Bring Your Product to Market Bootstrapped Style …and keep it there presented by Joanne Lang – AboutOne Founder & CEO
Bring Your Product to Market Bootstrapped
Style…and keep it there
presented byJoanne Lang – AboutOne Founder & CEO
About Me – Bootstrapped First- Forbes Top 10 Women Entrepreneurs to Watch
- Raised $3M+ in Seed & Series A - Dell Founders Club Entrepreneur & Microsoft One Company
- Selected as a START 2012 & 2013 company (top 100 in the world)- Start Up Nation Winner, AWE Fellowship Winner
- Philly Founded Company- Published: The Wall Street Journal & The Huffington Post
Enters household records for you
Provides intelligent reports, alerts, and private sharing of video, photos and paperwork
Provides structure
Educates and motivates
Award-Winning Family Organization App
Currently Managing > 1.8M records
① Product ② Pricing ③ Place④ Promotion⑤ Physical Proof⑥ Process ⑦ People⑧ Post-Launch Customer
Interaction
My 8 P’s of Product MarketingTIP: TEAM
COMPOSITION
Research…Research…Research• Include question ‘why not?’• Competitive analysis ($$$)
Build iteratively (MVP - alpha & beta) Customer Advisory Boards Control rate of market release Measure…Measure…Measure• Every iteration
Learn From My MistakesIf you have developers you need a product/program manager.
Do not let the dev team tell product marketing they are wrong…user experience is critical.
Estimate launch dates…x6(months!)
Pricing model validation• Pricing Page A/B Testing• Surveys
Cash is King• Factor discounts into pricing
model to ensure profitability.
Learn From My Mistakes
Credit card processing experience is critical.
FirstData, Authorize.net, ChargifyPayPal nativePCI Compliance
Check credit card processing FEES!
Know your customers / channels
A/B test messaging by buying persona
Partner Strategy
Customer Strategy
TIP: KNOW YOUR CUSTOMER
TIP: BE YOUR CUSTOMER
Learn From My Mistakes
Where do customers buy?• Responsive website• Mobile friendly emails
Prioritize marketing plan PR• Press email outreach & road trip• eReleases & other discount services• Present at events• Blog & guest blogs
Organic• SEO• Landing page tests to determine
triggers Partners
TIP: KNOW WHERE YOUR CUSTOMERS ARE
Learn From My MistakesResponsive designMarketing launch plan x6 & delayDouble opt-in from day 1PR generates buzz, not signupsComeback Moms instead of PR firmNo need to give things awayYour blog - be preparedOne Pager (see example)
Support forum• Voting for features• Video demos
Website Evidence• Referrals – by channel• Peer case studies• A/B testing of
messaging
TIP: PEER REFERENCES
Learn From My Mistakes
Set early adopters’ expectationsabout how much time it will take / competing priorities
Customer support process• 7 days/week• Run by peers
Customer support system• Zendesk & Olark
Point of contact for beta customers
Partner Sales – consistent branding / certification• NAPO
TIP: GOOD SERVICE IS CRITICAL
Web to ‘Help’ in your applicationResponse times of your appsMessage, Live Chat, phone, emails
from the beginningTiming of BETA customers, too early leads to attrition
Learn From My Mistakes
Closed loop feedback
Proof that you listen
TIP: CONTINUAL VALIDATION
Set realistic release date expectations.
Learn From My Mistakes
① Product ② Pricing ③ Place④ Promotion⑤ Physical Proof⑥ Process ⑦ People⑧ Post-Launch Customer
Interaction
Summary of Tips