Author Topic: Stockxpert going down? (Read 13933 times)

click_click · « **on:** April 10, 2009, 19:12 »

Hi,
this is my first post, so also "Hello to everyone".

After the introduction of Photos.com and Jupiter Unlimited, my StockXpert credit sales went downhill. Most of the time the subscription-sales of Photos.com and Jupiter alone generate more royalties than StockXpert's credits and subs together.
This wouldn't be bad if my regular StockXpert income would stay the same and additional royalties from Jupiter and Photos.com would add on top of that...

StockXpert did great for me up to half a year ago but then it just turned bad.

It seems to me that Getty as the new "owner" tries to choke StockXpert until it's dead.

When you check the forums over at StockXpert you see a lot of posts from people who complain about many different site issues.
The newest and biggest issues seems to be the search engine bug that certain photographers used to manipulate in order to have their images displayed ahead of others.

The self promotion tool also shows a big hole that StockXpert won't even fix. Supposedly only the "abusers" will be contacted... so who knows how that is going to work out.

User info in the footage section is constantly off the mark and user made StockXpert aware of this 12 months ago.

In my eyes the management appears to be very easygoing about those issues like they don't really care.

While StockXpert used to rock and sometimes outsold any other agency I can't help but wonder if StockXpert is about to go down.

How are your thoughts about this?

vonkara · « **Reply #1 on:** April 10, 2009, 19:56 »

I agree and wonder what's going on. Even if sales are there, I see the photos.com and JIU project a way to make the traffic going there instead of on StockXpert. It seem more and more obvious, I get now 20% of my sales from StockXpert, the other 80 from photos.com and JIU. That for almost the same amount of dwlds

borg · « **Reply #2 on:** April 11, 2009, 08:58 »

Quote from: Vonkara on April 10, 2009, 19:56

I agree and wonder what's going on. Even if sales are there, I see the photos.com and JIU project a way to make the traffic going there instead of on StockXpert. It seem more and more obvious, I get now 20% of my sales from StockXpert, the other 80 from photos.com and JIU. That for almost the same amount of dwlds

These days I have sales only one old photos..

Almost have no views with new photos...

Sold yesterday one XL "bestseller photo" for ONLY 30 cent sub...

My heart is bleeding...

borg · « **Reply #3 on:** April 11, 2009, 09:01 »

Double post

click_click · « **Reply #4 on:** April 11, 2009, 10:33 »

Quote from: Vonkara on April 10, 2009, 19:56

These days I have sales only on old photos..

Almost have no views with new photos...

Sold yesterday one XL "bestseller photo" for ONLY 30 cent sub...

My heart is bleeding...

Tell me about it - I get 5-15 sub sales a day as Vectors, XL and XXL. Theoretically that would mean $25+ per day if those were StockXpert credit sales, instead I get $3 (selling 10 a day).

That's a lot of $$$ that StockXpert used to make in the years before but for some reason their net revenue (straight credit sales and StockXpert subscription purchases) won't lead them to a better future anymore. They seem to rely on Photos.com and JU and lean back because they don't have to worry about marketing anymore. Maybe Getty told StockXpert not to "waste" more $$$ on advertising (assuming they would die over time anyway...).

Any serious business owner would show a lot more interest in fixing all those bugs on the site and also communicate what the plans for the future are. But instead it's just a communicative wasteland.

This is just devastating...

stockastic · « **Reply #5 on:** April 11, 2009, 11:33 »

My latest uploads are getting no views. None. I've quit submitting.

Some forum posters claim their new images get views like they always did. I don't know what to think, except that maybe the ranking/search algorithms have been tweaked so many times, in so many ways, that they no longer make any sense.

null · « **Reply #6 on:** April 11, 2009, 12:42 »

Quote from: click_click on April 11, 2009, 10:33

Any serious business owner would show a lot more interest in fixing all those bugs on the site and also communicate what the plans for the future are.

The business owner is Getty. Why would he put money in a competitor of Istock? Rumors are that most of the staff is fired. What Getty's plans are, nobody knows, but StockXpert as we knew it is gone.

click_click · « **Reply #7 on:** April 11, 2009, 12:48 »

Quote from: FlemishDreams on April 11, 2009, 12:42

The business owner is Getty. Why would he put money in a competitor of Istock? Rumors are that most of the staff is fired. What Getty's plans are, nobody knows, but StockXpert as we knew it is gone.

That was my theory. "Good" to hear that others feel the wind as well.

Seems like it's just a matter of time until Getty and Corbis keep eating up the "small" ones until nothing's left over...

batman · « **Reply #8 on:** April 11, 2009, 13:15 »

As much as I hate the thought that Getty MIGHT want to kill off their child StockXpert to keep IS healthy , my sales are better than ever. I know it may only be mostly subs but these two months the subs been picking up.
My only complaint is that they don't seem to want to review any of my new uploads.
So I am just sitting there with old stuff. But hey, if the subs keep coming in, I don't mind at all. As for the new images approved three months ago, they're not as good as the images I had sitting for months. oh well, so long as they keep add some pennies to my piggy I won't bitch too much here .

m@m · « **Reply #9 on:** April 11, 2009, 14:21 »

I think they just want to sell all of our pictures for 0.30 each, before they quick the bucket...we get pennies, they get thousands...not a bad deal for Getty! $:-\$

RT · « **Reply #10 on:** April 11, 2009, 15:11 »

Quote from: FlemishDreams on April 11, 2009, 12:42

Rumors are that most of the staff is fired. .

Thats not good news, I think there was only three staff to begin with!

Dreamframer · « **Reply #11 on:** April 11, 2009, 15:54 »

I don't like rumors generally... They are often not true. Also I don't like o hear that any site is going down. It would be good if we could hear something from people on StockXpert.

WarrenPrice · « **Reply #12 on:** April 11, 2009, 17:42 »

Quote from: Whitechild on April 11, 2009, 15:54

I don't like rumors generally... They are often not true. Also I don't like o hear that any site is going down. It would be good if we could hear something from people on StockXpert.

Whitechild,
There is some indication in the General Chat section that the guy who did most of the original programming will be re-assuming that duty. And, it reads as if the relationship with Jupiter has been terminated???

I have no idea what is going on because I am REALLY new there. Have a look at some of the posts by "admin" over the last 5-7 days. Let me know what it means to you.

Edited to add following quote:

centrill:
I built this site myself about 3 years ago with some help from the admins from sxc.hu (which was also built by me) and my collegaue at HAAP who does a lot of paperwork. I managed the site until Jupiter joined in.

After that I decided to move to the background a bit, but as you can see the site got off the right track. I don't want to go into details because it's not ethical, but things didn't work out as planned.

Luckily a few weeks ago the Getty deal put an end to the JI era, and finally we can fix the things that have been annoying everybody (including us) for a long time.

Personally I'm very excited about the future and I can competely understand the frustration of some people because I am also very frustrated. This is all I can tell you for now.

Copied from the StockXpert Forum. Was posted by "Admin"

click_click · « **Reply #13 on:** April 11, 2009, 21:26 »

Quote from: WarrenPrice on April 11, 2009, 17:42

...

Edited to add following quote:

centrill:
I built this site myself about 3 years ago with some help from the admins from sxc.hu (which was also built by me) and my collegaue at HAAP who does a lot of paperwork. I managed the site until Jupiter joined in.

After that I decided to move to the background a bit, but as you can see the site got off the right track. I don't want to go into details because it's not ethical, but things didn't work out as planned.

Luckily a few weeks ago the Getty deal put an end to the JI era, and finally we can fix the things that have been annoying everybody (including us) for a long time.

Personally I'm very excited about the future and I can competely understand the frustration of some people because I am also very frustrated. This is all I can tell you for now.

Copied from the StockXpert Forum. Was posted by "Admin"

WOW.

I don't get a good feeling when internal things, especially management issues "leak" into any forum. Being posted by "Admin" - supposedly - I'm more than hoping that this will work out.

It takes a lot to run a site, like StockXpert used to be, into the dirt. To pull out it will be even harder...
Quite a few contributors have stopped uploading or left StockXpert altogether. Footage has died for me many months ago. I have no clue how they will manage to get that going again.

SXC.hu was a great venture and the development of StockXpert was a logic and smart move which came at the right time.
I can't stop repeating how sad it is that StockXpert took such a dramatic turn. I would really like to see them rescue this agency since it had a great potential it would be tough to lose such a potent business partner.

Dreamframer · « **Reply #14 on:** April 12, 2009, 03:10 »

I just hope things won't turn the way like they turned in my company's case.....

helix7 · « **Reply #15 on:** April 12, 2009, 09:22 »

My earnings haven't suffered under the JIU and Photos.com deal. While I do wonder if my earnings would be even better without those subs, at this point I have consistent BME's even with the subs cutting into credit sales a bit. If things are looking to change for the better soon, I just hope that my luck with StockXpert continues.

tan510jomast · « **Reply #16 on:** April 12, 2009, 10:31 »

Quote from: m@m on April 11, 2009, 14:21

I think they just want to sell all of our pictures for 0.30 each, before they quick the bucket...we get pennies, they get thousands...not a bad deal for Getty! $:-\$

I hope not. No shrewd business person will ever believe that screwing your suppliers is the way to a successful future. I don't think Getty is made up of jackasses intent on screwing us up. Let's hope not.

I wish Stockxpert all the best now that , according to the admin "the worst is over".
knock wood !

louoates · « **Reply #17 on:** April 12, 2009, 12:42 »

I opted out of the "subs" deal from the start so the reduced StockXpert business lately has me puzzled. I hope that whatever internal problems get straightened out soon. Can StockXpert be the next takeover candidate?

null · « **Reply #18 on:** April 12, 2009, 13:13 »

Quote from: louoates on April 12, 2009, 12:42

Can StockXpert be the next takeover candidate?

Probably Getty wants to get rid of it since it's not a real asset in their strategy, and peanuts anyways for them. It doesn't pose a real threat to iStock but but if they fund it properly, it would become an iStock competitor. Given that dilemma, they will probably put it back a bit on track, since reading between the lines of the admin's post, Jupiter cut StockXpert's wings, and now they feel free. After things got straightened up, they will probably put it up for sale, but who would buy it in the current scarce credit mood?

batman · « **Reply #19 on:** April 12, 2009, 13:19 »

Quote from: FlemishDreams on April 12, 2009, 13:13

Quote from: louoates on April 12, 2009, 12:42
Can StockXpert be the next takeover candidate?
Probably Getty wants to get rid of it since it's not a real asset in their strategy, and peanuts anyways for them. It doesn't pose a real threat to iStock but but if they fund it properly, it would become an iStock competitor. Given that dilemma, they will probably put it back a bit on track, since reading between the lines of the admin's post, Jupiter cut StockXpert's wings, and now they feel free. After things got straightened up, they will probably put it up for sale, but who would buy it in the current scarce credit mood?

then WHY did getty buy StockXpert in the first place?
it wasn't like bill gates buying apple at his early sweep of the windows era to take over the competition. if it was, getty would have been better off buying SS to clip their wings, as you call it. StockXpert is not top contender, more like buying amiga i o apple, no?.

stockastic · « **Reply #20 on:** April 12, 2009, 13:54 »

When a big corporation has cash, there can be enormous pressure to spend it on acquisitions, even if they don't quite make sense. The people making the big deals often aren't the same ones who are supposed to follow up and make things work out. At the start there's endless talk of "synergy", "a perfect fit", "we intend to invest" etc., and then most of the time it fizzles out. The important people in the acquired company leave, others are cut for lack of direction, the big deal-makers move on to other interests - and eventually it's folded. Seen it all from the inside. Happy to see this one turn out differently, of course.

null · « **Reply #21 on:** April 12, 2009, 14:08 »

Quote from: batman on April 12, 2009, 13:19

then WHY did getty buy StockXpert in the first place?

As far as I understood it, Getty bought Jupiter Images and StockXpert was the dirty little orphan hidden at the bottom of the bag. Getty didn't buy Jupiter for XSP. Getty, flying around in the clouds of the Olympus doesn't care about those sneaky amateur worms crawling in the snapshots mud of Microstock. That's why they are courting Flickr cellphone shooters

goldenangel · « **Reply #22 on:** April 13, 2009, 03:17 »

StockXpert was relatively a good earner for me so far. I hope they don't go under...

anton9 · « **Reply #23 on:** April 13, 2009, 03:33 »

Tough times with the recession. StockXpert seemed to be a good site but sales have totally dried up for me as if nobody goes on there anymore. Hopefully it will ride out the storm and in the near future sales start to increase again

Milinz · « **Reply #24 on:** April 13, 2009, 04:16 »

That what Getty did with Veer and future microstock image category there can come out as bad for StockXpert... But, we'll see...

StockXpert is one of the great money makers for me too... I would like to see it live and even more succesful!

I expirienced very fair reviews there considering quality with no limiting anything except following rules of technicals and really tough policy on Model and Property releases... Not much such more fair agencies out there! StockXpert is for me one of most fair agencies to contributors in this industry!

The part with urgency is to be handled there should be footage and drop of H.264 as only standard which comes to limitied usability of such materials. There should be possible to upload DV encoded files in native format too as well as other native formats.

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Author Topic: Stockxpert going down? (Read 13933 times)

click_click

vonkara

borg

borg

click_click

stockastic

null

click_click

batman

m@m

RT

Dreamframer

WarrenPrice

click_click

Dreamframer

helix7

tan510jomast

louoates

null

batman

stockastic

null

goldenangel

anton9

Milinz

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