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Author Topic: Dreamstime- Poor Sales  (Read 25681 times)

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tab62

« on: June 11, 2013, 15:33 »
0
Okay, please tell me that I am the only one that is doing poorly on DT? The last six weeks have been dismal. Maybe I am in slump ( I have about 1,400 images on their site)...

T


« Reply #1 on: June 11, 2013, 15:49 »
+1
We are quite pleased with DT.

We think their similars policy works well, although many don't agree.

Also, we like the fact that they sell a great variety of our images, rather then the same few over and over, their search seems to work well.

Of course, everything we have on there is less than a year old, having been IS exclusive, don't know if there is a search bias for newness.

BME in May, and this month off to a good start.

WarrenPrice

« Reply #2 on: June 11, 2013, 16:13 »
0
Sales came to a screeching halt in May.  Nothing but subs in June.

ED: and say what they will about subs helping boost your image levels ...
There isn't a lot of difference in a 35 cent Level 2 and a 35 cent Level 5.
  ::)
« Last Edit: June 11, 2013, 16:17 by WarrenPrice »

« Reply #3 on: June 11, 2013, 16:21 »
0
Doing great, especially with Level 4 and 5 sales. No problems here.  8)

tab62

« Reply #4 on: June 11, 2013, 16:41 »
0
seems to be me. Glad on to hear that- I better start taking better 'Salable' pics...

« Reply #5 on: June 11, 2013, 17:00 »
0
I've been hit by selling a lot more subs than PPD.  And I have to say that I can't understand how their similars policy can work well for us?  They have a lot less of my images than other sites, they have struggled to remain in the top 4 in the poll results here.  The images that reach the higher levels seem to encourage more buyers to switch to subs.  I'm sure lots of their buyers have gone to SS, to find a lot of the images that DT don't have.

They should of accepted more images and allowed buyers that only want to see one from each set to filter them out.  Instead of that, they've reduced the choice for all their buyers and I think that's going to take them out of the big 4 at some point.

« Reply #6 on: June 11, 2013, 17:06 »
+3
I've been hit by selling a lot more subs than PPD. And I have to say that I can't understand how their similars policy can work well for us?  They have a lot less of my images than other sites, they have struggled to remain in the top 4 in the poll results here.  The images that reach the higher levels seem to encourage more buyers to switch to subs.  I'm sure lots of their buyers have gone to SS, to find a lot of the images that DT don't have.

They should of accepted more images and allowed buyers that only want to see one from each set to filter them out.  Instead of that, they've reduced the choice for all their buyers and I think that's going to take them out of the big 4 at some point.

Depends what you do. For what we do, having a lot of similars is pointless, it just dilutes sales and stops files reaching higher levels. I can understand why lifestyle photogs would want similars, but we have long since stopped producing similars for our food shots etc. We usually just do one of the complete object, designers can crop if they want. Food only has the one expression :)

« Reply #7 on: June 11, 2013, 17:28 »
+3
"Food only has the one expression". 
Unless it was that Maine lobster I got a shot of right before I dropped it in the pot.  I swear it looked appropriately terrified.  Sorry, Vegans.  :D

« Reply #8 on: June 11, 2013, 17:48 »
+4
Why do people always complain about subs on DT and nowhere else when the return compares well to SS, FT, 123 and the IS PP?   Is it because the credit sales are so much better there compared to certain sites where there is hardly any difference between a sub and credit sale?

« Reply #9 on: June 11, 2013, 18:19 »
+1
Why do people always complain about subs on DT and nowhere else when the return compares well to SS, FT, 123 and the IS PP?   Is it because the credit sales are so much better there compared to certain sites where there is hardly any difference between a sub and credit sale?

This is a good point. I must admit, I always feel disappointed when a level 4 or 5 sells as a sub, and pleased when I get SOD's on SS.
Maybe it's because DT started out as single sales and SS started out as subs.

« Reply #10 on: June 11, 2013, 18:33 »
0
Same here. My portfolio is small ( around 300 images ) but the sales are ok on SS, Fotolia, Canstock and 123RF. But Dreamstime...I celebrate if I sell a picture a month there!

WarrenPrice

« Reply #11 on: June 11, 2013, 18:40 »
0
Why do people always complain about subs on DT and nowhere else when the return compares well to SS, FT, 123 and the IS PP?   Is it because the credit sales are so much better there compared to certain sites where there is hardly any difference between a sub and credit sale?

Does the return really compare well?
I get frequent payouts at SS.  DT payouts come agonizingly slow.

I was much less unhappy when upper levels were exempted from subscription sales.  Made the philosophy that sub sales increased the level of an image more plausible.  Now -- it's more smoke and mirrors.


« Reply #12 on: June 11, 2013, 18:51 »
0
Same here. My portfolio is small ( around 300 images ) but the sales are ok on SS, Fotolia, Canstock and 123RF. But Dreamstime...I celebrate if I sell a picture a month there!

Interesting. We hardly sell anything on FT, and never have. It just doesn't work for us. We've deleted almost everything, just left the few that do occasionally sell.

123 was also very poor, we deleted our portfolio when they reduced commissions.

I've always doubted that designers look around all that much, but maybe some do.

« Reply #13 on: June 11, 2013, 19:13 »
+2
:
« Last Edit: June 12, 2013, 04:02 by gostwyck »

Mactrunk

« Reply #14 on: June 12, 2013, 01:08 »
0
Why do people always complain about subs on DT and nowhere else when the return compares well to SS, FT, 123 and the IS PP?   Is it because the credit sales are so much better there compared to ycertain sites where there is hardly any difference between a sub and credit sale?

Very good point! I also hate the subscriptions but they do bring the level of the image up. I do like DS very much! The are the only one with very high commissions. And they always come back hard after a wile of subscription sales. I dont know why but its a row of subscribtions and then always a jump in credit sales. I have 620 images there at the moment and I get monthly payment. Only SS gives me monthly payment (But 200%$ of DS with just 380 images) so DS is not that bad for me. I also noticed that DS is selling new images faster now than before. I had new images selling within a week. This is new at DS for me.
« Last Edit: June 12, 2013, 16:56 by Mactrunk »

Beppe Grillo

« Reply #15 on: June 12, 2013, 01:24 »
0
Not one sale this last month not one [!!]
(Portfolio about 500 images)

« Reply #16 on: June 12, 2013, 02:57 »
+1
I've been hit by selling a lot more subs than PPD. And I have to say that I can't understand how their similars policy can work well for us?  They have a lot less of my images than other sites, they have struggled to remain in the top 4 in the poll results here.  The images that reach the higher levels seem to encourage more buyers to switch to subs.  I'm sure lots of their buyers have gone to SS, to find a lot of the images that DT don't have.

They should of accepted more images and allowed buyers that only want to see one from each set to filter them out.  Instead of that, they've reduced the choice for all their buyers and I think that's going to take them out of the big 4 at some point.

Depends what you do. For what we do, having a lot of similars is pointless, it just dilutes sales and stops files reaching higher levels. I can understand why lifestyle photogs would want similars, but we have long since stopped producing similars for our food shots etc. We usually just do one of the complete object, designers can crop if they want. Food only has the one expression :)
Wait until you get a rejection for something that's not at all similar and that they don't have in their collection.  It happened several times to me and now I upload very little there.  I do very few series but I think doing only 1 photo of each subject is going to lose me a lot of money.  Buyers at least like a portrait and landscape format version.  Never understand how the review process can decide what version a buyer will want?  One buyer will want a portrait format for a magazine cover and another will want a landscape format for a website.  It's not always possible to crop and from what I've seen, many buyers don't know how to.

« Reply #17 on: June 12, 2013, 04:13 »
0
Food only has the one expression :)

Really?

Anyway, I've been on a gradual downward trend at DT for years now.

« Reply #18 on: June 12, 2013, 07:18 »
0
I had 17 sales yesterday. All subscriptions, all additional formats, all searched for dove, even though none of my files have the keyword dove. (same buyer?) I usually sell 3 - 6 per day.

486 files online.
« Last Edit: June 12, 2013, 07:31 by rimglow »

« Reply #19 on: June 12, 2013, 09:17 »
0
Why do people always complain about subs on DT and nowhere else ...

Because DT introduced a system of levels, that lets your images increase in value overtime; then cuts you off at the knees with subs.   It's totally aggravating to see your Level 5 images sold at maximum size for 35 cents. 
« Last Edit: June 12, 2013, 14:43 by stockastic »

« Reply #20 on: June 12, 2013, 09:48 »
+1
I had 17 sales yesterday. All subscriptions, all additional formats, all searched for dove, even though none of my files have the keyword dove. (same buyer?) I usually sell 3 - 6 per day.

486 files online.

Congrats Danny! You are doing good business with the peace lovers.  8)

« Reply #21 on: June 12, 2013, 14:36 »
+3
DT continues to be my best site, making up over half my revenue...  On an RPI basis SS beats DT for me by 1/3, but I've got 2.2 times more photos on DT.   Revenue on DT up 20% over last May.  I think the reality is that some of us have styles and portfolios that work well under the DT paradigm and their similars policy, while others don't.  Frankly, I'm glad there is at least one site that favors my style or I might never have kept at it :)

« Reply #22 on: June 12, 2013, 14:42 »
0
850 images...0 sales in last 25 days. Never been a big seller for me but has dried up.

« Reply #23 on: June 12, 2013, 15:32 »
+5
Why do people always complain about subs on DT and nowhere else ...

Because DT introduced a system of levels, that lets your images increase in value overtime; then cuts you off at the knees with subs.   It's totally aggravating to see your Level 5 images sold at maximum size for 35 cents.

The levels system at DT is the only one that rewards image performance rather than port size.  The threshold is low, something like 25 sales, and, statistically, half of those or more would probably be subs.  Ive got > $5 for extra small and correspondingly more for bigger sizes and these do help the bottom line.  On SS, images that have sold hundreds 0f times still earn $0.33 for a sub and 2.48 at my particular level and on FT 0.27 for subs and between 0.23 and 1.61 for a credit sale and the subs only count 25% towards the next level and nobody seems to complain about subs on these sites.

Like for like, this is a relatively good deal, especially for the small guy.  The problem with DT is the famine / feast nature of the sales but they have to be better than the bargain basement sites.

« Reply #24 on: June 12, 2013, 15:57 »
0
Like for like, this is a relatively good deal, especially for the small guy.

But it feels like a cheat.  You see your images climb the levels, and they dangle those nice returns in front of you, but the reality is that you seldom see them - the sales are mostly subs.  And they show you the size, giving you the added pleasure of knowing that your level 5 image just sold at maximum size, and you get 35 cents.   If you look just at the overall numbers compared to other sites, returns are typical, bu psychologically it's a total fail.  You can't shake the feeling that the buyer who wanted your best image at full size would certainly have paid a few dollars for it.


« Reply #25 on: June 12, 2013, 15:58 »
0
Okay, please tell me that I am the only one that is doing poorly on DT? The last six weeks have been dismal. Maybe I am in slump ( I have about 1,400 images on their site)...

T

+1.... DT is going down for me :( and i have 1600+ images online there. I sell 3x on FT compared with DT.

« Reply #26 on: June 12, 2013, 16:04 »
0
Like for like, this is a relatively good deal, especially for the small guy.

But it feels like a cheat.  You see your images climb the levels, and they dangle those nice returns in front of you, but the reality is that you seldom see them - the sales are mostly subs.  And they show you the size, giving you the added pleasure of knowing that your level 5 image just sold at maximum size, and you get 35 cents.   If you look just at the overall numbers compared to other sites, returns are typical, bu psychologically it's a total fail.  You can't shake the feeling that the buyer who wanted your best image at full size would certainly have paid a few dollars for it.

I believe the problem is that you, myself and many other haven't felt any love from DT, our portfolio never took off for buyers and perform poorly, maybe because of its quality/commercial value

while other have a 2/3$ RPD

edited: typo
« Last Edit: June 12, 2013, 16:09 by luissantos84 »

« Reply #27 on: June 12, 2013, 17:05 »
0
Isn't the relevant figure the change in RPD? My RPD is about $1.30, which is a bit less than in the first six months of last year but not much different from the overall picture for 2010, 11 and 12. I have to go back to 2009 to see a clear increase in RPD (about $1.10 back then).
My conclusion is that all the levels, and the progress files make through them to higher price points, have been completely negated by the subscription programme. And that is despite the way files have been bumped up into higher levels by the last couple of adjustments to the scheme.

« Reply #28 on: June 12, 2013, 17:11 »
+4
Like for like, this is a relatively good deal, especially for the small guy.

But it feels like a cheat.   You see your images climb the levels, and they dangle those nice returns in front of you, but the reality is that you seldom see them - the sales are mostly subs.  And they show you the size, giving you the added pleasure of knowing that your level 5 image just sold at maximum size, and you get 35 cents.   If you look just at the overall numbers compared to other sites, returns are typical, bu psychologically it's a total fail.  You can't shake the feeling that the buyer who wanted your best image at full size would certainly have paid a few dollars for it.

What utter nonsense. How can you say it "feels like a cheat" to you when DT has the highest RPD (for non-newbies anyway) of any microstock agency? Sure, they sell subs at 35c, but that's actually more than most other agencies pay, including FT and TS.

The truth is that anyone can sell $5 notes for $4. DT has to be applauded for selling our work, on average, for more $'s per sale than any other microstock agency.

That's quite a feat considering that DT started out as the bargain-basement of microstock, with all images priced at $1 (at maximum size) and contributors receiving 50c per sale. My own RPD with DT nowadays is about $2.38. DT have been very successful in developing their business model. How dare you call them "cheats".

« Reply #29 on: June 12, 2013, 17:13 »
0
My conclusion is that all the levels, and the progress files make through them to higher price points, have been completely negated by the subscription programme.

That's what I think too, although obviously YMMV.   It would at least seem a little fair-er, if your subscription returns increased in proportion to the level - i.e. a level 5 image sold via subscription nets you 50 cents instead of 35 - not much better, but at least something...


« Reply #30 on: June 12, 2013, 17:30 »
0
Like for like, this is a relatively good deal, especially for the small guy.

But it feels like a cheat.  You see your images climb the levels, and they dangle those nice returns in front of you, but the reality is that you seldom see them - the sales are mostly subs.  And they show you the size, giving you the added pleasure of knowing that your level 5 image just sold at maximum size, and you get 35 cents.   If you look just at the overall numbers compared to other sites, returns are typical, bu psychologically it's a total fail.  You can't shake the feeling that the buyer who wanted your best image at full size would certainly have paid a few dollars for it.

It kinda does ok but I guess it depends on how you look at it.  I've had a few sub sales of level 5 images over that last few days but had a single > $8 for one today (more than earnings this month so far on 123).  The same images sell for pennies (and only pennies) on FT and 123 all the time so I tend to look at these as a bit of a bonus.  The fact that you can get the odd larger than usual commission makes DT (and SS) more "interesting" than the others.

« Reply #31 on: June 12, 2013, 17:34 »
0
The fact that you can get the odd larger than usual commission makes DT (and SS) more "interesting" than the others.

Absolutely true.  The occasional 'big' sales are what keep us there.  Hey I never said these guys were dumb.  :-)

lisafx

« Reply #32 on: June 12, 2013, 19:24 »
0
DT has to be applauded for selling our work, on average, for more $'s per sale than any other microstock agency.

This sums up my feelings as well. 

My RPD at DT climbed significantly a couple of years ago and has remained steady since then, in spite of subs.  And they are one of the two sites in the big 4 whom I have not seen drastic overall earnings drops from. 

« Reply #33 on: June 13, 2013, 01:51 »
0
My RPD keeps going up there - up well over 100% from 2011 and up ~40% from 2012. QTR4 2012 and QTR1 2013 are significantly higher than anytime in the past, so it's not all doom and gloom.

Sure, I'm bummed that extended licenses only get me $15-16 (even $28 on SS is peanuts but that's the nature of the beast) but those $7-9+ regular sales of Level 4s & 5s are still happening & despite the 35-42 cent subs of those same images, my RPD continues to rise. It is disheartening to get $9.22 one day for an extralarge and then see that same level 5 net me 42 cents a day later at the same size (as happened this week). (But even more distressing to see Alamy license a photo for $260 (when I got 60%), then see Alamy license the same photo for <$2 dollars, and see SS license it for 33 cents. If Alamy licenses the same photo for $1.61 one day and $260 the next, I have no problem licensing RF files there and on the micros. Unfortunately, they don't have the volume for those piddly sales to add up.

Through April 2012 subs were earning 84 cents, now it's 42 cents - that's a drag - I guess I missed that memo - but even with 38 subs out of 52 licenses, the image I mentioned above has earned me over $95 on DT so far - and it was a simple experiment with my lensbaby that the other sites rejected & it would never have passed Alamy's IQ.

 It does seem to be feast or famine over there but I haven't added anything new in quite a while. If I upload a bunch of new stuff I usually see a jump in sales. My port is too small to be statistically significant. But what seemed like a slump early this year is really pretty steady and gaining with no effort on my part.

Dismal month all around so far. No direct stock photo sales yet to put me over the top like the past two months. DT is out in front at the moment but it is a very sorry little pack they are leading this month, thou there's still time for it to turn around (they need an icon for fingers crossed on here x?) 

The sites do have buyers with different tastes. I guess that's why a port with <150 photos can still find lots of buyers despite the millions of photos they have to look at.

« Reply #34 on: June 13, 2013, 02:06 »
0
Like for like, this is a relatively good deal, especially for the small guy.

But it feels like a cheat.  You see your images climb the levels, and they dangle those nice returns in front of you, but the reality is that you seldom see them - the sales are mostly subs.  And they show you the size, giving you the added pleasure of knowing that your level 5 image just sold at maximum size, and you get 35 cents.   If you look just at the overall numbers compared to other sites, returns are typical, bu psychologically it's a total fail.  You can't shake the feeling that the buyer who wanted your best image at full size would certainly have paid a few dollars for it.

I believe the problem is that you, myself and many other haven't felt any love from DT, our portfolio never took off for buyers and perform poorly, maybe because of its quality/commercial value

while other have a 2/3$ RPD

edited: typo

 I disagree... poorly quality/commercial value doesn't always explain why THE SAME images sells very good on 123RF and FT ( don't mention SS ) and poorly on DT.
 In my opinion DT is constantly loosing market share While FT , SS and 123RF are gaining more and more costumers,


 

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