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Agency Based Discussion => iStockPhoto.com => Topic started by: ScottKrycia on May 08, 2009, 14:23

Title: Best Match or Sales Trend?
Post by: ScottKrycia on May 08, 2009, 14:23
Hello,

I have to tell you that the new best match has really killed my sales. Close to -54%. Now I don't want to sound like winer, but I did notice a lot of the Top Sellers are down too. Do you think it's a trend or something else. I lot of my images that were strong page 1 sellers are now on page 5 or 6 in the search. I'm considering dropping my crown and moving content to some other sites. What's your experience? Thanks!



Title: Re: Best Match or Sales Trend?
Post by: Sean Locke Photography on May 08, 2009, 14:35
The feeling is that any exclusive boost in the BM2.0 sort has swung a bit too far to the independent side this time.
Title: Re: Best Match or Sales Trend?
Post by: gostwyck on May 08, 2009, 14:57
The feeling is that any exclusive boost in the BM2.0 sort has swung a bit too far to the independent side this time.

It's not so much 'swung a bit too far', it's simply been removed __ as it should. Let the images compete on equal ground. It seems to me that 90% of images/contributors nowadays are exclusive anyway so it is unlikley to have made any difference to you.

Truth is sales are down for almost everyone. Just check out that German chart which is now a sea of red. I can't see any pattern there with exclusives down and independents up.
Title: Re: Best Match or Sales Trend?
Post by: lisafx on May 08, 2009, 15:19


Truth is sales are down for almost everyone. Just check out that German chart which is now a sea of red. I can't see any pattern there with exclusives down and independents up.

Yeah, I certainly don't see any big swing toward independents reflected in my sales.  And just checking that chart I see I am in good company there in the red, irrespective of crowns or not.
Title: Re: Best Match or Sales Trend?
Post by: Tim Markley on May 08, 2009, 15:37
Not much change for me either way.
Title: Re: Best Match or Sales Trend?
Post by: RT on May 08, 2009, 15:39
The feeling is that any exclusive boost in the BM2.0 sort has swung a bit too far to the independent side this time.

Well speaking as an independent I haven't noticed a swing coming my way, far from it I'm down about 25%, still I'm not sure whether thats to do with the best match, the economy or good old fashioned ebb and flow, one things for sure there's nothing I can do about it so I'll just carry on.
Title: Re: Best Match or Sales Trend?
Post by: CofkoCof on May 08, 2009, 15:53
The feeling is that any exclusive boost in the BM2.0 sort has swung a bit too far to the independent side this time.
Ebb and flow :D
Title: Re: Best Match or Sales Trend?
Post by: fotografer on May 08, 2009, 15:59
We've just been given back a bit of what we lost in previous best match shake ups.  My sales went from 50 -70 a day right down to 15 -20 a day  They have now gone up but still haven't reached previous figures   I'm sure that similar situations are making the independents look as if they are getting an advantage when in fact they are just not getting such a bad deal as before.

 
The feeling is that any exclusive boost in the BM2.0 sort has swung a bit too far to the independent side this time.
Title: Re: Best Match or Sales Trend?
Post by: cidepix on May 08, 2009, 16:16
Hello,

I have to tell you that the new best match has really killed my sales. Close to -54%. Now I don't want to sound like winer, but I did notice a lot of the Top Sellers are down too. Do you think it's a trend or something else. I lot of my images that were strong page 1 sellers are now on page 5 or 6 in the search. I'm considering dropping my crown and moving content to some other sites. What's your experience? Thanks!





Relying on one site is tough!

I don't think I would do better If I was exclusive with IS since working with 7 sites gives me good consistency. When one site is down the other one is usually up so I don't really worry about the sales on a single site. I have no idea though, about the kind of boost IS could provide me If I was exclusive! It could make a difference.

But go ahead, drop the crown, the less exclusives in front of me, the better I will sell  :D

Seriously though, I don't think exclusivity is a good idea since you are not provided with a signed promise to keep your sales up.

The only way I would go exclusive would be if I signed a legal individual protection for my sales with the site. Otherwise what's the point in giving up the freedom.

The best thing about exclusivity is not money but the better protection of your copyrights since the image can only be purchased through one site.
Title: Re: Best Match or Sales Trend?
Post by: Kngkyle on May 08, 2009, 16:55
I've been doing great since the new best match came out. No complaints from me.
Title: Re: Best Match or Sales Trend?
Post by: sharpshot on May 08, 2009, 17:13
My sales were crushed last Autumn but I had a BME last month, so I like the new best match so far. 

I wont be happy with istock until I can see long term steady earnings growth.  That happens on several of the other sites and is a big motivation to keep uploading.
Title: Re: Best Match or Sales Trend?
Post by: Magnum on May 09, 2009, 03:21
I´ve been thinking what will happen if people starts to quit their exclusivity with IS.   Sales at other places would prob drop ???

Keep the "Kings and queens" where we can see them ;) Just kidding
Title: Re: Best Match or Sales Trend?
Post by: lisafx on May 09, 2009, 09:57
I´ve been thinking what will happen if people starts to quit their exclusivity with IS.   Sales at other places would prob drop ???

Yeah, there really is no up side if istock decides to alienate their exclusives.  As it stands now, exclusives have been happy at istock with their perks and the rest of us have benefited from not having to compete with them on other sites. 

If that apple cart is upset it will be a very different industry once the dust settles....
Title: Re: Best Match or Sales Trend?
Post by: stacey_newman on May 09, 2009, 13:00
We've just been given back a bit of what we lost in previous best match shake ups.  My sales went from 50 -70 a day right down to 15 -20 a day  They have now gone up but still haven't reached previous figures   I'm sure that similar situations are making the independents look as if they are getting an advantage when in fact they are just not getting such a bad deal as before.

 
The feeling is that any exclusive boost in the BM2.0 sort has swung a bit too far to the independent side this time.


well I am an exclusive and this is almost my experience exactly, so I think perhaps there isn't a big swing either way. the first shake up brought my sales down from 50 a day to 10 a day. BM2 has recovered them to about 20-30 a day. I have had more ELs, but that is a coincidence. no reason best match should affect ELs.
Title: Re: Best Match or Sales Trend?
Post by: Jo Ann Snover on May 09, 2009, 13:16
best match 2.0 has been good to me - not great, but I've had a very respectable couple of weeks (the multimedia charts say I'm up 9% but I'd been in double digit negatives for a while so this is better than it looks).

I'd love to think it's good keywording, but I doubt there's anything more than the luck of the draw. However it does mean that sales haven't tanked across the board (which would be worse news for the longer term outlook of the business). Perhaps it's just reduced the advantage the hot sellers have previously had (that self reinforcing thing that what gets noticed and sells quickly just sells and sells)?

But I agree that having the big name exclusives everywhere else certainly isn't going to increase the overall pool of buyers, and thus has to depress the sales figures for others already at the other sites.
Title: Re: Best Match or Sales Trend?
Post by: ScottKrycia on May 09, 2009, 13:23
Agreed, However I can't believe my sales downturn....

(http://www.scottkrycia.com/istock/may.png)

Title: Re: Best Match or Sales Trend?
Post by: sharply_done on May 09, 2009, 14:06
Agreed, However I can't believe my sales downturn....

I have to ask: Apart from complaining, what are you doing about it?
Title: Re: Best Match or Sales Trend?
Post by: ScottKrycia on May 09, 2009, 16:46
Agreed, However I can't believe my sales downturn....

I have to ask: Apart from complaining, what are you doing about it?


Actually a lot, I'm in the process of shooting more, cleaning out my portfolio and I contracted a company to re-keyword some of my images as a test. Sorry if I sound like I'm complaining, I'm trying to just get some info.



Title: Re: Best Match or Sales Trend?
Post by: sharply_done on May 09, 2009, 19:45
I don't think it's a very good idea to upload when the best match isn't working for you - you'll just end up with pages and pages of unsold images. Keep making images, but bank them until they have better earning ability.

Also, you knew best match 2.0 was coming - did you do anything to prepare for it? If not, then now's the time.
Title: Re: Best Match or Sales Trend?
Post by: crazychristina on May 09, 2009, 19:56
re exclusive/non-exclusive advantage:

A man visited Rome during the reign of Mussolini. He saw a lot of people marching down the street chanting ce-du, ce-du, ce-du.
Title: Re: Best Match or Sales Trend?
Post by: goldenangel on May 10, 2009, 22:33
I don't think it's a very good idea to upload when the best match isn't working for you - you'll just end up with pages and pages of unsold images. Keep making images, but bank them until they have better earning ability.

Also, you knew best match 2.0 was coming - did you do anything to prepare for it? If not, then now's the time.
sharply_done,
How does one prepare for a new best match even before it is alive? What data would this preparation be based on?
Title: Re: Best Match or Sales Trend?
Post by: Karimala on May 10, 2009, 22:50
Sales are still about the same for me.  But...I did notice one HUGE difference...

12 new images approved over the last three days, and four of them have already sold.  I cannot tell you when the last time was when I had a new image sell.  I've had maybe three or four over the last year!  So...to have four in about three days...

SHOCKING!!!   ;D
Title: Re: Best Match or Sales Trend?
Post by: sharply_done on May 11, 2009, 02:27
sharply_done,
How does one prepare for a new best match even before it is alive? What data would this preparation be based on?

Think about it.
The answers are very obvious.
Title: Re: Best Match or Sales Trend?
Post by: MichaelJay on May 11, 2009, 03:37
Truth is sales are down for almost everyone. Just check out that German chart which is now a sea of red. I can't see any pattern there with exclusives down and independents up.
Yeah, I certainly don't see any big swing toward independents reflected in my sales.  And just checking that chart I see I am in good company there in the red, irrespective of crowns or not.

Last 30 days includes Easter weekend and May1/May4, so two long weekends lower the averages for everyone. All red is pretty normal and doesn't mean any "trend".
Title: Re: Best Match or Sales Trend?
Post by: Sean Locke Photography on May 11, 2009, 08:14
The feeling is that any exclusive boost in the BM2.0 sort has swung a bit too far to the independent side this time.


It's not so much 'swung a bit too far', it's simply been removed __ as it should. Let the images compete on equal ground. It seems to me that 90% of images/contributors nowadays are exclusive anyway so it is unlikley to have made any difference to you.

Truth is sales are down for almost everyone. Just check out that German chart which is now a sea of red. I can't see any pattern there with exclusives down and independents up.


From this thread: http://www.microstockgroup.com/general-stock-discussion/april-2009-earnings-breakdown/ it seems like the BME's outweigh the non-BME's.  Of course, most of the posts are useless, as they just illustrate a random distribution between the sites, which gives no information at all.
Title: Re: Best Match or Sales Trend?
Post by: fotografer on May 11, 2009, 09:00
Also Sean it's as I have stated before we had such a bad deal in previous BMs that all that has happened is that it the bias towards exclusive has lessened slightly but certainly not dissapeared completely.  It is now more as I think it should be with a bit of advantage to exclusives without overdoing it.  I still haven't quite returned to the average dls I had over a year ago at IS whereas other sites have doubled for me.



From this thread: [url]http://www.microstockgroup.com/general-stock-discussion/april-2009-earnings-breakdown/[/url] it seems like the BME's outweigh the non-BME's.  Of course, most of the posts are useless, as they just illustrate a random distribution between the sites, which gives no information at all.
Title: Re: Best Match or Sales Trend?
Post by: travelstock on May 11, 2009, 10:01
Dare I say *summer slowdown*???

For me last month was the first month that was worse than the corresponding time in the previous year.May tends to be worse for me than April, and its certainly shaping up that way this time also.
Title: Re: Best Match or Sales Trend?
Post by: lisafx on May 11, 2009, 10:47
sharply_done,
How does one prepare for a new best match even before it is alive? What data would this preparation be based on?

Think about it.
The answers are very obvious.


Well, they're not obvious to me at all. 

Beyond accurate keywording and avoiding spamming what can we possibly do to affect our best match placement?  Go exclusive??

Isn't the point of the best match system that most of the factors in it are beyond the individual contributor's control?  Isn't that how they avoid it being gamed?

If you know some big secret, Sharplydone, why not share it with the rest of us rather than dropping cryptic references? 
Title: Re: Best Match or Sales Trend?
Post by: stacey_newman on May 11, 2009, 10:56
as an exclusive I have seen a slow return to good sales since the three month crash. my dls are average, but since going gold the income per download is pretty sweet. golden handcuffs :D

during that three months, it seemed non-exclusives were given a good push.

I thought the new best match was more or less impartial re: exclusivity?
Title: Re: Best Match or Sales Trend?
Post by: lisafx on May 11, 2009, 11:20
I thought the new best match was more or less impartial re: exclusivity?

That's the way it looks from sample searches I've done. 

If there is any exclusive bias it would probably be the quicker reviews, which register as a shorter time online, and sales/time online is still considered I believe.
Title: Re: Best Match or Sales Trend?
Post by: goldenangel on May 11, 2009, 15:27
sharply_done,
How does one prepare for a new best match even before it is alive? What data would this preparation be based on?

Think about it.
The answers are very obvious.
Not to me. :) I agree with Lisa.
Title: Re: Best Match or Sales Trend?
Post by: Dreamframer on May 11, 2009, 15:45
sharply_done,
How does one prepare for a new best match even before it is alive? What data would this preparation be based on?

Think about it.
The answers are very obvious.


Well, they're not obvious to me at all. 

Beyond accurate keywording and avoiding spamming what can we possibly do to affect our best match placement?  Go exclusive??

Isn't the point of the best match system that most of the factors in it are beyond the individual contributor's control?  Isn't that how they avoid it being gamed?

If you know some big secret, Sharplydone, why not share it with the rest of us rather than dropping cryptic references? 

sharply_done,
It is obvious...only if you know something other people don't... Few photographers told me they know something about best match 2.0.
I guess it's in human nature to HAVE to tell somebody they know some secret.
But to most people every best match is a secret (tho it should be for everybody)
Title: Re: Best Match or Sales Trend?
Post by: BImages on May 13, 2009, 05:33
I was wondering how the BM2 could put some weight on some keywords rather than others. My guess was, they must be giving more weight on keywords that are present in the image description, or in the title.  I did some testings, and didn't got any result proving my theory. I guess improving our keywords is about the only thing we can really do.
Title: Re: Best Match or Sales Trend?
Post by: Dreamframer on May 13, 2009, 07:55
More weight could be on keywords that buyers use when they zoom or buy your image. For example, if some buyer uses word "dandelion", and they zoom your image, and if more buyers do the same, the system can recognize this word as relevant for your image.