MicrostockGroup
Agency Based Discussion => Sites that no longer exist => StockXpert.com => Topic started by: sharpshot on January 20, 2010, 16:54
-
Went away for a week and just checked my sales on the sites. Most of them are doing well but StockXpert are really bad. I opted out of subs but my pay-per-download sales look like they will be down about 50% on December 2009. I read before that people found their PPD sales fell when they opted out of subs, this seems very unfair. If sales stay like this, I have no incentive to keep using StockXpert.
-
when i opted out, i expected some slowdown, but i also chose not to get excited to see lots of dls and so little money . so i'd rather wait and see one sale and more money per sales.
btw, just curious,sharpshot
was 50% of your income from subs?
-
Yes, subs were growing and were around 50% by the time I opted out. I regularly made over $200 a month with StockXpert at one time, so far this month I have made $24.50. The other sites are doing well so I am not too concerned but it is a shame that a site I used to like using has gone so bad.
-
Sales are way down there this month for me as well. It's mostly the pay per download and StockXpert subs that are slumping. It could just be the month because Fotolia is pretty quiet too.
-
stayed opt'd in for subs... sales still down.....
took a chance and uploaded a few pix.... been 2 days... no approval yet.. used to get approval in a matter of hours..
-
I noticed a big slump at StockXpert going from Oct to Nov. But Dec was back up to Oct levels, and Jan looks to be about 5% over Dec.
My submissions are getting approved in a matter of hours... I don't know if I'm the lucky exception at StockXpert, or if others are having a run of bad luck.
-
A follow up..
I just uploaded three images at once... all different subjects, so I uploaded all together and planned to go back and add categories afterward... they were all approved before I went back to put the categories in... couldn't have been more than 5 or 10 minutes. Way to go, StockXpert!
-
I stopped uploading because of the $0.25 subs and they still haven't made any announcements about the future of StockXpert. I don't know if they are going to market the site or keep asking buyers to switch to istock. New uploads don't seem to get many views, so I didn't think it would slow down my sales this much.
The positive side of this sales slump is that it wont be too painful if they do close the site. That looks inevitable if they don't market it.
-
Maybe I am the exception, but StockXpert continues to perform well for me. A year ago, they were my #5 agency in terms of sales, and that holds true today. New uploads are getting views and sales. Haven't noticed any .25 commissions... rather, I still get the .30, .50, 1.00, 2.50 and 5.00 commissions I've always seen. As long as they continue to perform this way, I don't need to be told what their plans are to keep uploading... the proof is in the results.
-
Maybe I am the exception, but StockXpert continues to perform well for me.
Same here, and a lot more than I make on BigStock where since the SS announcement I have seen sales crash dramatically, if StockXpert do go under it'll be a shame to see them go as far as I'm concerned but in the meantime I'll just enjoy the sales.
-
The strange thing is that at the end of last summer I got to have 2 payouts with StockXpert but autumn and winter have been terrible with almost no sales.
This week I'm noticing some shy sales on StockXpert and superfast review accepting everything.
This is the weirdest agency I've ever been registered with thus far ???
-
The strange thing is that at the end of last summer I got to have 2 payouts with StockXpert but autumn and winter have been terrible with almost no sales.
This week I'm noticing some shy sales on StockXpert and superfast review accepting everything.
This is the weirdest agency I've ever been registered with thus far ???
ciao GP,
no i don't think it's weird. i think StockXpert approving my images almost instantly , many times just as i am uploading the next image, tells me that there is something going on and they are finally getting their inner conflict settled.
or, if you are also with IS, it may tell you that your images are IS friendly, since they are afterall now more or less IS connected.
businesses do not allay budget to anything they plan to shut down. the fact the StockXpert is still approving your works and mine 100% shows they have an interest and still want to rebuild.
i am cheering for the old StockXpert to come back with a fury, as i am 100% for them .
opting out on subs of course.
-
the fact the StockXpert is still approving your works and mine 100% shows they have an interest and still want to rebuild.
i am cheering for the old StockXpert to come back with a fury, as i am 100% for them .
opting out on subs of course.
Right, well it does sounds good then.
I too opted out the subs, for sure, and I hope they get back on the surf of market. Their potential is huge.
-
opting out on subs of course.
Unfortunately if you are opted out of subs then your images will almost certainly suffer from a significantly worse sort-order position (because of having fewer sales relative to other images). That'll lead to fewer PPD sales ... so an even worse sort-order position ... and so on.
-
opting out on subs of course.
Unfortunately if you are opted out of subs then your images will almost certainly suffer from a significantly worse sort-order position (because of having fewer sales relative to other images). That'll lead to fewer PPD sales ... so an even worse sort-order position ... and so on.
It's a matter of dignity: there's no way I'm gonna sell my pictures less than 30 cents... which is already way too low
-
It's a matter of dignity: there's no way I'm gonna sell my pictures less than 30 cents... which is already way too low
Well actually they've yet to pay me anything less than 30c __ but over on Istock I still get the occasional 17c sale (presumably from credits bought in the Cretaceous period).
I think you have to make a judgement based more on the average sale price at a particular agency rather than individual sales.
-
It's a matter of dignity: there's no way I'm gonna sell my pictures less than 30 cents... which is already way too low
Well actually they've yet to pay me anything less than 30c __ but over on Istock I still get the occasional 17c sale (presumably from credits bought in the Cretaceous period).
I think you have to make a judgement based more on the average sale price at a particular agency rather than individual sales.
well actually i am not totally against opt in.
i don't mind "giving away" the "found" images ,
you know, landscapes (although i don't submit these types anymore), festivals, umm, ie "snapshots" ,etc.. or even the older images which cost nothing to produce. they were mostly la dee dah images i dragged out from my old cds and dvds :D.
but for the new images which are mostly concepts and on location with overheads on studio, models,, lighting,etc..
i would be nuts to opt in.
if i am not mistaken, i think IS you can selectively opt in for that. (a specific image),
but StockXpert is a blanket issue, isn't it?
all i know is that from all my recent works, i have no intentions of opting in, no matter what.
but if i can opt in specific images, i probably would get in to do that. but not now, as i'd rather use my time more effectively making more new work, as old images that are dead are just that... dead.
-
It's a matter of dignity: there's no way I'm gonna sell my pictures less than 30 cents... which is already way too low
Well actually they've yet to pay me anything less than 30c __ but over on Istock I still get the occasional 17c sale (presumably from credits bought in the Cretaceous period).
I think you have to make a judgement based more on the average sale price at a particular agency rather than individual sales.
I opted out of subs because if I accept a reduction to $0.25, what is to stop all the other subs sites doing the same? I also don't like the way pay per download prices have generally increased but subs have stayed low, encouraging buyers to switch.
-
I opted out of subs because if I accept a reduction to $0.25, what is to stop all the other subs sites doing the same? I also don't like the way pay per download prices have generally increased but subs have stayed low, encouraging buyers to switch.
Right that is exactly my point
-
Not sure why anyone would be surprised by slowing sales on StockXpert. It is painfully obvious that they are being fazed out.
Like others, I have not had a sub sale either through StockXpert or JIU that is less than .30. And JIU still keeps producing sales.
Wasn't the Getty subs site supposed to have replaced JIU by now?
-
Here is the answer:
http://siteanalytics.compete.com/istockphoto.com+shutterstock.com+stockxpert.com/ (http://siteanalytics.compete.com/istockphoto.com+shutterstock.com+stockxpert.com/)
But I got one dl with 5$ for me...
BUt the biggest jump yearly has Canstockphoto, then 123rf,
FT fell on a monthly basis, also Cutcaster and Bigstock...
Positive is that biggest sites still move up and up... ;)
-
Here is the answer:
[url]http://siteanalytics.compete.com/istockphoto.com+shutterstock.com+stockxpert.com/[/url] ([url]http://siteanalytics.compete.com/istockphoto.com+shutterstock.com+stockxpert.com/[/url])
But I got one dl with 5$ for me...
well, as they say, "it ain't over till the fat lady sings".
-
Wasn't the Getty subs site supposed to have replaced JIU by now?
I read somewhere on the IS forum (in the thread of Frank DM and his brainchild DeepMeta) that the project has been delayed. He was promised to have the API for the new Getty subs site by December, but he still didn't get it 2 days ago.
I'm not so sure any more StockXpert will be phased out by Getty. We all thought so last year, but perhaps they found out too that Peter Hanza (the original coder of StockXpert) is making a new site very deep under the radar.
If I were Getty, I wouldn't just phase out the market segment that StockXpert has now. Maybe they just will give a face-lift to JIU and position StockXpert as their B-site, JUI as their subs site, keeping iStock as their A-site. That makes total sense to me, having a presence in all the market segments, and attacking SS on their USP. Market shares are very difficult to come by, so why throw them away?
I can only dream of sales like Sharpshot reports there, and his reduction to 1/10th sounds almost incredible. I had a reduction when photo.com went, but just by 30%. In short, I'm not giving up at all on StockXpert for now. They might have some surprise in petto.
The ones that really goofed up are SS-BigStock. My sales on BigStock went down a lot, not compensated at all by an increase on SS. In fact, SS is losing for me consistently. 123RF wil cut itself deeply with the new strict acceptance policy and they weren't much anyways.
It looks like we will have a tripolar world soon, with the Getty-empire, SS-BigStock, and DT, - and with FT as a wild card.
-
EDITED
I'm not so sure any more StockXpert will be phased out by Getty. We all thought so last year, but perhaps they found out too that Peter Hanza (the original coder of StockXpert) is making a new site very deep under the radar.
If I were Getty, I wouldn't just phase out the market segment that StockXpert has now. Maybe they just will give a face-lift to JIU and position StockXpert as their B-site, JUI as their subs site, keeping iStock as their A-site. That makes total sense to me, having a presence in all the market segments, and attacking SS on their USP. Market shares are very difficult to come by, so why throw them away?
Never thought I'd agree with you FD, but this time you speak with silver tongue ;D
For all the reasons above, + the fact that some of us have been getting quick approvals to our new works for the past 3 months or so. Ppl here like Guiseppe and myself.
Also that others are ranting of their rejections, and even my own 4 months prior of getting rejections of the same old same old, with reasons: "we don't need these sort of images , we have too many already, thank you", (or words to the effect).
That just does not sound like a company that is to be phased out.
Why would you still pay reviewers to weed out the new stuff and get more picky?
In fact, I noticed from my own uploads, the same works that IS approves are quite in line with what StockXpert has been approving with mine.
I am confident there is something good coming. As someone else pointed out before,
StockXpert was one heck of a new site until someone came up with the wise idea to kill it.
-
EDITED
I'm not so sure any more StockXpert will be phased out by Getty. We all thought so last year, but perhaps they found out too that Peter Hanza (the original coder of StockXpert) is making a new site very deep under the radar.
Whenever Mr. Hanza has his new site, I hope he will come in to recruit and announce it here. I for one wants to be there, as StockXpert was my best earner right from the start.
-
EDITED
I'm not so sure any more StockXpert will be phased out by Getty. We all thought so last year, but perhaps they found out too that Peter Hanza (the original coder of StockXpert) is making a new site very deep under the radar.
Whenever Mr. Hanza has his new site, I hope he will come in to recruit and announce it here. I for one wants to be there, as StockXpert was my best earner right from the start.
I'll be in the queue behind you. StockXpert has always been a favourite of mine, still doing okay there, but not as good as pre Jupiter & Getty days.
-
I'm experience a mild improvement over past months. I only sell credit, no subs. What I have noticed recently is the disappearance of large size sales. I don't sell an XL since October, and an L since November.
Overall in 2009 I saw a huge decline over 2008. My worst month in 2008 was the same as my best in 2009. :(
-
Overall in 2009 I saw a huge decline over 2008. My worst month in 2008 was the same as my best in 2009. :(
I can echo the same experience. Sorry to clip your whole post.
-
I read somewhere on the IS forum (in the thread of Frank DM and his brainchild DeepMeta) that the project has been delayed. He was promised to have the API for the new Getty subs site by December, but he still didn't get it 2 days ago.
I'm not so sure any more StockXpert will be phased out by Getty. We all thought so last year, but perhaps they found out too that Peter Hanza (the original coder of StockXpert) is making a new site very deep under the radar.
If I were Getty, I wouldn't just phase out the market segment that StockXpert has now. Maybe they just will give a face-lift to JIU and position StockXpert as their B-site, JUI as their subs site, keeping iStock as their A-site. That makes total sense to me, having a presence in all the market segments, and attacking SS on their USP. Market shares are very difficult to come by, so why throw them away?
I can only dream of sales like Sharpshot reports there, and his reduction to 1/10th sounds almost incredible. I had a reduction when photo.com went, but just by 30%. In short, I'm not giving up at all on StockXpert for now. They might have some surprise in petto.
The ones that really goofed up are SS-BigStock. My sales on BigStock went down a lot, not compensated at all by an increase on SS. In fact, SS is losing for me consistently. 123RF wil cut itself deeply with the new strict acceptance policy and they weren't much anyways.
It looks like we will have a tripolar world soon, with the Getty-empire, SS-BigStock, and DT, - and with FT as a wild card.
Thanks for the info about the Getty Sub site being on hold. Never did understand why they felt the need to reinvent the wheel there. Just to hose us out of another .05? C'mon!
Very astute assessment of the evolution of the industry Flemish. I would not be surprised if you are pretty much on the nose.
Only thing I would disagree about is Fotolia as a wild card. I have seen a lot of growth there. They are frequently my number two site now. Going forward I think they will be Istock's most serious competition.
-
Only thing I would disagree about is Fotolia as a wild card. I have seen a lot of growth there. They are frequently my number two site now. Going forward I think they will be Istock's most serious competition.
I know, reading all the reports here from the big guns (like you). I'm probably biased. I don"t fly there at all and I have my doubts about their coding and attitude about contributors. In the long run, that might prove detrimental. By the years, I predicted the downfall of LO, Snap and Zymm just by gut feelings. I never opened my bad mouth about Zymm :-\ but Keith knew my feelings.
I also predict the fall of Veer and CutC, but not of FP since the girl has balls (and a nice cat!). But for FT I'm probably wrong... sometimes my gut feelings are wrong. That's why I called them a wild card. A lot will depend on the way they play. They have very nice cards in their hands.
-
Only thing I would disagree about is Fotolia as a wild card. I have seen a lot of growth there. They are frequently my number two site now. Going forward I think they will be Istock's most serious competition.
I know, reading all the reports here from the big guns (like you). I'm probably biased. I don"t fly there at all and I have my doubts about their coding and attitude about contributors. In the long run, that might prove detrimental. By the years, I predicted the downfall of LO, Snap and Zymm just by gut feelings. I never opened my bad mouth about Zymm :-\ but Keith knew my feelings.
I also predict the fall of Veer and CutC, but not of FP since the girl has balls (and a nice cat!). But for FT I'm probably wrong... sometimes my gut feelings are wrong. That's why I called them a wild card. A lot will depend on the way they play. They have very nice cards in their hands.
I think it was that twit of an ex-CEO at IStock that spouted off in their forums, that portrayed a negative attitude towards independents, at least that's the impression I got. Hopefully, the new guy in charge over there is a little less biased.
Edit....oh... thought this thread was about StockXpert
-
I had a huge spike in January, about double as normal. December was regular month and January looks like it will be 10-20% down.
-
I'm experience a mild improvement over past months. I only sell credit, no subs. What I have noticed recently is the disappearance of large size sales. I don't sell an XL since October, and an L since November.
Overall in 2009 I saw a huge decline over 2008. My worst month in 2008 was the same as my best in 2009. :(
I had more or less stopped uploading to StockXpert during the period when that person came in to preach all this magical things of subs, and then all of a sudden our sales disappeared.
So I never did bother with StockXpert until very late last year when I got a feeling that IS is looking favourably on StockXpert contributors who has been getting approvals at IS.
Since then I revamped my activity with StockXpert and as I said, 100% approval, and many times approved within the moment I upload my next image.
These images are so new, I don't expect any great change to my dls . But I feel it's a good move to plant myself in anticipation of the new change I am having a good feeling .
At worst, if I am wrong, nothing happens. At best, when things get moving again and we get back to the old StockXpert, my new works are already in place ready for their revival.
When that revival happens, I will then cut out on FT and DT so I can concentrate my energy on both IS and StockXpert.