Why a lot of SaaS enterprise-class products can't survive the first year

As a result of the

work, the author and the surrounding Digital SaaS Enterprise Application founder, operations leader has had in-depth contact, found an interesting phenomenon: at the beginning, blueprint, planning clear, but all the way down, but very difficult, some even endure the first year, the door closed.

2015 2B Enterprise application software Capital market is unusually hot. Including the sale of customers, easy to sell, this goal and other enterprise-class software vendors by the big VC capital of the hot, Ali made a lot of nails, also to striking the potential of the enterprise-class SaaS market, trying to create another new "entrance" in this value depression.

As a result of the work, the author and the surrounding Digital SaaS Enterprise Application founder, operations leader has had in-depth contact, found an interesting phenomenon: at the beginning, blueprint, planning clear, but all the way down, but very difficult, some even endure the first year, the door closed.

Under careful analysis, here more or less with the traditional software people into the Internet field, in product positioning, functional demand, customer service, profit model and the internet industry "acclimatized" has a greater relationship. And for the practical deviation and unpredictable risk, but also can not be adjusted by the past experience, resulting in the subsequent enterprise operation of the extraordinary hardship, and the expected planning gradually further away.

For the typical difference between traditional enterprise software and 2B Internet enterprise software, how to realize SaaS enterprise software smoothly from 0 to 1, the author is located in the operational perspective, combined with hands-on summary of one or two.

To do 2 b enterprise software market operation, first of all to understand, operation and marketing the difference between the two.

Traditional software industry, brand leader. Need to rely on a strong brand effect, in order to get sales to find customers visit the "stepping Stone," the "price chips" in business negotiations, expand channel agents "visibility." Therefore, the market level first in the brand materials, PR propaganda, media advertising, industry forum, Leaders Summit, etc., in order to establish high-end, professional brand image. And with sales and channels to join hands in order to achieve linear growth of the market.

Internet 2 B Enterprise-class products, it is more important to the core value of the product itself to build and user reputation of the mold. Relying on the Internet user-oriented thinking, to provide users with satisfactory products and services, through the user's word of mouth to spread the brand. Therefore, is based on user operations, market brands supplemented by the strategy. To this end, the operation of the work is more, how to find value users, how to create a good product with users, how to improve the product and service system based on the user's real feedback.

Many just transformation of the traditional software people or surprised, or disturbed: entrepreneurial more difficult, time, capital, manpower is not enough. We have to ask, how to find the right direction, good operation layout? How can the limited funds, manpower use in the blade, and promote enterprises virtuous, fast on the right track?

Positioning and user portrait together with the product

Positioning, user portrait, cliché, but I have seen a lot of SaaS-grade products in the early years will be wrong in the direction. For example, to do SaaS-level software has a platform vision, but the beginning of the big platform to go, whether with the current product maturity, a few user bias too big? The platform of the vertical domain of the internet is a mass of users, high-frequency applications gathered, rather than paper planning platform. It is recommended that traditional it people think deeply and balance the vision strategy with the initial tactics.

Initially, products need to establish what to do and what not to do. Many people come up with the "Take Doctrine", with their years of experience in the industry and the accumulation of historical projects began to build products and operations, the wrong "experience" when the user needs, just will be guilty of "experience selfish departmentalism" error. Why? Traditional It enterprise-level software is more keen to serve large enterprises, project management, this mode of customer demand, more in favor of the customer leadership of individual will or departmental personalized needs, do not have the universality of demand. So logical to do the product, it is estimated that it is difficult to catch the pain point of the majority of enterprise users, or so-called rigid demand.

From the user's point of view of the Internet products, is from the vast number of users to obtain real pain points, since the guidance of product development. Therefore, the reconstruction of the user portrait, not a few industry elites can be a good solution, which is why the most large and user-scale products are a group of non-traditional enterprise software from the Internet created by the people.

The operating side needs to set up a perfect data monitoring system, explore user channels, build effective user feedback channels and interactive mechanism, seize high-value enterprise users (pain point, there is information demand). On the one hand, build fan user groups, on the other hand for product grinding, demand grasp, the future service system to provide real data basis.

Product core value, service value building, the number of target users and the promotion of activity should always be the first place.

First layout the product operation line channel, and then consider the offline

The core value of SaaS enterprise-class software should point to whether derivative services for products and products are used by users, so operations should be done first around product services. On the one hand to solve customer problems related to the use of, and gradually improve intelligence and reduce service costs. For example, the service function is implanted into the product itself, and collaborative product managers optimize the product experience drop-off threshold. On the other hand, innovative user interaction channels, collaborative activity operations. To service-oriented, to explore and drive user operations, so that "fever-level" users to participate in product creation and service system. There are similarities with Xiaomi's operational thinking.

Do you need to do the offline operations on a large scale? I suggest that the initial (seed user period), if you can borrow power off-the-shelf channels, and channel users and product target users have a high degree of consistency, in the human and promotional costs can be controlled, appropriate to do exploration and strict monitoring of conversion costs. But based on the SaaS platform itself standardized service characteristics and user positioning, the line is ultimately the main direction of operation. To the line of all kinds of operational channels sound, customer service system mature, in the start of profit or monetization mode, can be combined with the development of the line under the means.

How to explore efficient promotion channels

Initially, the fund is stretched, and the operation of promotion in the industry is recognized as the "Burn Money" link. Spending and not spending is a balancing act of time and efficiency, and what we're talking about is how to spend the right amount of money on the edge.

In the promotion of operations, many areas of 2C appear to have many successful experience, and even many of the means of non-spending on the major self-media. But it is recommended that 2B Internet users must pay attention to: 2C and 2B of the user-defined nature of the difference: 2C users are individuals, 2B users are groups. Personal decision-making and group decision-making are significantly different in rigor (consumption impulse), time (trial risk cost), and conversion cost (single user) calculation. For example, a company owner, lunch download an app point a take-out, originated in the way to the office to receive a just set up an enterprise outside sell orders, try it no harm. At the same time, friends of the company recommend a mobile office products, although free, but need to carry out enterprise internal trial, meeting discussion, combined with their own needs shop around, and then decide whether the company fully enabled. In terms of the individual conversion costs of operations, the 2C promotion seems to be easier and less costly. But if the boss lets the entire company be enabled. Accounting for the average user's conversion costs, obviously the results are very clear.

How to find the right value channel for 2B Enterprises is critical, so-called value channel, that is, product-oriented key users (for enabling the product, and driving the user to fully apply the product has a strong driving force of people) to obtain the active channel of such products. Value user Import and continuous operation, on the one hand can seize the core user group (target enterprise users), on the other hand, diluted average user costs, plays a very important role.

SaaS Enterprise application, should be in the initial position, reconstruct the user portrait, grinding good product core application and service value, supplemented by the exploration of high-quality promotion channels, operation mode, quickly improve the user base and active volume, is the initial team work focus.

The article is reproduced from author @ yu Hongyu

Why a lot of SaaS enterprise-class products can't survive the first year