Actually, the summer slowdown just passed; every year the worst week for page views and sales in the summer is the week of July 4th. The next worst week is at the end of August/beginning of September (is there another US public holiday around that time?).
Historical evidence suggests that apart from that august/september dip, sales and page views should now start rising towards a peak at Christmas and then a further peak in March/April/May.
Of course it might be different at IS; they appear to have implemented a dramatic change in best match which has affected new images, new contributors and small portfolios. My guess is that while they are * about with new search bar, new categories etc they have changed the best match to favour exclusives and long standing contributors at the expense of newbies and new images. It does appear to be a cruel move to implement such a significant best match change without warning, although if I am right in my assumption one must applaud an agency's commitment to ensure good results for its dedicated followers during times of change.
