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Messages - daveh900

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126
General Stock Discussion / Re: back on the horse
« on: May 02, 2013, 22:58 »
I do mostly vector art, but I got back into photography a few years ago and picked up a Canon Rebel XT with a decent lens for about $450. I'm sure you could get a Rebel that is several models newer for a similar price.

I have since upgraded a couple times, but it was a nice place to start.


127
Shutterstock.com / Re: Vector downloads analysis
« on: May 02, 2013, 20:52 »
Hey, don't knock "happy puppies". I sell those little dudes all the time.  ;D

Funny! I sell a pile of rocks all the time too :o

And a very nice pile of rocks it is!

OK, so maybe I was too harsh... sorry.   :-[

128
Shutterstock.com / Re: Vector downloads analysis
« on: May 02, 2013, 10:32 »
Hey, don't knock "happy puppies". I sell those little dudes all the time.  ;D

 ;)

129
Shutterstock.com / Re: Vector downloads analysis
« on: May 02, 2013, 09:04 »
Not trying to be harsh but...

If you have hundreds of vectors online at SS and you're only getting a few downloads a day, you really need to think harder about your content.

As a vector designer, you can create... anything! You don't need to travel the world, hire models, or invest thousands of dollars in photography gear. Pick a topic or theme and create it.

There are a lot of people creating vector illustrations of flowers, butterflies and happy puppy dogs. If that's your thing and you aren't worried about making money, than keep doing it. If you want to make some cash, you need to cater your designs to a more commercial market.

130
Wow! Now you do realize having your mother buy one to stick on the fridge does not count right?

J/K. Good job.

If your feeling generous can you let us know how the image is performing in search? Or how your site in general has done? Also your images are very iconic/useful so I don't think the theme is 100% of the success either.

The image sold earlier today is actually one of my best selling sets of "stamps" on other sites. It has been indexed by Google for a couple years. For my SY site, I reconfigured the layout and colors enough that Google sees it as a different image. It currently sits right beside the previous version at Shutterstock when doing a Google image search.

Overall traffic from Google is getting better all the time. Seems most of my images are now indexed.

131
Just had sale #2! 

Almost time to quit the day job.  ;)


132
This looks great! I'm going to purchase and install soon.

133
General Stock Discussion / Re: April Sales
« on: May 01, 2013, 09:37 »
1st: SS - BME - 9% Up
2nd: 123RF - BME - 32% Up
3rd: Fotolia - BME - 55% Up
4th: BigStock - BME - 52% Up
5th: CanStockPhoto
6th: DepositPhotos
7th: Dreamstime
8th: Veer
9th: StompStock
10th: StockFresh
11th: GL



134
I do a lot of marketing work for a seasonal winter business and we will start putting together brochures and materials over the next couple of months. I don't think you need to wait for winter to upload your videos.

135
I've done it at Dreamstime and CanStock. A few simple clicks to convert earnings to credits.

136
Shutterstock.com / Re: Had a great April! :)
« on: May 01, 2013, 08:22 »
Second BME in a row. Up 9% from March at SS.

137
Why does one buyer purchase an image for $20 at one agency and another buyer purchases the same file with the same rights at another agency for $5?

The answer is because the buyer doesn't know any better.

Shutterstock is crazy smart. They can be the agency that sells the the image for $20, they can also be the agency that sells the image for $5.

Yes, I just quoted and replied to myself.



138

 What purpose would SS serve if all the "good stuff" is moved to Offset?


Again, like BigStock, I think Offset will target a different/new set of buyers.

Shutterstock ain't no dummies.

I'm not really taking a "stand" on any of this either, I just enjoy the discussion and trying to figure it all out.

Most of us have the same images being offered across many different sites at many different prices. Why does one buyer purchase an image for $20 at one agency and another buyer purchases the same file with the same rights at another agency for $5?




139
Ok, I knew this thread would probably end up going this direction. So, let me ask a question...

Why does everyone think that Shutterstock will intentionally move it's customers to BigStock. It simply doesn't make sense. While I understand the outage over the subscriptions and lower royalties, some of the reasoning (conspiracy theories) for this outrage seems flawed to me.
It makes sense for them to move customers to Bigstock if they make more money doing so.  If they pay contributors a lower royalty rate it would make sense.  I guess you are saying they are paying the same or more to Bigstock contributors as they are to Shutterstock contributors?

Even if the profit margin was higher at BigStock, Shutterstock would never intentionally direct it's customers away from SS and push them to BS. That is just not logical at all.

If Shutterstock wanted to make more money, we all know how they would do that,  by cutting commisions at Shutterstock. BigStock is being run as it's own agency with it's own rules and it's own pricing and commission structure. It's clear to me that BigStock is targeting a different buyer.

Here is what is confusing... have you looked at the numbers?

A 12 month subscription that allows up to 50 downloads a day at BigStock costs $2879. Which, if the buyer downloaded 50 images every day for a year would cost the buyer $.16 per image, yet Bigstock will pay at least $.25 to the contributor for each sub download.

If we assume that each contributor only gets the minimum $.25 per sub download, BigStock is assuming that the subscriber will use no more than 30 or so images per day, otherwise they'll be losing money on each download.

 :o

140

The contest is still going on...

Only for the designers that you chose, correct?

141



Quote
[size=78%]HI Cathy, when I register and log in to your site, it takes me to my profile in the backend dashboard, not to your front end of the website. Otherwise, it works fine. No worries, I can't access anything in the backend of your site, just my profile. [/size]



I asked farbled to register on my site, just to check it. She reported the above. Please tell me why she is being taken to the backend of my dashboard. I have mostly been uploading images, so I don't believe I have done anything since I checked registration myself. but who knows.

He, not she. :)


So sorry!


I just registered, and I was taken to the Customer License area. Can someone explain what is happening?

I just registered on your site to test it out and it seems fine to me, took me to what I would consider the customers account / backend area. I assume if I had purchased images from you previously I would see those downloads on this area.

142
Subscriptions at BigStock have clearly started to gain in popularity based on my numbers.

Although there is half a day left in April, I'm finding my sales numbers to be somewhat interesting and I thought I'd share what I'm seeing.

Subscriptions officially launched in February I believe, and I saw sub sales increasing through March which was by BME at BS.

My April numbers show a 96% increase in files sold over March (previous BME) - Revenue was up 52% over March (previous BME).

Obviously, I'm selling more for less on the new sub model.

Now, since I am on "the Bridge", my sub sales are at $.38 each. If I understand correctly, after six months, my sub sales will go down to $.27 each. If I adjust my April sales number to reflect a $.27 sub sale, my revenue increase for April would drop to 32% over March.

That is correct you will get .27 after July, which is 3 months @ your old rate.

It will not take much for SS to convert current & large corporate customers to BS buyers over SS. And it is even more attractive to small buyers.

@SS A one year subscription will net buyers 25 images a day, every day for $2,388.00 or slightly over $.26 cents per image.

@BS A one year subscription will net buyers 50 images a day, every day for $2,879.00 or $.16 cents per image.

Why submitters are not more outraged by this blatant undercutting is alarming. The giant * sound is getting louder as we speak.

Ok, I knew this thread would probably end up going this direction. So, let me ask a question...

Why does everyone think that Shutterstock will intentionally move it's customers to BigStock. It simply doesn't make sense. While I understand the outage over the subscriptions and lower royalties, some of the reasoning (conspiracy theories) for this outrage seems flawed to me.



143
"A logo does not need to tell the story about your business. In fact I would say it's better if it didn't."

But all of them do.  They all/mostly depict 'communication' in some way, which just seems like an easy way out.

I agree Sean. The logos chosen as finalists are somewhat stereotypical icons. Speech bubbles... yet another concept that has been used way too often. I wasn't referring directly to the finalists logos, as much as I was to the people suggesting that the logo should include icons like lenses and pencils.

Too often the focus is on the logo, and not the complete branding package. I've seen logos that are just mediocre on their own but completely brilliant when you look at the entire branding package.





144
Subscriptions at BigStock have clearly started to gain in popularity based on my numbers.

Although there is half a day left in April, I'm finding my sales numbers to be somewhat interesting and I thought I'd share what I'm seeing.

Subscriptions officially launched in February I believe, and I saw sub sales increasing through March which was by BME at BS.

My April numbers show a 96% increase in files sold over March (previous BME) - Revenue was up 52% over March (previous BME).

Obviously, I'm selling more for less on the new sub model.

Now, since I am on "the Bridge", my sub sales are at $.38 each. If I understand correctly, after six months, my sub sales will go down to $.27 each. If I adjust my April sales number to reflect a $.27 sub sale, my revenue increase for April would drop to 32% over March.




145
I always find it interesting when people discuss logos. I have designed hundreds of logos for clients big and small, and there are a several misconceptions about logos that I have heard over and over again.

A logo does not need to tell the story about your business. In fact I would say it's better if it didn't.

Think for a moment about all the big brands and their logos. Off the top of your head can you name one that has a logo image that completely details the business? If I owned a company that produced sporting goods, would I need to include an image of each sport that I cater to in my logo?

Ever see a car manufacturer with a picture of a car as their logo? Ever see a camera manufacturer with the way overused lens aperture design?

Although I'm not a huge fan of the logos Leaf has chosen, I do agree with him that it should not be photography focused... and this is really his choice at the end of the day.

However, I do wish i could have taken a stab at this. Although I swore off logo contests quite a while ago, I would have jumped in on this one.

146

what I would change with 128:
- drop the white spot on letter "o".. whatever that is?
- make "microstock" very dark blue, and "group" a lighter blue.. this will eliminate the issue perry mentioned..

I still think it would read as micro stockgroup.

147
I wish I would have known about this, I could have offered up a solution.
It's still open, I think.


Nope, closed to these finalists.

148
I wish I would have known about this, I could have offered up a solution.

Frankly, I'm not overly impressed with any of the choices.

149
For me the single most annoying thing is... Dreamstime.

150
Same here, got 6 SOD's yesterday and all appear to be from the same location. After reading the other thread I'm a bit skeptic. $12.60's and $15.40's.

You clearly didn't read the other thread.

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