New Community Guy at StockXpert

[grp_photo]

The pictures i contribute to Microstock are always shot with microstock in mind i never decide afterwards.

[steve-oh]

berryspun,

E-mail confirmation is a features others have requested. And a definite benefit.

Well, the lightbox is for buyers who want to keep track of specific images while the browser the site, so it's a feature mainly for the buyer. Did that answer your question?

{Puts on contributor hat} Yeah. I agree about some of the rejection notices, and I hope we can modify them at some point.

grp_photo, thanks! yes. We seem to offer a search results link for StockXpert if images do exist on SXC, but not if they don't exist on SXC. Great idea! I'll pass it on.

[hatman12]

Well, lots of views going on at StockXpert for my first twenty images.  That shows traffic, which is good.

Now the traffic needs to be converted into sales.

Encouraging nonetheless, and a fast and easy web site.

[berryspun]

Well, the lightbox is for buyers who want to keep track of specific images while the browser the site, so it's a feature mainly for the buyer. Did that answer your question?

Yes it does, thanks Steve.  I got confused because of the term use.   It is used at IS for photographers to present mini-galleries on a specific topic for potential buyers to see.  Now I understand that the lightboxes at SX are the equivalent of saved temporary baskets.  If the photographer is not a buyer, then there is no need to create any lightbox on SX, it wouldn't be seen by others, thus meaningless.

[steve-oh]

Correct. You can, however, send a lightbox to others.

-Steve

[berryspun]

I would prefer to have this option available along with the personal portfolio, without having to send it to 'others'.  A check mark would be a good way to make it public if we wanted to.  Just a suggestion 

[GeoPappas]

I would prefer to have this option available along with the personal portfolio, without having to send it to 'others'.  A check mark would be a good way to make it public if we wanted to.  Just a suggestion 

If public lightboxes are allowed, then I feel that a public lightbox should have a maximum % from one submitter.  For example, limit a lightbox to a maximum of 25% of the total images.  This way if there are 40 images in a lightbox, then only 10 can come from one source.

I personally don't like the implementation of public lightboxes at IS.  There are many lightboxes at IS that have dozens of images from a single submitter and then only 1 image from someone else.  That is basically just another way to pimp images.

Remember, lightboxes are for the buyer.  They should be a way for a buyer to see many different variations on a theme.  Not a dozen or so shots from the same photo session from one artist.

[berryspun]

I see what you mean GeoPappas.  Public Lightboxes on IS are supposed to include varieties of styles on a same topic from different photographers.
Series, which exist on some sites, are a way for a photographer to show more shots from the same topic within their own portfolio.  Both have different but similar purposes.
The definition of Lightboxes, Series, and Galleries, and their purpose, are different on each site, hence my confusion.  SX lightboxes remain for private use.

[GeoPappas]

Series, which exist on some sites, are a way for a photographer to show more shots from the same topic within their own portfolio.

I don't have a problem with allowing an artist to group their images into different "series" and then having a link allowed from their personal page or homepage.  This way if a buyer likes a specific image and wants to see more of what the artist has to offer, they can click on the artist's name and be brought to the artist's homepage, where there would be the option of different "series" that have been setup by the artist.

But as you said, this would be different from a lightbox.

[jacus]

Hello Steve,
I'm sure that Community Guy can be very useful. I'm  new in microstock world but not new in photograpy. Before uploading a lot of photographs, I try to analyse and understand how MS works. I'm never sure at 100% if an image will be accepted , but I think that I start to know very well what each site is looking for (IS, SS, DT, FT, LO, BS...). Every site but not StockXpert! It seems like you change yours standards every day. And it's not quality problem. I still don't know what kind of image you want. Your technical rejection reasons seem to be "random" reasons.
If your reviewers have to work very fast maybe it's better to have only 2 options : YES - NO. So we don't waste our time to understand what are you talking about. You don't like it - it's OK.  Maybe you can send us a newsletter with a list of categories that you are looking for. Be clear it's better for contributors and for StockXpert.
I hope that you understand my bad english.
Thank you.

[steve-oh]

Jacus,

thanks for this feedback. I think I've addressed some of the issues you raise in this thread. For now your best bet is to upload images in these categories:

"Business, computers, contemporary life scenes, isolated objects, portraits, seasonal images... We want a LOT of these! Keep 'em coming!"

Also, if you subscribe to the StockXpert monthly newsletter, we provide the current popular searches. Here's the list from the latest newsletter:

people, business, family, wedding, party, music, woman, love, vector, beach, flower, valentine, girl, house, dance, computer, baby, water, children, car, money, heart, background, flowers, office, meeting, icons, smile, food, doctor, fruit, women, design, shopping, globe, fashion, fitness, dog, grunge, massage, school, sky, tree, hands, puzzle, butterfly

Hope this helps!
-Steve

[GeoPappas]

Also, if you subscribe to the StockXpert monthly newsletter, we provide the current popular searches.

The problem with popular searches is that it doesn't directly relate to purchases.  For example, popular searches will contain searches from other artists that are checking out the competition or to find out where there images fall in the search results.

It would be more useful if you could provide searches where images were purchased.  That would tell us exactly what people are buying.

[CJPhoto]

Also, if you subscribe to the StockXpert monthly newsletter, we provide the current popular searches. Here's the list from the latest newsletter:

people, business, family, wedding, party, music, woman, love, vector, beach, flower, valentine, girl, house, dance, computer, baby, water, children, car, money, heart, background, flowers, office, meeting, icons, smile, food, doctor, fruit, women, design, shopping, globe, fashion, fitness, dog, grunge, massage, school, sky, tree, hands, puzzle, butterfly

I have got a couple of thousand flower shots so I might submit them all!!! 

[steve-oh]

So you want to know what search terms are most likely being used to deliver the most downloaded images?

[GeoPappas]

So you want to know what search terms are most likely being used to deliver the most downloaded images?

Basically, yes.  Here is my thought on how a transaction would work:

1. A buyer searches for "flag".  Receives too many images of flags from around the world.  This phrase would not be saved, since it didn't result in a purchase.

2. Buyer then searches for "flag american".  The buyer pages thru these searches and finally purchases one image.  This search phrase should be saved with one hit.  If more than one image is purchased, then it should receive a hit for each purchase.

Then each day, or week, you could create a report with the keyword searches that resulted in the most sales.  Something like the following:

"business hand shake" - 3000 hits
"business female headset phone" - 2500 hits
"pet dog" - 2000 hits

I know that this system isn't perfect, but I think that it can give some more info on what buyers are purchasing.