Niche Gift Shop vs a General Shop

Zazzle is a unique online print on demand shop. You can customize your gifts with your own photos, images and text.

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 and 3Drose will be brought up as well.

Intro photo is Finding a Niche T-shirt - View it Here by Sandyspider Gifts on Zazzle.

Find All My Zazzle Shops Here!

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.

1. Specializing in one product type. Example: My Tie Shop, Funky Bags, Funny Shirts.
2. Focusing on one design subject: Example: Spring Flowers, Wildlife, Travel.
3. Combination of the two, breaking it down to a smaller audience. Example: Wildflower Tees, Pop Art Mousepads, German Shepherd Posters.

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?

Once it had reached over 6,000 products with over 40 category product lines within my general shop, often I would get lost with all the designs within. If I got lost in Sandyspider Gifts, what about the customers searching through this huge gift shop?

Do you agree with me that there should be several niche shops, rather than having one general shop?

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 Gifts 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.

Clickable link to all the Zazzle shops in the intro text on this page.

This is a snapshot of some favorite items in my aStore (or A-Store). Which is a niche site.

Decorative Light Switch Plates.

These you will find on Amazon. The aStore was complete with light switch plates until more products for Sandy Mertens were added on 3DRose. On 3DRose you need to find the designer Sandy Mertens 3/4s down each product page.

aStores are Amazon shops that you can set up with your affiliate account. These are ideal 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 aStore 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 aStore in the search engines can be hard to find.

These are other type of niche gift and business shops other than Zazzle and Amazon.

Win-Win Fun

Consider adding products listed under Sandy Mertens on Amazon to your Amazon modules, articles, blogs, websites or wherever you promote products?

Find Sandy Mertens under the individual products in 3drose.com. Search 3/4s down each individual product index pages until you find the designer pages under my name. Nearly complete list of products listed on 3DRose are: Aprons, Caps, Coasters, Coffee Gift Basket, Desk Clock, Framed Tile, Greeting Cards, Iron On Heat Transfers, Key Chains, Light Switch Covers, Mouse Pads, Mugs, Ornaments, Porcelain Plates, Quilt Squares, Sweatshirts, Napkin Holders, Pen Holders, Tiles, Tote Bags, Trivets, T-Shirts, Wall Clocks, and Water Bottles.

Add Zazzle products to your site. As an affiliate make 15% on sales from your blog, articles and website. Find all my shops under the link at the top of the page to start promoting gift products from Zazzle. Plus there may be some good buys for you too. Zazzle always has a special going on with different items.