Author Topic: Best Match Update (Read 8564 times)

ProArtwork · « **on:** September 26, 2011, 12:17 »

Lobo posted an update: best match Update

SNP · « **Reply #1 on:** September 26, 2011, 12:33 »

best match is all over the place, as always. last week I had two BDE, then yesterday and today sales are slow, for me anyways. I think the only thing consistent these days about sales on iStock, is that they aren't consistent. each month finishes okay to good on the whole so that's the number I'm keeping an eye on. the daily stats are enough to drive you crazy.

ProArtwork · « **Reply #2 on:** September 26, 2011, 12:40 »

Quote from: SNP on September 26, 2011, 12:33

the daily stats are enough to drive you crazy.

It's driving me crazy!

SNP · « **Reply #3 on:** September 26, 2011, 12:43 »

FYI - someone did quote this section from Lobo in the other best match thread here ;-) but yes, try not to focus on the daily stats. they're frustrating.

lisafx · « **Reply #4 on:** September 26, 2011, 13:29 »

Wow. So this is the best match "for the foreseeable future" according to Lobo? Well, then, I am truly screwed. Sales are less than half what they would normally be on a Monday. And by that I mean less than half the new crappy normal, not the ideal normal of a year or so ago. Istock seem determined to make themselves irrelevant to most contributors.

cobalt · « **Reply #5 on:** September 26, 2011, 15:11 »

On my portfolio, I don´t really see a difference between best match and newest uploads. And my bestsellers seem to have disappeared in my test searches.

Well, guess I need to shoot and reshoot otherwise it all goes to the copycats.

I hope what I see is not what the customers see...

robynmac · « **Reply #6 on:** September 26, 2011, 15:19 »

Oh no! This new best match is simply awful. My August sales were excellent, and I dared to think for a few days that earnings had recovered after the last best match/Vetta/Agency debacle. But September sales are dismal. Last week in particular was well down and all over the place. What on earth are they doing over there?!

Freedom · « **Reply #7 on:** September 26, 2011, 15:31 »

Just checked after reading this thread. My best match is almost identical as File Age. Not a good day, but not the worst either.

lagereek · « **Reply #8 on:** September 27, 2011, 00:49 »

Monday was a very good day for me. Just had a look at this new best match and as I predicted, its beginning to look very much like the best match, at TS. I suppose when the merger comes they simply cant mix quality with the TS rubbish, so they are toning it down a bit, not too make the TS, contributor look too amateurish.

All that counts in a best match, are the first 5 pages, the rest is dog meat.

ProArtwork · « **Reply #9 on:** September 27, 2011, 07:02 »

Quote from: lagereek on September 27, 2011, 00:49

All that counts in a best match, are the first 5 pages, the rest is dog meat.

Sorted as 200 images per page?

RT · « **Reply #10 on:** September 27, 2011, 07:16 »

Quote from: lisafx on September 26, 2011, 13:29

Wow. So this is the best match "for the foreseeable future" according to Lobo?

Is he privy to that sort of information? I always got the impression he was just a forum moderator.

Quote from: lisafx on September 26, 2011, 13:29

And by that I mean less than half the new crappy normal, not the ideal normal of a year or so ago.

lagereek · « **Reply #11 on:** September 27, 2011, 08:49 »

Quote from: lisafx on September 26, 2011, 13:29

Wow. So this is the best match "for the foreseeable future" according to Lobo? Well, then, I am truly screwed. Sales are less than half what they would normally be on a Monday. And by that I mean less than half the new crappy normal, not the ideal normal of a year or so ago. Istock seem determined to make themselves irrelevant to most contributors.

Well Lisa! for the first time I have to say, if this is the final best match, then this IS venture is a lost cause, there is absoloutely no point in even wasting time with this anymore, time that could be far better spent making SS, DT and FT, stronger.

its ofcourse going to get even worse after this fleemarket merger.

john_woodcock · « **Reply #12 on:** September 27, 2011, 09:11 »

I'm actually cautiously optimistic about the new best match, so far this week I've seen sales improving somewhat.

lagereek · « **Reply #13 on:** September 27, 2011, 11:24 »

Quote from: john_woodcock on September 27, 2011, 09:11

I'm actually cautiously optimistic about the new best match, so far this week I've seen sales improving somewhat.

John!

As an exclusive you can afford that, as an independant the best match, is worse then a smack in the bollucks, worse then a smack on each ball even.

lisafx · « **Reply #14 on:** September 27, 2011, 11:37 »

Quote from: lagereek on September 27, 2011, 11:24

... as an independant the best match, is worse then a smack in the bollucks, worse then a smack on each ball even.

LOL! What a way with words you have

If this is what a "smack" in that region feels like, no wonder guys complain about it...

john_woodcock · « **Reply #15 on:** September 27, 2011, 12:24 »

Quote

as an independant the best match, is worse then a smack in the bollucks

I do understand that istock may want to reward loyalty though, and give exclusives more of a push. That only seems fair to me.

Freedom · « **Reply #16 on:** September 27, 2011, 12:28 »

As independents. you guys have the eggs in other baskets too.

However, even as an exclusive, I haven't seen the usual DL spike in September yet.

nataq · « **Reply #17 on:** September 27, 2011, 12:33 »

Being an exclusive I feel scared by this new best match.

Make a search for t-shirt. If a buyer wants a t-shirt, he usually wants a t-shirt and not people wearing them. At least there should be a balance between people wearing t-shirts and t-shirts only. But this is just rediculous. I bet this is again scaring buyers away - when will istock realize that they have to please their buyers and ask them what they want instead of assuming what might be right.

Maybe they did ask - there was a survey lately (not the contributor survey). But they asked me too whether I wanted to take part and so did they ask other contributors that occasionally buy images. Of course those contribs were asking for newer files to be given a bigger priority. But people who are mainly contributors shouldn´t be asked and allowed to take part in buyer surveys that are meant to get an idea of the markets demands.

Oh well...

Giving new files a chance is a good thing, but the way it was implemented last week is really really frightening. I hope it will be rolled back pretty soon.

iclick · « **Reply #18 on:** September 27, 2011, 13:09 »

Unbelievably bad for many I am sure.... know I was wondering why my sales were rock bottom, cannot get my head around how istock which we have all supported over the years has become such a shadow of it's former self for both Customers and Contributers alike in such a short time

No wonder they introduced the recent competition/referral update in an attempt to draw new customers

As said many times It all rather smacks of greed, and desperation. Just wish for once they would get something right to give us hope.

lagereek · « **Reply #19 on:** September 27, 2011, 13:46 »

its not just a bad best match, its an embarrassing best match, its amateurish, exactly like the TS, best match, and it shows the IS migration to TS, is close at hand, i.e. they have to lower their standards to beneath a weekend snapping merchant.

All in all, if this is the final best match, its not worth the troubles bothering with, not for us independants anyway. When I think of that some of my shots, dld, over 2000 times are going to end up in this sheit-street, no thanks, I rather delete them.

Just deactivated 3 files, with a total of over 5000, dls. Not even worth contemplaiting about.

VB inc · « **Reply #20 on:** September 27, 2011, 13:52 »

proven sellers are taking a back seat to the newer files in this new best match.

people scream newer files are not being seen for how long... now we have this best match and its killing my bottom line since i have been disgusted w istock and havent produced for microstock in quite some time.

cobalt · « **Reply #21 on:** September 27, 2011, 18:27 »

If this best match is truly a result of what the customers want and if it will bring in more buyers and increase our sales, so be it.

But if proven sellers get killed every year, than we will all be forced to endlessly duplicate our content, otherwise downloads will go to those who copy us. I would prefer to shoot new concepts or at least try a new twist on an old theme. But if things stay like this, we won´t have a choice.

But the search is so similar to the newest file search, that I wonder what is the purpose of a best match, if this is the result?

Anyway, it will change unexpectedly, guess that is the only thing that is certain.

SNP · « **Reply #22 on:** September 27, 2011, 20:31 »

Quote from: cobalt on September 27, 2011, 18:27

If this best match is truly a result of what the customers want and if it will bring in more buyers and increase our sales, so be it.

But if proven sellers get killed every year, than we will all be forced to endlessly duplicate our content, otherwise downloads will go to those who copy us. I would prefer to shoot new concepts or at least try a new twist on an old theme. But if things stay like this, we won´t have a choice.

But the search is so similar to the newest file search, that I wonder what is the purpose of a best match, if this is the result?

Anyway, it will change unexpectedly, guess that is the only thing that is certain.

this sums it up well. I'm seeing the normal September surge here, but I have new files. I know it can and will change just as quickly.

ShadySue · « **Reply #23 on:** September 27, 2011, 20:50 »

Despite Lobo saying that the best match was how they want it, my test terms have changed at least twice since, at least once today. Interesting that in one case, the same three files have always been top throughout the past months, despite everything else being all over the place. (Do 3D renders automatically have an advantage over photos?)
Again, I'm not seeing any particular advantage to exclusives in my own 'test' searches, but I suspect there are different BMs for different keywords.
One file accepted yesterday and into my port today is somewhere below best match 1000 on its main keyword. (And yes, it is searchable, I did a combination keyword search and found it.)

SNP · « **Reply #24 on:** September 27, 2011, 21:02 »

I dont know how files are weighted, but I've always wondered if size affects best match placement, at least sometimes. if true, 3D files could get ahead of photos since most renders are really large. I usually create xxx large files when I render 3D files. I know other contributors do this too. just a theory.

nataq · « **Reply #25 on:** September 28, 2011, 00:57 »

For the moment I don´t seem too much affected, because I uploaded a lot recently. What I fear though and it almost feels like panic in retrospective to what has happened since the beginning of the year, is that buyers will leave iStock.

Make a search for "beach running" - there are four files from a single contributor that are almost identical in the top 30 results. I´d be very surprised if this is what buyers want.

lagereek · « **Reply #26 on:** September 28, 2011, 01:05 »

How on earth can ANYBODY believe this is the best match, buyers want? this is the best match, Getty wants, why? because it suits the TS search. Buyers dont care as long as they find what theyre looking for, new or old, who cares.

iclick · « **Reply #27 on:** September 28, 2011, 02:33 »

Yes just been playing around with it and have to say that it is disappointing and anything but a "best match", well for my searches anyway

ShadySue · « **Reply #28 on:** September 28, 2011, 05:34 »

Yes, I did wonder about file size, I've heard this theory before, and it would certainly explain these three files' consistent top position. Two of the top-best match renders are way ahead on downloads, but the third is about the same as the top photos in the search for dls, and all of the high-selling photos were off the first page of 200 over the weekend and until yesterday at least.

dhanford · « **Reply #29 on:** September 28, 2011, 05:39 »

Good grief, I hope they change the best match up again. Either that or turn on the 'ON' switch to my port again. This week is dead...

travelstock · « **Reply #30 on:** September 28, 2011, 13:29 »

I'm doing ok with this version as well - not great, but the fact that about 1/4 of my online portfolio is less than 3 mths old should help a bit.

The problem with the current best match is that for some searches - "Business" for example you get the same familiar faces - all files with over 1000 DLS - the invincible files.

Other searches, "Croatia" for example which happens to have my highest selling file (just under 500 DLS) has 48 files from the same contributor that were uploaded in the last week, most of which feature tiny sailing boats over an ocean. My file meawhile has dropped to about #1000 in that search. I doubt that this is really the sort of result people are looking for in that search.

The problem is there just doesn't seem to be any balance.

gostwyck · « **Reply #31 on:** September 28, 2011, 14:07 »

Quote from: holgs on September 28, 2011, 13:29

I doubt that this is really the sort of result people are looking for in that search.

The problem is there just doesn't seem to be any balance.

You can say that again. It's not that difficult to do surely? SS have always presented a good selection of the best images to buyers whilst also giving new images a chance to be seen. It always works and no contributor, as far as I'm aware, has ever felt the effect of a tweak on their income. Certainly not the wild swings that we've had for years at IS.

SNP · « **Reply #32 on:** September 29, 2011, 11:09 »

sales are consistent and surging here. I know that's not the case for everyone, but within my contributor friends group, we all seem to be reporting similar surges. in test searches, I'm seeing a good best match right now. including independent files, a mix of exclusive, E+, vectors, video, audio and a peppering of Vetta and Agency. not sure what I would do to improve on that. what are the specific problems people are seeing? I do see some weighting on newer files....

some of the test terms I use are:

business
family
woman
man
holiday
children
businessman
beach

aeonf · « **Reply #33 on:** September 29, 2011, 12:00 »

Surging here as well.

ShadySue · « **Reply #34 on:** September 29, 2011, 17:46 »

Despite Lobo saying it was 'as they wanted it,' it's still yoyoing. In one search, one of my files had the top position for at least five days until yesterday, just now it isn't in the top 200 (but others are, which weren't there yesterday).

loop · « **Reply #35 on:** September 29, 2011, 17:52 »

I think is changin all the tme, but it's no bad for me. Vettas sales have clearly risen dor me , wich is strange, because Vetta is now less visible, more sunken by the best match.

PaulieWalnuts · « **Reply #36 on:** September 29, 2011, 18:11 »

It changed again today.

Oddly, most of my files have moved toward the front of their searches and today has been a slow day.

Didn't lobo just say they were going to leave it alone for a while? A while must mean a couple days in IS time.

ProArtwork · « **Reply #37 on:** September 29, 2011, 20:48 »

Yep, it changed again and so far pretty good in four days.

The Mighty Jungle · « **Reply #38 on:** September 30, 2011, 08:00 »

Looks like the algorithm changed again last night.... now more heavily weighted in favor of images with more downloads.......

travelstock · « **Reply #39 on:** September 30, 2011, 08:18 »

Quote from: PaulieWalnuts on September 29, 2011, 18:11

It changed again today.

Oddly, most of my files have moved toward the front of their searches and today has been a slow day.

Didn't lobo just say they were going to leave it alone for a while? A while must mean a couple days in IS time.

They must have realised how bad that version was in practice - to me this new version produces a more polished looking result, and still has some newer files in the mix. It will be interesting to see how long this stays and the results it produces.

The Mighty Jungle · « **Reply #40 on:** September 30, 2011, 08:50 »

I agree.... there are now more files that have already proven themselves at the top.... but with newer files interspersed among them.....

Before the change though, for the last few days, I was enjoying some of my most recently submitted files actually getting dowloaded.... it usually takes FOREVER for a new file to catch on.....

Paulo M. F. Pires · « **Reply #41 on:** September 30, 2011, 11:08 »

As "beginner" i've been aware of search changes, and with so "few work" to worry about, its easier to see if changes are better or not:

My "beloved" f16 ( btw is marked as photo+ ) and keywords "army plane" ( same keywords put it on first page on SS and FT by relevance )

- Before Best Match Update: Almost like "Oceanic Flight 815"...
- Some days gone to 1st page, but behind another f-16 that i've there, with 0 downloads, no photo+ <-- And here I agree that isn't fair for nobody...
- Today stills on first page, on the top, and other image "flight over".

So the search itself, "personally", are better. For sales itself: still not working so good as SS or FT.

ProArtwork · « **Reply #42 on:** September 30, 2011, 12:32 »

Quote from: holgs on September 30, 2011, 08:18

Quote from: PaulieWalnuts on September 29, 2011, 18:11
It changed again today.

Oddly, most of my files have moved toward the front of their searches and today has been a slow day.

Didn't lobo just say they were going to leave it alone for a while? A while must mean a couple days in IS time.

They must have realised how bad that version was in practice

I think this is the way the new Best Match will be. Constantly changing every other day. Some people will benefit and maybe so will not.

BImages · « **Reply #43 on:** September 30, 2011, 14:27 »

Still waiting for 2 things on Istock:

-best match selection sliders (price,rating,download,age), ajustables by each users. No more complains every time best match change..

-Price slider for each photo, ajustable by the owner. No more complains about price changes..

MicrostockGroup Sponsors

Author Topic: Best Match Update (Read 8564 times)

lisafx

lagereek

lagereek

lagereek

lisafx

lagereek

lagereek

Related Topics

Sponsors

Microstock Poll Results

Sponsors