How Artists Can Use Zazzle to Sell Art and Designs on POD Products

zazzle artists products

I have been hearing about Zazzle, a print on demand (POD) service founded in 2005, for awhile, and just only recently decided to sign up. After setting up my first shop and reviewing all the incredible features, I must say that I am very impressed. Many artists and photographers are showcasing their works here on various items, including canvas prints and posters. But, this is only the tip of the iceberg. Zazzle includes a growing list of over 350 products for artists to choose from.

The two main elements that attracted me, which is why I will be featuring some of my artwork at Zazzle.com, are the customization features of the stores themselves, and the wide variety of promo tools. Like any print on demand service, such as Redbubble, Cafepress, and Fine Art America, Zazzle allows selling prints and designs without going through the hassle of shipping to the customer, as with Etsy. The major difference with Zazzel is that there is a much greater variety of items. Many of the products, such as post cards, key chains, magnets, and buttons (with a logo or art website) are great for selling (or giving away) at art fairs and art shows as affordable promotional items.

Zazzle.com is free to join, with no monthly fees, unlimited storage of photos, and there is no limit to the number of items in a Zazzle shop.

So why not follow along and set up a Zazzle.com store right now.

Signup for Zazzle.com and Setting Up a Zazzle Store

Zazzle Signup

Go to Zazzle and click the Signin link at the top. Click the Register button on the next page and fill out the short form. You now have a Zazzle account.
Create a Zazzle store

Go to My Account, and click the orange Create a Store button. Validate your account by clicking the link in the email you receive.
Create a Store Name

The URL for your new store will be http://www.zazzle.com/STORE-NAME , where “store name” is the title created in the previous step.
Zazzle.com Shop Setup

To setup a shop, click the Manage my Store button under My Account.

Edit Settings
Enter a description and tags for your Zazzel store. Enable either Google Analytics or Statcounter for store tracking, then click Save when completed.

Content
Find this link in the left menu. Check preferred options to include in your shop.

Appearance
Choose a theme or custom design. There are 20 pre-designed templates to choose from. Select one or choose to create a custom look. Options here include changing header image, and page, text, and link colors.

Products
Add new products or create new categories of items. Each product has its own interface for adding text and images, some even including downloadable templates.

Comments
To allow comments, first enable the About page. Fill in Store Description, Inspired By, address, and artist website.

Profile Picture
Select one, which will be shown on the About page.

Social Networking
Insert links from various social networking profiles, as well as your art blog feed. There is quite a list to include: Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Linkedin, Myspace, Flickr, and RSS feed.

Zazzle Tips, Tricks, and Promotional Advice

Focus on adding your artworks when first setting up a Zazzle.com shop. Customizations to your store may be added later.
Upload a variety of artworks for easy access, since Zazzle includes unlimited storage space. Add a website url and signature to non-art products, but make sure these do not distract from the design or photograph. This way, purchased products will act as promotional items as well.
For each artwork or design, create a wide variety of products. They will have a different look, and may appeal to different people searching for a particular item.
Regularly update your page with new artworks. The more you update, and share with your network regularly, the better the chance of selling your art. Try to build interest for a particular artwork by intermittently publishing different products based on it.
Create a post about some of your Zazzle.com items and encourage your blog readers to give you a positive rating. The higher your rating, the easier your item will be found at Zazzle.
Use clear, focussed images. Check out our photographing art tips for photography advice.
Create Zazzle business cards. The cards look great for an art business and are cheaper than many competitors prices.
To earn extra from your Zazzle store, signup for a Zazzle associate account. When referring others to your store through that link, you will not only earn your regular royalties, but up to 30% more from any purchases from the shop.
Set your royalty percentage, which starts at 10%, to the desired amount. Each time someone purchases one of your prints or products, you will receive this percentage.
Zazzle promo tools

Zazzle has a variety of helpful and original promotional tools. Create a store to host at your own website with the Store Buider PHP script. Use Flash Panel for featuring store items at a website, blog, or profile. More promo tools include store link, banners, Rss link, zBar, etc. Read through the promotional guides and forums for more useful tips and tricks.