MicrostockGroup

Agency Based Discussion => iStockPhoto.com => Topic started by: gostwyck on April 10, 2010, 09:27

Title: Istock to go live with Exclusive + collection next week
Post by: gostwyck on April 10, 2010, 09:27
Read all about it;

http://www.istockphoto.com/forum_messages.php?threadid=197731&page=1 (http://www.istockphoto.com/forum_messages.php?threadid=197731&page=1)

Exclusive + photographs to be priced as follows:

XSmall: 5 credits
Small: 10 credits
Medium: 15 credits
Large: 20 credits
XLarge: 25 credits
XXLarge: 30 credits
XXXLarge: 35 credits

Looking good for exclusive contributors.
Title: Re: Istock to go live with Exclusive + collection next week
Post by: lisafx on April 10, 2010, 09:50
Will be interesting to see if more of the price-sensitive customers leave, or if this will be easily absorbed by the buying community.

Matt Hayward's experience of putting all his base prices up to 5 credits on Fotolia would suggest that most customers will keep buying at this price point.

Either that, or it will drive more folks to check out Thinkstock...
Title: Re: Istock to go live with Exclusive + collection next week
Post by: cathyslife on April 10, 2010, 11:10
Looking good for exclusive contributors.

It does look good for exclusive contributors.

But I don't share your optimism. Down the road a year or two, when this becomes an "unsustainable" business model for istock/getty and the commissions are lowered substantially and exclusives are now locked in to IS/getty hook, line and sinker, it won't be such a good deal. I'm a "glass-half-empty" kind of person...wish I could change that sometimes!

Hope I'm wrong, for all you exclusives' sake.
Title: Re: Istock to go live with Exclusive + collection next week
Post by: loop on April 10, 2010, 11:28
It will be good. My Vetta files are selling at a noticeable better rate  (number of vetta files/number of daily Vetta downloads) than normal ones. I hope the same will be valid for E+, although I don't plan to fulfill my allowed 20% nominations.

If it wasn't for moves like TS or Photos.com, or canister changes, I think IS exclusivity could have easily wiped out rival agencies of solid contributors and get, at the long term, a vast majority of microstock great content.
Title: Re: Istock to go live with Exclusive + collection next week
Post by: lisafx on April 10, 2010, 11:29

If it wasn't for moves like TS or Photos.com, or canister changes, I think IS exclusivity could have easily wiped out rival agencies of solid contributors and get, at the long term, a vast majority of microstock great content.

So true Loop!!   Certainly the Thinkstock issue caused me to do a reThink.
Title: Re: Istock to go live with Exclusive + collection next week
Post by: gostwyck on April 10, 2010, 11:34
It will be good. My Vetta files are selling at a noticeable better rate  (number of vetta files/number of daily Vetta downloads) than normal ones. I hope the same will be valid for E+, although I don't plan to fulfill my allowed 20% nominations.

If it wasn't for moves like TS or Photos.com, or canister changes, I think IS exclusivity could have easily wiped out rival agencies of solid contributors and get, at the long term, a vast majority of microstock great content.

I think you're right too on both counts.

Must admit I wasn't expecting them to bounce this further price hike on the buyers quite so soon after the big one in January. I suppose independent contributors can hope for more sales now that their images are so much cheaper!
Title: Re: Istock to go live with Exclusive + collection next week
Post by: lisafx on April 10, 2010, 11:44
I suppose independent contributors can hope for more sales now that their images are so much cheaper!

Assuming anyone can find them!  

I don't know if it's the search engine or Easter break, but my IS sales have been tanked this month.  

Either that or someone has rolled the clock back to 2007 and I am having average to good sales ;)
Title: Re: Istock to go live with Exclusive + collection next week
Post by: Sean Locke Photography on April 10, 2010, 12:06
With the Easter week and technical problems, April is down for me as well.
Title: Re: Istock to go live with Exclusive + collection next week
Post by: gostwyck on April 10, 2010, 12:09
I don't know if it's the search engine or Easter break, but my IS sales have been tanked this month.  

Either that or someone has rolled the clock back to 2007 and I am having average to good sales ;)

You're not alone. I cash out every Sunday and this week's request is going to be about 45% down compared to the last week of March. Ouch.
Title: Re: Istock to go live with Exclusive + collection next week
Post by: sharply_done on April 10, 2010, 12:12
Things are down for me, too - by about 20%.
Title: Re: Istock to go live with Exclusive + collection next week
Post by: loop on April 10, 2010, 12:13
Yes, quite down, maybe 20%. But I've noted every year the wicked effects of spring break.
Title: Re: Istock to go live with Exclusive + collection next week
Post by: vonkara on April 10, 2010, 12:22
From what my opinion is worth, i'm down also. From an average of 35$-40$ each day to an average of 10$ a day. I have a lot of medals thus why the olympic month was good, but it's still under the normal situation.
Title: Re: Istock to go live with Exclusive + collection next week
Post by: iclick on April 10, 2010, 13:23
Yes way down here also

as said it would seem good news for Exclusives however creating yet more divisions within the Exclusive contributers ranks and no doubt pushing independents lower priced content yet further back may prove to be counter productive in the long run,  yet another price hike? there has to come a time when the customer base says enough is enough and talk with their feet, and it's not always going to be TS  ;)

Thank heavens for SS and the steady ELs there right now which is more than making up for my downturn at IS 
Title: Re: Istock to go live with Exclusive + collection next week
Post by: Artemis on April 10, 2010, 15:17
Quite relieving to read i'm not the only one having a very bad first half of april there (well...everywhere; but with my tiny port im not representative).
It must be Easter or that bloody Thinkstock... my good sellers are still where they were in the best match, so i dont think anything changed there.

Btw, very good points loop. If it weren't for those exact reasons i would have been exclusive in january, now it's just a 'no way'!
Title: Re: Istock to go live with Exclusive + collection next week
Post by: vonkara on April 10, 2010, 15:25
I really wonder if this could harm the sales after all. The images are locked in Exclusive + for 6 months after you made your choice. If those higher prices harm the sales even a little, that can kill a file in the best match...

Though, I already had to buy images at Dreamstime that were level 2 and more. I needed those particular files and the higher prices didn't stopped me from paying more
Title: Re: Istock to go live with Exclusive + collection next week
Post by: gostwyck on April 10, 2010, 15:34
I really wonder if this could harm the sales after all. The images are locked in Exclusive + for 6 months after you made your choice. If those higher prices harm the sales even a little, that can kill a file in the best match...

Though, I already had to buy images at Dreamstime that were level 2 and more. I needed those particular files and the higher prices didn't stopped me from paying more

I really don't see any evidence whatsoever that a significant number of buyers are noticably price-sensitive at these levels. Not at IS, not at FT and not at DT who all have some images at radically different price points to others. If any conclusions can be drawn it suggests to me that we are still mostly under-selling our work.
Title: Re: Istock to go live with Exclusive + collection next week
Post by: Phil on April 10, 2010, 15:46
sales for last two weeks are now about only 55% of average, looking like creepersmas time again :( (FT has about the same drop though)

I played with pricing on 8 exclusive image on Fotolia last 2 months. Doubled the pricing and the income ended up less overall for those images (one stopped selling altogether). They are all pretty generic with a lot of competition, so I think for those images people just grabbed the next one in line.

+1 thinkstock, wonder when the ppd is coming....
Title: Re: Istock to go live with Exclusive + collection next week
Post by: Phil on April 10, 2010, 15:51
creepersmas ???
Title: Re: Istock to go live with Exclusive + collection next week
Post by: vonkara on April 10, 2010, 15:58
I really wonder if this could harm the sales after all. The images are locked in Exclusive + for 6 months after you made your choice. If those higher prices harm the sales even a little, that can kill a file in the best match...

Though, I already had to buy images at Dreamstime that were level 2 and more. I needed those particular files and the higher prices didn't stopped me from paying more

I really don't see any evidence whatsoever that a significant number of buyers are noticably price-sensitive at these levels. Not at IS, not at FT and not at DT who all have some images at radically different price points to others. If any conclusions can be drawn it suggests to me that we are still mostly under-selling our work.
Good news then. I'll probably opt in all my best selling files, but I'm still not sure right now.
Title: Re: Istock to go live with Exclusive + collection next week
Post by: crazychristina on April 10, 2010, 16:57
Anecdotal evidence seems to be that Vetta is a success. Perhaps the same approach to E+ is the way to go - not best-selling, generic images but ones with more niche appeal and/or higher production values. istock is populating E+ initially with Vetta rejects.

Another issue is that the increase is proportionally the greatest for the smaller file sizes, and with the general trend to the web and away from print it gives a more realistic return on small sizes.
Title: Re: Istock to go live with Exclusive + collection next week
Post by: cathyslife on April 10, 2010, 18:30
I don't know if it's the search engine or Easter break, but my IS sales have been tanked this month.  

Either that or someone has rolled the clock back to 2007 and I am having average to good sales ;)

You're not alone. I cash out every Sunday and this week's request is going to be about 45% down compared to the last week of March. Ouch.

Same here.
Title: Re: Istock to go live with Exclusive + collection next week
Post by: crazychristina on April 10, 2010, 18:45
Easter was bad but the last three days things have bounced back quite a bit.  My port is small though so could be just natural variation.
Title: Re: Istock to go live with Exclusive + collection next week
Post by: Kone on April 10, 2010, 19:36
Hi everyone,
 
I don't understand some of you. Yesterday, we were complaining about low commissions and about how agencies are cutting our commissions, but now that IS raised commissions, you are skeptical.  Cheer up guys, at least somebody is doing something good for the contributors. I am not an IS exclusive, but I welcome any raise in commission.
Loop is right, everything has its price. So, please stop complaining and being skeptical about the future.
Personally, I don't think there is a single buyer that can't afford to buy an image on IS. If they can't afford it, they should not be in that business. Period
Everyone makes more money than we do off of our images. So maybe it is about time something changed.

Kone
Title: Re: Istock to go live with Exclusive + collection next week
Post by: Sean Locke Photography on April 10, 2010, 19:49
To be fair, not everyone is in "business".  People who might have purchased this or that for a dollar or two for a birthday party invite, or a family cookbook, are likely to be priced out at this point. 

Of course, they aren't the consistent buyers, so if they leave en masse, will we miss them?  Dunno.
Title: Re: Istock to go live with Exclusive + collection next week
Post by: pancaketom on April 10, 2010, 20:17
I think people mostly complain about the commission percent and its steady creep downwards (except at IS where it was already at the bottom).

Had IS introduced per image exclusivity back in the day, they would be the sole market for all of the images that ever hit the big time there, and probably have almost no competition. If they did the same for Vetta and exclusive+, that would further their control of top selling hard to re-create images. Instead they went with the unsustainable goalposts and thinkstock mess.

I am all for premium content at premium prices. I'd like to see all of the sites move that way.

--=Tom
Title: Re: Istock to go live with Exclusive + collection next week
Post by: Phil on April 10, 2010, 22:44
Hi everyone,
 
I don't understand some of you. Yesterday, we were complaining about low commissions and about how agencies are cutting our commissions, but now that IS raised commissions, you are skeptical.  Cheer up guys, at least somebody is doing something good for the contributors. I am not an IS exclusive, but I welcome any raise in commission.
Loop is right, everything has its price. So, please stop complaining and being skeptical about the future.
Personally, I don't think there is a single buyer that can't afford to buy an image on IS. If they can't afford it, they should not be in that business. Period
Everyone makes more money than we do off of our images. So maybe it is about time something changed.

Kone

IS didnt raise commissions, they raised prices. (which personally I expected to see E+ come in with a reduced commission but higher price, so imo it is a positive).
Title: Re: Istock to go live with Exclusive + collection next week
Post by: Phil on April 10, 2010, 22:45
To be fair, not everyone is in "business".  People who might have purchased this or that for a dollar or two for a birthday party invite, or a family cookbook, are likely to be priced out at this point. 

Of course, they aren't the consistent buyers, so if they leave en masse, will we miss them?  Dunno.

I think they are hoping to get them back from FT etc with thinkstock...
Title: Re: Istock to go live with Exclusive + collection next week
Post by: Phil on April 10, 2010, 22:46
Hi everyone,
 
I don't understand some of you. Yesterday, we were complaining about low commissions and about how agencies are cutting our commissions, but now that IS raised commissions, you are skeptical.  Cheer up guys, at least somebody is doing something good for the contributors. I am not an IS exclusive, but I welcome any raise in commission.
Loop is right, everything has its price. So, please stop complaining and being skeptical about the future.
Personally, I don't think there is a single buyer that can't afford to buy an image on IS. If they can't afford it, they should not be in that business. Period
Everyone makes more money than we do off of our images. So maybe it is about time something changed.

Kone

its still more money for artists :) but to be correct IS didnt raise commissions, they raised prices. (which personally I expected to see E+ come in with a reduced commission but higher price, so imo it is a positive).
Title: Re: Istock to go live with Exclusive + collection next week
Post by: PaulieWalnuts on April 10, 2010, 23:01
Yes way down here also. as said it would seem good news for Exclusives however creating yet more divisions within the Exclusive contributers ranks and no doubt pushing independents lower priced content yet further back may prove to be counter productive in the long run,  yet another price hike? there has to come a time when the customer base says enough is enough and talk with their feet, and it's not always going to be TS  ;)

Thank heavens for SS and the steady ELs there right now which is more than making up for my downturn at IS 

Yes, some buyers will probably leave. The ones that care mostly about lowest price will probably price shop the other microstock sites that are competing for lowest price.

I think Istock is trying to fill a gap by tapping into macro buyers who have jumped to micro. It's the old midstock category. There's a huge price gap between $250 Macro RF images and $25 Micro RF images. A $75 Vetta or $35 Exclusive+ is still way cheaper than macro.

So is it better to be a contributor where prices are going up or where it's plateued/going down?
Title: Re: Istock to go live with Exclusive + collection next week
Post by: cathyslife on April 11, 2010, 08:29
So is it better to be a contributor where prices are going up or where it's plateued/going down?

Good question. I think that a microstock company who can keep prices down and spends a lot of money advertising to elevate themselves where IS got to be could realistically swing a good % of the buyers of stock to their side. That is going to require a whole lot of support from independent contributors.

For me, the decision to go exclusive at IS has more to do with how it will affect the whole microstock industry down the road, not how much more money it will put in my pocket. Stupid on my part, you may say, but from a buyers perspective, too, I would not want IS/Getty to be the only game in town so that the next time I want to buy an image, I have to pay $500 for it. Because that's where I think a monopoly will go. Right now, Thinkstock is affordable because the end goal has not been reached yet. What about if and when Getty's end goal is reached?

I think Istock is trying to fill a gap by tapping into macro buyers who have jumped to micro. It's the old midstock category. There's a huge price gap between $250 Macro RF images and $25 Micro RF images. A $75 Vetta or $35 Exclusive+ is still way cheaper than macro.

I agree. They have all their bases covered. But you hit the nail on the head. Macro buyers are jumping into micro. There has to be a reason for that. And I think it's because buyers must pare down their budgets and can't pay what they used to for stock. If Getty is moving their prices up, isn't that going in the wrong direction for buyers?
Title: Re: Istock to go live with Exclusive + collection next week
Post by: cascoly on April 11, 2010, 08:53
If it wasn't for moves like TS or Photos.com, or canister changes, I think IS exclusivity could have easily wiped out rival agencies of solid contributors and get, at the long term, a vast majority of microstock great content.

and if the housing market hadnt crashed my house would be worth a lot more!  - those moves to counter the lower price competitors were necessary moves on is's part. 

s
Title: Re: Istock to go live with Exclusive + collection next week
Post by: Freezingpictures on April 11, 2010, 10:49
I suppose independent contributors can hope for more sales now that their images are so much cheaper!

No so sure about that. As with the vetta images I assume Exclusive + will push the non-exclusive files further down in search..
Title: Re: Istock to go live with Exclusive + collection next week
Post by: Kone on April 11, 2010, 11:56

Stupid on my part, you may say, but from a buyers perspective, too, I would not want IS/Getty to be the only game in town so that the next time I want to buy an image, I have to pay $500 for it. Because that's where I think a monopoly will go. Right now, Thinkstock is affordable because the end goal has not been reached yet. What about if and when Getty's end goal is reached?


Are you sure you are posting it in right forum? ;D


@Phil,
We work for a percentage of their price, so the increase in price helps raise our commissions!

Kone
Title: Re: Istock to go live with Exclusive + collection next week
Post by: iclick on April 11, 2010, 17:20
I suppose independent contributors can hope for more sales now that their images are so much cheaper!

No so sure about that. As with the vetta images I assume Exclusive + will push the non-exclusive files further down in search..

You got that right, it's getting ridicules over there, can see a time coming when many independents will have to ask themselves if it is worth the effort and time for so little exposure
Title: Re: Istock to go live with Exclusive + collection next week
Post by: gostwyck on April 11, 2010, 17:37
You got that right, it's getting ridicules over there, can see a time coming when many independents will have to ask themselves if it is worth the effort and time for so little exposure

How is it getting 'ridicules over there'? As an independent I've just had my best month at Istock in terms of both downloads and dollars in over 5 years. I think we are some way off from a major crisis and my 'effort and time' has never been more worthwhile.
Title: Re: Istock to go live with Exclusive + collection next week
Post by: Kone on April 11, 2010, 20:11
You got that right, it's getting ridicules over there, can see a time coming when many independents will have to ask themselves if it is worth the effort and time for so little exposure

How is it getting 'ridicules over there'? As an independent I've just had my best month at Istock in terms of both downloads and dollars in over 5 years. I think we are some way off from a major crisis and my 'effort and time' has never been more worthwhile.

Personally, I think it is worth the effort (as gostwyck said), for me, March was the one of the best months regarding earnings on IS, so let's hope it continues like this.
Title: Re: Istock to go live with Exclusive + collection next week
Post by: sharpshot on April 12, 2010, 03:28
This year has been OK so far.  Haven't been adversely affected by the changes.  I still hope the other big sites will bring in premium collections and let us upload exclusive images.  If there are lots of buyers that will pay more, we should all be able to benefit from it.  Working for one site doesn't appeal to me but I might consider uploading some images exclusively.
Title: Re: Istock to go live with Exclusive + collection next week
Post by: lisafx on April 12, 2010, 11:49
Regarding lowered sales in April, thanks to everyone who posted about that, particularly the IS exclusives.

When my sales drop by 20-40% overnight it is always tempting to wonder if my non-exclusive images have been buried.    Looks like that's not the case this time.  Just holiday after all.

On IS in general, I didn't have a BME in march, but it was close enough to assure me that uploading to IS will be worthwhile for the foreseeable future.
Title: Re: Istock to go live with Exclusive + collection next week
Post by: vonkara on April 12, 2010, 12:07
Do anyone know when we can choose our exclusive + images ? They said next week, which is now...
Title: Re: Istock to go live with Exclusive + collection next week
Post by: sasha on April 14, 2010, 13:32
I don't see further price increase as a good thing, as an exclusive. Ever since the prices have been increasing (for vectors -which i have most of- almost times 3 since 08) I have witnessed a steady decline in sales, although the $ stayed leveled.
Has anyone else observed this? On the other hand- it would be curious to know if the independents have seen an increase in sales since the price hike for exclusive files this year..
With all the server problems Istock is going through now I would think the implementation E+ collection would be somewhat postponed
Title: Re: Istock to go live with Exclusive + collection next week
Post by: VB inc on April 14, 2010, 13:48
I don't see further price increase as a good thing, as an exclusive. Ever since the prices have been increasing (for vectors -which i have most of- almost times 3 since 08) I have witnessed a steady decline in sales, although the $ stayed leveled.
Has anyone else observed this? On the other hand- it would be curious to know if the independents have seen an increase in sales since the price hike for exclusive files this year..
With all the server problems Istock is going through now I would think the implementation E+ collection would be somewhat postponed

have you ever thought about the increase in competition affecting your sales instead of prices? Back in 08, im sure you had a lot more marketshare for your vectors. The pie is getting thinner in vector land. I have been amazed at the steady influx ridiculously talented vector illustrators and designers joining istock every month. Its motivating me to try my best and it has greatly improved me as an artist in general.
Im also willing to bet that the majority of getty buyers are used to prices a lot higher than istocks prices and a lot of them are shopping on istock now so this price increase is really no big deal to them. To the other buyers that are used to cheap prices and small budgets, they might be looking to move on to other areas. thats where thinkstock comes in and the * 20%.... nevermind my blood is starting to boil
Title: Re: Istock to go live with Exclusive + collection next week
Post by: cthoman on April 14, 2010, 14:00
I don't see further price increase as a good thing, as an exclusive. Ever since the prices have been increasing (for vectors -which i have most of- almost times 3 since 08) I have witnessed a steady decline in sales, although the $ stayed leveled.
Has anyone else observed this? On the other hand- it would be curious to know if the independents have seen an increase in sales since the price hike for exclusive files this year..
With all the server problems Istock is going through now I would think the implementation E+ collection would be somewhat postponed
I agree the previous raises really slowed overall vectors sales, but they did increase my earnings. It always makes me laugh that canister levels are based on sales and not earnings because my earnings are about twice as much as my sales.

As far as being an independent, the new raise didn't seem to affect my sales. They are going up steadily though, although they were doing that before the change too. So, I can't say if that is just steady growth of my portfolio or price conscience buyers. I also think exclusives aren't favored quite as much in their more keyword orientated best match. So, I would assume former best match favored exclusive images will move to more realistic search positions as buyers download images that match the keywords they want. That's just my opinion though. Either way, it's nice not to be on the last pages of the best match searches anymore.  ;D
Title: Re: Istock to go live with Exclusive + collection next week
Post by: sasha on April 15, 2010, 08:36
sure, the is more saturation, but my port has increased substantially also..I also have a pretty unique style i think which is why i still get sales while there is tons of cheap vectors at SS ect..anyhow my feeling is that the price increase is more to blame.perhaps getty buyers are still here, but I think most buyers are not on that level.
indeed, the competition inspires towards better quality and originality
Title: Re: Istock to go live with Exclusive + collection next week
Post by: vonkara on April 15, 2010, 10:51
LOL Prices increase by 2$ or 3$ and independent would see an increase in sales. Should I repeat again that buying images is less than 5% of a designer project budget...
Title: Re: Istock to go live with Exclusive + collection next week
Post by: vlad_the_imp on April 15, 2010, 11:16
What they should do is stop messing around with Vetta and Exclusive + and get the bloody site working. It's getting 503 errors reported in the Help forums now. FIX THE SITE ISTOCK. There, that feels better.
Title: Re: Istock to go live with Exclusive + collection next week
Post by: lagereek on April 16, 2010, 01:40
I dont think this will render more revenue, if it does, great but these things hardly ever do. Exclusives are a very small percentage here and mostly made up of very low cannister levels where picture quality is fair.
I agree with them though, they have to nurse their exclusives now and then and at the moment they havent got much more then their golden crown and a few vettas, well, some extra commision.
Sure! Ive been thinking of exclusivity a long time now but its still all these search-changing business that puts me off. I dont understand it really, why they just cant leave their search mechanism alone??

my 2 bobs worth.
Title: Re: Istock to go live with Exclusive + collection next week
Post by: lagereek on April 16, 2010, 03:06
What they should do is stop messing around with Vetta and Exclusive + and get the bloody site working. It's getting 503 errors reported in the Help forums now. FIX THE SITE ISTOCK. There, that feels better.

Actually I do agree with you,  all this stuff at the expense of downtime, lost sales and all,  its kind of unfair really.
Title: Re: Istock to go live with Exclusive + collection next week
Post by: Gannet77 on April 16, 2010, 04:55
I dont think this will render more revenue, if it does, great but these things hardly ever do. Exclusives are a very small percentage here and mostly made up of very low cannister levels where picture quality is fair.
I agree with them though, they have to nurse their exclusives now and then and at the moment they havent got much more then their golden crown and a few vettas, well, some extra commision.
Sure! Ive been thinking of exclusivity a long time now but its still all these search-changing business that puts me off. I dont understand it really, why they just cant leave their search mechanism alone??

my 2 bobs worth.

I disagree, I think iStock are right to try and push the price point higher for quality work, even though I don't produce much in the way of Vetta material - and I think it will give us (exclusives) extra revenue.

But I do wish they could get the site fixed...

My 3 bobs worth (exclusive commission)
Title: Re: Istock to go live with Exclusive + collection next week
Post by: ShadySue on April 16, 2010, 05:07
What they should do is stop messing around with Vetta and Exclusive + and get the bloody site working. It's getting 503 errors reported in the Help forums now. FIX THE SITE ISTOCK. There, that feels better.

Actually I do agree with you,  all this stuff at the expense of downtime, lost sales and all,  its kind of unfair really.
I don't think there have been reports of lost sales. Certainly, mine are within 'normal fluctuation', and that's the anecdotal evidence I'm getting too.
Of course, if you've got an instant bestseller lanquishing in the inspection queue from the 6th, its not 'out there'.
Title: Re: Istock to go live with Exclusive + collection next week
Post by: vlad_the_imp on April 16, 2010, 05:13
Actually, if you read the threads in the Help forums relating to recent site problems there are plenty of people complaining of low sales. If you only have an odd sale here and there you're not going to notice changes, if you're a high seller and the site is down for an hour or two, you may well notice the effect more.
Title: Re: Istock to go live with Exclusive + collection next week
Post by: ShadySue on April 16, 2010, 05:28
Actually, if you read the threads in the Help forums relating to recent site problems there are plenty of people complaining of low sales. If you only have an odd sale here and there you're not going to notice changes, if you're a high seller and the site is down for an hour or two, you may well notice the effect more.
The low sales threads have been for the whole month (Easter weekend, Spring break in UK/some of Europe etc), and not just since the outage last Friday, and has been mirrored in other sites. April has traditionally been lower for me, and some others than Jan - Mar, but clearly others have a different experience.
Title: Re: Istock to go live with Exclusive + collection next week
Post by: loop on April 16, 2010, 06:10
Actually, if you read the threads in the Help forums relating to recent site problems there are plenty of people complaining of low sales. If you only have an odd sale here and there you're not going to notice changes, if you're a high seller and the site is down for an hour or two, you may well notice the effect more.

Sales this week great here, even with the technical problems. Only thing that has slowed seems to be suscriptions sales, around a third of what they were, although they always were a tiny percentage of total sales. At this moment, I would say that susbcribers are the only customers that have probably switched to TS.
Title: Re: Istock to go live with Exclusive + collection next week
Post by: lagereek on April 16, 2010, 12:25
I dont think this will render more revenue, if it does, great but these things hardly ever do. Exclusives are a very small percentage here and mostly made up of very low cannister levels where picture quality is fair.
I agree with them though, they have to nurse their exclusives now and then and at the moment they havent got much more then their golden crown and a few vettas, well, some extra commision.
Sure! Ive been thinking of exclusivity a long time now but its still all these search-changing business that puts me off. I dont understand it really, why they just cant leave their search mechanism alone??

my 2 bobs worth.

I disagree, I think iStock are right to try and push the price point higher for quality work, even though I don't produce much in the way of Vetta material - and I think it will give us (exclusives) extra revenue.

But I do wish they could get the site fixed...

My 3 bobs worth (exclusive commission)


Youre getting me wrong,  yes its a good thing to get prices higher!  Im all for it. I would see them getting even closer to Trad-prices.  Im just not sure this is the way to go about it.
If youre gonna have a "special collection"  you better make  sure its really special and way over the rest ( tried by the Getty RM 1996) and misserably failed.
picture alone can not steadily rise the price level but special deals and hitting the right target groups can.