Discuss the CafePress service and features. Please note: this is not an "official" CafePress sponsored forum, it is a peer to peer community for current and future CafePress members. Visit CafePress.
I just opened my Cafepress shop this week. I've been using free online marketing tools, such as blogging and twitter to get some exposure, but to much disappointment, still have no sales.
I've read about cafepress and people have stated that upgrading to premium will likely yield instant results. I was going to wait to just get a few sales through the door first... but is it really worth it?
Maybe my idea just isn't good or too specific.
Any suggestions, thoughts, criticism or ideas would be extremely helpful and valued.
-Stan Darsh
Last edited by Rodney; March 30th, 2009 at 02:03 PM.
Reason: removed link to website as per forum rules - feel free to add it to your forum signature via the control panel
Don't get me wrong here, but what do you expect after one week? Most people start with cafepress need much longer to make the first sales.
My guess is that the search engines haven't indexed your site after one week. So the most likely way to get visitors in your shop is the cafepress marketplace.
I had a look at your shop. The first thing I noticed were the different designs. Think like your customer and look at your shop. If the customer likes the design on the "fitted t-shirt" but want to bye it on the "dark hoodie" he can't, cause its not available for the hoodie.
My suggestion is one basic shop for one design and set up the design on every product it fits on. Open a premium shop, where you have the possibility to set up more products.
But still after one week you can't expect sales. Also if you would make sales, it would be not that much. Not with one basic shop and not with a handful of designs. Cafepress might look like an easy way to make money but its still a lot of work if you want to be successful. Work on more designs, on your SEO, marketplace tags, descriptions and so on.
Read the official cafepress forums. Ask questions if you can't find the answer. Most of the answers are already there.
I highly recommend opening a premium shop. It's easier to promote a whole shop (instead of a bunch of basic shops) and much easier to edit. You have much more control of the shop appearance- which to me is important for customers. It looks more "professional". With a premium shop, you can have all of your designs in one place. Speaking of which- you need a LOT of designs to make money. If this is your only design, you'll have a hard time selling. Especially if you find someone like me that has NO IDEA what a Darsh is. I've never watched South Park so I'd just think it was a made up word....
Like someone mentioned above- a week is NO time to make a sale- even if you had a shop with 1,000's of designs. Search engines needs to find you first. You need to promote your shop and get your name "out there". I've been with CP for almost 2 years and I am just now getting regular sales daily and able to make it an "income". It takes time, patience, a lot of hard work and not only 1,000's of designs but 1,000's of designs that someone will want to buy.
Good Luck!
Another suggestion: Since you have already done the work of creating the image, post it on several shirt services like Zazzle.com. Many of these services have a free store that will not cost you anything. That way you get a wider distribution/audience for the same image.
Cheers.
Last edited by Rodney; March 30th, 2009 at 02:04 PM.
Reason: removed self promotion of member's website as per forum rules
I would suggest the same. I have posted shirts since July 08 with no advertising, (I actually forgot), then I started getting sales in February 09. Since then I have added a few shirts and bumper sticker, and I have started telling a few friends. I still haven't started a full ad blitz yet. (In fact, this is the first time I have even added it to a posting
Side note, I understand targeting a specific market, but I would consider Darsh very limited since I am not really a fan of South Park.
Last edited by Rodney; March 30th, 2009 at 02:05 PM.
Reason: removed link to website as per forum rules - please add it via your signature
Hi everyone,I like raeding all the above replies ...I just want to ask a quick Question and hope you guys dont mine. Do you guys think the base price is too much @ cafe press? Im trying to open a shop but looking at the base price just kicks me on the head. Dont get me wrong , Im still going to try But I just wanted to know if you do make some money if the mark up is only $5 compare to $19 base price in which cafe press keeps.
Maybe this is the wrong approach, but I am more or less using Zazzle as an online test market for when I finally collect acquire enough money to make my own website and print my own shirts. The little money I make, (and I do mean very little), I consider a bonus. It's a forum to get some of the many ideas in print with no overhead and minimal costs, (except for my time). In the long run, I would love to have my own T-shirt business, but Zazzle, (and possibly Cafepress and others in the future) will do for now. (Yes, I am horrible with run on sentences).
Do you guys think the base price is too much @ cafe press?
Yeah, I think the base price is a little steep but then again they have all of the overhead. Most of my mark-ups are between $6-$9 and yes, people do buy. They're not really buying the "product", they're buying the design/saying that is on the product.
I agree with brenda, the base prizes are a bit high, but on the end you don't have to worrie about, shipping, printing machines, where the products come from and so on. Most people on cafepress, just wanna design they want to do what they like most.
And the higher base prizes and the high markups whats making sometimes very high end prizes doesn't seem to drive customers away.
Upgrade to Premium? 
