and the image Britta has is more visual -- but imagine if the design was text or something less visible.
[2008.10.09 19:32:49] AngelaCP: Notice on the product collague, you can’t really see the image, you read it’s something about Ice Cream & Chocolate, but I can’t really see what’s happening with it. But there are some shirts in there.
[2008.10.09 19:33:04] AngelaCP: In the second one with just the design, I can see what Ice Cream & Chocolate is all about, giggle over it, click and buy. The information is all right there and enticing.
[2008.10.09 19:33:37] AngelaCP: We’ve recommended that you organize by design in the past, and personally I still prefer this method for this very reason.
[2008.10.09 19:33:38] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.10.09 19:34:09] AngelaCP: However some Shopkeepers do the product collage or other method because it makes sense in their shop (perhaps you have a lot of products organized by recipient).
[2008.10.09 19:35:03] AngelaCP: The key take away though, is make sure that your TN immediately tells the story of what’s inside by keeping it large enough to quickly recognize.
[2008.10.09 19:35:46] Shopaholic Chick: angela i find for sections that contain design subsections it is good to add the words like on www.cafeprss.com/sportygirls
[2008.10.09 19:36:19] AngelaCP: oops
[2008.10.09 19:36:27] AngelaCP: you had a typo in the URL
[2008.10.09 19:36:40] AngelaCP: it's www.cafepress.com/sportygirls
[2008.10.09 19:36:51] Me: When making special sections (him, her, sale etc) for Holiday shoppers, should we move items from their home section, or have the same product in two sections?
[2008.10.09 19:37:45] AngelaCP: i believe you can duplicate your section
[2008.10.09 19:38:02] AngelaCP: there are severals you can do this
[2008.10.09 19:38:07] BrittaCP: or duplcate your products and add to the special section
[2008.10.09 19:38:07] AngelaCP: let's hear from the crowd...
[2008.10.09 19:38:15] AngelaCP: what do you normally do when you create a gift section
[2008.10.09 19:38:28] AngelaCP: i know some will have duplicate products by duplicating a section
[2008.10.09 19:39:04] lakeeffects: I've imported an item into a new shop; you have to watch for changes though because they won't automatically flow with the imports.
[2008.10.09 19:39:27] lakeeffects: oops, new section, not shop
[2008.10.09 19:39:39] AngelaCP: Correct
[2008.10.09 19:39:54] AngelaCP: if you duplicate a section, you then delete products you don't want in the gift section
[2008.10.09 19:40:02] AngelaCP: it's just an easier way to do it
[2008.10.09 19:40:05] foxvox: Also, moving items out of sections might be bad for affiliates who have linked to that section, so I'd recommend duplicating them as well.
[2008.10.09 19:40:05] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.10.09 19:40:10] Shopaholic Chick: i make a section then use add products and just select a few - or i make the gifts sections on my off cafepress websites colecting several designs together
[2008.10.09 19:40:18] AngelaCP: Correct
[2008.10.09 19:40:33] AngelaCP: Select your best looking designs and select a few
[2008.10.09 19:40:37] AngelaCP: don't add all your designs in it
[2008.10.09 19:41:01] AngelaCP: the purpose of gift sections is to limit the selection to make it easier for shoppers to find a gift
[2008.10.09 19:41:16] AngelaCP: sometimes too much of a selection can be overwhelming
[2008.10.09 19:41:20] Bacon has left the room (logged out)
[2008.10.09 19:41:24] Jaenne: I am in my yearly process of checking through and updating old designs in my shop, verifying SEO on my designs and deleting out deadwood. Do have any other recommendations for this time of year?
[2008.10.09 19:41:34] AngelaCP: if they want to see more, you have the rest of your shop for them to browse through
[2008.10.09 19:42:54] BrittaCP: I would say... definitley hide your old holiday items... like St. Patricks Day or 4th of July
[2008.10.09 19:43:04] AngelaCP: I recommend organizing your sections with popular products on top
[2008.10.09 19:43:14] AngelaCP: such as t-shirts and sweatshirts
[2008.10.09 19:43:17] Message sent to moderator(s)
[2008.10.09 19:43:22] AngelaCP: move the tanktops down
[2008.10.09 19:43:31] Shopaholic Chick: jaenne be carefule delete dead ones - i have ones that will sell that have been there for 2 years and never sold before - before you delete try changing your descriptions & tags to see if it hlps first
[2008.10.09 19:43:31] BrittaCP: Som epoepl like to keep it year round... but if you're trying to "clean up" don't be scared to hide it
[2008.10.09 19:43:48] AngelaCP: correct, you can hide them
[2008.10.09 19:43:53] Kate@LittleLizzyLou: I sell St. Patrick's Day stuff all year round though. I'd be nervous to hide them
[2008.10.09 19:44:12] BrittaCP: again... it depends on what your shop niche and attention is
[2008.10.09 19:44:20] AngelaCP: What you can do if you like is to have a small section at the bottom of the page called "other holidays"
[2008.10.09 19:44:37] BrittaCP: Personally, the way I see it is if Target can put away thier Halloween items, so can I
[2008.10.09 19:44:44] BrittaCP: but that's me
[2008.10.09 19:44:49] AngelaCP: make it small so it doesn't distract from your shop... but it's still there should anyone run across it
[2008.10.09 19:45:12] AngelaCP: wow, time flies... it's already 4:45
[2008.10.09 19:45:24] AngelaCP: let me quickly recap while britta opens up the lobby for you guys to keep chatting
[2008.10.09 19:45:46] Heni: You can always create a new hidden section and move old holiday sections inside it 'unhidden'. That way they won't appear in your shopfront, but will still appear in marketplace search.
[2008.10.09 19:45:47] AngelaCP: we'll be opening up a Holiday Prep Forum so SKs can share tips and experiences
[2008.10.09 19:45:58] AngelaCP: first thing on your list is to work on your shop front
[2008.10.09 19:46:17] Karen has left the room (logged out)
[2008.10.09 19:46:25] AngelaCP: be sure to optimize your shop for SEO - shop front is the place to do it but dont' skip in other pages either....
[2008.10.09 19:46:38] AngelaCP: Organize your shop so it's easy for your visitors to navigate
[2008.10.09 19:46:49] AngelaCP: present gifting centers so it's easy to find
[2008.10.09 19:47:13] AngelaCP: early in the season --- meaning NOW --- show case holiday decorative items such as ornaments, cards, pillows, etc
[2008.10.09 19:47:16] AngelaCP: yard signs!
[2008.10.09 19:47:19] Photo Girl has entered the room "CafePress Chat Room"
[2008.10.09 19:47:38] AngelaCP: Keep your products visible - see screen shots
[2008.10.09 19:47:41] AngelaCP: KISS
[2008.10.09 19:47:52] AngelaCP: Keep it simple silly
[2008.10.09 19:48:06] AngelaCP: Thanks everyone
[2008.10.09 19:48:11] BrittaCP: lobby is open
[2008.10.09 19:48:19] AngelaCP: hope you guys get busy prepping your shops this holiday season
[2008.10.09 19:48:31] Tropicando: have a nice commute
[2008.10.09 19:48:32] AngelaCP: wishing you many donots
[2008.10.09 19:48:38] DDKnight has left the room
[2008.10.09 19:48:39] BrittaCP: g'nite!
[2008.10.09 19:48:43] AngelaCP: thanks everyone~
[2008.10.09 19:48:46] foxvox: Thanks Angela & Britta! :)
[2008.10.09 19:49:11] Me has left the room (logged out)
[2008.10.09 19:49:12] BrittaCP has left the room (logged out)
[2008.10.09 19:49:16] Linda has left the room (logged out)
[2008.10.09 19:49:23] Kari has left the room (logged out)