Shutterstock Photographer Forum :: View topic

nataq · Joined: 20 Jan 2007 Posts: 188 Location: blog.amriphoto.com

Hi all,
usually I don´t start any sales threads, but this is really worrying. In the last week I had as many DLs as I usually have in a day.
Even during the holidays I had more DLs.

Did anything happen? Last month was my best month ever and now this?

eternalspline · Joined: 19 Jan 2007 Posts: 313

Well it makes me feel better that I'm not the only one, and it's work that's allot different then my mainly CG portfolio... Great work too by the way, I really like your stuff.

I kind of feel like some of the problem here is there getting behind footage big idea seemed to be, "get allot more of it"... Really you don't even need to focus on that as a stock footage company, because if your selling it like crazy, your producers can't wait to upload more of it. One issue takes care of the other issue. Little known stock producer fact, allot of us know each other on a first name basis, it's not that big a group representing the high amount portfolios, we all talk...

Also the big advertising campaign is great, I'm sure it brought in allot of traffic but if you don't fix the issues at hand your just bringing allot of people in to have a bad or mediocre experience. That's not a good idea. I think it results in a burst of good sales, but I think the good idea would be to really take a good hard look at what works and what doesn't, what's been successful in the past and what has not, and focus more on restructuring and the inner workings. Not saying a simple web site over haul or a new tracking tool, but looking at the market as a whole. What companies are doing what, what seems to work for them...

Customer retention and repeat business is #1, bring people here give them your best...

Shutterstock has been pretty much the same company for years and years now, I don't think that ever makes someone a front runner. If you like to guarantee you will have the same experience year after year as a buyer, and seller, that the x will be the same place the x was last year so it won't scare you like a new facebook layout might, then yeah this whole experience is so money it doesn't even know... But this is the entertainment industry, what are you selling? To me it just feels like they have lost touch with that, and the ship is too big to turn any more. I don't like to be the guy jumping up and down and yelling, but I also don't like feeling like I have the next StockExpert on my hands because that was a major loss of my time uploading and keywording...

rinder99 · Posted: Fri Jan 13, 2012 12:58 pm

I wish I had a few 1000 hours back also. I was with over 30 sites. OMG, the time wasted.

eternalspline · Joined: 19 Jan 2007 Posts: 313

I know it, it's ridiculous. I don't see there being so many sites that people submit to in the future.

nder · Posted: Tue Jan 24, 2012 5:48 pm

@eternalspline
Good post. I especially agree that SS should not just throw many at the problem (a.k.a. increase marketing ), but first improve the video side, so clients won't get a bad experience from using the site.

@nataq
Same here. So far in January I had just 1/3rd of December sales. Back to the level of income before July '11 for me.

Rekindle · Posted: Wed Jan 25, 2012 4:28 pm

The price increase was a good thing. In the business world a price increase will temporarily result in a reduction of sales. After a very few months the same level or higher sales numbers will return and more profit due to pricing. We all need to be patient for a little longer. So far the price increase has helped balance the slight reduction in the number of sales. All is well, wait till about March and then we'll see the benefit.

nder · Posted: Wed Jan 25, 2012 5:00 pm

I'm not talking about the number of sales, but just the dollar amount. If I would take into account the sales volume the slowdown would be even bigger.

eternalspline · Joined: 19 Jan 2007 Posts: 313

Don you have no idea what your talking about as usual.
The price increase would be one thing is you couldn't get the same pizza at 5 different places for 5 different prices, in almost every case. That's bad for a business with a set price that sets that price high. It works out great at a dollar store, every thing is a dollar...

Yeah they may see some gains, but at what cost, if the cost is repeat business and marketing dollars are wasted then it's a big mistake...

nataq · Joined: 20 Jan 2007 Posts: 188 Location: blog.amriphoto.com

I did and do appreciate the price increase. That didn't seem to be the problem. The slowdown started pretty suddenly in the second week of january. But it seems to recover slowly now.

happyrojo · Joined: 19 Jun 2009 Posts: 2

jadesign · Joined: 08 Dec 2011 Posts: 21

Still uploading waiting for my first sale...it will come!

- Jeff

pichunter · Posted: Fri Jan 27, 2012 7:40 am

Rekindle · Posted: Tue Jan 31, 2012 3:52 pm

Jan 2012 was second best month ever, a little behind last November. Day not over yet fingers crossed. Sorry that some are down and hope everyone can make great gains this year.

odesigns · Posted: Tue Jan 31, 2012 4:02 pm

Same here. January, 2012 is my second BME here on ShutterStock.

--
http://www.OrlowskiDesigns.com

skylight · Joined: 05 Feb 2007 Posts: 20

BME on Shutterstock for me...more of the same in February please!