MicrostockGroup

Microstock Photography Forum - General => Selling Stock Direct => Topic started by: cybernesco on March 04, 2012, 18:50

Title: Finally Got A Sale!!
Post by: cybernesco on March 04, 2012, 18:50
I am totally happy!! after 3 1/2 months, I finally got my first sales from my own website. Four medium size photos, royalty-free standard license, $5. each for a total of $20.  One coyote, one boat, Brienz Lake in Switzerland and one model posing, bought by someone in Atlanta.

Although this is not much, I am getting the same feeling I had on my first download with SS in 2005.

Denis
denispepin.com (http://www.denispepin.com)
Title: Re: Finally Got A Sale!!
Post by: Equus on March 04, 2012, 18:55
Congratulations! So pleased to hear about your sales, may they be the first of many.
Title: Re: Finally Got A Sale!!
Post by: CardensDesign on March 04, 2012, 18:58
Congrats! That's always exciting to see people buying your images directly from your site. I started selling my images directly from my site about 6 months ago, and I've had pretty good luck (about 10-15 images per month, with most of them being religious images). I'd say Google Image search gets about 95% of my traffic.

Congrats again! Hope you have many more buyers in the future!


Kevin
CardensDesign.com
Title: Re: Finally Got A Sale!!
Post by: ShadySue on March 04, 2012, 18:59
Congratulations. Onwards and upwards.
Title: Re: Finally Got A Sale!!
Post by: cybernesco on March 04, 2012, 19:10
Thank you Kevin, Sue and Equus!! Google is still indexing my keywords as I see my number of links increasing everyday. I presumed another two-three months before they are all indexed afterwhich I should get a bit better ranking and a bit more sales.
Title: Re: Finally Got A Sale!!
Post by: cthoman on March 05, 2012, 01:26
Congrats! I've enjoyed running my own site, but it's definitely a challenge to get a steady stream of buyers in each month. I'm happy with the initial results, but there is still a lot of work to do.

I've just launched an affiliate program and hope to ramp up some advertising this year. But, it's all a daunting task for a one man army. Maybe, I need to join some kind of small businessman support group.  ;)

Good luck!
Title: Re: Finally Got A Sale!!
Post by: cathyslife on March 05, 2012, 13:41
And the best news of all is that you get to keep ALL $20!
Title: Re: Finally Got A Sale!!
Post by: thesentinel on March 05, 2012, 13:53
And the best news of all is that you get to keep ALL $20!

But what was the Cost Of Sales for that?
Title: Re: Finally Got A Sale!!
Post by: luissantos84 on March 05, 2012, 14:33
And the best news of all is that you get to keep ALL $20!

But what was the Cost Of Sales for that?

donīt know but I do remember a post from cybernesco showing October IS royalties for 60$
Title: Re: Finally Got A Sale!!
Post by: cybernesco on March 05, 2012, 15:13
And the best news of all is that you get to keep ALL $20!

But what was the Cost Of Sales for that?

I am not making money yet. It is costing me $30.00 a month for the use of Photodeck interface to maintain my site the way I want it and spent about $300.00 in advertising so far.  

I realized a couple months ago that unless you have a zillion dollars that you better forget about spending money on advertising as only time will tell you if it works or not. I figured another three months before I make enough sales that will cover my monthly expenses. I soon realized that it takes about 4-6 months for google to fully index all your keywords after which you have a better chance of being found. In 3 months, I'll make a decision then to terminate the site or not.
Title: Re: Finally Got A Sale!!
Post by: cybernesco on March 05, 2012, 15:19
And the best news of all is that you get to keep ALL $20!

But what was the Cost Of Sales for that?

donīt know but I do remember a post from cybernesco showing October IS royalties for 60$

Doing much better with IS now.
Title: Re: Finally Got A Sale!!
Post by: cathyslife on March 05, 2012, 15:23
And the best news of all is that you get to keep ALL $20!

But what was the Cost Of Sales for that?

Doesn't matter. That wasn't my point. My point was that he didn't have to give away 80% of his sale to an agency. But then you knew that.  ;)
Title: Re: Finally Got A Sale!!
Post by: cybernesco on March 05, 2012, 15:32
And the best news of all is that you get to keep ALL $20!

That is exactly my point!! and hopefully more to come....
Title: Re: Finally Got A Sale!!
Post by: click_click on March 05, 2012, 15:53
I do agree that it feels terrific to keep 100% of the sale price, no doubt about that.

However, you already had your expenses for the site and as you said, time will tell if it was worth it.

Still though, being in a <20% bracket at IS for example, I do make a lot more money at the end of the day with them than selling my images on my own web site. It's what shows up in the TOTAL line at the end of the month that shows me where my $$$ is coming from.

Keep us posted how things pan out.
Title: Re: Finally Got A Sale!!
Post by: cybernesco on March 05, 2012, 16:05
I do agree that it feels terrific to keep 100% of the sale price, no doubt about that.

However, you already had your expenses for the site and as you said, time will tell if it was worth it.

Still though, being in a <20% bracket at IS for example, I do make a lot more money at the end of the day with them than selling my images on my own web site. It's what shows up in the TOTAL line at the end of the month that shows me where my $$$ is coming from.

Keep us posted how things pan out.

I couldn't agree more, at the end of the day it is the sum of all of what you can get that counts. I don't plan leaving IS,SS,DT,FT,BS and all the others anytime soon....If my site can eventually bring positive revenue than it will be that much more to add with the other micro revenues.
Title: Re: Finally Got A Sale!!
Post by: lisafx on March 05, 2012, 17:16
Congratulations on your sales!  I know what you mean about feeling excited.  One or two measly sales on my website are more exciting than hundreds on the agencies.  It's a whole different sense of accomplishment :)
Title: Re: Finally Got A Sale!!
Post by: cybernesco on March 05, 2012, 18:35
Congratulations on your sales!  I know what you mean about feeling excited.  One or two measly sales on my website are more exciting than hundreds on the agencies.  It's a whole different sense of accomplishment :)

Thanks Lisa!!
Title: Re: Finally Got A Sale!!
Post by: Elenathewise on March 06, 2012, 14:15
Congratulations! Hope you'll get many more:) My site (www.elenaphoto.com (http://www.elenaphoto.com)) has been around for a year, and it's paying for itself and even bringing in some profit. Of course, the money are not comparable to what we get on "big" agencies, but it's my own sales and my own clientele and it really feels like my own business. I am very grateful to people who buy directly from photographers, it's a bit more work I guess to find what you're looking for, but it's kinda similar to "fair trade":)
Title: Re: Finally Got A Sale!!
Post by: cybernesco on March 06, 2012, 20:34
Congratulations! Hope you'll get many more:) My site ([url=http://www.elenaphoto.com]www.elenaphoto.com[/url] ([url]http://www.elenaphoto.com[/url])) has been around for a year, and it's paying for itself and even bringing in some profit. Of course, the money are not comparable to what we get on "big" agencies, but it's my own sales and my own clientele and it really feels like my own business. I am very grateful to people who buy directly from photographers, it's a bit more work I guess to find what you're looking for, but it's kinda similar to "fair trade":)


Thank you Elena!! I feel the same as well.  And you are right, within the foreseeable future, I don't think any microstocker owned website will be able to make more than the "big" agencies combined. 
Title: Re: Finally Got A Sale!!
Post by: cthoman on March 06, 2012, 21:00
Thank you Elena!! I feel the same as well.  And you are right, within the foreseeable future, I don't think any microstocker owned website will be able to make more than the "big" agencies combined. 

I don't know about combined, but I don't think it's unrealistic to be competitive with individual agencies. Maybe, even being my top earner.
Title: Re: Finally Got A Sale!!
Post by: luissantos84 on March 06, 2012, 21:11
Denis sorry not wanting to enter your business, sure you know what you are doing but you have EL for 28$?
Title: Re: Finally Got A Sale!!
Post by: cybernesco on March 06, 2012, 21:23
Thank you Elena!! I feel the same as well.  And you are right, within the foreseeable future, I don't think any microstocker owned website will be able to make more than the "big" agencies combined. 

I don't know about combined, but I don't think it's unrealistic to be competitive with individual agencies. Maybe, even being my top earner.

I agree
Title: Re: Finally Got A Sale!!
Post by: cybernesco on March 06, 2012, 21:30
Denis sorry not wanting to enter your business, sure you know what you are doing but you have EL for 28$?

Thanks for visiting my site!!  Yes I know, 28$ for an extended sound a little cheap, however photodune have them for 25$. I had them marked for 100$ couple weeks ago, but I figured that, for the moment I need as much attention as I can get. As soon as the site pays for itself I'll put those extended prices back up.
Title: Re: Finally Got A Sale!!
Post by: luissantos84 on March 06, 2012, 21:33
Denis sorry not wanting to enter your business, sure you know what you are doing but you have EL for 28$?

Thanks for visiting my site!!  Yes I know, 28$ for an extended sound a little cheap, however photodune have them for 25$. I had them marked for 100$ couple weeks ago, but I figured that, for the moment I need as much attention as I can get. As soon as the site pays for itself I'll put those extended prices back up.

I see, thanks for the explanation, actually PD has a XS EL for 8$
Title: Re: Finally Got A Sale!!
Post by: cybernesco on March 06, 2012, 21:46
Denis sorry not wanting to enter your business, sure you know what you are doing but you have EL for 28$?

Thanks for visiting my site!!  Yes I know, 28$ for an extended sound a little cheap, however photodune have them for 25$. I had them marked for 100$ couple weeks ago, but I figured that, for the moment I need as much attention as I can get. As soon as the site pays for itself I'll put those extended prices back up.

I see, thanks for the explanation, actually PD has a XS EL for 8$

Yes, I guess they monetized their extended on various sizes, in my case, extended is one size, the original size and therefore one price.
Title: Re: Finally Got A Sale!!
Post by: fotoroad on March 25, 2012, 10:34
Congratulations and more sale in future
Title: Re: Finally Got A Sale!!
Post by: Oleg on June 21, 2012, 16:26
Hello, I read a forum for a long time, I write for the first time
Congratulations.
  I know how hard it is to make a website. Yesterday I finished my site
and also waiting for customers - for 24 hours
Title: Re: Finally Got A Sale!!
Post by: Les on June 26, 2012, 04:26
Congratulations! Hope you'll get many more:) My site ([url=http://www.elenaphoto.com]www.elenaphoto.com[/url] ([url]http://www.elenaphoto.com[/url])) has been around for a year, and it's paying for itself and even bringing in some profit. Of course, the money are not comparable to what we get on "big" agencies, but it's my own sales and my own clientele and it really feels like my own business. I am very grateful to people who buy directly from photographers, it's a bit more work I guess to find what you're looking for, but it's kinda similar to "fair trade":)


Elena,

Your website looks great. What website service/template are you using?

Les
Title: Re: Finally Got A Sale!!
Post by: leaf on June 26, 2012, 05:52
Congratulations! Hope you'll get many more:) My site ([url=http://www.elenaphoto.com]www.elenaphoto.com[/url] ([url]http://www.elenaphoto.com[/url])) has been around for a year, and it's paying for itself and even bringing in some profit. Of course, the money are not comparable to what we get on "big" agencies, but it's my own sales and my own clientele and it really feels like my own business. I am very grateful to people who buy directly from photographers, it's a bit more work I guess to find what you're looking for, but it's kinda similar to "fair trade":)


Elena,

Your website looks great. What website service/template are you using?

Les


In case Elena doesn't this this thread for a bit, I'm pretty sure that is a ktools site