Im glad with the extra incoming that i do with microstock but it is not too much.

I know that if i create my own site and sell the files by my self (giving the buyer the option to suggest changes to the illustration) i can get much money (I guess), but i dont want to work for month designing a web site and spend money on it so that after nobody visit the site, because then i need to get the clients and this is the part of the job that currently microstock do.

So, what are the steps to take to create a website and sell your own files?

And how profitable it can become this?

It's very difficult. But then, Jon Oringer became a billionaire doing it.

Well im not talking about create a big site like shuttlestock just a site to sell my designs...

symbiostock is easy to set up if you've done anything before with wordpress or other web design

there are mny threds here, and at symbiostock.org to hel you get started

we also offer an installation service and a co-op service for tghose who don't want to do the set-up themselves

http://cascoly-images.com/pix/symbiostock-installation-service/

http://cascoly.com/symbio/symbio-co-op-faq.asp

I've tried a few different systems including Photoshelter, GPP Sell Media, and Photodeck, I prefer Photodeck.

Setting up the website is the easy part. Getting traffic to it is the hard part. If you want to actually get traffic you'll need to become pretty skilled at marketing, SEO and Social Media. Without the marketing you're wasting your time and money.

Like PaulieW of all the sites, Photodeck seems like a good one, if not the best one for this. I looked through some of their tutorials and features last night and am quite impressed. I love the idea of more independents weaning themselves of the big agencies. Buyers may become more interested in searching beyond the big agencies, especially if they can go to niche collections which offer a unique or comprehensive selection of image type.

I had my site running a few years, and it wasn't the best business decision.  I should have taken the time wasted on my own website, and put it into producing more images to sell elsewhere.  The extra side income was okay, but once it got to the point where it was just about covering hosting expenses, I decided to throw in the towel.  Much respect for those that can do it. 

Sometimes you give things a shot to see what happens;  you have nothing to lose but your time.  I decided it wasn't for me.  How much potential income did I jipp myself out of, spending 10 to sometimes 20+ hours per week towards running my own microstock collection, when I could have been creating more product?  I don't even want to think about it.  You can't win them all, I guess.