MicrostockGroup
Agency Based Discussion => Cutcaster => Topic started by: johngriffin on September 07, 2011, 11:32
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Today, Cutcaster (http://Cutcaster.com) re-launched with several upgrades that address growing needs in the stock image marketplace for both image buyers and sellers.
We wanted to make changes that would translate to real improvement for all our users. Our image search engine (http://Cutcaster.com) now helps buyers find, filter and download relevant images more quickly, and we’ve made it easier for our contributors to sell their images and earn good money doing it.
We've now combined an easy-to-use search interface with a highly accurate contextual search engine that disambiguates word meanings. As the user types in keywords, the engine determines their meaning and the intention of the searcher to provide more accurate image results. As the searcher applies additional filters—for number of people, orientation or dominant color, for example— search results are updated immediately, making it easy to focus and expand results as necessary. If a keyword has multiple meanings, a user will be able to select their meaning by clicking on the keyword to choose the right meaning. We do all the rest.
The checkout process has been improved as well with simplified pricing, shown in credits and dollars, and the introduction of PayPal. Our goal was to make downloading images as seamless as possible for people. Users don’t even have to register to buy, and now they have even more secure payment options.
For its contributors, Cutcaster has increased its royalty payments to one of the highest rates in the industry. Our rate are going from 50% to 55%. We want to continue offering excellent images from great contributors, and our rates help us attract and choose the best. At a time when other sites are reducing their royalty percentages and payouts, we’re increasing them.
A greatly simplified user interface facilitates how contributors upload their images and view their image stats. We will have the FTP upload option enabled again after next week but you can upload images now via the upload area in your account. The whole site is optimized for our sellers now. There’s no guesswork, from signing up to providing the right tax forms, to getting paid.
We hope you enjoy all the improvements and we welcome your feedback.
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thank you for the efforts!
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...Cutcaster has increased its royalty payments to one of the highest rates in the industry. Our rate are going from 50% to 55%...
This is good news, and just in time as my sales at CC have been growing. BME last month and reached another payout.
BTW I notice that an image of mine is one of the 3 in the rotation on you home page. Thanks!
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I really hope that you succeed! I'm selling a little more, recently, and I hope the changes will bring some more sale...
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Wow! That's a breath of fresh air. When will the flash upload option be available?
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You guys are starting to set a new standard here and is working in an opposite direction to many (fading?) large agencies with your commission structure. I trust and pray that your efforts will change your site to the trend setter in future. Great work John and team!!!!
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For its contributors, Cutcaster has increased its royalty payments to one of the highest rates in the industry. Our rate are going from 50% to 55%. We want to continue offering excellent images from great contributors, and our rates help us attract and choose the best. At a time when other sites are reducing their royalty percentages and payouts, we’re increasing them.
Good job, John.
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Great news and because of that I will make sure that your site is one of the first to get my images in the future.
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Yes. Great to hear about a royalty INCREASE these days.
Are the prices all fixed now? I recall at the start that contributors had to check for bids from buyers. Has that completely gone now?
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Apparently, the only change I see is having to login every time I open the page.
It's good to have higher commissions. if no sales at all? Even with images that sells on higher, middle and lower tier?
I started in the beginning of 2011, manly because reviews said with site update Cutcaster would be an agency to take into consideration. Now, after a year, plus a makeover, and still all the same: it seems there are no customers.
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This increase means I could now reach payout in just 225 years!
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oh SO SAD I got kicked out a few months ago :(
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Kicked out? Why was that?
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Kicked out? Why was that?
told on a topic here they were dead because I had 2 sales in 2 years :P
after saying so, I got a email telling that they no longer want to pursue "business" with me, SO SAD!
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Oh sorry Luis. I don't think I saw that at the time.
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55% is for exclusives. The non-exclusive rate remains the same (afaik). My sales are not dead (I reached a payout once) they just need resuscitating. Which I'm sure they're working on. The new site design and the way it functions is much better now, and they've gone from 'you choose the prices' to microstock prices, probably because it's a proven formula.
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Thanks for answering my question MP :) Very helpful.
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55% is for exclusives. The non-exclusive rate remains the same (afaik). My sales are not dead (I reached a payout once) they just need resuscitating. Which I'm sure they're working on. The new site design and the way it functions is much better now, and they've gone from 'you choose the prices' to microstock prices, probably because it's a proven formula.
If that is true, the wording in John's announcement might have made that clear. Moving royalty rates up instead of down is definitely a step in the right direction, but it's a little misleading to make a blanket statement, as if ALL contributors on CC get that increase.
I had images on CC for a few months, and I saw no sales at all. I gave up, but I certainly wish John and contributors who have images there success.
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@cclapper My thoughts too!
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I make jokes, but I assume (hope) they can take it. Naturally I wish them nothing but success.
I'm puzzled that my stuff just doesn't sell there, but maybe they have a different market than the Big 3.
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I am happy to see that most users sales are improving. We still have a lot of hard work ahead of us but you guys can see that we are on your team and want to work with you. Thank you for your support and please keep the feedback coming. I really want to hear as much feedback as we can from all of you.
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Here is an example of how our new search breaks down word meaning and helps the user find the best, most related images for the image search and word meaning. You can see how we are doing it now at Cutcaster when you want to break down a search term i.e. disambiguate it. Try a image search for girl and then click on the keyword box for girl in the upper left to see a breakdown of meanings.
Then you can do a search for "hood" and see the dropdown in the autosuggest for the different meanings or if you select nothing from the autosuggest you can see how if you hover over the keyword that is in the upper left, you can then select your meaning.
We do all this for the sellers who have to do nothing during the upload process to disambiguate their keyword terms. Our search algorithm performs the augmented query and re-ranking of the search results after the image searcher selects their meaning. What do you guys think?
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I am happy to see that most users sales are improving.
I would say "very few users"... I work with 12 agencies, top and middle tier and low earners, and still awaiting first "most sale" at Cutcaster ( menos at least one image per year ). "Strangely is where I have "most files". ::)
About new "system", my opinion is that should be us disambiguate keyword during upload. Why? We don't know used criteria by U and we will loose time with keywords that will not work as we expect.
EDIT: And when an option to "edit" aproved files ( change titles, keywords... ) ?
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Time will tell if you are right CoisaX. I'd rather make less work for contributors so they can do other things instead of breaking down word meanings.
There won't be an edit option in the near future but it is something we are seriously considering and in the meantime you can email us to get things changed.
What do others think about the search engine and how it is working?
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best search engine EVER :)
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best search engine EVER :)
Best feedback EVER :)
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best search engine EVER :)
Best feedback EVER :)
am I the only one reading this? you kicked me out 2 months ago because I said CC was DEAD! ;D
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Time will tell if you are right CoisaX. I'd rather make less work for contributors so they can do other things instead of breaking down word meanings.
There won't be an edit option in the near future but it is something we are seriously considering and in the meantime you can email us to get things changed.
What do others think about the search engine and how it is working?
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best search engine EVER :)
Best feedback EVER :)
am I the only one reading this? you kicked me out 2 months ago because I said CC was DEAD! ;D
What feedback did you expect? OK, congratulations you caught John out for not remembering the names of all his (ex)contributors. We are all very happy for you.
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Ha. I know who Luis is and I was just being sarcastic like he was.
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Only today I see my post above without any text ???
Ok, not the most important by now.
Having a big 0 so far, and with last changes on CC, would help have views statistics or something, to see if any good happen with changes. Unlikey other agency with a big 0 , dunno why still put some faith on CC. But actually is a lack of information to analyze next step.
I even tried search engine with "value keywords" ( at least for me ) and my images on first page...