A few updates. We’re just adding the final touches to the new homepage design, the new account dashboard and the new picture finder we built. We still have a lot of testing but things are looking great AND on track for an end of August release. Our search page interface is one of the simplest to use and let’s searchers find perfectly matched picture results even when the keyword they used to search might have more than one meaning i.e. bar (Drinks) or bar (Metal).  It’s a smart blend of some complex search engine filtering and using words to give meaning to other words to find the most accurate images for that search.

Our new pricing system will move us closer to a credit system. However buyers will still get the option to purchase single downloads via a credit card if they want. The credit system is just easier for most buyers today to understand and will allow us to offer the site in multiple currencies to attract new buyers. Also the changes should help keep the costs down from all the tiny micropayment transactions, return a higher percentage of royalties to you and let you know exactly what you will be earning from your daily sales.

Royalties for exclusive content uploaded after Sept. 1 is moving up from 50% to 55% of the sale. Non-exclusive content will stay at 40% like before. Payouts will still be made at $25 when it is reached. We need more exclusive images and illustrations and we want to pay you for it. If you are interested in partnering up with Cutcaster to represent your collection on an exclusive or non-exclusive basis, please reach out to us via creativedirector@cutcaster.com or register a sellers account here.

Send us new content or referrals, we’ll earn you money in a flash…

Want to see the content Cutcaster needs and photo buyers are requesting? We can help you upload and submit any content to free up your time, if you email us at upload@cutcaster.com.

In addition, use our referral program by adding a Cutcaster banner to your website or blog or adding a link to your email signature and get paid a percentage of all sales

Learn more here.

We have been busy modifying our search engine so it helps you quickly locate the perfect image within our diverse library of royalty-free photos and illustrations. Get search results fast without a lot of scrolling.

Compare Cutcaster image prices, sizes, and discounts and you’ll see Cutcaster is among the most affordable agencies in the business. With our diverse collection, you’ll find images for virtually any project at any budget, with images from under $1.

Sign in to Cutcaster and see how easy we’ve made it to search, purchase credits, and download great images!  Use this coupon for 20% off your next purchase through the end of July.

Coupon Code – July20off

For more photo discounts and news, follow us on Twitter, Facebook and MySpace.

January

• Hired two more software developers to improve site performance.
• Cutcaster goes bi-coastal with offices in New York and San Francisco.

February

• Started major changes in the way our search engine works.
• Added 800 photographers and over 45,000 photos and vectors.

March

• Sales more than doubled over the previous 2 months.
• Attended the UCGX Conference in San Jose.
• Released Cutcaster Credits, making it easier for buyers to purchase photos using credits.

April

• Made another 50% jump in sales.
• Introduced Corporate Accounts.
• Allowed photo buyers to request invoices.
• Focused efforts on talking to buyers about exactly what they need.

May

• Increased the scope of our standard license by introducing extended licensing option.
• Added 1000 photographers and 40,000 high quality images.
• Increased adwords campaigns.
• Introduced tiered pricing.

June

• Increased site speed.
• Sales grew over 60% from May.

July

• Hired a new Creative Director.
• Started editing and refining the entire collection.

August

• Introduced our premium Crescendo Collection.
• Made further improvements to the search engine and site speed.

September

• Hired another software engineer to re-structure our database.
• Sales increased 30% AGAIN this month!
• Spoke at an ASPP event in Boston in front of many buyers on stock licensing.
• Made huge changes to the photo search engine.
• John got married

October

• Focused on featuring our photographers in specialized clipfolders.
• Attended PictureHouse, introducing Cutcaster to hundreds of new photo buyers.
• Halloween sales were way, way up!

November

• Spoke at the 6Sight conference about photographers making money off their photos.
• Grew to 400,000 images strong
• Added 600 corporate accounts

December

• Celebrated a year of growth and success on our second year!
• Made big plans for 2010!
• Had a few big orders at the end of the year. Best month ever at Cutcaster. Looking forward to keeping the momentum going into 2010

I am going to be updating the desired content page very soon to show you what these buyers are asking for. Shots of people, groups of people, ethnic looking people, minorities and handicap people are categories that I have been hearing are lacking in the market. I will add a ton more to that short list on the Desired content page.

Just about to release the extended license option. I’ll have more news on the additional rights that can be licensed in a week or so but this is just the start to what we will be offering. Think of a dynamic marketplace for licensing additional rights where buyers and sellers will be able to seamlessly negotiate the rights and prices. That is the future here.

We have been planning out how to offer multiple file sizes on the site so we can attract a new buyer to Cutcaster. I am trying to come up with the most efficient way to store all the files on the site and will keep you updated on our progress as we move forward but that offering will be coming up very soon.

There should be some good news on the footage front coming up soon. I will keep my mouth shut until the deal is done but hoping that will be less than a month away.

Our marketing and sales effort.
Cutcaster is having it’s best month ever in terms of sales and buyer activity is picking up. Not everyone has had sales yet but these new ways to buy content as well as our coordinated sales effort will start to translate into more traffic to the site and buying. We have been making a ton of direct sales calls and it is really paying off. I personally make at least 30 calls a day and talk to around 8 new or old accounts as we develop our relationships and record what content these buyers are looking for. We have three people contacting publishers, advertisers and graphic design studios everyday so we can get the word out about your awesome content. In addition we will continue with our effort to advertise on websites, through email, magazines and in trade publications. Its a slow process I am starting to learn but Rome wasn’t built in a day and we are on the path towards success. Thanks for your continued support and as always you can contact me if you need any questions answered or help.