Dear Ecom Owners, Get Off The Free Plan!
Listen, we all like getting things for free. Free snacks, free coffee, you name it, free is great. I'm always looking for freebies or deals that can help me out.
Real Talk, though… How long can a business survive without converting freebies into paying and loyal customers? Are your customers only there for the hopes of freebies?
The problem is that your business can’t survive giving away things for free. Why is software expected to be free?
Go to your Shopify admin panel and see how many apps are being used in your shop.
I bet there are apps you don't remember installing or even what the app does.
It's time to say goodbye permalink
If you don't remember the last time you opened up an app admin panel, it's time to uninstall it. The plan here is to clean up your life and make things easier to manage in your business. Another app won't save you, no matter how cool and shiny it is.
Another dashboard won't save you from the SAAS SOUP. More apps won't help you figure out your business problems. Think of the apps you add to your business as a bonsai tree on your desk. Take time to learn, prune, and hone the craft.
Setting expectations permalink
This one is important. I use plenty of free apps. However, I understand that I need to set my expectations. Here are a couple of things to think about regarding how you pay versus expectations of service
- Do you want answers to technical questions about how our app works? Fire off those questions.
- Do you want me to look at your specific usage and give recommendations? Less likely.
- Do you want me to work with you on a deep-dive project to maximize the usefulness of the software? Nope.
Take time to learn the tools you are using. Can you figure out a solution that works for you without needing to get in touch with support? Reaching out to Support Being on the front lines of handling customers who have inflated expectations can be exhausting. People are coming in way too hot in the support
Hearing the notification bell go off multiple times as somebody who has to field these inflated expectations tends to signal that this interaction will be rough. Don’t worry I treat everybody who comes through the support channels the same whether they are paying us, or not.
Now picture this scenario:
You found an incredible tool, it has a free plan. However, you got distracted by the free part and missed the limitations part. You get frustrated with some features in the app. You come cursing in all CAPS to the chat.
Let’s consider some of the implications:
First, this is a great way to ruin your brand's reputation with support. I have a list of brands I won't buy from or recommend because of bad experiences.
Second, take some time to learn the tool and decide if you need to contact support for help.
We are sending communications and emails from laptops probably from a couch or comfy office desk. I can’t think of a single situation where reaching out to support is Life or Death for your widget business.
Is the support helpful and solves your problem? Upgrade to the paid plan. Paying for the tools you use and interact with, helps build a connection between your business and the tool maker.
Concentrate your investment in fewer tools that will do more for you, and build relationships for the long term.