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Agency Based Discussion => Dreamstime.com => Topic started by: cuppacoffee on October 17, 2013, 11:47

Title: DT asks buyers to "rate and review" their purchases
Post by: cuppacoffee on October 17, 2013, 11:47
"Designers, rate your downloads! We're currently testing a new feature, available on your downloads page, which enables you to rate and add a review for the images you licensed. We'd love to have your valuable feedback, use this feature to send us your opinion on our images."

Does anyone think a buyer will take the time to rate an image? The buyers that are worth anything buy in bulk and won't take the time. One-off buyers might but is their feedback valuable, and if so for what purpose? Odd.
Title: Re: DT asks buyers to "rate and review" their purchases
Post by: Sean Locke Photography on October 17, 2013, 11:49
"Designers, rate your downloads! We're currently testing a new feature, available on your downloads page, which enables you to rate and add a review for the images you licensed. We'd love to have your valuable feedback, use this feature to send us your opinion on our images."

Does anyone think a buyer will take the time to rate an image? The buyers that are worth anything buy in bulk and won't take the time. One-off buyers might but is their feedback valuable, and if so for what purpose? Odd.

Well, according to iStock, this is the kind of "feature" that slows down the site to the point where the loupe takes 10 seconds to load.  Better watch out, DT!
Title: Re: DT asks buyers to "rate and review" their purchases
Post by: Koufax73 on October 17, 2013, 12:03
DT is spyraling down, in my opinion and for what I can see.
Title: Re: DT asks buyers to "rate and review" their purchases
Post by: stocked on October 17, 2013, 12:41
DT is spyraling down, in my opinion and for what I can see.
+1 but they could still be a worthy site if they would give up subs!
Title: Re: DT asks buyers to "rate and review" their purchases
Post by: gostwyck on October 17, 2013, 13:03
Well, according to iStock, this is the kind of "feature" that slows down the site to the point where the loupe takes 10 seconds to load.  Better watch out, DT!

According to iStock having all those pesky customers was slowing the site down too so that must be why they've spent the last couple of years getting rid of them.
Title: Re: DT asks buyers to "rate and review" their purchases
Post by: gostwyck on October 17, 2013, 13:13
"Designers, rate your downloads! We're currently testing a new feature, available on your downloads page, which enables you to rate and add a review for the images you licensed. We'd love to have your valuable feedback, use this feature to send us your opinion on our images."

Does anyone think a buyer will take the time to rate an image? The buyers that are worth anything buy in bulk and won't take the time. One-off buyers might but is their feedback valuable, and if so for what purpose? Odd.

The trouble with ratings and reviews is that some of them can be very negative. I foresee some damaged egos amongst contributors if their wonderful image was trashed by a buyer.

Back to your original point I don't see how this will help the buyers, the agency or the contributors. Buyers will surely choose an image because it fits their purpose not because it has lots of good reviews. It's not like an image can break down after a couple of weeks use or is too similar to the author's previous work or whatever, which are useful things to know when buying from Amazon ... but not from DT.
Title: Re: DT asks buyers to "rate and review" their purchases
Post by: fotografer on October 17, 2013, 13:17
They tried that for a few days once before where buyers had to leave a comment. I had all sorts of random one word comments from buyers that just put in anything so that they could proceed with the download.
Title: Re: DT asks buyers to "rate and review" their purchases
Post by: w7lwi on October 17, 2013, 21:23
If they didn't like the image, why would they be downloading it?

BUYER:  This image has poor composition and color balance.  It looks like something my grandchild made in Kindergarten.  However it's exactly what I need so I'm downloading it anyway.
Title: Re: DT asks buyers to "rate and review" their purchases
Post by: michaeldb on October 17, 2013, 21:31
They tried that for a few days once before where buyers had to leave a comment. I had all sorts of random one word comments from buyers that just put in anything so that they could proceed with the download.
Yes, I remember that. But if done right, it seems to me that ratings and reviews could be a good thing. They work pretty well on Amazon.

Anyway, it's good to see DT trying something (sort of) new. And as for DT going downhill, as mentioned in a couple of posts, not in my book. DT is about the only site where I still get a BME once in a while.
Title: Re: DT asks buyers to "rate and review" their purchases
Post by: lisafx on October 18, 2013, 22:54

Anyway, it's good to see DT trying something (sort of) new. And as for DT going downhill, as mentioned in a couple of posts, not in my book. DT is about the only site where I still get a BME once in a while.

I agree.  I haven't had a BME there in awhile, but they are holding fairly steady, and in this climate I count that as a win. 
Title: Re: DT asks buyers to "rate and review" their purchases
Post by: Noedelhap on October 21, 2013, 13:20
Sounds like a useless feature. Buyers will likely only leave a comment or rating if they feel very strongly about an image (either very positive or very negative).