Getting started selling your software on cloud marketplaces such as the AWS Marketplace, Google Cloud Marketplace, and Azure Marketplace can be an overwhelming process if you’ve never done it before. There are many different factors to consider when getting started selling on these marketplaces that could cause problems for both your business and your customers.
Being aware of these 6 tips will help ensure that this is the best decision for your software business.
Consider your target market and what they want
There are many different types of consumers that will purchase your software, so you want to make sure that you are catering to the needs of the right ones. If the marketplace is large enough, it may attract multiple different types of consumers.
For instance, Amazon’s AWS Marketplace has a wide variety of buyers including schools, start-ups, research teams, IT professionals, software developers, and startups.
If you are having trouble deciding what kind of buyers your software appeals to, you can look at the buyer profiles on Amazon’s AWS Marketplace here.
Choose the right marketplace for your product
When determining which marketplace to sell on, you want to consider how many customers each has. If the marketplaces don’t have enough customers for your product, choosing to list your software there may not be worth it.
You should also look at their terms of service and see what specific parameters they have listed about selling cloud enterprise products. For example, Amazon AWS’s Marketplace has specific requirements about the way you must create your listings and define your products.
Ensure that you have all of the necessary information about your products, including photos, descriptions, and pricing
The cloud marketplaces you sell on may provide templates for your listings, but it is still up to you to make sure that you fill out all of the necessary information.
You need to include enough information about your product so that potential buyers know exactly what they are purchasing and understand how it can benefit them. If any of this information is missing or unclear, it may result in a customer canceling their order.
Making sure that your product listings have clear photos and descriptions of the different components of your product can help customers get a better understanding of what they’re purchasing.
Your pricing should also be competitive with other software on the marketplaces. If it is too high, customers may decide to purchase your product directly from you or look for a similar product that is more reasonably priced.
Create a listing with good quality images to entice customers
The photos and descriptions included in your listings need to be high quality so that potential buyers can easily see what your software does and how it works. If the list of features and benefits is not clear, customers will have a harder time deciding whether or not they want to purchase your product.
Listing images need to be high quality so that potential buyers feel like they’re getting the full picture of what their purchase will look like if it were on their computer. If an image is unclear or too small, it could result in customers missing important features.
Make sure that you are available for customer service in case any issues arise during the transaction process or after the purchase
One of the most important things for sellers to do is provide excellent customer service throughout the entire transaction process, including before and after it has been completed.
If your product listings clearly state what support is available for your product, customers may have questions that they need to be answered before deciding to purchase.
Additionally, your support team needs to be readily available to help resolve issues if they should arise. In some cases, problems can be resolved through communication with the customer service team, while in other cases a refund or replacement might be necessary.
Keep track of expenses related to inventory management so you can make informed decisions on whether it is worth continuing to sell on cloud marketplaces
Many cloud marketplaces will provide sellers with services that help them stay organized and keep track of their inventory, but if they do not, there are several third-party options available.
For example, Amazon AWS Marketplace charges a monthly fee for its service. You’ll need to weigh the cost of the services against your profits and see if it is worth continuing to sell there.
You also need to think about how much you benefit from selling on a marketplace and whether or not they provide enough customers for your product, as well as what their return and refund policy is. If you have a lower profit margin than the marketplace, being able to offer a customer return and refund policy could help your business.
Conclusion
As a seller, it is important to be an expert on all of your product listings and what they provide.
You need to consider the marketplace you’re selling through and how it will benefit you or hurt you in the long run. You also need to make sure that you know everything about providing customer service and inventory management for your business.
If you need help getting started with selling on cloud marketplaces consider checking out the Tackle.io blog as it has a ton of valuable information.
