Information

[MLee]

 Can I ask another question that came to mind again after Amy's post?

There are so many names and shops that seem to be abandoned by their owners. Are they ever updated or purged? It seems that it would help the designers who are still active not to have those who are not still on the list. For example, Vera Lim doesn't list ACOT as a place where she sells and her shop hasn't been updated in forever. It would be super if she did - love her work - but...

[MamaK321]

 we're listening  keep up the great suggestions everyone.

I'm compiling a list of suggestions for upgrading the digital shoppe homepage, it is helpful to know what looks good and what you think needs a change so thanks for sharing that.

Let me answer a few things...

[] the bolded names do not designate any specialty, it is only to help break up the names from looking too similar. It is pleasing to the eye but I understand the concerns that it may insinuate some are more important than others.

[] the designers that are not active with us but are still listed in the shoppe... if a designer does not request their products pulled from the shoppe, they remain listed. For example, Vici Greenelees and Anita Stergiou both retired recently and both requested their shoppes be closed. Whereas Vera Lim, Amy Bleser, Christine Nash and a few others -those designers wandered away from ACOT without closing their shoppe and their products remain active. They are still able to get sales on the products they have listed here. We've never had a policy of threatening to close an account if a designer doesn't remain active in the shoppe, that is one of the nice things about our site, designers have the freedom to come and go with as many or little product as they like.

[] the rotating featured images on the homepage are hand selected by Kristin. Most often those images will be of the most recent digital reveals or coordinate with the current holiday/season. You may even catch the digital contest winners and those spotlighted by the CT.  It would be difficult to include the individual designers own CT members because, for example, there are so many designers, they may not have constant CT members, and Kristin would have to refer to a lengthy list every time she was setting up new images. 

[] the digital team is held to similar if not the same requirements as the paper team. Their reveal subjects and schedule are different because of the type of product they work with. Digital product releases occur on a daily basis and our digital team works very hard to accommodate over 30 wonderful designers. Not many digital sites offer their designers a built in CT who not only helps promote their products both on and off site, but also maintains the forums and community activities. ACOT is truly unique.

[DiHickman]

 Holy cow what a great discussion! I have so many idea's right now! You guys are amazing!!!
I can only speak for myself but when I get on a mojo high (like now) I hardly have time to check in the forums I'd rather be creating kits etc but I hope to be participating more in the forums in the future, with challenges/freebies etc.

I agree with Kami & Randi that I too would love to see who is purchasing my designs so I could email coupons etc to them!

Just so many ideas!

[1grandma]

 I got my newsletter!  Yay!

[AmyTeets]

 we're listening  keep up the great suggestions everyone.

I'm compiling a list of suggestions for upgrading the digital shoppe homepage, it is helpful to know what looks good and what you think needs a change so thanks for sharing that.

Let me answer a few things...

[] the bolded names do not designate any specialty, it is only to help break up the names from looking too similar. It is pleasing to the eye but I understand the concerns that it may insinuate some are more important than others.

[] the designers that are not active with us but are still listed in the shoppe... if a designer does not request their products pulled from the shoppe, they remain listed. For example, Vici Greenelees and Anita Stergiou both retired recently and both requested their shoppes be closed. Whereas Vera Lim, Amy Bleser, Christine Nash and a few others -those designers wandered away from ACOT without closing their shoppe and their products remain active. They are still able to get sales on the products they have listed here. We've never had a policy of threatening to close an account if a designer doesn't remain active in the shoppe, that is one of the nice things about our site, designers have the freedom to come and go with as many or little product as they like.

[] the rotating featured images on the homepage are hand selected by Kristin. Most often those images will be of the most recent digital reveals or coordinate with the current holiday/season. You may even catch the digital contest winners and those spotlighted by the CT.  It would be difficult to include the individual designers own CT members because, for example, there are so many designers, they may not have constant CT members, and Kristin would have to refer to a lengthy list every time she was setting up new images. 

[] the digital team is held to similar if not the same requirements as the paper team. Their reveal subjects and schedule are different because of the type of product they work with. Digital product releases occur on a daily basis and our digital team works very hard to accommodate over 30 wonderful designers. Not many digital sites offer their designers a built in CT who not only helps promote their products both on and off site, but also maintains the forums and community activities. ACOT is truly unique.

Thanks!  That answered a lot!

[RandiOh]

 Thank you KristiAnne! that really helped a ton

wow, this thread is FANTASTIC -- yay!! ACOT digiland is going to thrive wahoo!

[-Kami-]

WOW!! Changes are a happening!! Wooo hooo!!

Points are now being given for posting in the digi forum, the designer's names are now different colors and not cut off, the home page is different. And a few of us designers are and will be soon hosting some fun challenges with prizes being given away!!!!!

THANK YOU ACOT for listening and supporting us!! That's why we love it here.

[Jeanne Marie's Scraps]

WOW!! Changes are a happening!! Wooo hooo!!

Points are now being given for posting in the digi forum, the designer's names are now different colors and not cut off, the home page is different. And a few of us designers are and will be soon hosting some fun challenges with prizes being given away!!!!!

THANK YOU ACOT for listening and supporting us!! That's why we love it here.

and that is why ACOT ROCKS MY SOCKS!

[DaisyLou]

 Wow! Awesome response to input acot!

[Sus79]

WOW!! Changes are a happening!! Wooo hooo!!

Points are now being given for posting in the digi forum, the designer's names are now different colors and not cut off, the home page is different. And a few of us designers are and will be soon hosting some fun challenges with prizes being given away!!!!!

THANK YOU ACOT for listening and supporting us!! That's why we love it here.

That is so freaking cool. Thank you Acot, and thank you Designers, for wanting the change and supporting it, I love you all

[writerlady]

 THIS is why I'm here every day!!!  ACOT ROCKS!

[Keling]

 WOW!!!  I have to say that there have been some real eye openers in the posts.

I think ACOT needs to do more to promote the digi side for the sake of their designers.  Suggestions have been made as far as giving the digi store more prominence on the home page and in the tabs.  That definitely needs to be done.

ACOT sponsored the new designer contest at tonoodle.com.  All you had to do to enter was submit a kit preview. There were only 12 entries.  FaithSisters is also sponsoring a designer contest that started at roughly the same time.  Their contest calls for the designer wannabes to design a kit around a certain theme and goes through multiple rounds.  The entire kit has to be submitted for a free download for voting.  A lot more work, yet they got 23 entries.  Makes you wonder if (1) that many more people heard about their contest vs tonoodle's or (2)  ACOT's reputation is such that people would rather be digi designers at the other site then here.  Either way it is not good for ACOT.

I'm a regular at Faith Sisters, and didn't even know they were doing a designer challenge. I contemplated doing the ToNoodle one, but because I am no longer resident in the US, even though I am a citizen, I was excluded. That was an issue for some, for what I know. As far as ACOT's reputation, it still stands really well!

[corriekate]

The difficulty in allowing ACOT points to be used with digital products, is that ACOT itself does not control the price or take earnings from the digital products. Each designer sells their own products. If ACOT allowed points to be redeemed on digital products, ACOT would be taking the hit, essentially paying out of pocket for the discount. The discount wouldn't be taken from the designer.  See what I am saying?  And with 30+ designers, I don't know if every one of them would agree to allow their products to be discounted at random, because there is no way of calculating which digital products or how many from a single designer, would be used with the ACOT points discount.  Digital products are so cheap already, many designers are very selective about offering sales and coupons. Thankfully, we have some fabulous designers that regularly offer great sales!

This is a great thread and I have been skipping through periodically to read a couple here and there.  While not being able to use points on my digital purchase wouldn't deter me from purchasing, it is a big bummer.  I understand that Digital products are already priced to sell.  What if instead of the points representing a dollar amount it represented a percentage for digital purchase.  These are only example numbers 1000 points = 10% 2000 points = 20%.  It may not seem like alot, but seriously, ACOT doesn't have to give an incentive at all.  So any to me is great!

The only other thing I would change would be having a member gallery and a CT gallery or a reveal Gallery.  So often I don't post my LO because I have bad timing and usually there is a CT or product reveal the same day.  My LO gets buried in 2.5 seconds.  It can be very frustrating to Average Jane Scrapper. 

[dianagirly]

 Corrie, we don't want to be seperated out from you. Just don't post at 12am on Fridays. Ours are usually the ones that get buried because of the reveal time.

[MLee]

 Corrie, I've posted about this before but I've found that it's often not the digi reveals that are burying other posts. I know when to expect theirs - Friday mornings. I know not to post late Thursday night.

The paper reveals are daily and sometimes there are a lot of them -a lot more than 4 or 5. Those are the ones I don't think we know how to guage at all. I don't mean that in a bad way - I'm often inspired by all of the work - but it is a lot and often and hard to guage. So I just wait until late afternoon to post pages now. 

On the flip side - THANK YOU FOR ALL OF THE WONDERFUL CHANGES!!

So many terrific things have come from this thread. Thank you!!

[Jeanne Marie's Scraps]

 Oh Oh I have another ideal, This one would be very time but I'd Like to see a few digi classes held that where not during the crop, It would be really nice to just get into the class and not worry about everything else that is going on during the crop.

[MLee]

 ....Like a chat class with one of the ACOT designers. That would be awesome. I don't understand brushes _ STILL - and so I really don't understand actions and styles but I think that would require a chat class instead of just a tutorial with screen shots. I'm that slow in comprehending things.

I would love to do this and get to know each other in that type of setting too! FUN!!   But during a crop I'm like a tsi-tsi fly going into classes and playing games and trying to get points... I wouldn't be able to learn a thing.

Great idea!!!

[Jeanne Marie's Scraps]

 ....Like a chat class with one of the ACOT designers. That would be awesome. I don't understand brushes _ STILL - and so I really don't understand actions and styles but I think that would require a chat class instead of just a tutorial with screen shots. I'm that slow in comprehending things.

I would love to do this and get to know each other in that type of setting too! FUN!!   But during a crop I'm like a tsi-tsi fly going into classes and playing games and trying to get points... I wouldn't be able to learn a thing.

Great idea!!!

M'lee thats exactly what I mean!

[glenwillyn]

 a chat class is a good idea
Maybe we could get a list of the sort of things you would like to chat and learn about....and those designers that are available can put their names down
(as long as I dont have to get up at 3am LOL)

[fong33]

 I love the idea of a chat class.