What distinguishes your product from others? There are so many choices for customers when it comes to software/IT services selection. Generating qualified leads in the software industry can be a challenge because it is a constantly evolving and competitive market. And with the surge of new products like OpenAI’s ChatGPT or Google’s Bard, offering users generative automation, it’s a real struggle to be fresh and relevant to your customers. Today’s blog is all about how your software business can command the attention of the (digital) room.
Identify your target market
When researching your target audience, look into your customer needs, pain points, and purchasing habits to develop a tailored approach to generate sales. Competitor research is really important here too – look at bigger organisations and who their customers are. You can build your niche after you lay a solid foundation of what problem-solving services are most accessible for your customers.
Build a professional website
Your website is often the first impression potential customers will have of your company. Ensure it is well-designed and easy to navigate to build trust and credibility. Also make sure it is mobile optimised. Avoid overloading your website with incredibly high resolution images or gifs as this will slow down the performance. Additionally, you can run website speed tests using Google’s https://pagespeed.web.dev/.
Utilise social media
Use social media platforms to connect with potential customers, share industry insights and news, and promote your software. Check out what platform is most popular for your industry and its clients by connecting with your network. You can locate networking events using LinkedIn or use social media as a means of customer research. Following your competitors on their social media channels and seeing what kind of content they are producing is important in staying timely.
Optimise for search engines
Use SEO across your website and written/social content to increase visibility and drive more traffic to your site. Tools like ChatGPT can assist in making your blogs/copy readable for Google, or use Answer The Public for keywords to boost.
Offer a free trial or demo
Give potential customers the opportunity to test your software before making a purchase decision. This builds trust with your prospects and increases the likelihood that they will spread the word about your product; name one person who doesn’t love a free trial, we’ll wait…
Host webinars and events
Host webinars, virtual events, and other online gatherings to engage with potential customers and build relationships. LinkedIn also advertises heaps of summits (both online and in-person) that you can attend for all your networking needs.
Leverage partnerships
Partner with other companies or organisations to expand your reach and access new potential customers. You can use networking events to build relationships with industry professionals and team up at events. You can also use partnerships across your digital platforms; consider eventually reaching out to software providers and asking if you can team up with them for product deals to support upscaling your business over time.
Continuously seek to improve
Always gather feedback and analyse data to understand what’s working and what’s not. Make adjustments accordingly to improve sales and customer satisfaction.
These tips are designed to help you better-understand your target market, amplify the unique value of your software, and build relationships with potential customers. By leveraging a variety of digital marketing techniques and evolving your approach as the business needle moves, you can rapidly grow your business in the software industry. Remember that progress isn’t always linear and it’s important to celebrate the small wins, too!
