[DMonkey]

OK don't get me wrong, I love the freedom at cafepress. just one problem...maybe too much freedom? ;-) I started with cartoony type designs, then felt I was getting too 'cute', re-did a few basics to a more 'arty' graphic look...still not getting it, now I'm trying text and graphic, maybe too subtle. To compund my confusion I recently opened a premium store, to go with my website, which I've had for a long time, but doesn't get much traffic, now the designs in there do go with my website, but I can't seem to jive with what I percieve (dimly) to be the cafepress market. Now I don't know what to do, I'm too scattered and think I should dump a few basics and start again and what of the premium, should I put maybe more popular type designs, text humor maybe with drawing or just leave that to go with the website. Sorry this is a bit long winded, guess I'm trying to figure out what direction to go and everyday I'm questioning what I've already done. Hope I'm making some sense, anyone have any advice, or a life raft maybe? lol

Marie

 

[foxvox]

I don't see anything wrong with having more than one shop, basic AND premium. If you want a shop to go with your website, keep it! Etc. Do you think there's any one particular focus in all your ideas that you feel is the strongest?


Kristen

 

[DMonkey]

Hi Kristen You ask about a particular focus, no, my stuff is coming out all differant. I agree on having basics and a premium, but I'm getting so many basics now that I feel like I don't know what I'm doing? I think I need to take time to think it through, maybe change some of the designs, some of the problem is that I've 'themed' the premium so unless I change that, that I'm going to have alot of basic stores and not much in the premium.


Marie

 

[foxvox]

You might consider something like cpshop (http://marty.net/go2/site/view/marty/101) that allows you to host your cafepress shops, whether premium or basic, on your own domain. So, you could keep your premium shop themed as it is now, and then, you could create a basic shop for whatever you wanted, and THEN, you can link up all of those basic shops into one really eclectic shop through the cpshop script - they'd still be free, but would look cohesive to a buyer?

Anyway, cp shop is a good script to check out in any case. BTW, I do feel your pain! I feel like my own premium shop is a bit overcrowded right now, at least in terms of diversity. Ahhhh, well.


Kristen

 

[DMonkey]

Thanks Kristen, I've saved the link for now, my site isn't on a domain yet, although I have done a sort of 'sample shop' on my site just in composer, but gave that up because I can't get much diversity on one page without looking really tacky. ;-) I've made a few more basics for designs that don't fit on my premium. (good grief) I think I'll just have to wait until I can afford get a second premium for 'those other designs' and leave the "art" on the premium connected to my site, which is on a free horror/halloween specific server.

Marie

 

[DMonkey]

Just made a 'discovery' of sorts...yea, stringing basics together. I knew about that but having read the warning that the shops could get "too big", I thought they might fill up a whole room or something! Doh... okay a tv sized monitor then!

Good Stuff!

 

[foxvox]

That's right - I forget that basics can do that! It wasn't so bad when they only sold like five products per basic shop - LOL!

John and I just started another store ourselves - they are all basic shops, but pulled into our own website using cpshop (I mentioned that earlier) - it's nice not having another premium shop fee this time! Stringing all of these basic shops together manually (25+ so far!) would drive me insane, I think. ;-)

(The shop is here if you want to check it out: Powered By Tshirts)

Happy 'stringing'!

Kristen

 

[Twinge]

Personally, I'm pretty surprised cafepress decided to do this whole premium account deal. (and that people pay for it). They make plenty of money without it, after all. *shrug*

 

[Adam]

I always say the best route to go is custom shop, basic or premium back end. That is a fine example by Kristen that you can achieve premium results with just basic shops.

I guess one of the factors that made CP chose to charge for the premiums is that it involves a lot more development for them, which means hiring more programmers, testers, project managers etc etc. Also much of the internet offers a free product and relies of people liking it to buy the better version. It's a proven model so cafepress used their head.