Author Topic: Why would buyer want to buy from individual seller? (Read 4127 times)

Nikd90 · « **on:** May 26, 2013, 09:38 »

I think symbiostock solves one issue with direct single sellers by providing the links to other portfolios but don't you think buyers get a better deals like 25a day and other cheaper versions from big companies.

BTW I am all for selling direct and would start mine once I get enough sales from my portfolio (Newbie here).

Kerioak~Christine · « **Reply #1 on:** May 26, 2013, 09:56 »

If everyone sold direct then there would be no need for agencies and ever lowering the prices.

I don't know if anyone is considering going totally independent but just thing what would happen if everyone did - real prices!

grsphoto · « **Reply #2 on:** May 26, 2013, 11:21 »

If you are a design firm that can use 25 a day, or are high volume then yes the larger sites are likely where you are going to purchase.

But some people may only need 10 images a month.....

I don't think that Symbiostock will make much of a dent in the pockets of the big agencies... but it may effect the smaller agencies.

It is going to be an interesting ride for the next 24 months to see if the idea of Symbiostock works or not. I hope it will, but we will see.

Pilens · « **Reply #3 on:** May 26, 2013, 11:45 »

Quote from: Tinny on May 26, 2013, 09:56

If everyone sold direct then there would be no need for agencies and ever lowering the prices.

I don't know if anyone is considering going totally independent but just thing what would happen if everyone did - real prices!

Very true, but a very big "if", too. I'd be happy if Self-Hosted on the right would rise into the numbers and then into the middle tier region within a couple years. And I think THAT is quite possible.

Kerioak~Christine · « **Reply #4 on:** May 26, 2013, 12:10 »

Bit of a catch 22 - we need to only sell via our own sites to achieve this but how many will take the risk of losing income from agencies and only sell ourselves so it can be achieved $:-\$

Leo Blanchette · « **Reply #5 on:** May 26, 2013, 12:14 »

With a little progress SY will be more convenient than the traditional method anyway. For now its just planting the seed and getting things started.

cthoman · « **Reply #6 on:** May 26, 2013, 12:21 »

Quote from: Pilens on May 26, 2013, 11:45

Very true, but a very big "if", too. I'd be happy if Self-Hosted on the right would rise into the numbers and then into the middle tier region within a couple years. And I think THAT is quite possible.

I vote for it with my numbers every month.

Pilens · « **Reply #7 on:** May 26, 2013, 14:03 »

Quote from: cthoman on May 26, 2013, 12:21

Quote from: Pilens on May 26, 2013, 11:45
Very true, but a very big "if", too. I'd be happy if Self-Hosted on the right would rise into the numbers and then into the middle tier region within a couple years. And I think THAT is quite possible.

I vote for it with my numbers every month.

Me too. Problem is my number is usually 0. I just hope SY will change that, though.

Quote from: Leo on May 26, 2013, 12:14

With a little progress SY will be more convenient than the traditional method anyway. For now its just planting the seed and getting things started.

That's exactly the way I see it. I will risk putting a number of my better images exclusively on my SY site, promoted it and see. If/when site traffic picks up and regular sales happen I'll be happy to gradually abandon most of the micro sites. Although this is still a looong way for the seed to grow.

JPSDK · « **Reply #8 on:** May 26, 2013, 16:01 »

If contributors content gets well enough interweaved it would put the agencies out of business.
Peer to peer.
If the weave is good enough there is no need for the middleman.

Just look at what is happening to the news agencies.
Not to mention other market places. Such as ebay.
I rather buy my stuff directly from the manufacturer in China than go into the local shop where it is 10 times more expensive.
The agencies rode on a wave of globalization, and that wave continues to wash across the ocean.
Symbiostock might well be the future....

JPSDK · « **Reply #9 on:** May 26, 2013, 16:46 »

That said...
It would be nice with a clickable link for the computer to have fun with and an automated setup of the interface.
I just need to know how to share the image files on my harddisk to the world and a frame where people can buy them.
Do that, and a search machine, and thats the next step in selling images on the net.

Leo Blanchette · « **Reply #10 on:** May 26, 2013, 18:10 »

I think the ENTIRE obstacle SY has can be summed up in this: Convenience.

But its just a small obstacle.

I'm hoping to build in a customer toolbar which tracks activity accross the sites. In itself this is easy, but I want to do it in such a way that privacy is maintained. They can see their total cart shared among all sites.

More on that later...still working on some things with limited time.

JPSDK · « **Reply #11 on:** May 26, 2013, 18:27 »

Convenience?
maybe or maybe not.
I think you will find that people are willing to put in a great deal of hard work when it begins to pay.
As long as we are playing with a few pennies or none it it is going to be cheap and convenient.
But step it up, and people will be willing to put their efforts into it.

Nikd90 · « **Reply #12 on:** May 27, 2013, 09:49 »

How much is the total investment to start a symb site? I have never done before. Will I be able to load the images that I have loaded to other sites with keywords embedded in the metadata? Will it read the meta data?

Kerioak~Christine · « **Reply #13 on:** May 27, 2013, 10:10 »

Click on the Bluehost link at the bottom of Leo's post to check their prices if you do not already have a site of your own available (the longer term you sign up for the cheaper it works out as renewals are always more expensive whichever host you choose).

Other than that it is just time, the meta data is read and included. I set up a test site recently with a 111 images in about two hours BUT I did not check keywords, did only basic categories and did no SEO , it is taking much longer to do it properly on my live site so I have the best chance of doing well at this.

It is a learning curve but if you look to see how many of us are doing this and it is a very new programme I think you will see it is possible.

cidepix · « **Reply #14 on:** May 27, 2013, 10:18 »

Quote from: Nikd90 on May 26, 2013, 09:38

I think symbiostock solves one issue with direct single sellers by providing the links to other portfolios but don't you think buyers get a better deals like 25a day and other cheaper versions from big companies.

BTW I am all for selling direct and would start mine once I get enough sales from my portfolio (Newbie here).

to get 25 a day, one would have to pay a few hundred $$$ per month.. not everyone needs as many images..

Nikd90 · « **Reply #15 on:** May 28, 2013, 09:05 »

Thanks.. Just checked the details on blue host.. Any idea about rest of the stuff if we need that? like back up etc?

cascoly · « **Reply #16 on:** May 28, 2013, 12:10 »

Quote from: Nikd90 on May 28, 2013, 09:05

Thanks.. Just checked the details on blue host.. Any idea about rest of the stuff if we need that? like back up etc?

sites like bluehost & justhost automatically do backups; other backups would be cloud services from amazon, google, Microsoft, etc. or buy a $100 terabyte external HD

after being burglarized recently, I now also keep a hard drive in a safe deposit box -- I also keep an ext HD attached for all my images ad their various forms

Ron · « **Reply #17 on:** June 09, 2013, 01:16 »

I also think it solves a problem of selling from your hard drive. Up until now I had to sell images from my hard drive. Didnt happen a lot but wasnt always easy. I had to direct one customer to CanStockPhoto to get an image and lost 50% in the process. Now I just direct them to my site and take 100%. Plus maybe end up with a returning buyer.

anonymous · « **Reply #18 on:** June 10, 2013, 14:01 »

as a buyer as well, I had a major client that needed hi-res "steampunk" images for ads. Couldn't find enough on any of the sites but wound up contacting an individual who is now busy trying to get the quantity that I need without killing me on the price...no middle man at all.

Ron · « **Reply #19 on:** June 10, 2013, 14:15 »

Quote from: anonymous on June 10, 2013, 14:01

as a buyer as well, I had a major client that needed hi-res "steampunk" images for ads. Couldn't find enough on any of the sites but wound up contacting an individual who is now busy trying to get the quantity that I need without killing me on the price...no middle man at all.

You make a good point.

If a buyer cant find an image or would like adjustment to an existing image, he can contact the photographer now and ask for it. Maybe I have one sitting on my harddrive that I didnt upload or maybe I can just go out and shoot it for them.

Possibilities are endless with Symbiostock.

MicrostockGroup Sponsors

Author Topic: Why would buyer want to buy from individual seller? (Read 4127 times)

Nikd90

Kerioak~Christine

grsphoto

Pilens

Kerioak~Christine

Leo Blanchette

cthoman

Pilens

JPSDK

JPSDK

Leo Blanchette

JPSDK

Nikd90

Kerioak~Christine

cidepix

Nikd90

cascoly

Ron

anonymous

Ron

Sponsors

Microstock Poll Results

Sponsors