SaaS and ISVs

The SaaS and ISV industry faces unique challenges. As a service provider, you are most likely familiar with some (if not all) of the below…

  • Fierce competition. Everywhere you turn, there is a competing software vendor. Consumers have more choice than ever and attracting new customers, maintaining a recurring customer base and maximizing the Lifetime Value (LTV) of your customers while minimizing churn is crucial to your success. You’re unsure exactly how to best leverage digital marketing to support these goals.
  • Determining the most effective channels for qualified leads. You want to increase conversions and keep your CPA down, especially when you’re working with a lower price point, but with so many options at your disposal, you’re confused about which will be the most cost effective and deliver the best results.
  • Managing different customer segments. You have a varied customer base. You’re dealing with end users as well as channel and referral partners. You may have different business models with different software versions targeting different groups. You may be selling and marketing to an international audience that is highly varied. You need a system and a plan to effectively market to these different channels.

Digital marketing strategies for SaaS and ISV businesses

Your home online

As a software business, your customers look to you for their technology needs. Given this, they will have certain expectations around the online experience you deliver. If it all happens on an outdated, poorly designed site, you are likely not going to go very far in converting potential customers. Addressing a website redesign, or undertaking a full site audit to uncover areas of weakness, can spell the difference between a website that converts and one that doesn’t.

Reporting and tracking

If you’re not learning from your website, you won’t know exactly where and how to make improvements online. When you’re dealing with a variety of customer segments, understanding how the different groups interact with your site and what content is important to them can help you better serve them, while also improving your conversions and the return you get. Many organizations leverage Google Analytics to collect the valuable data that allows these decisions to be made.

Visibility in search results

Search engine marketing, especially in industries as competitive as software services, is a challenging task. But with potential customers searching online for what you offer, search visibility is essential. It’s about getting into the heads of your customers and understanding how they search for your services and how they define the problem you are solving. With an international target market and/or a variety of customer segments, a customized approach to keyword research and onsite optimization will need to be considered for the different groups you serve. A proper SEO strategy hones in on driving quality traffic and finding opportunities for making inroads in search rankings.

Getting social

Social media marketing can act as an effective channel for communicating with and engaging your current, as well as your potential, customers. Use your profiles to educate, inform and give value to your audience as well as offer great support and service to your customer base and build trust.

Online media buys and lead generation

Looking for leads? Online media campaigns and demand generation programs help to bring prospects to you. Choose from an array of formats and options for sharing your message with your target audience, such as display ads, podcasts, forum posts, article sponsorships, and partnership integrations, to name a few.

Most ISVs are less focused on advertising pushes for sales and/or leads and instead tend to center their efforts on business development initiatives, such as partnerships and tradeshow participation. However, a well-executed lead generation campaign may be appropriate in some cases.

The role of content

Content marketing plays a large role in how effectively your message gets across and how your business and brand is perceived. You need to create an array of valuable educational resources to help your customers learn about your offerings and make the most of them – think of it as propagating information that moves the potential buyer closer to the sale. How you communicate is important too. Software businesses have a tendency to be a little too technical in their copy, focusing more on the nuts and bolts rather than appealing to and engaging customers. Get your audience to tune in, not tune out.

Given how competitive the SaaS and ISV space is, the above tactics work together to create an effective and comprehensive marketing plan. When you work with eBridge, we will evaluate your business and provide custom recommendations for you. We understand that many of you are operating with a lower end price point, often targeting an international audience, so we can work with you to select a targeted CPA and recommend tactics relevant to you.

We know the SaaS and ISV business

Since 2001, eBridge Marketing Solutions has worked with over 250 technology companies including many ISVs and SaaS providers. We understand the market for ISVs and SaaS vendors, the business models and constraints you are operating with (such as lite and freemium models), the competitors in your space and the realities of channel marketing. Let our team offer you ideas for growth, marketing strategy and supporting tactics to take your business to the next level.

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