MicrostockGroup

Is there going to be any way for contributors to track what sales came directly from your site, or will that remain secret? I don't participate in partner programs because I don't like not knowing where the sales come from and how much.

I don't mind putting some money in others' pockets if more money is going into my pocket, but if you are using me to make more money for yourself than I am making, I would likely not want to participate. And most sites, in the past, haven't been willing to divulge that info to contributors.

Thank you for your points.

cclapper
No, sorry, this is not technically possible. This project is running like regular referral program project in terms of selling/buying. This means that when new buyer is interested in picture he/she sees on my site he/she clicks my referral link (Download Now!, etc.) and than he/she needs to register with Dreamstime and everything else is going on their side. Remember I am not full functional agency – just catalogue. Although I am using API for displaying and receiving image data (sizes, keywords, etc.), searching data, etc. in terms of referees my project works same as regular referral program that is available for anyone at DT.

I have my statistical data that I am collecting in my database, like click-thoughts to DT, etc. on my side, but information what you want to know is impossible to retrieve, simply because even I don’t know this exactly. (I can only guess.)

I will explain why:
When user actually registers with DT through my referral link, notifying email comes that someone xyz registered under me and this user than appears listed "under my name". After that when this user becomes buyer and actually purchase something I can see on my DT "referral earnings page" only something like this:
 
"New package bought Earnings: $xx.xx Date: xx/xx/2010 (xx:xx)"
or
"Download for referred photographer Earnings: $x.xx Date: xx/xx/2010 (xx:xx)"
etc.

I can see how may users/photographers/buyers and how many payment plans, etc. were purchased by them. I don’t know which photos exactly they actually bought.
Or in case of photographers which photos they sold, although in case of photographers I can guess this because I can see their user profile (regular, just as you can see yours referred members if you have some) with their photos/portfolio, sales count listed etc. But for buyers I don’t know which one they actually bought. I simply know they registered so I can guess click-through effectivity (which photo actually brought them to DT) based on internal statistics on my site and based on time when notifying message came. But I don’t know exactly which photos they purchased. It can be photo they clicked (Download Now!) (highly possible – when they clicked it, they probably liked it) but it could be also any other photo on DT. And remember they can/will buy also in future some more/other photos at DT...

But anyway. Every time this happens aim of this project is fulfilled – because:
1. New user (buyer/seller) come to the DT through my project.
2. He/she made some sales (purchased or sold something)(and maybe will also purchase/sell in future) so DT has new customer / photographer.
3. And I have my 10% commission of his/her sales for 3 years as an reward for bringing him/her and for putting my time and work into this project.

That’s the way how it works in my case.

So to your question on how you can track your sales – as any other regular sales you have thorough DT, there is no difference.

Hope my explanation helped you a bit and cleared any confusion about it.
 
Fotonaut
Thanks again for your words, I am happy that you like it.
Well as I said main aim of this project is to bring new users to DT – so you have partially true. It is no doubt better for buyers to use DT.
But without this project those people wouldn’t know about DT site. I have referred buyers through this project – which means that I have true when I say they didn’t know about DT at the time when they first came to my StockPhotos site (and than finally got to the DT, registered and purchased...)

But on the other side I have something more for them to offer: For example on Slovak and Czech versions of this project it is possible to use local language (Slovak or Czech) during search. And it is widely used, I see this in my statistics... these people would be lost if that ability wasn’t there. (I know this - again based on my current statistics and statistics from time when local language search wasn’t availeable on my project.)

And I am planning more... and also some articles, selling/ buying, maybe articles about equipement (cameras, lenses, whatever/who knows , etc.), different categories/criteria, or maybe images selected by hand, etc.

I am doing this as DT fan/hobby project mostly - so I am doing it can be said "during the way",... I mean, thinking about something than changing my mind, than something new will came to my mind, etc. So I will see how far it will get.

alias
Can you please send me PM with screenshot if you don’t mind? And some info what kind of browser etc. do you use? This never happened before and it was tested on a lot of configurations... Thanks

No it goes from your commission. That's why those dreaded 0.21$ 1 credit sales once in a while (I have this info directly from Achilles). You can easily opt out from partner sites in your management area. On the other hand, it's a sale you would have missed otherwise. And as Petar once said, a sale is a sale. What he probably meant is that it counts for your level.

Thanks FD. I am opted out from partner programs, but referral earnings are different from that, aren't they? In other words, does opting in-out of the partner programs affect my images being on this stockphotos.it site?


Well, yes and no. I suppose some people are happy with .21 because it's .21 more than they had, but I see it as taking a sale away from, say, a $1.00 sale to make .21. That's why I don't participate in ThinkStock, too. As far as counting towards my level...oh well. I see the whole microstock thing winding down anyway...so many contributors, so many images, so many people trying to take whatever they can from what little commissions I do make...at some point all of my images will come down, because I won't want to dump them all into the free bin. And that's just about where it's all headed. Negative, yes. Realistic, yes.

Jareso, can you please confirm what FD said and answer my other questions?

Well, I'm not going to ask DT support anything. You are setting up the site, you are receiving 10% of my commission, you really should know the answers to these questions, IMHO.



I am assuming you yourself are Slovak or Czech...in the above paragraph your English is a tad difficult to understand. I think you are saying that as long as I am opted out of Alliances (partner programs) on DT, then you will NOT be able to pull my images. Is that correct...yes or no?



I understand. I do want to be opted out of ALL partner sites, because most sites aren't willing to allow contributors to see exactly what sales are coming from where. To me, that's inviting a lot of shenigans, and I guarantee there are some going on somewhere. It's called human nature.

OK, thanks for the explanations. If I change my mind, I will look you up. 

Well, I was sure as I told before how it is. But now you confused me little bit about this.
But to clear any confusion I am trying to find it out for you to make you happy.
Hopefully we will see without any doubt how it is in case of referral program... and from whom that 10% is deduced.

Once again, it is simple… "Alliances and Partnerships" and "Referral program" are of course two different things.
My site is powered by DT API in terms of retrieving image data like keywords, descriptions, search results, etc. but unlike other partners (with shopping cart, download, etc.) I am just linking traffic to DT through referral program. (It is regular referral linking same as anyone of you can use at DT.) This is where this two systems are connected together.

It seems to me (and I may be incorrect) that these websites are constructed SOLELY TO DRIVE BUYERS TO DREAMSTIME. There is no ability for a visitor to purchase images from jareso. Everyone should be happy that he is taking the time to increase OUR sales with no cost to us!

Elvinstar and basti thank you for your nice words.

to all:
As for the 10% commission confusion. I contacted Serban Enache (Achilles) Dreamstime's CEO and he was so kind and explained me how it is. He also allowed me to quote his statement on this forum. So here it is:


So it is as I said before, in case of my project you loose nothing. My referral 10% goes from DT share. Hope this cleared any confusion you might have.

Please also note that Fotonaut is right. I am trying to do my best to serve you and to find answers for your questions that might confuse you - to make you happy.

But on the other side I cannot act as support for you. If you have any doubts regarding your partnership with DT, you should contact them.

And yet, as I understand it, the only way we can have our images appear on jareso's site is by OPTING IN TO PARTNER SITES!

Can someone clear that up for me?

I understand the rest of it and it does sound like a good deal and I might be on board with it, but I will not opt in to partner programs!