Rating Microstock Agencies – Which Criteria to Compare On?

[LeoParticipant]

Hello everyone,

We need a little help on this. This is very important.

In a rating system to compare agencies, we need a good set of criteria to compare on. Please help us build a good concise list – logical, important, on-target. Here is what we have so far:

Perceived Earning Potential

Ease of Upload

Review Process

Review Quality Standards

Contributor Best Interest

Trustworthyness

Contributor Customer Service

Contributor Interface

Strong Future for Contributors

Customer Goodwill

Site Design Aesthetic - Customer

Site Design Ease of Use - Customer

Reasonable Pricing Structure

These in turn would be categorized like so:

Perceived Earning Potential	money

Ease of Upload	interface

Review Process	service

Review Quality Standards	standards

Contributor Best Interest	percieved

Trustworthyness	percieved

Contributor Customer Service	service

Contributor Interface	interface

Strong Future for Contributors	percieved

Customer Goodwill	standards

Site Design Aesthetic - Customer	interface

Site Design Ease of Use - Customer	interface

Reasonable Pricing Structure	money

I feel its important to have a solid set of criteria to judge on. We can have as many as desired. The user will simply choose which criteria they wish to compare. Its a “hot or not” system.

[THPStockParticipant]

What is this for? What will it be used for? Part of Symbio?

View my portfolio at THPStock Direct via Microstock Man. I also do Web Design & Graphic Design.

[dp69_2001Participant]

@thp wrote:

What is this for? What will it be used for? Part of Symbio?

Suppose I have that opinion as well.
I think the list you have is pretty good though Leo.

[LeoParticipant]

Its a separate project. I had help on the list

[ChristineParticipant]

Help with illegal use of images
Ease of joining
Ease of leaving

http://kerioakimaging.com - trying to reopen
http://nail-art-at.kerioak.com - Art and Nail Art

[LeoParticipant]

Thanks for those. Keep them coming! Its a surprise 😀

[ChristineParticipant]

Subscriptions – option to opt out
Third party “sellers” – option to opt out

http://kerioakimaging.com - trying to reopen
http://nail-art-at.kerioak.com - Art and Nail Art

[KLSbearParticipant]

Overall communication with contributors

[ChristineParticipant]

Number of “uses” per licence
Informing submitters when terms change (with a lead in period! )

http://kerioakimaging.com - trying to reopen
http://nail-art-at.kerioak.com - Art and Nail Art

[JoAnnSnoverParticipant]

Some of those are (IMO) unratable – strong future for contributors for example. Also not sure how that differs from contributor best interest. Customer goodwill is another one (although whatever it means I don’t think iStock has any left!)

In addition to a +1 on many of the previous additions (particularly the opt outs for partner deals, preferably individually by partner):

-Ability to delete your own images
-Length of commitment for approved images
-Payment threshold
-Payment choices
-Detailed, downloadable sales reporting
-Marketing program/budget
-Buyer tools – list of licensed images, lightboxes, search ordering, payment options (buy one image vs. credits vs. subs)
-Sane default (best match) search algorithm (some time for new images to be seen; some weighting for keyword relevance; tracking of searches to improve search results)
-Referral program
-File types supported (image, audio, video, vector) and searchable – e.g. illustrations (raster or vector), 3d renders separately from photographs
-License options – commercial & editorial, RF only vs. RF& RM, extended licenses. Options for contributor to pick which

[LeoParticipant]

Thanks a lot. Your timing is good too!

[Author]

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