I decided to use Ktools to create my own microstock site just for curiosities sake. It was fairly easy to implement, but the mysql stuff did spook me a little. Anyway, I was just wondering what you all think of it. I have tested the payment system with Paypal Sandbox, and it seems that everything is working properly. Here is the link if you want to take a look: http://rfstocks.com/

Also, sometimes the site seems slow. Then again, maybe it's just me.

I like it!

it is very fast loading and navigation wise on this end.

It sounds like it was simple to do, did u have previous experience doing this?

What does somethig like that cost to do?

Im thinking if its cheep and easy then why not have one?

nick

You did a terrific job. I also you hit upon a very nice concept in your About Us page... : "RFStocks is a microstock website that sells the photos and illustrations of a single artist."
It led me to thinking that the industry should be ripe for very specialized stock sites. Maybe not just a single artist but perhaps a single concept such as "medical only", "off beat" stock or "very edgy" stock. The nature of that beast is that it must be highly selective to supply what's promised.

And you just may have folks pestering you with money in their hands to make one like yours for them. As I was typing this zenpix posted with your first sales lead!

"RFStocks is a microstock website that sells the photos and illustrations of a single artist."

There is a plugin so you can have several contributors on one site.

It led me to thinking that the industry should be ripe for very specialized stock sites.

I have been talking about this for a while here in private about a similar site that should carry only un-microstockish editorial in a certain niche, but coming above the Google noise is almost impossible. You will have to seek the customers in your niche actively.

Great job! Your personal microstock site is more professional looking than some of the "real" microstock agencies I know

On the Ktools forum I am maintaining a list of known working Photostores to which I have now added RFStocks. My favourite Ktools stores are Just World Photo and Phovoir-Images, which are very well done sites. You can hardly see they are Ktools derivatives.

Wow!  Just World is really nice.  Good colors and layout.

Very impressive. How are sales?

None yet.

Whiz, that looks really great!   It loaded perfectly fast for me.  And it seems simple and intuitive for buyers. 

Have you thought about going into business setting these sites up for other people?  Hint, hint....

Very nice.  A bit expensive though.

I've been flirting with IFP3 for many months, their sample sites look so good, but it is even more expensive.
http://www.ifp3.com/index.cfm

I meant expensive to set up the site (software + hosting).

Hello Whiz,

I too have one of those sites in my collection ( www.royaltyfreesportphotos.com ) though mine is more mid-stock-ish.

Not that I really spend any time there!    but the only feed back I get from buyers is there isn't enough stock, never mind if the pic they needed was there or not.  So my tip,
open it to your friends and get as many pics as possible and you might have a chance.

Good luck.   JC

Expensive?  $250?  How much work would it take to write all that software?

There is a lot of good software selling for around US$60-80.

I have a KTools installation running since a few years, and hired someone knowledgeable to tweak it to my wishes. From the conversations we had over those tweaks, I learned a few things:

1. It's not as customizable as you might think it is (Probable cause: my wishes were just incompatible with Ktools)
2. The structure of all php filles for KTools has become too much of a collection of "security fixes" to make them easy to tweak. Not so much poorly written, but amended a few too many times, mostly for security reasons. (Changing one option requires the modification of quite a lot of php files)


I since learned to tweak code a bit, and had a successful go at implementing a few tweaks myself, but it is -indeed- a nightmare, and not something I'm looking forward to do again.

Not sure if it's already implemented, but there is (was) talk about hashing the most important bits of code, encrypting it (or whatever, that's where they lost me), making further tweaks even more difficult, but creating a very secure system

I like the concept, and the features. It has potential. However, I don't find the current KTools very user friendly. Also, if you don't host the site yourself, the costs of storing the high-res images can be quite an unwelcome surprise.

The success of the KTools potential resides primarily with the quantity of resources and time available to market it properly. Once you got your installation up and running, the real work is only just beginning.