Almost as soon as I published my "I guess iStockphoto is Going Mainstream" article, Google AdSense started running iStockphoto ads. Amazing.
It shows just how good Google AdSense is (literally seconds after publishing the article) and it shows that iStockphoto really is advertising across the web. From TechCrunch and Gawker to my lowly site:
iStockphoto is doesn't get much attention. It is rarely discussed on the big Web 2.0 blogs. It somehow is never included with other 'hot' companies like Digg, Twitter, Pandora, Wordpress, etc... despite having a large (and growing) userbase and a clear business model. And like the other companies I just mentioned - iStockphoto shares another common element: the content is amazing. I believe that digital media is predicated on the quality of its content. With great content not available elsewhere, you can build a business. It works for Wordpress. Twitter will figure it out. iStockphoto has figured it out.
Anyhow, this was sparked because iStockphoto has begun advertising... everywhere. And this isn't remnant inventory (or you'd see their banners on my blog!). My guess is that iStock is starting to test the waters with conversion-based advertising. Run across the internet for a couple weeks and garner enough impressions to determine whether it leads to conversions.
One measure of a service’s utility and stickiness is its ability to charge for usage. Consequently, I regularly find myself asking, “Is this important enough to me that I’d pay for it?”
Here are some of the services / sites where that answer is yes… And what I’d be willing to pay: Gmail: I’d pay to keep my Gmail account more because the switching cost is high than because of the functionality. That switching cost is painful enough that I’d spend $75 to prevent it. I will likely end up paying for increased storage too.
Google Maps: Love Google Maps for my Blackberry. Telenav is $9.99 / mo and offers greater functionality – I’d likely pay $10 to download Google Maps or some nominal monthly fee. If Google Maps added navigational directions, I would pay $10 / month.
Wordpress.org: The benefit of blogging with WP is so significant (SEO, functionality, flexibility) that it’s well worth paying for. I’d probably pay a $200 for an installation… which makes me realize how much I rely on the product.
Google Analytics: If Google analytics weren’t free, I would unhappily pay a monthly fee to install it ($10) because, despite my disdain for the interface and lack of real-time metrics, it really is a necessity.
Google Analytics w/ Real Time Data: I would certainly pay extra for real-time Google Analytics.
Slimstat: Slimstat is a free Wordpress plugin that delivers real-time analytics. I would pay $40 to install it.
Slimstat “Premium”: … And I’d pay a lot more if Slimstat offered a model with unlimited data capturing / storage (the basic one shows the last ‘n’ records). I would pay $100 / domain.
Mint Analytics: I gladly paid $40 to install Mint on my domains. Great data and great interface.
Craigslist: I would pay for premium listings on Craigslist (if they introduced some sort of featured ads format) and I’ve paid the jobs listing fees before (many times).
Amazon Prime: I spend enough on Amazon that they gave me Amazon Prime for free when it first launched. Considering that I buy my groceries, toiletries, electronics, dog food, etc on it – I’d pay for Prime if Amazon forced me to.
iStockPhoto Premium: I love iStockPhoto – but it’s a pain to purchase credits. I’d pay for a premium account that enables power-usage.
MLB.tv: MLB is the only major sport that has truly adopted the web and their radio and video streaming is fantastic. I already pay for the service (estimates: $14.99 for radio broadcast of all games,$99-$179 for video)
Podcasts / On-demand Radio: There are certain podcasts and radio shows that I would pay to be able to download in entirety. For instance, I love The Thundering Herd on ESPN Radio but it streams too early on the west coast for me to catch it – and the Podcast only captures 30 minutes of the broadcast. I would pay $5-$10 a month to listen to it on-demand, in its entirety (price depends on whether or not ads are in the broadcast). The same can be said for Tony Bruno and JT the Brick.
eLance: I love eLance. Use it all the time. They choose to charge the service provider – but if they reversed it, I would pay on a per-listing basis. The price depends on the project, but a nominal amount ($5?).
ESPN360: It’s the only way that I can catch Duke games without leaving work at 3pm pst... I’d pay either per game or per month ($5-10) for the service. I’d pay a whole lot more if they could include MLB, NFL and NBA (would start to challenge my Comcast bill).