Another Massive Best Match Shift

[mtilghma]

wow, back in the day they used to give such a lead-up and fanfare over price changes!  My how times have changed

Regarding the DL numbers, mine have dropped 76% for january to date, compared to 2011.  But that is a somewhat sensationalist number, as it includes:
Dropping exclusivity between now and then
PP sales for Jan have not showed up yet, and nowadays they account for the lionshare of actual downloads
I have a small portfolio, so things are more volatile in general

[TheDman]

The price increases will continue until sales improve... the istock version of 'the floggings will continue until morale improves'.

[ShadySue]

ugh - what is with sales (or the lack of)....?! awful start to the new year

Seems particularly slow today. 

[Risamay]

the coolest thing is that they feel they don�t need to give any response or announcement to exclusives..

As a business, we are constantly looking to optimize our pricing. This is an ongoing process so you will see prices change from time to time; sometimes up and sometimes down.

It's not much of a partnership anymore (though hasn't been for a good long while now), is it?

Must be nice, running a business and not giving a hoot about consulting or answering to those (your employees, partners, suppliers) impacted by your decisions about said business.

Unconscionable.

Enjoy the good sales while you still have them, Cobalt. It ain't gonna last forever. That's the only certainty where good sales and iStock is concerned. Sadly (:

[ShadySue]

the coolest thing is that they feel they don�t need to give any response or announcement to exclusives..

As a business, we are constantly looking to optimize our pricing. This is an ongoing process so you will see prices change from time to time; sometimes up and sometimes down.

I'm more concerned that they don't give advance warning of price increases to buyers, to give them the chance to buy images they've lightboxed. Why risk more buyer disgruntlement than all the search bugs etc causes?

[cobalt]

It�s not all roses over here. I am looking into closing my studio and going back to working from home Living rooms are overrated, my friends can sit in the kitchen...

But I�ll try to produce and upload as much as I can for istock/getty/video this year and then we will see.

[PaulieWalnuts]

the coolest thing is that they feel they don�t need to give any response or announcement to exclusives..

As a business, we are constantly looking to optimize our pricing. This is an ongoing process so you will see prices change from time to time; sometimes up and sometimes down.

Maybe not that they don't want to, but can't. Silence frequently comes before big changes or news.

[Risamay]

It�s not all roses over here. I am looking into closing my studio and going back to working from home Living rooms are overrated, my friends can sit in the kitchen...

But I�ll try to produce and upload as much as I can for istock/getty/video this year and then we will see.

Sorry to hear. I wish you the best of luck.

In other news, I see there's an uptick in refunds again, and more doubt about the accuracy of accounting and payouts over there. Good god! But WHEN, oh WHEN is this crackpot company going to be formally audited by a third-party that will take them to task and get our monies sorted? It is beyond clear that their accounting is flawed, at the very least, if not intentionally cooked.

[helix7]

Who is spending this much on E+ photos? I really can't believe that there are enough buyers at the E+ price point to justify increases.

[BaldricksTrousers]

the coolest thing is that they feel they don�t need to give any response or announcement to exclusives..

As a business, we are constantly looking to optimize our pricing. This is an ongoing process so you will see prices change from time to time; sometimes up and sometimes down.

I'm more concerned that they don't give advance warning of price increases to buyers, to give them the chance to buy images they've lightboxed. Why risk more buyer disgruntlement than all the search bugs etc causes?

Obviously, it's more sustainable if buyers can't "game the system" by having advance warning so they can spend less. Let it be a lesson to them: if they want something they should buy it immediately because tomorrow it might cost more. We live in a high-inflation world... at least, iStock customers do.

[lagereek]

Agreeing with Cobolt!  Im noticing good sales at IS, it has really picked up, Im also finding many of my files way up front in certain searches and thats a good sign. well, maybe they have done another best match change?

[wut]

Agreeing with Cobolt!  Im noticing good sales at IS, it has really picked up, Im also finding many of my files way up front in certain searches and thats a good sign. well, maybe they have done another best match change?

lagereek is back to stir it up and spice it up

[lagereek]

Agreeing with Cobolt!  Im noticing good sales at IS, it has really picked up, Im also finding many of my files way up front in certain searches and thats a good sign. well, maybe they have done another best match change?

lagereek is back to stir it up and spice it up

Yep! been on "holliday"  for a week,  have they done a best match change?  I cant tell.

[ShadySue]

Im also finding many of my files way up front in certain searches and thats a good sign.

A good sign for you, sure, but not for whoever was previously above you in the search.  
I didn't notice Cobalt say that sales were picking up on iStock; mine have been down since Thursday, for all that's worth.
So winners and losers, and the next time it will be losers and winners, ebb and flow.
But probably there are more files and fewer buyers, so ...

[wut]

It's all a game to lageereek. When he gets bored, he turns the record or comes out with something new to stir sheat up . It's interesting to see how ppl get seriously involved in conversations with him (although he can also be serious and is not just posting to have fun). All that being said, it's not a negative thing, it's a positive, he spices things up. I must admit, I kind of missed his posts and threads in the last week. I also like poky, sarcastic and humorous characters like he is.

[lagereek]

It's all a game to lageereek. When he gets bored, he turns the record or comes out with something new to stir sheat up . It's interesting to see how ppl get seriously involved in conversations with him (although he can also be serious and is not just posting to have fun). All that being said, it's not a negative thing, it's a positive, he spices things up. I must admit, I kind of missed his posts and threads in the last week. I also like poky, sarcastic and humorous characters like he is.

Thanks mate!  your right!  that just about sums me up actually. You got to treat it as a game or you would go crazy.

best.

[CarlssonInc]

It's all a game to lageereek. When he gets bored, he turns the record or comes out with something new to stir sheat up . It's interesting to see how ppl get seriously involved in conversations with him (although he can also be serious and is not just posting to have fun). All that being said, it's not a negative thing, it's a positive, he spices things up. I must admit, I kind of missed his posts and threads in the last week. I also like poky, sarcastic and humorous characters like he is.

Thanks mate!  your right!  that just about sums me up actually. You got to treat it as a game or you would go crazy.

best.

Are you saying you ain't taking your profession seriously anymore?

[wut]

After reporting good sales in the first week or so (well at least good days), sales fell of a cliff. Since a picture tells more than a 1000 words, here's one:



It seems like that indies are getting punished at PP as well, check how well the dates of best match change coincide:

[ShadySue]

It seems like that indies are getting punished at PP as well, check how well the dates of best match change coincide:

You'd need to see graphs from several indies and some exclusives before you could say that.
It might just be that most of the world was on slowdown then on holiday in mid-late December.

[wut]

It seems like that indies are getting punished at PP as well, check how well the dates of best match change coincide:

You'd need to see graphs from several indies and some exclusives before you could say that.
It might just be that most of the world was on slowdown then on holiday in mid-late December.

You're right, but that being said, SS was rocking it and no site has really been nearly as much down as IS. I made an assumption, I didn't state it as a fact. Of course I'm welcoming y'all to share, just the graphs, no need for earnings, it's about trends anyway

[ShadySue]

It seems like that indies are getting punished at PP as well, check how well the dates of best match change coincide:

You'd need to see graphs from several indies and some exclusives before you could say that.
It might just be that most of the world was on slowdown then on holiday in mid-late December.

You're right, but that being said, SS was rocking it and no site has really been nearly as much down as IS. I made an assumption, I didn't state it as a fact. Of course I'm welcoming y'all to share, just the graphs, no need for earnings, it's about trends anyway

I'm guessing that most people's (Indy or not) iStock graphs would be that sort of shape (I had no sales 24th - 26th for the first time ever, and very few until the end of the year). But there are always exceptions. Maybe.

[helix7]

Anyone want to share their overall 2011 graph? Mine paints a very telling picture:

[wut]

Anyone want to share their overall 2011 graph? Mine paints a very telling picture:

Wow, that's terrible, but from what I could read, most illustrators saw big slumps, month after month over there

[ShadySue]

Here's mine:

Odd in several ways: Jan was 20% down on Jan 2010, and all months were poor until June.
'Abnormal' spike in June. 
No 'normal' July-August slump. (thank goodness; almost balanced out Jan - April)
No 'normal' Oct - Dec rise.
Where 'normal' = 'as in previous years'.

[sharpshot]

Here's mine, the best month is way down on previous years.