Five Key Things DTC Brands Must Consider For Building A Successful Subscriptions Program
Mar 11, 2022
10 min read
Today, retail and wholesale businesses are trying to reach out to more consumers and get more people to buy their products in this fast-paced world. While retail and wholesale stores still exist, many users and consumers have moved towards purchasing online products and services.
Technology has grown to where stores provide various options and products on their websites or mobile or web applications. Businesses have increasingly been moving towards setting up their digital platforms and using digital devices and social media platforms as much as possible to reach out to more clients and set up a broader consumer base.
Source: Pexels
While many businesses sell to businesses, businesses also directly sell to consumers. Businesses can now directly reach customers and eliminate the middleman. It helps both the companies and the clients since it increases the profits and decreases the expenses of the customers.
Businesses use virtual digital platforms and various digital tools to reach the target audience and even keep data of their purchases to serve their clients better.
Hence, many businesses have become direct-to-consumer brands, selling directly to end consumers.
By becoming direct to consumer brands, businesses eliminate the middleman and take all the sales, advertising, marketing, costs, revenue, and profits on themselves. It increases the businesses' profits, enhances clients' customer experience, and even sets better relationships between consumers and companies.
Let’s understand how DTC brands can implement a successful subscription plan. It is essential to understand what direct-to-consumer brands are and how they work.
What are direct-to-consumer brands?
Direct-to-consumer brands are companies or organizations that sell directly to end-users or the final user of any product or service. These direct-to-consumer brands can be consumer product businesses, service providers, huge companies, or even individuals selling something or the other for the users. Direct to consumer brands are meant to sell to the final consumers, and the products or services are not meant to be sold further.
1. They save costs of maintaining warehouses
Direct-to-consumer brands mostly have their websites or mobile or web applications to buy the products directly. These brands eliminate the middleman of all kinds and instantly serve the needs of a consumer to maximize their profits. With the intermediaries gone, selling through online platforms saves on the costs of maintaining an instant warehouse and a fully loaded store.
2. All mediators are eliminated from the chain
Direct to consumer brands directly sell to customers by removing all the intermediaries between a business and its final users. It benefits both – the users and the company – because the business can earn a high profit by removing mediators. On the other hand, consumers can buy products at lower costs since the middleman's gain is not more included in the sale of the product.
3. They offer a seamless shopping experience
Direct to consumer brands are at a great advantage since most people buy products online. Be it the younger or, the older generation, everyone has begun to shop for most things online because of how convenient and easy it is. It is a vast opportunity for Direct to consumer brands to sell their products directly to the final customers through their websites or applications.
Source: Pexels
4. They offer better discounts and deals
Direct to Consumer brands have more room and budget to provide discounts and other offers to the customers. It attracts more and more users to buy a product and keeps competitors on their toes. With no intermediary in between, Direct to Consumer brands can easily offer discounts and coupon codes, and keeping their profit aside, DTC brands can easily offer competitive pricing to customers.
5. DTC brands have more control over their business
Direct to Consumer brands have complete control over everything in selling directly to the customers. That includes making their advertising, marketing, cost-cutting, revenue-making, and all other decisions. Direct to Consumer brands also have complete freedom to make creative or any other changes in their advertisements or marketing techniques. These brands can try different things out and then choose the one that suits their brand's image the most.
By switching to the Direct to Consumer business model, businesses have many more clients and users than ever before. Direct to Consumer brands can easily target a specific audience through various digital mediums and online platforms and convert customers. Direct to Consumer brands also have immense opportunities to convert customers and create their loyal client base. With the right content, website elements, and products, Direct to Consumer brands can easily attract more and more users every day and earn more profits.
Five Key Things DTC Brands Must Consider For Building A Successful Subscriptions Program
Direct to Consumer brands have increasingly been moving towards building a subscription plan. In fact, after the pandemic, it has become even more critical to get a subscription plan. With a subscription model, the lifetime value of customers is also increased. The subscription model also offers higher margins for Direct to Consumer brands to operate within.
Source: Pexels
By offering a subscription model, Direct to Consumer brands can provide users with various shopping experiences and choices. It also makes it extremely easy for businesses to keep track of demands through these subscription models.
Five major things that businesses need to keep in mind while developing a successful subscription program are:
- Before building a subscription plan, businesses should ensure that they sell only one product or one single range of products. This way, it becomes effortless for companies to keep track of their subscribed users. It also becomes elementary for businesses to seek feedback on just one product from users. It also helps Direct to Consumer brands to ensure the availability of a product and collect data on the purchases made by clients. Not just that, but Direct to Consumer brands selling one product can quickly become the best in the business and become known as the king in the industry.
- It is essential to ensure that your product is such that it is relevant to be subscribed to. Subscription should be provided on a recurring event or keeps happening or updating every month. It doesn't make sense to offer a subscription model that either doesn't offer anything new or doesn't get updated.
- When Direct to Consumer brands offer a subscription program, they should ensure that the dates for subscribing vary. It means that the users choose how often they wish to receive your subscription package or how long they want to be subscribed to you. While keeping your target audience in mind, these choices should be made and should be plenty. Also, users should choose to make adjustments to their subscription programs at any point in time.
- Direct Consumer brands should also focus on delivering a more incredible and better customer experience to the subscribed users than to unsubscribed users. The customers should receive a better consumer experience and should want to keep subscribing to you because of the quality of your product.
- Direct to Consumer brands that make subscriptions extremely easy to cancel are known to do a lot better than those who make it difficult on the users. It should be effortless for your customers to cancel their subscriptions at any time without any hassle.
We help Direct to Consumer brands in building a successful online presence. Our team of marketers and online experts understand your target audience and work towards increasing your business's profits and delivering a good consumer experience. Contact us today!
How Does Customer Affinity Mapping Help Brands Analyze User Research?
Affinity mapping is a widely used marketing strategy because it effectively incorporates and enhances user research. When executed correctly, it can do wonders by distilling the findings of user interviews into meaningful, practical knowledge. Let’s start with the basics and learn how customer affinity mapping can help you understand user research. What Is Affinity Mapping? The act of making an affinity diagram , sometimes called affinity mapping, collaborative sorting, or snowballing, goes by a few different names. In its simplest form, it is the process of classifying qualitative data about your users. First, you'll need to learn more about your target audience through usability testing, surveys, in-person interviews, or any other feedback-gathering technique before beginning affinity mapping. After gathering information, it should be recorded on slips of paper, such as post-it notes. The next step is to have a sizable area to post, sort, and rearrange the ideas. What Is An Affinity Diagram? The final product of an affinity mapping session is an affinity diagram, or cluster map, which is used to classify and categorize the data collected. When examining qualitative data or observations, affinity diagrams are very helpful because they organize data into clusters of related elements. Teams working on design, research, and products can get closer to synthesizing qualitative data from various sources using an affinity diagram. Source: Pexels In order to provide an excellent user experience, it is necessary to conduct user research to learn about users' demands, habits, and goals. Even though it's essential to keep an eye on things like conversions, click-paths, and other quantitative statistics, the key to pleasing your customer lies in the details revealed through qualitative research. However, as was noted before, this type of data is more difficult to synthesize than quantitative data. Thematic analysis is a standard method for analyzing user research. By developing themes to organize the material and construct ideas across each notion, the thematic analysis aims to understand the meaning of all the notes, observations, and findings. Affinity diagrams are great for topic analysis if you haven't guessed yet. The themes for your affinity diagram can vary depending on your role and the nature of your study. Some possible affinity groups derived from user experience research are as follows: Analysis of user emotions and expressions while they complete certain tasks on the website Words and phrases used to search for a service or product Suggestions and feedback to enhance the quality of your service or product Here Are Five Scenarios in Which Affinity Mapping Would Help Enhance User Research 1. It's a Great Way to Evaluate the Research Quantitative data and qualitative data are two standard classifications of information. The latter, the qualitative type, is what affinity mapping focuses on. However, when you collect and organize data, you could notice that clusters of information grow around specific keywords or concepts. These high-traffic spots require your immediate attention. They will highlight the most critical issues for your users and help you determine which ones to tackle first. 2. You May Take Your Stakeholders Along For The Ride Communicating with stakeholders is one of the most challenging aspects of any project. As a result, asking them to participate in long user research sessions generally does not make sense when they already have fixed schedules. Affinity mapping is a productive method of including stakeholders in the research process and providing them with a preview of the findings. They can better empathize with users and gain insight into the challenges they face. Remember, they will soon forget you if you provide them with some beneficial information and fascinating quotes. 3. Collaboration Changing the position of post-it notes is not a challenging task. The results are more significant when done as a group, and the experience is more enjoyable for everyone involved. If you want a new perspective on the data, invite people with various areas of expertise and interests, like subject matter experts or stakeholders. Also, ensure that there is enough time to debrief the project once it's finished. Affinity mapping helps in starting discussions. You might learn about previously unseen patterns by looking at them in a group discussion. 4. It Aids in the Discovery of Surprising Connections Surprising incidents might emerge as your affinity map expands. Some post-its may serve as a "bridge" between ideas if they apply to more than insight. Certain realizations might form a cluster you can summarize with other higher categories. Also, you might discover that specific terminology is commonly used while discussing a particular topic, which you can incorporate into your work. An affinity map is ever-changing, so don't be afraid to reorganize it if a new, larger pattern emerges. 5. It Encourages You to Avoid Jumping to a Solutionize Intense ideas often emerge after user research, such as "some users mentioned they wanted a video, so let's develop a video!" However, before fully understanding the issue, it might be ineffective to jump to conclusions and formulate solutions. You may increase the quality of your insights to create your How Might We's, personas, and problem statements by standing back and letting the affinity mapping process do its thing. If you perform affinity mapping correctly, you'll reach a point when the answers practically write themselves. How to Facilitate a Productive Affinity Diagram Session? Establish Transparency Both the client and your team will benefit from setting expectations around how you will conduct user research. Before meeting with clients, send them the interview scripts, research plan, etc., to give them an idea regarding the session. Bring in All the Relevant Parties How often do product teams wish their clients knew as much as they did about their users? In fact, they should. Clients may miss important information when using reporting techniques like user personas. They should not participate in interviews to prevent bias, but it does not imply they cannot contribute to the study in other ways. Research findings can be improved by including clients in the analysis. Participants in an affinity diagram session should include everybody with a stake in the outcome of the product's development. Joining the Crew It would be best to establish value to stakeholders before work begins. Get the word out that everyone's contributions today will result in a more manageable data set for the team as a whole. An affinity diagram is a tool used to bridge the gap between the research and design phases of a project by highlighting commonalities discovered during the former. Reiterating the project's key performance indicators (KPIs) and stated goals can be a smart move. Having individuals enquire and offer comments about the project's trajectory is facilitated by this method. Bring Relevant Recordings or Transcripts Team members take notes during interviews in an affinity diagram session. To create insights, stakeholders review recordings and transcripts of previous meetings. Your group might also have some of them. The rainbow of sticky notes might cover your wall when an interview review is over. Group, Regroup, And Group Again The data should spontaneously yield themes. Rearranging sticky notes into clouds or clusters may require some practice for some people. Once data begins to flow, you can observe the emerging patterns. Wrap It Up After the team has participated in a few rounds of guided grouping, remind them of the diagram's set goals. Everyone must surely know their users better by now, right? Which of your preconceived notions has just been proven correct or debunked? Review the subsequent phases in the project's progression and understand how this step will help the team reach those goals. Conclusion Affinity diagrams are one of the means to organize your findings after extensive research regarding the user experience. Keeping these affinity diagrams on record during the design and development phase can help develop life-like prototypes with real data and interactions. Organizing the information using affinity diagrams won’t only enhance the user experience but will also improve and streamline the other processes involved in the project. Still, have doubts regarding affinity mapping and diagrams? Well, our experts can help you resolve all your queries and hone this marketing strategy to enhance the user experience to a great extent. Contact us today! ...
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Why Should a Startup Outsource their Software Development
To start your own company it is really not necessary that you should have a technical background, it is a challenge these days to find a technical co-founder for many companies or finding some good talent to turn a fantastic idea into a reality. This the reason, many founders or visionaries just stop ideating at this point and we believe that’s where they are making a huge mistake! In B-Schools around the world mentors tell the first time founders: “ Focus on your idea and let the things you’re not good at in the hands of the experts in this field. But be sure to be able to monitor the progress of their work.” One very popular example of a company with non-technical co-founders: Airbnb: Brian Chesky Brian chesky earned a B.F.A in industrial design, from the Rhode Island School Of Design where he met Joe Gebbia who later became the co-founder at the firm and CHief Product Officer of Airbnb. As of March 2015, Airbnb had raised a new round of funding which brought the company’s valuation at around $20 billion dollars. As is evident both were non-technical founders and sure did outsource their software development work to concentrate on rather core operations of the company. It is indeed a common opinion that having a good tech person in the company assures that a startup can have a successful exit. But, besides knowing how to code, founders should rather concentrate on other tasks like marketing and sales to excel in the industry. To find out about the best practices of outsourcing your IT services. We’ll give you some convincing reasons why a startup should outsource their IT resources development: Reduced Cost The stage when you have an idea in your head and money to bootstrap, you are able to find some professional engineers who you can contract per agreed price. In the case of outsourcing you do not need to dive into the pool of talent or even worry about additional expenses like: staff insurance, admin costs or payroll taxes. It is also a well known fact that sometimes by outsourcing the development work you might attract more skilled pros at a much lower rate. Freed Up Time By documenting the contracts of IT development, strict deadlines are already agreed upon and a lot of time is freed for founders to concentrate on more core areas. All you need to do is control those dates and monitor the work being done by individuals or by the agency. More core areas left to concentrate upon are to spread the word about your product in the market and promotions. IT Consultation While outsourcing your software development work, you get to meet people like business analysts, who might take a closer look at your product and suggest the best way to complete your task(better logics that were thought about before, approach, tools etc.). They might be able to add up an improvised revenue model to your existing project. Testing Services Included Hiring a team of software engineers might and expect them to deliver a robust software project as well as test it requires too much overheads and a lot of work for the same team. While outsourcing the same job to an agency ensures that project is delivered on time, works seamlessly and you do not have a headache of testing it ‘n’ number of times before a perfect product is delivered to you. Technology partner for life It is very difficult for a company to find a techie who understands your company’s objectives and goals , is reliable and dedicated. Having been in a contract with your firm for maintenance services, the outsourced firm has to be responsible for providing the software upgrades as and when required and the expertise you can trust. Getting access to exclusive tools Hiring engineers is not enough, but there is also a cost associated with providing your in-house team with appropriate tools, which by the way can be really expensive. Why would you buy such tools that you know, are going to be used once in the life-cycle of your software product. While outsourcing the project not only did you save the cost on not hiring engineers in-house but also got access to the best tools used in the IT industry to develop a software. As we saw that not only did we save the cost by outsourcing our IT project, but hiring that extra engineer force and the cost overheads that came along with it were avoided. So it is clearly understandable that to be a successful founder of tech startup, we neither need to be technically equipped nor do we require the help of a technically sound co-founder. All that is required is the right idea and to transform it into a reality. ...
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Top 9 SaaS review sites you need to be ON
What are Saas review sites? What does SaaS stand for? It simply means Software as a Service. Websites that offer assessments, rankings, and comparisons of different software-as-a-service (SaaS) platforms and solutions are known as SaaS review sites. Important details regarding SaaS review websites include: Instead of installing on-premises software, they concentrate exclusively on evaluating subscription-based cloud-based software services. This includes CRM, marketing automation, HRIS, collaboration tools, and other such items. SaaS review sites are known for their popular features, which include feature comparisons of products side by side, pricing models, simplicity of use, customer service, and integration options. They want to aid purchasers in weighing their options. Numerous enable consumers to rate and evaluate SaaS tools they have used in the past providing insights into various aspects, including saas social media marketing functionalities. This offers reviews written by experts, along with user comments and information. Certain niche SaaS review sites concentrate on a particular area, such as review sites for video conferencing software, help desk systems, or recruitment tools. Some adopt an approach that looks beyond SaaS categories. In addition to textual SaaS evaluations, several websites offer unique saas dashboard, product demos, user interviews, video summaries, and trials to help with the evaluation. The majority make money through selling access to enhanced buyer intention data, advertising, and affiliate programs. Additionally, vendors sponsor content. When considering saas growth strategies and saas ltv calculation, businesses can leverage the insights provided by these SaaS review sites to identify potential growth opportunities and optimize their SaaS sales strategy. Why does your SaaS business need to be on Saas product review sites? According to recent studies, online reviews hold great influence over consumer decisions, with 91% of 18-34-year-olds trusting them as much as personal recommendations. In fact, 93% of consumers have reported that online reviews have played a role in their purchasing choices. SaaS review platforms facilitate educated decision-making, a key aspect of the software procurement process. These websites assist consumers in filtering through the vast array of cloud solutions available and filtering through vendor marketing claims as the SaaS market grows quickly. Clearer comparisons across solutions are made possible by independent analysis and user feedback on key features, usability, technical requirements, customer service, and total cost of ownership, including aspects like saas branding. This aids buyers in assessing options that fit their needs and budget. SaaS websites can also draw attention to product limitations or security risks, offering an unbiased viewpoint absent from vendor communications. Firsthand insights enable companies to use the finest SaaS technologies, including robust saas reporting capabilities, to achieve business objectives and ROI instead of acting based on assumptions. Being present on these platforms can help enhance your SaaS website design and optimize your SaaS go-to-market strategy by providing valuable insights into customer preferences and competitive positioning. Trustpilot: Fostering Trust in Consumer Choices Trustpilot emerges as a global force in the vast terrain of popular saas products ratings, with a library of over 120 million user reviews globally. Despite criticism for suspected fraudulent ratings and review manipulation, Trustpilot maintains its position as a reliable platform that connects customers and companies. The platform's persistent commitment to openness and its emphasis on data-driven insights demonstrates its devotion to empowering users. Trustpilot empowers users to make educated judgments by giving a wide range of reviews, promoting trust in their SaaS product selections. Trustpilot is a reliable ally in navigating the dynamic field of software solutions in a world where trust is vital. Capterra: Where Software Choices Align with Your Needs Capterra, now part of Gartner, has cemented its position as a lighthouse in the SaaS selection environment. Capterra has an incredible collection of over 1 million legitimate evaluations and goes above and beyond the norm by providing personalised software recommendations across a whopping 800+ categories. This huge database is a gold mine for firms looking for bespoke solutions to their unique demands. Notably, Capterra doesn't only do evaluations; it also performs analytical surveys, such as one that looked into the severe impact of the COVID-19 epidemic on the IT industry. Capterra's purchase by Gartner strengthens its reputation even more, placing it as a significant participant in the ever-changing world of software selection. This makes it an invaluable resource for businesses and SaaS SEO agencies alike. Capterra provides consumers with evaluations and a thorough grasp of software landscapes, allowing them to make educated decisions. Crozdesk: Elevating Productivity through In-Depth Reviews Crozdesk, a cutting-edge AI-powered platform, is redefining commercial software evaluation. Crozdesk provides organizations with in-depth data necessary for decision-making by methodically reviewing software across dimensions such as cost, usability, popularity, and reputation. With a global reach, it catalyzes productivity growth by providing expert assessments, product selection help, and a wealth of important resources. Crozdesk's hyper-targeted product categories set it apart, allowing organizations to find precise matches customized to their requirements. Crozdesk emerges as a crucial partner in a world flooded with software possibilities, easing the process of identifying ideal solutions and boosting productivity for organizations globally. GoodFirms: Recognizing Excellence in Software Development GoodFirms, a well-known B2B research platform, specializes in selecting top-tier software development firms based on quality, capability, and dependability pillars. GoodFirms' extensive archive of over 40,000 verified evaluations offers consumers a plethora of knowledge to help them make educated decisions. The platform is committed to recognizing and supporting excellence in the software development sector, serving as a trustworthy guide for firms navigating the competitive market, particularly in the b2b saas lead gen realm. GoodFirms helps customers to connect with respectable software development partners by emphasizing essential factors such as quality and dependability, ensuring that decisions are driven by merit and excellence in the changing world of software solutions. Serchen: Simplifying Cloud Service Choices Serchen takes the lead as the main online cloud services marketplace, simplifying the difficult chore of researching and evaluating cloud services and applications. This platform, dedicated to leveraging digital progress, stands out as a beacon for firms looking to invest in cloud services with a focus on technical seo for saas. Serchen becomes a trustworthy resource by combining technical innovation and user feedback, providing a dependable compass for organizations navigating the vast cloud services field. Serchen's commitment to simplicity and transparency positions it as a go-to platform where the cloud is integral to business operations, empowering businesses to make well-informed decisions and ensuring that their foray into cloud services aligns seamlessly with their unique requirements and aspirations. G2: Empowering Decision-Making with Timely Reviews G2, a trustworthy tech marketplace for best SEO SaaS companies, differentiates itself with a large pool of 1,778,100+ evaluations, streamlining software and customer service selection. Despite a thorough review verification procedure, G2 prioritizes the removal of biased or fraudulent reviews. This devotion guarantees that users obtain precise insights into the nuances of product benefits and limitations. G2's persistent commitment to authenticity solidifies its standing as a go-to platform, providing a trustworthy venue for organisations and people seeking accurate information for making educated tech-related decisions. SoftwareSuggest: Connecting Businesses with the Right Solutions With 18,000 entries covering 425 categories, SoftwareSuggest emerges as a complete resource, providing organizations with a plethora of possibilities for free consultations, assessments, and comparisons, including the best SaaS website designs. The dedication to emphasizing verified evaluations at the heart of its service ensures consumers obtain authentic insights regarding software goods. This emphasis on authenticity is critical in assisting businesses in making well-informed decisions that are suited to their individual needs. In a sea of possibilities, SoftwareSuggest stands out as a beacon of light, offering a platform where organizations can confidently traverse the intricacies of software selection, knowing that the insights they get are reliable and relevant to their specific needs. GetApp: Streamlining Product Comparison for Informed Choices GetApp takes the lead as an exceptional SaaS product review site, providing businesses with the tools to compare and contrast software programs effectively. Through interactive tools and a commitment to user-friendly experiences, GetApp stands out as a valuable resource in the software selection journey. The platform's emphasis on advanced search functionalities allows users to precisely filter results, facilitating the discovery of the most suitable software solutions tailored to their unique requirements in the SaaS lead gen and marketing flywheel landscape. In a dynamic market flooded with options, GetApp becomes a strategic ally, offering a streamlined and efficient approach to finding the right Saas solutions and empowering businesses to make informed decisions that align seamlessly with their evolving needs and goals in the context of Saas lead gen and the marketing flywheel. TrustRadius: Peer-Reviewed Insights for Business Executives TrustRadius stands as a research and review platform, providing peer-reviewed, validated advice for business executives seeking the best software solutions. With a meticulous review process and an annual influx of 12 million visitors, TrustRadius ensures high-quality, detailed reviews to guide decision-makers. Conclusion In conclusion, the SaaS product review ecosystem is vital for informed decision-making in today's dynamic business landscape. When navigating numerous alternatives, organizations find valuable insights into established platforms and innovative entrants. As the SaaS industry evolves, these review sites serve as information hubs and indispensable guides, ensuring strategic choices aligned with the SaaS affiliate marketing and changing trends. Saffron Edge is a leading digital marketing agency for top SaaS SEO Services. Recognized for excellence, we provide Semantic SEO, Technical SEO, Content Marketing SaaS, Performance Marketing, and ABM solutions. Recently, we achieved 100% organic traffic growth for JOP's OKR SaaS platform in just 3 months. Our expertise ensures that your choices are well-informed and aligned with the evolving SaaS trends. Choose Saffron Edge for a results-driven approach where innovation meets excellence in SaaS SEO. ...
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