Wednesday, 3 December 2014

Comparison of Zazzle tools: PinAProd and SeeMyBest

I've been asked both directly and in a roundabout way to explain the different purposes of SeeMyBest and PinAProd tools for Zazzlers. So here's a comparison - what they're for, what they produce and their features / options.

If you're pressed for time, skip to the handy features / options comparison table at the end. And if you haven't got time for that, SeeMyBest Pro is the most fully featured and the one I recommend (it's the one I use all the time).

SeeMyBest

Dec 5th Update: SeeMyBest Pro adds html and BBCode generation both for individual products and all products together. And, hot off the press - if you have a Zazzle promo code, it can be included in all product links by putting it into the config screen.
Dec 24th update: SeeMyBest Pro gets a great new personalisation panel feature. Your generated code for websites / blogs now comes with a form for your visitor to type in their details. When they hit the update button, all products change to show what they typed. Live example here: http://razamazazzle.blogspot.co.uk/2014/12/first-test-of-new-personalization.html

In principle, SeeMyBest is for generating web sites when you don't have one. Everything is focussed towards getting visitors to it. The sharing card / generated link (shortened) give you something to put in front of people's faces to get them to visit it. When they do, they see your page of products each with those sharing / pin buttons. This is so the visitors can easily share or so they can visit your products and buy.
Here's an example of a page generated by SeeMyBest (free) showing my top 12 most popular outer space watches.
Here's a screenshot of the page that it produces:
Example page generated by SeeMyBest (free)

PinAProd2

PinAProd2 is aimed at folk who do have their own website / blog and aren't afraid to copy and paste (and maybe mess a little with) html. Here's a recent blog post I created


Blog post created with PinAProd2 (free)
Note the text under the  piccies - that comes straight
from the product page description on Zazzle




The html it generates shows your visitors one or more products on your own website / blog (no sharing / pin buttons). The images and links take your visitors to the respective product page on Zazzle.
Both allow you, while you're on the config screen, to pin / share the products that are pulled and shown on the preview screens of each.

PinAProd3 (paid for by donation) adds sharing / pin buttons to the generated html and also generates BBCode (y'know, for forums).

It also passes product name and description (which can include your tags converted to hashtags and can be trimmed to a set number of characters) to Pinterest (not possible with either Polyvore or G+) -

PinAProd2 only passes product name. SeeMyBestPro adds all sorts of options for the generated pages including a contact / profile panel and a panel of up to 3 further links to more SeeMyBestPages (that you have already created). It also lets you give a page background colour and image, and a banner image.

Side By Side Config Screen Comparison

(click to see larger images)
SeeMyBest (free)PinAProd2 (free)


Here's a complete side-by-side feature / options comparison

Updated Jan 26th 2015

SeeMyBest and PinAProd comparison
SeeMyBest
(free)
SeeMyBestPro
(donation)
PinAprod2
(free)
PinAProd3
(donation)
All product links include your referral
id, tracking code and Z promotion
code, if you set one
not promotion
code
y not promotion
code
not promotion
code
Has different tracking codes
for the different places your
links will appear
y y y y
Set the size of image used
when sharing
y y y y
Set the background colour to
product images - also supports
transparent backgrounds
y y y y
When pinning to Pinterest, includes:
product
description
product
description
product name
product name,
description
and hash tags
if option set
Generates a website without you having one y y n n
Sharing buttons included:
Pinterest Pin
Google Plus share
Polyvore share
y y
n/a n/a
Page by-line and description
y y n/a n/a
Short page description
y y n/a n/a
Generated page's link can be
shortened using Google's link
shortener at the click of a button
y y n/a n/a
Set a page background
image that repeats
n y n/a
n/a
Set page background color
n y n/a n/a
Include your banner image at
the top of the page
n y n/a n/a
Sort results by newest / most popular n y n/a n/a
Contact / profile panel - options for
email address and
Pinterest, Twitter and Facebok profiles
and your blog
n y n/a n/a
A panel to hold up to three more links
so you can link to different sections
of your generated website
n y n/a n/a
Config screen and options setting y y y y
Page / html output preview
y y y y
Generates sharing cards
(html and bbcode for forums)
y y n/a n/a
Generates html for your blog
or your own website and
BBCode for forums like Zazzle's
only for
sharing cards
y y y
Generates a Curated Zazzle Collection
n y n n
Pinterest and Polyvore
pin / share buttons
y y y y
Google Plus share button
y y n y
Wanelo share button
n n y n
Config options for pulling products from Zazzle y y y y
Can save all configurations options set
('saving' is done by bookmarking a link you are given)
y y y y
Pull from specific store
y y y y
Use search term or phrase
y y y y
Pull and sort by most popular / newest first
only Popular
y y y
Set how many to pull
y y y y
Pull from 1st, 2nd 3rd etc results pages
y y y y
Pull from a specific store category
y y y y
Pull from a specific department
(ie type of product)
y y y y
Pull from multiple departments (up to 4)
n n y y
Block items from being pulled if they
contain any of up to 3 terms or phrases
n n y y
Set size of image to use for
product thumbnail
n y y y
Include product tags as hash tags
in generated html and Pinterest pin info
n n
n y
Trim product description to length
you set (0 to remove product
description entirely)
n y n y
Remove price from generated html
n/a y n y
Generated BBCode available for
individual items or all items together
n/a saved list n/a n/a
Generated html available for
individual items or all items together
n/a saved list y y
Gather and save products from
multiple pulls from Zazzle
n/a y n n
Personalize multiple products at once
n/a y n n

I'd love to hear what you think or get your suggestions for improvement after you've used them a few times.
As usual, I'm happy to answer any questions you might have :)

comments, likes, +1s, tweets are always welcome! :)

Tuesday, 2 December 2014

Desiderata, Starry Wingtip, Small Magellanic Cloud Canvas Prints

Featured Product!

A gorgeous design. Click to customize and personalize. Maybe you'd like to see your name or initials on it?


tagged with: full desiderata, desiderata poem, noise and haste, go placidly, inspirational, wismcg, small magellanic cloud, star galaxies, outer space picture, hrfptraz wallart, wisdom, peace, verses, deep space image, galactic, deep space astronomy, starry

Inspirational Guidance series The full Desiderata by Max Ehrmann: Go placidly amidst the noise and haste... featuring a starry wingtip of the Small Magellanic Cloud where stars blaze in multi-colored glory through a veil drawn aside.
The poem has inspired young adults who are coming of age since the 1920's and is as popular today as it ever was. It's been given as a gift by loving parents, grandparents, godparents and aunts and uncles as essential life-wisdom ever since it was written.
They've found it to be one of the few ways for such wisdom to get past those raging hormones, giving support to the upcoming generation through their rebellious years and beyond...
more items with this image
more items featuring the full Desiderata
more Wall Art

image code: wismcg

Image credit: NASA/CXC/JPL-Caltech/STScI

»visit the HightonRidley store for more designs and products like this
The Zazzle Promise: We promise 100% satisfaction. If you don't absolutely love it, we'll take it back!

First Scroll, Ancient Japanese Fart Battles Mug

A gorgeous best-selling design. Click to customize or personalize. How would it look with your name or monogram on it - why not have a look-see right now?


tagged with: fart battle, farting competition, japanese art, edo period, ancient art forms, just fun, humor, laughs, funny flatulence, hrbstslr hgfrts1, humour

Just Fun series The first section of the He-Gassen Japanese art scroll created during the Edo period by an artist or artists unknown. In this section there are three competitors. Two are directing their flatulence at a poor chap in the process of preparing some steamed rice and he is bowled over by the force. The third competitor has launched a poor cat that is tumbling over and over in the gust.
more items with this image
more items in the Just Fun series

image code: hgfrts1

»visit the HightonRidley store for more designs and products like this

Cute ponies for the bedroom and school

Connemara Pony Stretched Canvas PrintsI Love My Pony! Cute Equestrian Sleeves For iPadsBrown Pony Courier Bags

Cute ponies for the bedroom and school

If you know a boy or girl who loves ponies then here's a collection that should give you some gift ideas.
Any boy or girl will love them - some for bedroom and some for school. Which of these would be best?

Click the image for more details and to buy. You'll also see more designs from the artist there.

Cute and Playful Puppy or Dog Table Lamp

Cute Alert!

How can you resist this cute puppy design? Maybe you'd like to see your name or initials on it? Click to customize and personalize...


tagged with: dog, pup, puppy, playful, colorful, cute, modern, kids, children, child, kid, doghouse, dog house

This adorable design features a dog sitting next to his dog house in a bright and fun outdoor scene! Find this design on multiple products in the Kids and Baby section AND electronic section of our shop. http://www.zazzle.com/cranberrydesign

»visit the cranberrydesign store for more designs and products like this
The Zazzle Promise: We promise 100% satisfaction. If you don't absolutely love it, we'll take it back!

Is it Time to Burn Feedburner? There are Alternatives

Blogging with purpose

original post »

This is a guest contribution from Steve Williams of feedburner-alternatives.com

To build up a readership it’s crucial to offer your visitors to subscribe to your blog, so they get updated every time you publish a new post. The two most important channels are email and RSS. Social media, despite the hype, is only second priority in terms of effectiveness.

Several services exist which help you to offer easy RSS & Email subscription options, ranging from RSS subscription facilitators (turning your RSS feed into a nice-to-look-at subscription screen which anyone can understand), RSS2Email as well as classic Email marketing services.

Feedburner: The top dog in decline

The – by far – most popular choice in the blogging community is (still) Feedburner. Feedburner offers solutions for both RSS and Email. And the best of it: it’s 100% free.

However, since Google bought Feedburner in 2007, it never got further developed. Several features got shut down, such as the monetization tool Adsense for feeds as well as the Feedburner API.

And it’s getting worse: more and more bloggers notice that Feedburner’s email delivery is not working reliably anymore. And as there has been no Google support to solve the issue many bloggers have given up on Feedburner.

However: which alternative services could take Feedburner’s spot?

The Feedburner alternatives

The essence of our research: there’s not one solution for all. It all depends on what your needs are.

Switching from FeedBurner Decision Tree Infographic

Credit to feedburner-alternatives.com

Feedburner is not working anymore, and it’s time to do the switch.
If you used Feedburner to handle your RSS feeds, Feedblitz (inexpensive) and Feedpress (slightly more expensive, but more features) are the way to go.
If you also used Feedburner to update your readers by email, then Feedblitz is the first choice which offers the most advanced solutions for both RSS and email (however, they charge quite a bit).
If you want to spice up your email newsletter a bit more, it may be worth to switch to the services which focus on those, i.e. either Mailchimp or Aweber. For the RSS-part you can then use Feedblitz or Feedpress.
Are you already using one of those alternatives? Let us know in the comments!

Steve Williams initiated www.feedburner-alternatives.com, reacting to the increasing frustration with Feedburner and the time-consuming process to find an alternative. Contact him on his page with suggestions on how to further improve the overview.

Originally at: Blog Tips at ProBlogger
Build a Better Blog in 31 Days

Is it Time to Burn Feedburner? There are Alternatives

Build a Better Blog in 31 Days

Is it Time to Burn Feedburner? There are Alternatives
 #bloggingtips 

Monday, 1 December 2014

Monograms on rich decorative frame for Couple Food Trays

Featured Product!

A gorgeous design. Click to customize and personalize. Maybe you'd like to see your name or initials on it?


tagged with: elegance, rdf1, monogram initials, couples initials, rich reds, elegant monograms, golden browns, decorative frame, swirly style, hrfptraz

Elegance series A gorgeous and elegant design made to hold a couple's or individual's monogram initials. The frame is decorative and contrast beautifully with the background that's rendered in deep, rich reds and golden browns. Perfect for the newly engaged or married or just as personal statement to enrich the home.
more items with this image
more items in the Elegance series

image code: rdf1

»visit the HightonRidley store for more designs and products like this
The Zazzle Promise: We promise 100% satisfaction. If you don't absolutely love it, we'll take it back!

Desiderata quote - Tarantula Nebula star formation Poster

A gorgeous best-selling design. Click to customize or personalize. How would it look with your name or monogram on it - why not have a look-see right now?


tagged with: noise and haste, full desiderata, inspirational poem, tarantula nebula, massive stars, peace and wisdom, star galaxies, outer space astronomy, desiderata quote, hrbstslr tarnebes wallart, supernovae, guidance verses, youngest stars, placidly, r136

A quote from Desiderata by Max Ehrmann: And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should... to go with this amazing image from deep space. The Tarantula is situated 170,000 light-years away in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) in the Southern sky and is clearly visible to the eye as a large milky patch.
more items with this image
items featuring the full Desiderata

image code: tarnebes

Image credit: This mosaic of the Tarantula Nebula consists of images from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope's Wide Field and Planetary Camera 2 (WFPC2) and was created by 23 year old amateur astronomer Danny LaCrue.

»visit the HightonRidley store for more designs and products like this

cute black and brown puppy with christmas stocking chocolate dipped oreo

Cute Alert!

How can you resist this cute puppy design? Maybe you'd like to see your name or initials on it? Click to customize and personalize...


tagged with: cute christmas puppy, cute animals, puppies, black and brown puppy, puppy with christmas stocking, cute christmas dogs, christmas cookie with puppy picture, cute baby animals, puppy with red santa hat, cute brown puppy, cute puppy illustration, cute christmas puppy cookie, christmas stocking, cute dogs, red and green christmas stocking, holly sprig, santa hat, christmas dogs, christmas paintings, cute animal pictures, puppy pictures, cute christmas pictures, dog painting, cute christmas cookies, christmas puppy images

The cute puppy on this customizable christmas cookie is looking very festive wearing his red santa hat with a sprig of holly in it. The little brown and black puppy dog is holding his red and green stripy Christmas stocking in his mouth as he eagerly awaits a visit from Santa Claus to fill his stocking with lots of gifts and other doggy treats. He looks very special on this original christmas cookie. The cute little puppy design really stands out on this tsty cookie. You can personalize this delicious christmas cookie by adding your own text if you wish to do so.

»visit the artoriginals store for more designs and products like this
The Zazzle Promise: We promise 100% satisfaction. If you don't absolutely love it, we'll take it back!

Rest Stop Ahead - Sleeping With The Stars

This is an example post made with PinAProd3

The only things I've typed are these first couple of paragraphs and the post titles.
What better way to help you drift off to the land of nod than resting your head amongst the stars? Which one of these will help you drift off? Are you more a galaxy person or do lean more towards nebulae?

Orion Nebula and Trapezium Stars Body PillowOrion Nebula and Trapezium Stars Body Pillow
Galaxies, Stars and Nebulae series A gorgeous picture from the deep universe featuring the...
Monogram Barred Spiral Galaxy NGC 1672 PillowsMonogram Barred Spiral Galaxy NGC 1672 Pillows
Galaxies, Stars and Nebulae series This NASA Hubble Space Telescope view of the nearby bar...
The Swan, Star Birth in Constellation Cygnus Throw PillowThe Swan, Star Birth in Constellation Cygnus Throw Pillow
Galaxies, Stars and Nebulae series A gorgeous star forming region in Constellation Cygnus ...
Monogram Barred Spiral Galaxy NGC 1672 PillowMonogram Barred Spiral Galaxy NGC 1672 Pillow
Galaxies, Stars and Nebulae series This NASA Hubble Space Telescope view of the nearby bar...
Monogram Carina Nebula Pillars of Creation PillowMonogram Carina Nebula Pillars of Creation Pillow
Galaxies, Stars and Nebulae series A beautiful space photograph featuring the 7500 light y...
Orion Nebula and Trapezium Stars PillowsOrion Nebula and Trapezium Stars Pillows
Galaxies, Stars and Nebulae series A gorgeous picture from the deep universe featuring the...
Monogram, M106 Spiral Galaxy, Canes Venatici PillowsMonogram, M106 Spiral Galaxy, Canes Venatici Pillows
Galaxies, Stars and Nebulae series Messier 106 (also known as NGC 4258) is a spiral galaxy...
Monogram, M106 Spiral Galaxy, Canes Venatici Throw PillowMonogram, M106 Spiral Galaxy, Canes Venatici Throw Pillow
Galaxies, Stars and Nebulae series Messier 106 (also known as NGC 4258) is a spiral galaxy...
Enlarged Region of The Omega Nebula PillowsEnlarged Region of The Omega Nebula Pillows
Galaxies, Stars and Nebulae series Like the fury of a raging sea, this bubbly ocean of glo...
Monogram, Witch Head Nebula deep space image Throw PillowMonogram, Witch Head Nebula deep space image Throw Pillow
Galaxies, Stars and Nebulae series A witch appears to be screaming out into space in this ...
Monogram Brightest Supernova Ever space picture PillowMonogram Brightest Supernova Ever space picture Pillow
Galaxies, Stars and Nebulae series Just over a thousand years ago, the stellar explosion k...
Monogram Brightest Supernova Ever space picture Throw PillowsMonogram Brightest Supernova Ever space picture Throw Pillows
Galaxies, Stars and Nebulae series Just over a thousand years ago, the stellar explosion k...