Template tips for easily customizable designs

Wondering how to make the most of all of the customization options that Zazzle designs have to offer? Here are our best tips for creating tip-top templates that will give your customers the most options for personalizing their purchases.

1. Make your text or image elements template object

When creating a design, you can make the most of your customer’s personalization experience by already marking each customizable image or text layer as a template in our design tool. By making template objects, you’re making it even easier for your customer to make your design their own! On your product page, each design element that your customer can edit will be immediately visible, without having to click on the “Customize it” button.

You can make a design element (a text layer or image layer) a template object with these easy steps:

• Select the text field or image you would like to make a template
• Click on the gear icon

• Check the box “Make this a template object”

• Enter the product page label. This will be the name of the field that the customer sees when they are on your product’s page. For example, you might enter “Bride’s name” for the product page label if you are marking the text area where your customer will enter the bride’s name on a wedding invitation.

• Name the URL parameter. Make sure this is an entirely unique name, as having duplicate URL parameter names will cause errors in customizing!
• Make sure that the box for “Allow editing on product page” is checked

2. Allow as many template fields as possible

Now that you know how to make a design element a template object, you can start thinking even more about how this feature can help your customers create their perfect product. Maybe one customer loves the default message on your product, but isn’t as in love with the border design. Another customer might think the border is perfect, but would rather change the message to their own words. Making more design elements into template objects means even more opportunities for the perfect personalization of your product for your customer.

3. Be generic in your design but specific in your title, description and tags

This is a particularly handy tip for products with themes which include a year, such as holiday greetings . For a holiday card for this year, make sure you use the actual year “2014″ in your product’s title, description, and tags so that customers can easily find your current design.

In the design itself, mark your text field for the year as a template object and use the template text “20XX”. Your customer will be able to enter in the appropriate year during their customization, and you will have a design that won’t be outdated for next year! When 2015 rolls around, all you’ll need to do is update your title, description, and tags without having to publish an entirely new design.

4. Variety is key

The holidays can mean many different things to many different people! Offering a wide range of designs, styles, and messages will help your customers find just what they’re looking for. Try themes like Christmas, general holidays, winter, Hanukkah or New Year’s and styles like photo templates, monogram and family name templates, or patterns.

5. Don’t forget matching products

A perfectly customizable product needs perfectly customizable accessories! If you’re making a card or invitation, don’t forget to create matching products to go with it such as stamps, labels, stickers, envelopes, and more.