Niche Gift Shop vs a General Shop
Ranked #3,542 in Internet, #198,471 overall
Here is What I Think
Niche Zazzle Shop vs General Shop
Now that I am more familiar with niche marketing, I would have started a niche Zazzle print on demand shop from the very beginning for all my different design ideas. In a niche site, you know that the customer is looking to buy a particular item. If the site is too general, they may be sight seeing.
A niche gift shop that offers customize online shopping experience narrows down a smaller customer base. However, they are more interested in what you are offering. A niche-marketing site is easier to find within the Google search engine.
This theory applies to every type on online gift shop, though Zazzle is the site I will be referring to throughout this article. Sandy Mertens on Amazon
Intro photo is Finding a Niche T-shirt by Sandyspider Make a purchase off these links.
What is Niche Marketing?
Read the Book
Look inside this book before you buy it on Amazon. This book takes you through the steps to become a highly successful internet marketer. Learn how to get the most out of your gift shops by turning it into a niche market.
A marketing niche defines the specific product features aimed at satisfying specific market needs. Focusing on a certain product, narrowing it down for a customer, would be your niche market.
In a customized online shop such as Zazzle, there are three types of niche stores.
- 1Specializing in one product type. Example: My Tie Shop, Funky Shoes, Funny Shirts.
- 2Focusing on one design subject: Example: Spring Flowers, Wildlife, Travel.
- 3Combination of the two, breaking it down to a smaller audience. Example: Wildflower Tees, Pop Art Mousepads, German Shepherd Posters.
Owning a General Gift Shop
Do You Know About the "D.U.M.B. Merchandise" Products or That the "For Him" Product Line Includes Gifts and Cards for Father's Day?
Find a Cure for D.U.M.B. Magnet
Silhouette of Father and Child Card
Just Dad! Dark T-shirt by Sandyspider
Starting my Zazzle shop Sandyspider Gifts in 2009, having more than one print on demand shop was the last thing on my mind. Of course, for most anyone just starting out on a custom gift shop with Zazzle, multiple shops would be the last thing on their mind too.
My shop continued to grow with many different product lines from humor, seasons, holidays, flowers, animals and so on. Often I would add a statement that Sandyspider Gifts has something for everyone. Moreover, it pretty much does. I kept asking myself if I should be starting a new shop. Should I make several niche shops? Is my shop too general?
Now that I have over 6,000 products with over 40 product lines within my general shop, often I get lost with all the designs within. If I get lost in Sandyspider Gifts, what about the customers searching through this huge gift shop?
One General Shop or Several Niche Shops
Do you agree with me that there should be several niche shops, rather than having one general shop?
Yes, each shop should have its own niche.
simplyoasis says:
That is an old niche question. Five years ago I started my niche sites and I wish then I had put more time into separating rather than generalizing. I think I'd be much happier with my results today had I done so then.
BunnyFabulous says:
Yes, it can be lots more work, but if you market them all, the niche shops would do better sales I would think.
OhMe says:
You have really mastered the Zazzle business so I will take your word for it
Norma_Budden says:
I created a general store but recently decided to create a niche store. Honestly, I'm having more enjoyment with the new one because even I become more focused when coming up with ideas to create products.
Granted, it's a lot of work to create separate niches and you can't do it all at once; you'll be overwhelmed and become bored with it. However, when you have established one store, you can work on another one and set up a goal list of what you want to accomplish in each store, and at what rate.
grandmamarilyn says:
I have decided that my shop is too general. I am going to break it up into Animals, Floral, Vintage Look and then one that has everything else. Don't know that i will break it up further than that.
imagefactory says:
I have one general shop and have been planning to make niche shops for about 6 months. I'm trying to decide how to segment - by product type or theme. Perhaps I'll try both and see how they wor out. One store is overwhelming to manage and it must be just as tough to shop a store with hundreds of pages.
TeamSTM says:
Sure, but I guess it up to How Well you want your Shop to do! :)
ariomoira says:
if a customer finds your shop while looking for a certain product and end up seeing things he/she wasn't looking for, that can be frustrating. that's how i felt while checking out my competition. i checked out their stores hoping to see products of similar style but found stuff that were completely of a different genre.
IntuitiveHealer says:
Well, actually, I agree with both of those choices. Marketing works best with a niche, but maintaining more than one marketing niche is too much work.
No way Monkey Brain, too much work. You will never get the traffic to the other shops.
jmsp206 says:
I don't Zazzle but if I did I would start off with general, several niche shops might get a bit confusing and a lot of organizing.I might want to branch out.
happynutritionist says:
I don't zazzle yet, but can't imagine making a shop for each niche...to much to manage:-)
vikksimmons says:
Well, I'm lazy so I will go for general but them's that be says niche when it comes to marketing. But marketing is the key and a niche by itself will need it to survive.
Pukeko says:
I think one main shop which gets traffic is stronger, unless you can get the traffic to each of your smaller shops.
GiftsBonanza says:
I have both and find the general shop has far more sales... easier to market, wider audience.. mind you, that is the main one I push too :)
vallain says:
with the tags on the products and the search capability on Zazzle in general and within a shop, they should be able to find what they want.
One General Shop or Several Niche Shops Continued
annmackiemiller this is for you
Too bad duels only have two options. Often I get asked if there could be more options. Decided to present this part in a poll, but you can comment your answer too.
Branching Off Into Niche Shops
Common Design Subjects
Frog in a Tea Mug by funnyjokes
Alien Warning by funnyjokes
Best Dad Sports Fun Text by AtoZunme
Shortly before Halloween 2010, I branched off with a new Zazzle shop focusing on humor and cuteness. Yes, some products are more cute than funny. For a new shop, the Funnyjokes Shop did well for the large buying months of October through December.
Spring 2011 another niche marketing store from Sandyspider emerged focusing on monograms and names. This would be ideal for special occasions, moms, dads, and just seeing your name on a t-shirt. Atozunme Gifts. Still new, it has yet to find traffic.
Decorative Light Switch Plates on Amazon
Specializing in One Type of Product
This is a snapshot of some favorite items in my A-Store Decorative Light Switch Plates. These you will find on Amazon. The A-Store was complete with light switch plates until more products for Sandy Mertens were added on 3Drose.
A-Stores are Amazon shops that you can set up with your affiliate account. These are idea for setting up Niche shops. In my case it is also a nice way to organize light switch plates sold under my name on Amazon.
Creating an A-Store with a wide variety of general products would not have the same impact as a niche shop. It would make it harder for the search engines to find it. However, finding an A-Store in the search engines can be hard to find.
Amazon A-Store
No A-Store
Sandy Mertens on Amazon
Is This General or a Niche?
Ways to Get Traffic to Your Shop
A-Store | Zazzle | 3Drose | Other Gift Shops
The drawback with an A-Store is how do you get traffic there?
There is no real place to add keywords to your shop. Amazon does however give you a code to place on your website to show your A-Store. Then you can add keywords to your webpage. Blogging and writing about it in articles would be the other ways.
Below, help me out with ways to get traffic to niche and general shops by listing out your ideas. You may add your name afterwards. Example: Blog about your shop (sandyspider). HTMLs will be deleted or modified by me.
I will start these out but not add (sandyspider) afterward. But you go ahead and pat yourself on the back.
1
Blog about your shop.
2 points
2
Write general articles about your shop.
1 point
3
Find ways to add backlinks.
1 point
4
Set up a Facebook Fan Page and cultivate a following.
1 point
5
Write niche articles about your shop.
0 points
6
Brag about it on Facebook and other social networks.
0 points
7
Tweet about your shop each time you add something new (grandmamarilyn)
0 points
8
Promote best selling products/authors. They are bound to have a following. Norma_Budden
0 points
Find a Niche Business on eBay
Bid Now
Niche Articles for a Zazzle Shop
Great Gifts and Cards
Niche Gifts Found in Amazon Articles
Find These on 3Drose under Sandy Mertens
Attention Amazon Affiliates
Win-Win Fun
Consider adding products listed under Sandy Mertens
Add these to your site for link exchange outside of Squidoo. Click on images to go to shops. As an affiliate make 15% on sales from your blog, lens and website.
Zazzle for Niche Articles
Located in the sidebar are groups of Zazzle products which can be included in a niche article. Use my products in your articles anytime.
(Click on to view and make a purchase.)
Rocketmoms Spring Session Week 6 Help Me Decide
Read the other debate articles from the complication lens below
Are you into Niche Marketing Your Shops?
Thanks for the thumbs up, sharing with your friends and comment
Note: This is open to even non-Squidooers to leave a comment. But if you are interested in joining Squidoo you can Join Squidoo here!
Subscribe to get notifications of my lens updates by email.
Note: This updates you on ALL my lenses, not just this one!
-
-
BarbRad May 17, 2011 @ 1:41 am | delete
- Great topic. thanks for writing it.
-
-
-
terrapin719
May 17, 2011 @ 1:21 am | delete
- congrats on the purple star! :)
-
-
-
WindyWinters
May 16, 2011 @ 4:47 pm | delete
- Congratulations on your Purple Star!
-
-
-
sukkran May 14, 2011 @ 10:47 am | delete
- congrats for the purple.
-
-
-
BunnyFabulous
May 11, 2011 @ 8:29 pm | delete
- Nice lens, and congrats on the purple star!
-
-
-
TapIn2U May 11, 2011 @ 7:12 am | delete
- Interesting topic to put on a lens. I'd say one niche for one shop so people don't get confused and easier to drive traffic. Fantastic lens! Sundae ;-)
-
-
-
OhMe May 11, 2011 @ 2:31 am | delete
- Oh, and congratulations on your well deserved purple star
-
-
-
- You have done so well with your Zazzle and really studied about it. I have so much to learn and need to get serious about it like you.
-
-
-
Norma_Budden
May 10, 2011 @ 11:56 pm | delete
- I'm writing more niche all the time and, because I want to write various articles, it is certainly enhancing my writing skills.
-
-
-
seashell2
May 10, 2011 @ 11:58 am | delete
- I have often wondered about doing 'niche' shops but always comes back to marketing/maintaining one store is enough for me! Interesting question, though!
-
- Load More
by sandyspider
Known as more »
- 300 featured lenses
- Winner of 34 trophies!
- Top lens » My Hubby's Way of Grilling Walleye
- This lens »
Won purple star
Explore related pages
- AtoZunme Gifts Zazzle AtoZunme Gifts Zazzle
- Funnyjokes Shop Funnyjokes Shop
- Sandyspider Gifts Zazzle Showcase Sandyspider Gifts Zazzle Showcase
- Zazzle 101 ... How to make a profit on Zazzle Zazzle 101 ... How to make a profit on Zazzle
- The Zazzle ProSellers: The Most Successful Sellers At Zazzle The Zazzle ProSellers: The Most Successful Sellers At Zazzle
- Autumn Psychedelic and Funky Posters Autumn Psychedelic and Funky Posters
Sandyspider Gifts Blog
Gift Niche Blog
Things a Product Would Say Articles
From Funnyjokes Niche Zazzle Shop
Zazzle Showcase Articles
Great Gift Ideas on These Shops
