Agency Based Discussion > Dreamstime.com

StockPhotos.it - My Dreamstime API powered project

(1/9) > >>

jareso:
I am working/playing little bit with Dreamstime API (Alliances and Partnerships  program) and their referral program and this is what I created so far. :)

StockPhotos.it (English version)
StockPhotos.sk (Slovak version)
StockPhotos.cz (Czech version)

Although it is already online, I am still working on it. (This is an very early version.)
My aim is to create catalogue of stock photos, vectors, illustrations and computer graphics grouped by various categories and criteria + include some articles in future about selling, buying, etc.

My aim is NOT to create another full functional agency with direct buying ability, shopping cart, direct download, etc. (I mean if somebody is interested in purchasing commercial or downloading free image he/she has to go to the source agency and register, buy, download etc. there)

Aim of this project is simply to drive traffic to Dreamstime to bring new buyers. And of course (I have no reason to hide it) also to earn some $ for me through their referral program.

I am sure that soon or later someone of you guys would have found out about this project, so I am writing prior to it, to clear any confusion what is this project about. I just wanted to let you know, that’s all. Check it out! ;)

cathyslife:
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.

Fotonaut:
Pretty nice work, I wish I had your programming skills.

But from a buyer perspective I don't see the point. It is more effective to simply use the Dreamstime site.

jareso:
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 ;D 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. ;D So I will see how far it will get. ;D

alias:
Is potentially a good idea for stock collections to encourage people to build third party sites which take a different snapshot of their libraries in terms of generating Google juice if nothing else.

But the site is messed up on my machine. Some of the text is cut off and the page does not resize properly.

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page