Giant Update - Return of Submissions?
As you'll notice...
This week's update was really huge. More than 1 thing on the pages in most cases, and loads of pages updated too. I think this is the biggest update the site has had in quite some time. But why?
Submissions of items to the site had sort of gotten a little slower lately.
I wasn't sure if it was that there was just less stuff in general, or maybe most of the old stuff's been already found? It wasn't 'less stuff', because Wanted Gear had just been going & going with more entries by people who saw something but didn't have a way to get a photo / etc. (Notice that the 'pocketeer' wallet is finally on the site this week ---that thing took forever to find) But if those aren't the causes...
I suspect Google, a little actually.
1. They've changed around how they do the ads (a lot of people think "not for the better") like, small really specific companies don't have as much/any ads up as they were able to before. Stuff like "Franks' Comix" some local mom 'n pop place that could show up in the mix with like...say...Funko Sonics or something in their store. THAT was good stuff. It actually HELPED the fans, which was the entire point of the site. Those ads aren't there for their own health, they're specifically set up so that they show relevant things to whatever's on the page, because why does anyone want to look at Sonic Gear if they weren't possibly also somewhat interested in how to GET a thing or 2 for themselves? But now it's likely to show generic Target ads for kitchen stuff, pants or patio furniture.
2. Is it harder to search?
The search bar on the site used to work better (say many fans) does that mean SG doesn't come up in general searches (from the Google home page) as much too? If less people are finding it, then there's less people to spot stuff and send it in. It makes sense. Either way, I don't think there's anything that can be done about point 1 or 2.
Questions of the week:
Where are those single card Jazwares re-releases?
Amy showed up months and months ago, now, somebody finds Metal & the Werehog. But WHERE are they? Toywiz of course, has them for triple the regular price, at about 15 dollars plus shipping for 1 tiny figure. JW CLEARLY meant the new tiny single bubble card to be a cheap thing. These are supposed to be bargain figures to attract fans who missed out on expensive stuff like the comic 2 packs or whatever. So Toywiz is making that rather pointless...but JW doesn't deal exclusively with 1 retailer. These have to be somewhere else, and better priced. Hopefully someone finds something because the fans really want another opportunity for some of the more difficult figures.
Why are all fleeces / "micro raschel" / thin throw blankets classic?
This one DOES have an answer. You've no doubt seen those fleecy (its faux fleece) single layer blankets around. The thing they've all got in common is everything Sonic about them is strictly classic. This bothers some people, because they want a modern look for their Sonic room. (It bothers me because I'm over-saturated with looking at the same old classic images all the time...but that is the hazard of running Gear)
Answer:
There are 2 licenses you can buy when you want to make Sonic merch: a modern & a classic. The blanket people only ever bought classic & don't seem to care. That's why you saw F4F making only classic things for quite some time, too.
Next week:
Anything that didnt get on this time, and hopefully clear out an old mail or two. And maybe the gear store as well. While a new page of shirts was added, a lot of stuff looks like it sold out & needs either torn down, or replaced.
This week's update was really huge. More than 1 thing on the pages in most cases, and loads of pages updated too. I think this is the biggest update the site has had in quite some time. But why?
Submissions of items to the site had sort of gotten a little slower lately.
I wasn't sure if it was that there was just less stuff in general, or maybe most of the old stuff's been already found? It wasn't 'less stuff', because Wanted Gear had just been going & going with more entries by people who saw something but didn't have a way to get a photo / etc. (Notice that the 'pocketeer' wallet is finally on the site this week ---that thing took forever to find) But if those aren't the causes...
I suspect Google, a little actually.
1. They've changed around how they do the ads (a lot of people think "not for the better") like, small really specific companies don't have as much/any ads up as they were able to before. Stuff like "Franks' Comix" some local mom 'n pop place that could show up in the mix with like...say...Funko Sonics or something in their store. THAT was good stuff. It actually HELPED the fans, which was the entire point of the site. Those ads aren't there for their own health, they're specifically set up so that they show relevant things to whatever's on the page, because why does anyone want to look at Sonic Gear if they weren't possibly also somewhat interested in how to GET a thing or 2 for themselves? But now it's likely to show generic Target ads for kitchen stuff, pants or patio furniture.
2. Is it harder to search?
The search bar on the site used to work better (say many fans) does that mean SG doesn't come up in general searches (from the Google home page) as much too? If less people are finding it, then there's less people to spot stuff and send it in. It makes sense. Either way, I don't think there's anything that can be done about point 1 or 2.
Questions of the week:
Where are those single card Jazwares re-releases?
Amy showed up months and months ago, now, somebody finds Metal & the Werehog. But WHERE are they? Toywiz of course, has them for triple the regular price, at about 15 dollars plus shipping for 1 tiny figure. JW CLEARLY meant the new tiny single bubble card to be a cheap thing. These are supposed to be bargain figures to attract fans who missed out on expensive stuff like the comic 2 packs or whatever. So Toywiz is making that rather pointless...but JW doesn't deal exclusively with 1 retailer. These have to be somewhere else, and better priced. Hopefully someone finds something because the fans really want another opportunity for some of the more difficult figures.
Why are all fleeces / "micro raschel" / thin throw blankets classic?
This one DOES have an answer. You've no doubt seen those fleecy (its faux fleece) single layer blankets around. The thing they've all got in common is everything Sonic about them is strictly classic. This bothers some people, because they want a modern look for their Sonic room. (It bothers me because I'm over-saturated with looking at the same old classic images all the time...but that is the hazard of running Gear)
Answer:
There are 2 licenses you can buy when you want to make Sonic merch: a modern & a classic. The blanket people only ever bought classic & don't seem to care. That's why you saw F4F making only classic things for quite some time, too.
Next week:
Anything that didnt get on this time, and hopefully clear out an old mail or two. And maybe the gear store as well. While a new page of shirts was added, a lot of stuff looks like it sold out & needs either torn down, or replaced.
posted by AzureBlaze at 11:28 PM
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