Author Topic: Improving? (Read 11756 times)

dingles · « **on:** June 05, 2014, 21:18 »

Anyone else seen improving sales? The past two months I have had a lot of iStock credit sales and got stronger Getty and PP sales. I haven't had a single iStock subscription sale yet, but that mixed with new China market, I have to say I'm excited.

Goofy · « **Reply #1 on:** June 05, 2014, 21:50 »

I will hold off on any words until I personally see more $$

ShadySue · « **Reply #2 on:** June 05, 2014, 22:00 »

After a good first three weeks in April (more sales, ELs, higher value sales), something changed around the 22nd and the end of the month til now has been pretty poor. Only the incredible good luck of having a good (for me, for now) 100% day made May bearable.
I don't do PP, but got 6 sub sales (I'm not excited about having been forced into subs).

PixelBytes · « **Reply #3 on:** June 05, 2014, 22:04 »

Good for you Dingles. Wish I shared your good luck.

dingles · « **Reply #4 on:** June 05, 2014, 23:06 »

Of course it good just be a fluke. Things have looked up in the past only to disappoint. * staying positive is tough

ShadySue · « **Reply #5 on:** June 06, 2014, 06:47 »

Quote from: dingles on June 05, 2014, 23:06

Of course it good just be a fluke. Things have looked up in the past only to disappoint. * staying positive is tough

Hopefully it's an upturn for you. I had a freaky-good-for-me month last Feb, then it sank again, so I managed to keep my hopes managed in April.
If you're selling new files, you could be on to a winner!

Milinz · « **Reply #6 on:** June 09, 2014, 19:29 »

Quote from: dingles on June 05, 2014, 21:18

Anyone else seen improving sales? The past two months I have had a lot of iStock credit sales and got stronger Getty and PP sales. I haven't had a single iStock subscription sale yet, but that mixed with new China market, I have to say I'm excited.

Almost doubling every kind of sale, FT, IS and looking forward to subs. Something has made a lot of more sales and money for me.

jefftakespics2 · « **Reply #7 on:** June 09, 2014, 19:35 »

I had a good month once, but then they told me I was overpaid and they took it back! In face, I'm still paying it back.

fotoVoyager · « **Reply #8 on:** June 10, 2014, 01:45 »

I think the best match is definitely favouring independents this week, since my sales have crashed through the floor.

Either that or all the customers have finally left...

shudderstok · « **Reply #9 on:** June 10, 2014, 02:09 »

i think IS/GI are favoring the independents as well, it only makes financial sense to do so. why would any company in today's corporate world want to pay 'exclusives' 35% - 40% when they can pay the independents 15% - 20%?
my bet says that with the totally manipulated RC system, IS/GI will intentionally over time make sure we all get our minimum amount due to us as 'exclusives' so that we are more competitive with the independents and less of a 'liability' to the bottom line. this is how GI plays, they always have, and they always will.

ShadySue · « **Reply #10 on:** June 10, 2014, 03:41 »

Quote from: fotoVoyager on June 10, 2014, 01:45

I think the best match is definitely favouring independents this week, since my sales have crashed through the floor.

Either that or all the customers have finally left...

I don't see any change in my usual 'best match' searches to favour indies, though that's only a very few searches. However, on one of them, there are only about 5/200 files om the first page with <10 dls and in the other, it's 0/200 at a quick shuftie. So still, new files, even with quick downloads, are being badly hit.
At other times though, I've noticed that different searches have different best match results, so that in one search, exclusives have a higher weighting, and other searches performed at the same time may have a clear pattern of indies having highter weighting (so that on several different searches e.g. positions 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, 10 are indie, even if they have lower sales).

fotoVoyager · « **Reply #11 on:** June 10, 2014, 04:22 »

I don't do searches to check how best match responds, I can tell from my sales when they've turned exclusives 'off'. The fluctuation is too great and the date / image collection sold is too regularly grouped for it to be random.

gostwyck · « **Reply #12 on:** June 10, 2014, 04:46 »

Quote from: fotoVoyager on June 10, 2014, 04:22

I don't do searches to check how best match responds, I can tell from my sales when they've turned exclusives 'off'. The fluctuation is too great and the date / image collection sold is too regularly grouped for it to be random.

My daily sales look to be about 15-20% down on March but I guess that's well within the norm for seasonal variation.

I do seem to be selling the same, relatively few images from my portfolio over and over again ... even if they happen to be fairly crappy images from 2006 say. The images that sell regularly are largely the ones that appear at the top of the sort-order when viewing my own portfolio (set to best match). There's no logic to it at all.

It appears to me that we are simply witnessing the inevitable slow death of a once-great business that has been appallingly mis-managed for several years. I'm just waiting for a major announcement from Getty that they are 'consolidating' some of their agencies, shedding (more) staff and closing (more) outlying offices.

ShadySue · « **Reply #13 on:** June 10, 2014, 05:32 »

Quote from: fotoVoyager on June 10, 2014, 04:22

I don't do searches to check how best match responds, I can tell from my sales when they've turned exclusives 'off'. The fluctuation is too great and the date / image collection sold is too regularly grouped for it to be random.

When my sales slump (too often nowadays), that's when I check my best sellers' best match position.
Usually, its just that my sales have slumped.
Sometimes its that indies are being favoured in certain searches.
I haven't managed to 'catch', since late 2012, a time when new files were showing well in heavily populated searches.

Shelma1 · « **Reply #14 on:** June 10, 2014, 05:59 »

I'm indie, and my sales have plummeted. So I definitely don't feel favored in any kind of match.

dpimborough · « **Reply #15 on:** June 10, 2014, 06:00 »

Nope no change always the same amount every month from iS and PP sales

Except for a Getty sale last month which bumped things up but then the photo was de-activated by iS so I expect to get a credit notification soon.

As to iS subs well nothing from April but it's too early to say.

All in all fairly lack lustre performance hampered by the ridiculous keyword vocabulary they employ

gclk · « **Reply #16 on:** June 10, 2014, 06:12 »

Quote from: shudderstok on June 10, 2014, 02:09

i think IS/GI are favoring the independents as well, it only makes financial sense to do so. why would any company in today's corporate world want to pay 'exclusives' 35% - 40% when they can pay the independents 15% - 20%?
my bet says that with the totally manipulated RC system, IS/GI will intentionally over time make sure we all get our minimum amount due to us as 'exclusives' so that we are more competitive with the independents and less of a 'liability' to the bottom line. this is how GI plays, they always have, and they always will.

I still think iStock see value (for them) in having searches returning a mixture with a fair amount of exclusive content. Whether they sell exclusive or indy content, they still get to keep the lion's share of what the customer spends.. they'd much rather keep 'only' 60-75% of what's paid for exclusive work (plus the very lucrative exchange rate skim and whatever else), than see the customer go to Shutterstock or elsewhere.

IMHO since 2010 a key aim has been to find the exact point where they're paying exclusives as little as they possibly can, right up to (but not over) the point where significant numbers of exclusives take the plunge and go indy, because they believe they'd earn more that way.

Guess they haven't found that point just yet, but they're getting ever closer. Of course it's basically a game of chicken, and going too far could take their current woes to a completely new level.

ChangPap · « **Reply #17 on:** June 10, 2014, 06:37 »

Quote from: Shelma1 on June 10, 2014, 05:59

I'm indie, and my sales have plummeted. So I definitely don't feel favored in any kind of match.

Same here.

roidi · « **Reply #18 on:** June 10, 2014, 07:18 »

"It appears to me that we are simply witnessing the inevitable slow death of a once-great business that has been appallingly mis-managed for several years. I'm just waiting for a major announcement from Getty that they are 'consolidating' some of their agencies, shedding (more) staff and closing (more) outlying offices."

I think so.

ShadySue · « **Reply #19 on:** June 10, 2014, 07:25 »

Notwithstanding what gclk says above, which I agree with, it could also be that more of the buyers who are left are looking at what's available at $ first, and buying there if they find something suitable, without ever looking at files costing $$ and above.

sharpshot · « **Reply #20 on:** June 10, 2014, 08:56 »

No improvement in sales and the site is so slow that it is taking me ages to withdraw the pittance they have paid me. Wish they had an automatic withdrawal, would save me a lot of time.

sharpshot · « **Reply #21 on:** June 10, 2014, 09:09 »

This is crazy, still can't get on the request earnings page, I get taken to the home page every time I press the link. Have they stopped paying us now?

Julied83 · « **Reply #22 on:** June 10, 2014, 09:22 »

No improvement in sale, and today the site is very slow for me .. other are ok but istock very slow, having issues with uploading ... ahhwww

sharpshot · « **Reply #23 on:** June 10, 2014, 09:29 »

I have given up trying to withdraw my money. Another 30 minutes of my life ruined by istock

Goofy · « **Reply #24 on:** June 10, 2014, 09:35 »

Sum up in one word- NO

Milinz · « **Reply #25 on:** June 10, 2014, 10:19 »

Quote from: Julied83 on June 10, 2014, 09:22

No improvement in sale, and today the site is very slow for me .. other are ok but istock very slow, having issues with uploading ... ahhwww

Jay is responsible for keeping our site running. Right now he’s working on some scheduled maintenance, but he promises to have things back up soon. He apologizes for the inconvenience and would like you to use the following coupon code to save 10% on your next purchase of 30 or more iStock Credits:

ISTOCKSCORE10 (valid for one week).

Very slow, now dead. I think Shudder is right, my raise was for indipendent at cut cost exclusive. IS daily is where I got all the raise. 4xmore in 42c to 1.52c IS downloads, PP droped.

dingles · « **Reply #26 on:** June 10, 2014, 10:47 »

My sales have continued to be strong...at least for iStock standards. Been getting a few credit sales a day...a few months back I was lucky to get a few a week. Typically GI and PP sales have keep me alive, but if credit sales continue to pick-up I'd be happy. I also noticed the images are of a select group...so maybe they have gotten a decent placement in best match.

loop · « **Reply #27 on:** June 10, 2014, 11:06 »

Lately, sales are weak for me and for all the other exclusives I know and I talk with. So, a best match change could be an explanation. I really don't know. Last change that hurted me was when they demoted some of my S+ files to S. Those files were selling well as S+ and now are selling less as S.

wds · « **Reply #28 on:** June 10, 2014, 11:58 »

No improvement in sales. In fact if anything it seems the decline continues.

PixelBytes · « **Reply #29 on:** June 10, 2014, 13:02 »

No bump in sales for this independent. Sales at I stock go down down down. Uploading has no effect.

fotoVoyager · « **Reply #30 on:** June 10, 2014, 13:24 »

Buyers have been telling me that the site's impossible to use today, so that could be the reason for the sudden fall in sales over the last few days combined with a cruel best match sort.

First thing buyers do if a site doesn't frictionlessly meet their needs is go elsewhere. Well done however's in charge of investment in people and equipment at iStock, you've blown it again.

Freedom · « **Reply #31 on:** June 10, 2014, 14:14 »

My revenue has somewhat recovered a bit from last year, the number of DLs is way down, like everyone else.

From what I read, I feel we are put on some kind of best match rotation. For instance, my first two weeks of the month is always bad, while others seem to have better sales while my sales are down.

fotoVoyager · « **Reply #32 on:** June 10, 2014, 14:27 »

It does feel like you're on a carousel with different groups brought forward and others pushed back.

This could just be people seeing patterns where there's only chaos, desperately looking for some explanation.

dbvirago · « **Reply #33 on:** June 10, 2014, 14:52 »

Still dead last in the 8 sites I submit micro to. Has been almost every month for 2 years. Currently making about half of what 7th place brings in.

Mantis · « **Reply #34 on:** June 10, 2014, 15:23 »

Same month to month. I guess with the influx of so many images with the 999 per week limit thats a good thing that my revenue isn't decreasing. Will it ever go up? Highly doubtful unless you have more than images, like video and audio and illustrations.

ShadySue · « **Reply #35 on:** June 10, 2014, 16:01 »

Quote from: fotoVoyager on June 10, 2014, 13:24

Well done however's in charge of investment in people and equipment at iStock, you've blown it again.

Also see: http://www.istockphoto.com/forum_messages.php?threadid=361440&page=1

I don't know why you'd think someone's in charge of investing in people and equipment.
I think the policy is to spend as little as possible on both.

QED.

ShadySue · « **Reply #36 on:** June 10, 2014, 16:43 »

Can someone explain iStock arithmetic?
There's an issue where some files uploaded c30th - 1st are stuck in the queue. Normally the advice is to deactivate and resubmit.
However, 'according to Lobo', "If your files are taking longer to process and have been sitting in a pending state for a few days, please do not resubmit. We are currently working through some file processing issues and resubmitting only creates an additional file to the queue. With the volume of uploading, this only increases the queue resulting in even longer wait times for your files and files from your fellow contributors."
Let's see: one upload cancelled, one upload resubmitted
Number taken out of jam: 1
Net increase: 0

I have 3, all showing as cancellable.

(Not that it actually matters given the usual fate of new files, I'm just questioning the arithmetic.)

stock-will-eat-itself · « **Reply #37 on:** June 10, 2014, 17:19 »

Quote from: fotoVoyager on June 10, 2014, 13:24

Buyers have been telling me that the site's impossible to use today, so that could be the reason for the sudden fall in sales over the last few days combined with a cruel best match sort.

Nothing new sells at all on iS anymore, the best match has been broken since they messed with the keyword relevancy back in 2012. My guess is their best match algorithms are so contaminated with all the various prices changes they have no way of fixing it, thats why Yuri is panicking and trying to get involved with their IT.

The agencies that will win out in the long run will be technology led, iStock is investor led that's their biggest problem, always has been.

WendyT · « **Reply #38 on:** June 10, 2014, 18:40 »

Quote from: ShadySue on June 10, 2014, 16:43

Can someone explain iStock arithmetic?
There's an issue where some files uploaded c30th - 1st are stuck in the queue. Normally the advice is to deactivate and resubmit.
However, 'according to Lobo', "If your files are taking longer to process and have been sitting in a pending state for a few days, please do not resubmit. We are currently working through some file processing issues and resubmitting only creates an additional file to the queue. With the volume of uploading, this only increases the queue resulting in even longer wait times for your files and files from your fellow contributors."
Let's see: one upload cancelled, one upload resubmitted
Number taken out of jam: 1
Net increase: 0

I have 3, all showing as cancellable.

(Not that it actually matters given the usual fate of new files, I'm just questioning the arithmetic.)

I wondered the same thing ... strange indeed!

ChangPap · « **Reply #39 on:** June 11, 2014, 03:35 »

I would gladly take some up and down periods there. It's all down for me. Suffering a long, slow and painful death.

Freedom · « **Reply #40 on:** June 11, 2014, 16:13 »

I have actually reviewed my charts yesterday.

No matter how pessimistic I often feel, my IS income has actually been growing at 20-30% on a yearly basis. This year, only Feb was less than what I made in Feb 2013. I upload from time to time, but did not upload as many as in 2011 and 2012.

The higher prices and GI sales have contributed to the revenue growth. The DLs and revenue from IS itself are way way down, of course.

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Author Topic: Improving? (Read 11756 times)

Goofy

Milinz

shudderstok

dpimborough

Goofy

Milinz

dbvirago

stock-will-eat-itself

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