15%
30%
16%
2% 5%
8%
4%
8%
1%
1%
10%
Most Important Site Features Chart
Ease of Use
Financial Performance
Commission Rates
Friendly Staff
Site Design
Approval Times
Ease of Approval
FTP Upload
Good Forums
Community
Prospects for GrowthFIGURE 10.6 A survey of 120 microstock photographers seems to say, “Just make us some money!”
according to their importance, with each photographer being allowed
to vote for just three choices. This should be compulsory reading for
microstock library management.
Clearly, money is important (as one would expect), with fi nancial
performance being far and away the most relevant feature, but other
factors also rate quite highly. FTP upload (8%) comes in well ahead
of site design (2%) or sense of community (1%), both of which hardly
feature at all (although, no doubt buyers would disagree). We all like
friendly staff (5%), but approval times (8%) and prospects for growth
(10%) are more important. Be offhanded or rude, just make us some
money, the survey seems to say.
The backgrounds of contributors to the microstocks are much wider
than for traditional agencies. I think that much is clear from the
examples I have given in this chapter, and it has certainly become
apparent to me from my own personal experience. The microstocks
have unlocked the potential and talent of an entire generation of
photographers who would never have thought they could make money
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