As a startup, there might be many channels that you would be exploring to sell your innovative solution. However, if you try to explore where your customers are, you’ll realize cloud marketplaces are the place to be. Invariably, you can leverage the AWS marketplace as a go-to-market channel when you are building and launching your SaaS solution. You can get direct access to millions of customers and can use the platform to build a presence where it matters the most. This article is for all SaaS startups that wish to unlock market activation and are wondering if AWS marketplace is an ideal space to be in.
Selling SaaS in AWS Marketplace for Startups
If you are a startup founder, AWS marketplace for startups is a great platform to create a presence in the right ecosystem to boost your sales. On the one hand, there are several benefits you can capitalize on to boost your sales. On the other hand, we have consolidated a few proven practices that can help you make the most of these benefits. Furthermore, with SaaSify Program for Startups, startups can get started with selling on AWS marketplace without any effort in a cost effective manner.5 AWS marketplace for startups: Benefits with SaaSify
Let’s quickly start with the top 5 reasons why selling in AWS marketplace for startups can be a golden opportunity for you to make a dent to your SaaS business and how SaaSify helps.1. Receive instant success
As a startup, gaining market credibility can take time, which results in longer sales cycles. However, when you sell in the AWS marketplace, you can close deals faster. Since you are selling through a credible platform, customers associate the same trust with your brand and make decisions faster. Invariably, you are able to receive instant success which boosts company morale and even acts as a proof of concept for subsequent sales. Pro tip: Use SaaSify to go live within a week without making any engineering changes and leverage pre-built integrations with AWS marketplace with APIs and webhooks for instant success.2. Access a big market opportunity
The market opportunity in the AWS marketplace for startups is unparalleled. With 2 million+ active subscriptions, you will have direct access to customers looking for software that you are selling. Furthermore, most of these customers have pre-committed AWS spends that they will spend on your solution more seamlessly than the conventional route. At the same time, most enterprises today have shown a propensity to buying solutions through the cloud marketplaces, to avoid multiple vendor management and procurement friction. Finally, the market opportunity doesn’t come only from customers but also from resellers and other partners who further expand your potential customer base. Pro tip: Use SaaSify to create private and public offers to reach millions of new customers who prefer using cloud marketplaces than other sales channels.3. Showcase success to investors
As a startup founder, receiving investments and funding is likely to be on one of the top positions of your priority list. When you have cloud marketplace commitment from your customers, it can be a critical factor impacting your funding potential positively. Since it shows that you already have future commitments secure, investors are likely to see your product as more credible, leading to greater valuation and funding. Pro tip: Use SaaSify to build start selling from day one and even explore co-selling to drive high cloud sales and showcase early returns.4. Leverage ease of billing and operations
Most startups have a lean team and managing billing and operations for a large number of customers can be extremely difficult. However, when you sell through the AWS marketplace for startups, you don’t have to worry about billing your customers. Rather, your customer billing happens through AWS as a part of their consolidated deal. After the billing, you receive the payment from AWS based on your contract with AWS. Metering, billing, payment collection, everything is taken care of by AWS, ensuring that you can focus on your core business. Pro tip: Use SaaSify to create transactable offers where the onus of entire transaction is taken over by AWS marketplace and you simply receive the payment at the end of the cycle.5. Participate in the AWS Startup Program
Finally, AWS runs the AWS Startup Program to provide the push and the boost that startups might need to achieve success in their marketplace journey. With a combination of technical enablement, go-to-market and sales enablement, this program provides startups with the support to build, market and sell their solutions.Pro tip: Use SaaSify expertise and GTM advisory to understand AWS startup program offerings, benefits, requirements are and how to use them.Build
White glove support for listing along with $10,000 in AWS credits, to offset integration costs for launching an initial paid listing.Market
Promotion of your SaaS app through AWS Marketplace solutions page with feature opportunities resources from Seller GTM Academy.Sell
AWS manages billing, metering, payment collection and financial reporting, you receive AWS lead and opportunity referrals and access customer’s Enterprise Discount Program (EDP) commitment. Don’t forget to check out the eligibility requirements for the AWS Marketplace Startup Program to get started.AWS marketplace for startups: Best practices
If you are convinced that AWS marketplace is where your startup should be selling its solution, it is important to understand some of the best practices that can help you accelerate your marketplace journey from 0-1.Market with APN
The AWS Partner Network offers several opportunities for marketplace sellers to market their solutions in a way that yields maximum visibility. You can participate in joint webinars, get featured in launches, targeted landing pages, and content published on AWS startup pages, blog posts, etc. It is important to focus on a combination of the forces to ensure that you are able to reach customers across the globe, frequently.Align your solution with AWS offerings
As a startup, you will have a clear value proposition about the need you are trying to address. However, when selling in the AWS marketplace for startups, it is equally important to align your USP with the AWS ecosystem. The major reason that customers are preferring purchasing through cloud marketplaces is because they get all solutions at one place. Therefore, if you are able to align your solution with others in the ecosystem and how it fits in the ecosystem, chances of your sales will be higher. Put simply, customers will be able to see the shared value you will deliver for them, not as a stand alone proposition.Prepare your sales teams
Finally, AWS marketplace for startups as a sales channel is different from how your teams have been selling conventionally. With the Pay-as-you-go model and transaction charges, the incentives for your team might need to be discussed again. However, what is important is to equip your team with the right resources and incentives that work well for AWS marketplace for startups, including the pitch they make and what they take home.
SaaSify: SaaS enablement to drive success with AWS marketplace for startups
As we draw this to a close, it is clear that startups can find unique opportunities if they start selling in the AWS marketplace. As a SaaS enablement platform, there are several ways in which partnership with SaaSify can empower startups to up their AWS marketplace for startups game:
- Go live within days to accelerate deals and proof of success, without engineering changes
- Complete onboarding and listing support for all teams, finance, sales, etc. to understand the marketplace transact model
- Automatically provision SaaS accounts in your cloud subscriptions or customer-owned subscriptions
- Advanced analytics on transactions, payouts/collections, taxes, fees to stay up-to-date on subscription lifecycle events
- Integrations with your favorite tools like Microsoft Teams, Slack, Salesforce, Dynamics 365, HubSpot, Marketo
If you start your AWS marketplace for startups journey today, you will reap benefits in the years to come. You will not only get access to millions of customers, but will also be a part of a growing ecosystem, where collaborations can take you to places.
In addition to the benefits mentioned above, as you mature in your journey, you can explore opportunities for co-selling with AWS marketplace for startups and other partners in the APN that can help you cross sell your solution and reach customers across the globe. To get started in your AWS marketplace for startups journey, you need to get your first listing right and SaaSify is the best partner to trust. Book a demo today to know more.
