Author Topic: Revenues observations! SS / IS ! (Read 6295 times)

lagereek · « **on:** September 09, 2011, 00:58 »

I was kind of working out the actual earnings differances between IS and SS during the last 6 months and came to quite an interesting observation. In going over this on a day to day basis.
To my surprise I found ( in my case ) that is, IS revenues were down but not nearly as much as I thought, only by about max, 15%, on other hand, SS, have totally blasted its way, right up! with an increase of some 50% and rising steady, every single day. Plenty of ELs, not just subs.
I dont know what SS have done to gain this much but whatever it is they deserve it. I dont think the result can be based only on buyers bailing IS but rather that SS, seems to have found some new grounds or simply, they are the best, in servicing customers/buyers.

Anybody else with similar observations?

microstockphoto.co.uk · « **Reply #1 on:** September 09, 2011, 01:22 »

In my case, increase at SS is mainly due to a lot of ODs and even ELs. They must have found some new buyers - from where (besides IS) I do not know.

ShadySue · « **Reply #2 on:** September 09, 2011, 04:27 »

For several months, only SS was advertising in UK High Street magazines aimed at 'creatives'.
(By which I mean magazines available in UK shops, some of which were not UK originated, of course.)

sharpshot · « **Reply #3 on:** September 09, 2011, 04:51 »

It seems that the internet loves one big company that dominates the sector. Just look at Ebay, Facebook, Amazon and Google. They have competition but they just seem to get bigger.

It looked like istock would do that with microstock but perhaps shutterstock are going to be the big fish? I just hope that doesn't force Getty in to making them an offer they can't refuse. Hopefully they will be gobbling up Getty one day.

gclk · « **Reply #4 on:** September 09, 2011, 05:58 »

Quote from: sharpshot on September 09, 2011, 04:51

It seems that the internet loves one big company that dominates the sector. Just look at Ebay, Facebook, Amazon and Google. They have competition but they just seem to get bigger.

It looked like istock would do that with microstock but perhaps shutterstock are going to be the big fish? I just hope that doesn't force Getty in to making them an offer they can't refuse. Hopefully they will be gobbling up Getty one day.

I'm glad to see SS providing strong and high quality competition, as it forces iStock to up their game if they want to keep their customers and their artists.

Suppose especially with exclusive artists, iStock must realise that there's a critical point of alienation and falling income where significant numbers of artists would realise they could do better if they dropped exclusivity.

Maybe one reason behind SS's growing success is their generous referral program - apparently they pay up to $200 for a referral based on how much the new customer buys. Supposedly iStock have a new referral system up their sleeve. If they want to compete it's going to have to be a serious step up from the new max-$20-but-ridden-with-catches system.

lagereek · « **Reply #5 on:** September 09, 2011, 06:47 »

Quote from: sharpshot on September 09, 2011, 04:51

It seems that the internet loves one big company that dominates the sector. Just look at Ebay, Facebook, Amazon and Google. They have competition but they just seem to get bigger.

It looked like istock would do that with microstock but perhaps shutterstock are going to be the big fish? I just hope that doesn't force Getty in to making them an offer they can't refuse. Hopefully they will be gobbling up Getty one day.

I sincerely doubt they could make them such an offer and why should they, really? probably more like it SS, makes them an offer. What worries me a bit are these rumours about SS going public, they could pretty soon find themselves with, shall we say "partners".

gostwyck · « **Reply #6 on:** September 09, 2011, 08:29 »

Quote from: lagereek on September 09, 2011, 06:47

I sincerely doubt they could make them such an offer and why should they, really? probably more like it SS, makes them an offer. What worries me a bit are these rumours about SS going public, they could pretty soon find themselves with, shall we say "partners".

Can't think why Jon would take it public. It is surely not a business that needs a huge capital injection to either compete or expand so why give up control of your cash-cow? It is probably generating at least $50M pure profit annually, quite possibly a lot more than that. About the only reason to go public would be if he wanted to acquire DT or FT. Now there's a thought!

Pixart · « **Reply #7 on:** September 09, 2011, 10:05 »

Back to the customer service comment - I think they likely do have pretty great customer service. There was a free vector that I wanted to download this spring and they called me shortly after to welcome me to Shutterstock and we talked a bit about my needs. I did have a project coming up but I had credits elsewhere. He asked if he could send me a 15% off coupon so I could try things out. I used to have the impression that if you didn't want a subs package with SS the prices were quite high - but when I compared them to the other sites their OD's are actually pretty close. The biggest gripe I have with SS is that if you want to legally purchase an EL license you must pay for 2 (unless they have changed that?). It seems like we maybe get more EL sales because of that spare. On the other hand, I wonder how many balk and download with the wrong license.

microstockphoto.co.uk · « **Reply #8 on:** September 09, 2011, 13:57 »

Quote from: sharpshot on September 09, 2011, 04:51

It seems that the internet loves one big company that dominates the sector.

This is a very convincing explanation, the most convincing I read so far. People need symbols.

RacePhoto · « **Reply #9 on:** September 11, 2011, 21:22 »

Quote from: lagereek on September 09, 2011, 06:47

Quote from: sharpshot on September 09, 2011, 04:51
It seems that the internet loves one big company that dominates the sector. Just look at Ebay, Facebook, Amazon and Google. They have competition but they just seem to get bigger.

It looked like istock would do that with microstock but perhaps shutterstock are going to be the big fish? I just hope that doesn't force Getty in to making them an offer they can't refuse. Hopefully they will be gobbling up Getty one day.

I sincerely doubt they could make them such an offer and why should they, really? probably more like it SS, makes them an offer. What worries me a bit are these rumours about SS going public, they could pretty soon find themselves with, shall we say "partners".

Yes and one of the people jumping on the bandwagon as a "partner" would be me. I'm sure some other people would like to take SS to the bank as an investor. So some of the partners would be us!

Not that I believe the rumor because like some others you repeat over and over, they don't seem to be based on fact but just someones interesting conjecture. The other one is IS being sold off any day now, which I seem to remember from 2009 and 2010 as why they are into our pockets with cuts and cheap subs.

If SS is in need of funding for something else, then I'd believe it, but not to make the Micro-Stock site change.

helix7 · « **Reply #10 on:** September 12, 2011, 06:51 »

Quote from: sharpshot on September 09, 2011, 04:51

...I just hope that doesn't force Getty in to making them an offer they can't refuse. Hopefully they will be gobbling up Getty one day.

I'd bet that Getty has already made them an offer, and they passed on it. Probably a few years ago, if it did actually happen. That's the Getty way. They've bought hundreds of other companies, and tend to buy up properties that look like competition. istock, being the perfect case in point there. istock was cannibalizing Getty sales, so they bought istock. I'd bet that before ThinkStock, Getty made an offer to SS. SS refused, and so Getty had to go ahead with a different plan for their subscription offering.

lagereek · « **Reply #11 on:** September 12, 2011, 08:47 »

yep! for sure they have already made an offer, its not like Getty letting somebody else grow so strong as SS. No matter what they do, try, twist and turn, SS, will be there as a giant.

keeps the buisness alive, doesnt it?

travelstock · « **Reply #12 on:** September 12, 2011, 11:26 »

Quote from: microstockphoto.co.uk on September 09, 2011, 13:57

Quote from: sharpshot on September 09, 2011, 04:51
It seems that the internet loves one big company that dominates the sector.

This is a very convincing explanation, the most convincing I read so far. People need symbols.

Indeed... unfortunate but true.

Though there's also room for different players to dominate in segments of the market online. So for example the big fish in the US often won't be the same big fish as in Europe.

RacePhoto · « **Reply #13 on:** September 13, 2011, 21:52 »

Quote from: lagereek on September 12, 2011, 08:47

yep! for sure they have already made an offer, its not like Getty letting somebody else grow so strong as SS. No matter what they do, try, twist and turn, SS, will be there as a giant.

keeps the buisness alive, doesnt it?

Yes it does and if IS bought SS that would pretty much end Microstock as an open market for many people, and probably kill Micro as we know it.

Just noticed I forgot to answer the question, while I was going off about why SS won't be going public. (also just an opinion)

Last year when SS started reporting sales it was about 53/47 USA/Foreign. Last payment, last month, was roughly 25% US / 75% overseas. Might just be me, and ELs have dropped to none for me, small OD sales. Anyone else getting a change in sales percentages by location?

luissantos84 · « **Reply #14 on:** September 13, 2011, 22:41 »

Quote from: RacePhoto on September 13, 2011, 21:52

Last year when SS started reporting sales it was about 53/47 USA/Foreign. Last payment, last month, was roughly 25% US / 75% overseas. Might just be me, and ELs have dropped to none for me, small OD sales. Anyone else getting a change in sales percentages by location?

Aug 09 - 14%
Aug 10 - 17%
Aug 11 - 14%

I am always between 10% and 20% of US sales

lagereek · « **Reply #15 on:** September 14, 2011, 01:04 »

Dont know but Im getting plenty of ODs and ELs, from both sides, US and Europe, etc.

microstockphoto.co.uk · « **Reply #16 on:** September 14, 2011, 01:11 »

Quote from: luissantos84 on September 13, 2011, 22:41

I am always between 10% and 20% of US sales

Same here. Maybe due to the fact that I have mainly pictures of European architecture.

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Author Topic: Revenues observations! SS / IS ! (Read 6295 times)

lagereek

microstockphoto.co.uk

ShadySue

sharpshot

gclk

lagereek

gostwyck

Pixart

microstockphoto.co.uk

RacePhoto

helix7

lagereek

travelstock

RacePhoto

luissantos84

lagereek

microstockphoto.co.uk

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