On April 22nd Cafepress they were beginning to tweak their marketplace algorithm to, “ensure we’re better delivering the designs and merchandise shoppers are looking for. This includes bringing the best designs to the front, and reducing redundant designs.”

Yesterday Cafepress issued this update:

4/27: Marketplace Algorithm and Search Changes Started

Many Shopkeepers have noticed that we’ve started making adjustments to our Marketplace search algorithm. The goal is to better deliver the designs and merchandise Marketplace shoppers are looking for.

We anticipate that in these first few weeks you could notice greater fluctuation to your placement, and that the position of designs may vary day to day. Please keep in mind this will be an ongoing process that will include many tests and tweaks over the weeks and months to come as we work to perfect the Marketplace shopping experience.

I can see why Cafepress would say this because so far the new marketplace algorithm changes to date have not resulted in any noticeable volume increase from my stores. According to some other top shopkeepers I have been in contact with they are all experiencing similar result with either stagnant or declining marketplace sales post change. So I am sure that this is just a CYA from CP trying to convince people that the current trends will not continue.

However, to me it once again shows that CP did not properly vet the changes that they were going ahead with and test them to see if they would actually do what they would claim (i.e. help quality shopkeepers get more sales). Sure we are only six days into the changes but it has not been a good six days and we are all hoping things get better. Because once the pathetic 10% marketplace commission goes into effect I am going to need to at least see sales double just to maintain my current commissions and they will have to more than double again to get me back to where I should be since the removable of the volume bonus for the market place.

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J.J. Jackson is President of Land of the Free Studios, Inc. and Cafepress “Top Shopkeeper”. He has been selling t-shirts on-line since 2004 and is the owner of the T-Shirt Entrepreneur, a site dedicated to helping people get involved in the T-shirt Economy. He is also the owner of Funny When Wet T-shirts, American Infidel Tshirts, Uber Gamer T-shirts as well as many other online t-shirt and gift stores.