Page 29 - GS230401
P. 29

Education






        create a suite of products that function inside a completely
        cloud-based environment while being scalable for any size
        merchant—from small to enterprise-level businesses. We            Offering a free product
        are the industry's first and only fully cloud-based gateway.
        Well, enough about me, time to get to the good stuff. I'll    might not seem like a way to
        begin with product-led growth.                                 make money, but it really is.
        A popular strategy for business growth                               Businesses that use

        Business growth is the ultimate goal for every business.         this model win over their
        But the path to that growth isn't  always clear. Business
        owners use many different models and strategies to build    audiences effectively and create
        their brands and expand their reach. In recent years, buzz   brand loyalty simply by trusting
        about product-led growth has been growing. In this article,
        I"ll discuss the strategy behind product-led growth—and          that their customers will
        why so many companies are choosing it.                              love what they offer.

        Product-led growth is being used by brands in every
        industry  across  the  world  to  attract  and  maintain
        customers. While traditional business strategies involve
        getting a customer to understand the value of a product   growth strategies allow customers to try the products to
        and invest in it, product-led growth leads with the product   confirm  that  they  work  well.  Then,  customers are  more
        first.                                                  likely to choose to pay them because they know their
                                                                worth. A few common paid offerings include premium
        Product-led growth takes the guesswork out of winning   app subscriptions, video game battle passes, and pay-per-
        over customers. Most commonly seen in technology-based   use systems.
        industries, like app design and video games, product-led   Why product-led growth is here to stay
        growth kicks off a business cycle by trusting that the
        customer will love the product.                         Product-led growth entails a leap of faith. Ultimately,
                                                                brands still need to figure out how to create a viable product
        Typically, product-led growth models offer a completely   that customers feel is worth the investment. The good news
        free product or a version of a product with paid upgrades.   is that brands with a product that sells itself derive quite
        Offering free options gives customers a chance to confirm   a few benefits from product-led growth. When asked, 60
        that they love using the product or service and that it is   percent of consumers said they purchased a product after
        worth money. This strategy is so effective that  91 percent of   trying a free version (see https://bit.ly/3JWJAFR).
        companies surveyed recently plan to invest in product-led
        growth initiatives within the year, according to Product-led   It is widely believed that product-led growth is the future
        Growth, a book by Wes Bush (see https://productled.com/blog/  of business, particularly for technology companies.
        product-led-growth-benchmarks-2022).                    Following are just some of its benefits:
        How product-led growth works                                  • Market research and audience knowledge: With
        Product-led growth strategies are a huge twist on               product-led growth you really do get to know
        traditional sales strategies. Offering a free product might     your target audience. Allowing customers to use
        not seem like a way to make money, but it really is.            your  products or  services  without  purchasing
        Businesses that use this model win over their audiences         them for a period of time provides insights on
        effectively and create brand loyalty simply by trusting         what kind of experience your products offer and
        that their customers will love what they offer.                 reveals a lot about what works for your business.

        When a customer tries a free trial or limited version of a      You can quickly gauge what does and doesn’t
        product, they are able to get hands-on experience with          catch their interest. This is great for refining prod-
        it. They can explore the interface if it's an app or test out   ucts and marketing efforts, which then allows you
        the mechanics if it's a game. Companies that specialize in      to capture the attention of even more potential
        physical products can use this model by offering freebies       customers.
        or early discounts.                                           • Enhanced conversion rates: For typical business
                                                                        strategies, conversion is about catching attention
        Customers often take their time when purchasing                 and making a sale. Product-led growth strategies
        products or services, particularly if they can't confirm the    stir customer interest naturally, and companies
        quality of the experience before purchase. Product-led          using them experience three times the  conver-

                                                                                                                29
   24   25   26   27   28   29   30   31   32   33   34