MicrostockGroup

Agency Based Discussion => iStockPhoto.com => Topic started by: kaycee on February 18, 2009, 01:55

Title: what happend to the sales on Istock
Post by: kaycee on February 18, 2009, 01:55: Hi all,

Just wondering what happend with sales on Istock this month.....
Up till now no sales at all.
Normaly I get some sales but it went dead like a month ago.
Is this normal or is it just that Istock want exclusive members and all other contributers left out in the search enigine.........
Title: Re: what happend to the sales on Istock
Post by: shank_ali on February 18, 2009, 02:18: Sales will become regular as your istock portfolio grows.
Also new images need to mature in the library(40-60 views) before sales start.
If your eyesight wanes you go and buy spectacles.
If your hearing wanes you go and get a hearing aid.
Unfortunately nothing can be done for "stupid"
Istockphoto raising the prices in a recession was......STUPID.
Title: Re: what happend to the sales on Istock
Post by: kaycee on February 18, 2009, 02:32: thanks, Yes indeed stupid very stupid ......
Title: Re: what happend to the sales on Istock
Post by: ozbandit on February 18, 2009, 05:28: having a pretty good at IS myself so far ....
Title: Re: what happend to the sales on Istock
Post by: michealo on February 18, 2009, 05:59: You have a small portfolio of a subject matter that doesn't sell well in general and your files are poorly keyworded ...
Title: Re: what happend to the sales on Istock
Post by: gostwyck on February 18, 2009, 07:09: Sales have been surging for me on IS this month. Already a BDE and well on target for a BME.

The main difference appears to be that with the changes to the best match I now have most of my portfolio working for me instead of just the images I uploaded in the last 4-6 months (as happened with previous best match's).
Title: Re: what happend to the sales on Istock
Post by: fljac on February 18, 2009, 07:10: I have have been active at IS for only 2-3 weeks. Currently, my limited portfolio counts 20 images. Yesterday I had the first download, earning me USD 5,04. The image has been viewed 36 times.

I can see that several of my 20 images are added to private lightboxes.

Does this private light box allocation mean anything related to upcoming sales? - Who is normally ading images to lightboxes? Is it customers or is it other contributors using it for inspiration or something like that? :o

Thanks Flemming
Title: Re: what happend to the sales on Istock
Post by: michealo on February 18, 2009, 08:45: Quote from: fljac on February 18, 2009, 07:10
I have have been active at IS for only 2-3 weeks. Currently, my limited portfolio counts 20 images. Yesterday I had the first download, earning me USD 5,04. The image has been viewed 36 times.

I can see that several of my 20 images are added to private lightboxes.

Does this private light box allocation mean anything related to upcoming sales? - Who is normally ading images to lightboxes? Is it customers or is it other contributors using it for inspiration or something like that? :o

Thanks Flemming

Additions to Private lightboxes are generally by customers and are a reasonable indicator of future sales
Title: Re: what happend to the sales on Istock
Post by: fljac on February 18, 2009, 08:50: Quote from: michealo on February 18, 2009, 08:45
Quote from: fljac on February 18, 2009, 07:10
I have have been active at IS for only 2-3 weeks. Currently, my limited portfolio counts 20 images. Yesterday I had the first download, earning me USD 5,04. The image has been viewed 36 times.

I can see that several of my 20 images are added to private lightboxes.

Does this private light box allocation mean anything related to upcoming sales? - Who is normally ading images to lightboxes? Is it customers or is it other contributors using it for inspiration or something like that? :o

Thanks Flemming

Additions to Private lightboxes are generally by customers and are a reasonable indicator of future sales

Thank you very much.... This is EXACTLY the kind of answer I was hoping for ;D ;D ;D
Title: Re: what happend to the sales on Istock
Post by: zorki on February 18, 2009, 10:01: Whatever they changed about a month ago has made my sale almost triple. I'm having my best month in about a year...
Title: Re: what happend to the sales on Istock
Post by: kaycee on February 18, 2009, 11:38: Quote from: michealo on February 18, 2009, 05:59
You have a small portfolio of a subject matter that doesn't sell well in general and your files are poorly keyworded ...
I know about the bad keywording but the jected several times for bad keywording so I become very caution with Istock.
Title: Re: what happend to the sales on Istock
Post by: Graffoto on February 18, 2009, 12:47: I also am having a good month so far.
Especially considering my rather smallish portfolio and limited subject matter.

If one really wants to excell at this, my best guess is that one should have a solid portfolio of diverse subjects.

Or do as Yuri has done and flood the market with high quality business team concept shots.... Oh wait that niche is already saturated :(
Title: Re: what happend to the sales on Istock
Post by: phildate on February 18, 2009, 19:23: I am having an amazing month on iStock and this is the first time I have said that for at least two years. Whatever they have done to the Best Match search (weight it towards older files with high downloads I think), please don't change it!

In fact, this month is so good I've thought for the first time about the possibility of going exclusive. It's not going to happen but I did think about it for a microsecond. Haha, that's why it's called microstock!
Title: Re: what happend to the sales on Istock
Post by: fotografer on February 19, 2009, 03:05: Same here. I was so dissapointed with IS the last couple of years but this last month has been almost like the old days. I really hope that the new best match doesn't change it too much but just gives a little more emphasis on new files.

Quote from: phildate on February 18, 2009, 19:23
I am having an amazing month on iStock and this is the first time I have said that for at least two years. Whatever they have done to the Best Match search (weight it towards older files with high downloads I think), please don't change it!

In fact, this month is so good I've thought for the first time about the possibility of going exclusive. It's not going to happen but I did think about it for a microsecond. Haha, that's why it's called microstock!
Title: Re: what happend to the sales on Istock
Post by: j2k on February 19, 2009, 09:16: I saw a rebound in January, and February should be good as well. Nothing spectacular thou - I had better sales before the previous best match change that cut my sales in half, but anyways it looks quite promising.
Title: Re: what happend to the sales on Istock
Post by: yecatsdoherty on February 19, 2009, 19:45: my sales are all over the place, but still better than they were in January. my newer images are also being downloaded again, but I still can't find newer files in best match searches, so in a nutshell, I have no idea what is happening, lol....but things have improved a bit, which is good. hopefully not at someone else's expense as is often the case with best match changes it seems.
Title: Re: what happend to the sales on Istock
Post by: shank_ali on February 20, 2009, 15:17: My average is steadily rising. 4-7 sales aday.
If i need a 1000 files in my portfolio before i get 10 sales aday so be it but it aint easy coming up with new and interesting concepts for a designer.
2 sales though on my unique and original washing line concept this week though confirms my talent !
Title: Re: what happend to the sales on Istock
Post by: yecatsdoherty on February 20, 2009, 17:29: I had one good sales day this past week....today is worse than a Saturday from last year. I have 6 downloads today. that is 2/10 of what I should have by now. man, such a downer.
Title: Re: what happend to the sales on Istock
Post by: Graffoto on February 20, 2009, 17:37: I had a pretty decent week, however today (FRIDAY) is totally dead.

I know that at least I am in good company ;)
Title: Re: what happend to the sales on Istock
Post by: shank_ali on February 25, 2009, 17:25: I am not stretching the truth when i say alot or most contributors have noticed a drop in sales at istockphoto.
The world recession is affecting all our lives.
If that is the case why oh why would you raise prices?????????
The housing market and the motor trade in the UK are depressed.To stimulate sales i doubt the respective companies would RAISE prices would you.
I doubt istockphoto will drop prices back to where they were in december 2008 but we can live in hope...
Title: Re: what happend to the sales on Istock
Post by: yecatsdoherty on February 25, 2009, 17:45: shank, I realize you started this thread to stir another pot....but for anyone who is seriously interested, there was a great comment made by an admin on IS last night.

they are looking very seriously at the down trend. the acknowledgment was sincere IMHO and it was very welcome. I hope they figure it out and that 2.0 brings better things.
Title: Re: what happend to the sales on Istock
Post by: vonkara on February 25, 2009, 17:53: The recession doesn't affect my life at all. The terror that the media spread through the world affect me. Even my cat is affraid to go out
Title: Re: what happend to the sales on Istock
Post by: cdwheatley on February 25, 2009, 19:19: .
Title: Re: what happend to the sales on Istock
Post by: dbvirago on February 25, 2009, 19:27: Best Month in over a year for me.
Title: Re: what happend to the sales on Istock
Post by: shank_ali on February 26, 2009, 01:15: Quote from: yecatsdoherty on February 25, 2009, 17:45
shank, I realize you started this thread to stir another pot....but for anyone who is seriously interested, there was a great comment made by an admin on IS last night.

they are looking very seriously at the down trend. the acknowledgment was sincere IMHO and it was very welcome. I hope they figure it out and that 2.0 brings better things.
They can look all they want and they will conclude ...we hicked up raising prices,,
BTW i can;t contribute to the istock forum but i still read it and have the site mail facility to communicate with certain peeps which keeps me on the inside looking out!
Title: Re: what happend to the sales on Istock
Post by: hoi ha on February 26, 2009, 04:43: I am really curious to see how this new best match plays out - the admins are indicating that the search function is going to rely more on the buyers' preferences than on favouring one group of contributors over another (exclusive versus non-exclusive for example) or one type of image over another (versus vectors, photos, old files, new files etc).

In the past there has always seemed to be one group up (or more up) and one group down (or more down) which has made it difficult to determine whether there is actually a drop off in all around sales at IS - that is, the powers that be could always "cover up" dropping sales by saying some people are doing well and that it's just the changes to the search that is causing fewer downloads for any particular contributor. The IS powers have always maintained that its sales are up up and up (this is not a criticism - it's what businesses do) - and note I refer to numbers of sales here not profits. IS may be making up its revenue by increasing its sales prices even though the actual number of purchases is dropping or leveling off.

Now that it seems there is going to be an even playing field in the search parameters for contributors, curious to see if contributors continue to report drops in sales ... if yes, it should give us better data to try and figure out where the overall business strategy of IS is going and whether the constant price rising has had an impact or whether there really might be a market for "mid-stock".
Title: Re: what happend to the sales on Istock
Post by: Tomboy2290 on February 26, 2009, 15:09: Absolutely no complaints from me on Istock's sales this month. Another BME. Revenue up by a third from last month - my previous BME. Istock is now my best earning site. Fotolia has taken second place and SS has dropped from first place to third :(
Title: Re: what happend to the sales on Istock
Post by: gostwyck on February 26, 2009, 15:20: Quote from: Tomboy2290 on February 26, 2009, 15:09
Absolutely no complaints from me on Istock's sales this month. Another BME.

Same here __ blistering performance from IS. The price rise doesn't seem to have frightened many buyers away.
Title: Re: what happend to the sales on Istock
Post by: bittersweet on February 26, 2009, 16:07: Quote from: shank_ali on February 26, 2009, 01:15
BTW i can;t contribute to the istock forum but i still read it

... and it looks as if the same is finally true for this site.
Title: Re: what happend to the sales on Istock
Post by: PaulieWalnuts on February 26, 2009, 20:36: Quote from: whatalife on February 26, 2009, 16:07
Quote from: shank_ali on February 26, 2009, 01:15
BTW i can;t contribute to the istock forum but i still read it

... and it looks as if the same is finally true for this site.
Yep, no user link anymore. I'm not surprised but I also kinda am. He was toning it down a bit. But like everybody else around here who likes to test the limits it's always just a matter of time.

Now back to IS. My sales have been rocking all month but really up and down this week. Site performance has been kinda bad with the squid page up quite a bit. Maybe a reason?