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Follow these 5 Simple Steps for Product Pricing

Tag: online payments

Follow these 5 Simple Steps for Product Pricing
Mohab Growth Hacks 0

Follow these 5 Simple Steps for Product Pricing

Do you know that 61 percent of online buyers say that extra high costs is the main reason for cart abandonment? This clearly indicates that if product pricing is not accurate, you may lose more than half of the sales.

The product pricing mechanism lays emphasis on the cost price, profit, taxes, product value, and other variables. This means you have to consider various factors while determining the perfect product price. To assist you, we have compiled a list of five simple steps of pricing a product. Let us guide you through these.

What’s the Pricing Objective?

One of the foremost considerations in product pricing strategy is determining the company’s objective. You have to decide what you wish to achieve and where you see the company in the near future. When you are clear about your objectives, you get clarity about the product pricing.

For example, if you are in the nascent stage and you are entering a market, you can adopt survival pricing strategy wherein you are focused on establishing your presence and covering your expenses. Profit is not your foremost consideration. There are other objectives that influence the product price:

  • Maximum market share
  • Maximum market skimming
  • Product quality leadership

Demand-Price Relationship

While identifying the right market price of a product, it is crucial to study the demand curve. Often, there is an inverse relationship between the price and the demand. If the price is higher, the demand will be low, and vice-versa. However, this is not true in all the cases. We mentioned product quality leadership in the previous section. The demand and price both could be high if you are a leader in the segment in question.

Nevertheless, you can conduct surveys, initiate a project pilot, or perform a statistical analysis to determine the demand in the market.

Cost Estimation

Evidently, costs and target returns influence the price of the product. There are various fixed and variable costs associated with the product. To determine these costs, you can adopt activity-based costing (ABC) system to identify the exact cost based on all the activities, right from procuring raw materials to delivering the products to the retailer.

Also, if you prefer taking payments online, the customer can pay via multiple payment modes like credit or debit card, net banking, digital wallets, and so on. You can install a payment gateway to process these payments. The important thing to note is that the customer might incur payment processing charges, and you don’t have to include these while pricing your products.

Finalize a Pricing Method

The company’s objective influences the product price and the pricing method decides the pricing structure. And up to a certain extent, the pricing method is also dependent on the company’s objectives. Let us look at the pricing methods:

  • Markup pricing – The product price is determined after adding a profit percentage on the cost price.
  • Value-based pricing – The product price is influenced according to its value for the customers.
  • Target return pricing – The pricing is influenced by the target ROI.
  • Going rate pricing – You price the product as per the standard pricing of similar products.

Peek into Competitors’ Pricing Policy

Competition is almost everywhere. In some cases, you may face little or no competition. Here you can set the price as per your discretion after analyzing demand and customers’ willingness to pay. But if you operate in a niche having stiff competition, you must scrutinize your competitors’ objectives and pricing policy. This will allow you to customize your market offering in a way to gain an edge over your competitors.

The Bottom Line

With the right product price, you can grab a larger portion of the market share. But in addition to the price, you must create value for the customers, adopt innovative marketing strategies, and keep an eye on the market trends to remain a step ahead of your competitors.

5 years ago
How to Choose the Right Payment Gateway in Saudi Arabia
Mohab Growth Hacks 0

How to Choose the Right Payment Gateway in Saudi Arabia

E-commerce growth in Saudi Arabia over the last one decade has been phenomenal. There are over 12.94 e-commerce users in the country which is almost half the country’s population.  According to BMI Research, online sales in Saudi Arabia will surge to $13.9 billion by 2021. The country has become the next frontier for businesses looking for new markets due to the strength of the economy and the youngest Internet-connected population in the world. If you have plans to set up a business here, you have to strategize on providing the best user experience at your store. One easy way of doing this is to take payments online by using the best payment gateway.

With so many payment gateways available for e-commerce stores in Saudi Arabia, choosing the best becomes a daunting task. In this article, you will learn the benefits of picking a reliable payment gateway and how to choose one in the country.

Picking the Right Payment Gateway in Saudi Arabia

If you want to compete in this highly competitive e-commerce market, you need to create an edge over the competition.  One easy way of doing this is through a seamless checkout process. You should accept payments through multiple modes and offer a quick and secure payment process.

This reduces bounce rates for your store, increases sales conversion and improves customer retention rates. All this is possible if you have an idea about how to get a payment gateway in the country. The best payment gateways verify each customer’s billing information and then approve requests. It is the only way to guarantee fast and secure payments at your e-store.

Below are some of the factors that will prove helpful in choosing the right payment system provider for your e-store in Saudi Arabia.

  1. Application Process and Time Frame for Execution

When shopping for a good payment system for your e-store, make sure you consider how long it will take to integrate the system into your store. In a fast-paced market like Saudi Arabia, you don’t want to lose any time because potential customers will move on to the competition. Look for a payment system that won’t take long to implement.

  1. Consider Your Business Needs

Most payment system providers will not tell you this but you have to evaluate your business needs when it comes to payments. Some providers will sell features which you don’t need for your startup in Saudi Arabia and these will eat into your revenues.  Talk to your team and create a checklist of the things you need in a payment system.

  1. Fees

Consider all the fees included in the software and check whether they will fit into your budget. The fee structure provided by the payment system provider should suit your business needs and the budget you have set. Compare the rates to other providers in the market to identify the best deal.

  1. Security

This is the most crucial aspect of payment gateways that you have to consider. Look for PCI-compliance, SSL encryption 128-Bit encryption, digital signature, Dynamic IPs and other security features and guarantee on the network. Never compromise on the security of the payment network you wish to use because this can ruin your business.

  1. Customer Experience

One of the most crucial aspects of a good payment system is the quality of customer experience provided. Make sure that the payment process is seamless and convenient for customers and also accepts multiple payment options. More importantly, go for mobile-optimized gateways to give a seamless user experience to mobile users at your store.

As the e-commerce industry in Saudi Arabia continues its relentless forward march, you have to strategize how to position your business to tap into the limitless opportunities available. Using the right gateway for your payment processing is a smart way of boosting customer acquisition and customer retention, increasing sales conversion, enhancing customer loyalty and much more.

5 years ago
4 brand strategies to acquire and retain customers
Mohab Growth Hacks 0

4 brand strategies to acquire and retain customers

Growing a business in today’s competitive environment is not easy. While a globalized market provides a larger market base, it also presents a plethora of challenges, including global competition, higher costs of operations, complex business licensing among other issues. However, you can still gain a competitive edge in your industry through a clear-cut strategy for customer acquisition and retention. Most business owners focus primarily on customer acquisition while overlooking customer retention, which leads to poor performance. There are some unique brand strategies that can help you to acquire customers while at the same time reducing churn rates. This article explores some of these strategies. Read on.

  1. Providing flexible payment options

For your business to survive in this competitive environment, you must provide an excellent user experience. The way potential customers interact with your business from the beginning to the end determines whether they will shop from you or walk away. From the moment a customer lands on your online store to the moment they complete payment, the experience should be seamless.

It is advisable to partner with a payment solutions company to enable online payments for your customers. The payment gateway you use should allow for safe, flexible, and secure payments and this will win you, customers while building loyalty among existing ones.

  1. Be authentic and consistent

When starting a business, every entrepreneur has an objective and to achieve this; there is a need to provide a consistent user experience. To acquire customers, your brand must prove over time that it can provide exquisite services. Potential customers must feel the need to associate with your brand and you achieve this by not only providing outstanding products and services but by being authentic and consistent. Make sure you have an authentic voice and provide a seamless user experience always as this will help you acquire new customers and retain the existing ones.

  1. Provide value to your customers

Anyone can start a business, but the only enterprise that can survive is the one that offers value to the customer. Whatever your business idea, make sure it adds value to your potential customers. In a world where consumers are lost for choice, there is a need to distinguish yourself by creating an impact in the life of your customers. Don’t push your products or services in the face of potential customers, but instead, show how these can impact positively on their lives. This is a branding strategy that not only attracts new customers but also helps retain existing ones.

  1. Incentivize customer referrals

As your business grows, you need to boost loyalty by creating a loyalty program. This is a great customer retention strategy. However, you can also use this as a branding strategy to acquire new customers by incentivizing customers for their referrals. Customers love rewards and they will spread the good word about your brand by word of mouth. This is a creative way of making the most out of your loyalty program. You will not only boost customer retention through this strategy, but you will also interest existing customers to stick around longer.

When you take payments online, incentivize customers for their referrals, provide a consistent user experience, and add value to your customer’s life, you will easily acquire and retain your customers. These are just a few of the branding strategies which help you to acquire and retain customers at the same time. These two-prong strategies will not only promote brand loyalty, but also increase sales conversion, enhance ROI, improve customer satisfaction rating, and much more. It is important to review and evaluate these strategies constantly to ensure they meet the set objectives.

5 years ago
6 ways your billing system can improve customer retention
Mohab Growth Hacks 0

6 ways your billing system can improve customer retention

As a business owner, you need to appreciate the importance of customer retention. A solid customer retention strategy helps save money on marketing, boosts repeat sales, accords your business free word of mouth advertising, reduces customer churn rate, builds a loyal customer base and helps collect invaluable feedback from your customers.  A study by Reichheld of Bain & Company published on the Harvard Business Review says acquiring one customer is 5-25% more expensive than retaining an existing one. The same study shows a 5% increase in customer retention rates boosts profits by 25% to 95%. There’s no overemphasizing the importance of customer retention in today’s overly competitive business landscape.

One of the most effective strategies for online businesses to build loyalty among the existing customers is to take payments online. If you have been wondering how you can improve your online business fortunes, this article highlights the importance of a billing system in customer retention. Read on.

  1. Personalize the customer’s experience

One of the most conspicuous changes in business marketing is increasing focus on personalization. The modern day consumer has become accustomed to customized experiences everywhere they go to including Facebook, online shopping sites and utility service providers.

If you have a billing system, make sure you offer a tailored experience to retain your customers. Provide a single customer account interface and provide real-time processing. The customer needs to own the billing process and you must ensure this by using a payment gateway which you can customize.

  1. Reduce involuntary churn

The modern shopper has an infamous short attention span and they want instant gratification. While most consumers make conscious decisions to leave an online store, others walk away due to weak technology. This is involuntary churn and you must avoid it in your billing system. Make sure your billing system offers automatic retry, account updater services and multiple payment options in case the primary one fails. The rule of thumb is never to allow a problematic payment get in the way of customer relationship.

  1. Use a self-Service portal to provide a better user experience

The best billing system comes with a one-stop-shop portal where customers can complete all transactions. Most of your customers today have a lot of tech know-how and they want to stay in control. A self-service portal reduces waiting times and poor satisfaction levels caused by your delayed customer resolution to issues.

  1. Provide flexible payment options

The modern shopper wants a variety of choices in everything and when it comes to online payments, your billing system must offer convenience. It is no wonder then that a recent YouGov survey published on the Retail Technology Review says 50% of shoppers cancel a purchase if their preferred payment method is unavailable on a site. Simply put, your billing system must accommodate multiple payments to avoid customer churn.

  1. Improve system efficiency

In the online business ecosystem, you need systems operating like clockwork. If you accept payments online, your billing system should offer a seamless experience. The system should provide crucial information instantly to both the customer and your customer service team. This, in turn, leads to higher customer ratings and reduced customer defections.

  1. Leverage billing data for better service delivery

Data is one of the most crucial assets that any business can invest in today. Now that you have a self-service portal on your billing system, you can collect invaluable data which will help create memorable customer experiences. You can monitor customers’ preferences, offer custom content on email marketing, contact a specific customer to follow up on any changes in their service portal and so much more.

There are many other ways your billing system can improve customer retention levels for your business. It is a seamless platform to build an engaging relationship with your customers, improve the user experience, provide a personalized experience, and offer payment convenience. With an efficient payment system on your online store, you are already on the right path in your customer retention journey.

6 years ago
Quick Secrets to Successful User Onboarding
Mohab Ecommerce 0

Quick Secrets to Successful User Onboarding

The rapid development of the e-commerce industry necessitates equally fast adjustments from business owners. One of the most important aspects of an online business is user experience and this is where your business will fail or succeed.  By embracing new technologies, online businesses can now provide a seamless user experience, thus gaining a competitive edge. Online payment platforms are among these critical technologies every online business must embrace in its endeavor for improved UX. If you plan to leverage a new payment platform on your website, it is important to consider user onboarding. This entails increasing the chances that new users become successful when adopting your application. It is the most crucial yet frustrating element of a product launch because it determines the first impression. As they say, first impressions are crucial and for this reason, developers and website owners must learn how to improve user onboarding. This article tackles some crucial things a software developer should consider to help users find new value and success when using their product. Read on.

Why User Onboarding Matters

When thinking of customer retention in e-commerce, most business owners adopt a wait-and-see approach. The idea is to wait for a few weeks after a product launches on the website and start making changes that will hopefully retain users.

  • Sells Your Products Value Proposition

Now, internet users have an infamously short attention span and this is enough reason to develop an intuitive onboarding experience. Such an experience enlightens users in the essentials of the payment solutions system. User onboarding sells your product’s value propositions and helps users experience the benefits as fast as possible thus reducing the possibility of dropping out.

  • Greater Conversions

It is important to appreciate that great conversions are about proving to customers your product’s value and full potential in the product launch and trial. User onboarding is crucial not only in improving the growth rate of users on your e-commerce platform and revenue but also in customer retention.

  • Customer Retention

Customer retention has now emerged as a more important business objective surpassing acquisition. In essence, user onboarding is a chance to create a great first impression. In this case, once the software user installs your product, they expect to get value and that’s what user onboarding is about.

  • Setting the Tone Of Interactions

Remember, the first experience a user has on the software sets the tone for your relationship and determines whether this will be a long-term interaction.

Small Tweaks to Make User Onboarding Work 

While user onboarding remains a nascent aspect of website development, some trendsetters have already charted the way. Some of the little things you can do make your online payment gateway work during the launch phase include:

  1. Setting realistic expectations: Show users where they are in the process of using the payment system and how far they have to go. Through the Endowed Progress Effect, you will motivate them to complete the steps and own the process.
  2. Map User Journeys/Tailor the experience: You need to understand the users’ persona to map their journey when using the product. What are the user’s needs, goals and motivations when using the payment application on your site? Are they worried about the cost? Do they need some education about the product? Try tailoring the product to suit the diverse needs of target users.
  3. Offer a compelling value proposition early: You must communicate the value proposition early enough through a simple, clear description of what makes your payment system unique. Make sure you help the user understand cost implications and benefits of the software early to spur further interest.
  4. Simplify: Simplicity is underrated in website development, yet it makes the difference between a successful system and a failed one. Keep things simple in the free trial form, a name, an email, or a social login such as Google or Facebook will work great for user onboarding.
  5. Choose a specific end goal for your user to reach: Make sure you understand where you want users to end the process and what is to be achieved there. Remember always to put the user’s goals first and not your product’s goals.
  6. Reduce friction: A poor sign-up process can ruin the onboarding. While friction will occur due to questions and permissions, you can reduce it through good interface design. Try to decrease form completion time through online form validation and build trust through customer reviews, and testimonials throughout the process.
  7. Use guided interactions: This educates and familiarizes users with the core features of the software.

These are just a few of the little things you can do when learning how to integrate payment gateway.  It will make the onboarding process successful leading to increased customer retention.

6 years ago