In the competitive world of SaaS, it is imperative for growth-oriented brands to focus on customer success rather than funneling resources towards sales or paid marketing campaigns. While it is true that you should utilize every tool at your disposal, and that you should integrate advanced solutions like DevOps in order to take software development to the next level, you mustn’t forget to allocate resources towards your customer success strategy if you are to build customer loyalty, improve CLV (customer lifetime value), boost word of mouth, and build a reputable brand.
You can hope to achieve these and many other goals by focusing on the quality of your service, your brand experience, and improving the tools you use to bring a better overall experience to your customers; however, that doesn’t mean that this is an easy project. That’s why today, we’ll be tackling the best customer success tactics that will propel your SaaS business forward and help you build a reputable name in your industry.
Devise a powerful branding strategy
Customers tend to follow a certain number of steps before they decide to opt-in for your free trial, while this process will invariably become even more complex before they decide to become your loyal brand followers and advocates. There’s a lot that goes into winning over the hearts and minds of your customers, and even though your software’s features do play a significant role here, they will often fall behind stellar customer service, support, and branding.
After all, no matter the industry you’re in, the chances are that there are dozens of competitors out there that have created a piece of software with the same, if not better features than your product has. The only thing that will truly set you apart is your unique brand identity, and by extension, your product’s brand. People fall in love with the company, the brand, and not so much the features that a product possesses, and you need to take advantage of that.
To that end, be sure to set yourself apart by giving your company and your software a set of core values that resonate with the values of your demographic. Next, create a visual identity that follows the latest trends or creates a powerful contrast to stand out. Be sure to devise a unique tone of voice that your customers will respond to and identify with because there is a big difference in how law firm software should talk as opposed to a piece of software that’s supposed to talk to young entrepreneurs and Gen-Zers.
SaaS Growth Initiatives: Acquire key data and create comprehensive reports
Of course, you can’t hope to improve the overall experience of your customers or transform them into lifelong brand advocates if you don’t know what’s bugging them in the first place. One of your priorities should be to uncover the unique pain-points of your customers and the common obstacles they face in order to optimize your product and your strategy as a whole.
You can do this, including big data analytics into your strategy and extracting key information and insights using artificial intelligence and machine learning systems. AI-driven big data analysis is a great way to collate and organize vast amounts of industry and customer data quickly so that you can stay agile and flexible to optimize your entire service on a moment’s notice.
Boost internal and external communication
As a growth-oriented SaaS company, you’re dealing with a high influx of customer queries on a daily basis. Not only that, but it is imperative that you provide an around-the-clock customer support system that will accommodate their every need and guide them through every process and across every obstacle in their way. To achieve this, you need a good phone system, and as you might have guessed, a traditional phone system won’t do.
In order to run an efficient 24/7 support team, you need a cloud-based phone system like VoIP. This is the best solution for seamless, low-cost internal and external communication, but before you spring for the first provider, be sure to look for professional reviews like the recent Nextiva VoIP review to see which providers top the list and have the best features on offer. Be sure to compare providers and their features, and don’t be afraid to hop on their free trial to see if they’re a perfect fit for your company.
Simplify and improve the onboarding process
Nowadays, if a customer is having even the slightest trouble mastering your software, you’re out of the game. It might not seem fair, but the fact is that customers don’t want to waste their time trying to figure out your product, which is why one of your top priorities should be to simplify the onboarding process.
Again, you will need a round-the-clock support team to achieve this, but you should also integrate automated support tools and features, digital guides, and the like. You also need to make your software as easy and intuitive to use as possible, so be sure to eliminate extraneous features and actions to bring customer effort down to a minimum.
Focus heavily on building customer loyalty
Lastly, never underestimate the power and potential of a good customer loyalty program. People want and need to feel like they are a part of your brand’s family, and they need to feel valued for their business, so naturally, you need to show your appreciation by giving them special perks, rewards, and bonuses. Consider boosting customer loyalty with special prizes, curated deals and discounts, and even free upgrades for your oldest customers – they are bound to appreciate it and will spread the word of your amazing brand.
Wrapping up
SaaS is a highly-competitive industry, and if you want to stand out, you have to put the customer first. With these tactics in your arsenal, go ahead and improve the customer’s experience and push your company forward as a whole.
Summary:
Success Tactics for Growth-Oriented SaaS companies
In the competitive world of SaaS, it is imperative for growth-oriented brands to focus on customer success. The best customer success tactics that will propel your SaaS business forward and help you build a reputable name in your industry: 1. Devise a powerful branding strategy. 2. Acquire key data and create comprehensive reports. 3. Boost internal and external communication. 4. Simplify and improve the onboarding process. 5. Focus heavily on building customer loyalty. SaaS is a highly-competitive industry, and if you want to stand out, you have to put the customer first. With these tactics in your arsenal, go ahead and improve the customer’s experience and push your company forward as a whole.
