How to expand to US and Europe market?

Discussions
#1

We are running a small software business, providing people counting and audience measurement services to digital signage and retail businesses.

The goal of the software is to count visitors of the store, so that owner can calculate conversion and motivate staff or optimize advertising campaigns.

Similar to this, digital signage networks owners use this to count how many people looked to the ad and charge their customers accordingly. In other words, they verify impressions.

Currently, we operate on the local market only, where we used to go and communicate with business owners directly, trying to convince them to buy our product.

We’d like to expand to global market, but seem to have got stuck. The thing is, people rarely search for solutions like this. ‘People counting’ and ‘audience measurement’ keywords are searched about 1000-3000 per month, globally. Usually, people do not know that they need such solution.

We’ve tried to contact some companies directly, but there were only 1% of answers and no sales.

The question is: what would you do if you were in our situation? how would you promote the software like this? SEO or some sort of direct communications or smth. else?

Our product’s website is http://gocount.net

P.S. By the way, our software is able to estimate person’s age and gender using webcam, so you can make some fun using our trial version :slight_smile:

#2

It certainly seems like useful software, which can provide valuable information. In fact, it seems like a solution with such broad appeal, I wonder if you should look for VC funding. Funding would let you market your product at retail trade shows, set up an office in a target market and make sales calls, etc.

Smaller retailers may want a turnkey system they can install instead of having to build something and add your software. Larger retailers may want an enterprise license to cover all their stores. Both may want a way to export time-stamped data from your system for use in other programs, and possibly a way to run the software completely locally (i.e. no internet connection).

I think your site could use some bolder, clearer statements about what your product does. Right now it’s kind of lost in the text blocks. Compare your site with: https://www.appointmentreminder.org/ http://www.helpspot.com/

You might want a video demonstrating your software working on people of different races/skin colors.

#3

This software looks really cool!

Have you tried connection with potential local resellers. For example I can imagine sellers of Point of Sale software may consider this a useful add on for their product.

#4

You’re right - people don’t know it’s possible so they’re unlikely to search for it, but your goal is to raise awareness in your targeted segments.

I think Facebook or LinkedIn ads might be useful here. Target people who ‘like’ or work at digital signage networks. Find those outside your country by Googling. I think the sales teams are very likely the best place to hit, if you can think of how to do that. They typically get the budgets, understand the needs of their own customers and will whine until they get their toys.

You might not get immediate conversions but get in front of them a few times just to start. Maybe give individuals a sales call once you’ve been at it a few months. If not, rinse and repeat. If you can get them to start searching for relevant terms, you win.

(Edit. I’m guessing some of the customers of the networks will also ‘like’ their pages, so you might find they start demanding the face AI magic :slight_smile: )

#5

Hi Steve,

Thank you for suggested websites. I agree, their messaging is really good.

VC funding is a good idea, but we will need to improve our understanding as well. It seems like, small overseas retailers are not our audience, since they will really not bother about buying hardware, setting up camera and etc. Larger retailers seem to be a good target. We will work towards this.

Thanks,

  • Ratibor.
#6

Hi Craig,

Thank you for response.

We are working with local resellers. We never thought about partnering with POS software vendors. It seems to be a good idea. What do you think, how can they benefit from adding our software to their systems?

Thanks,

  • Ratibor.
#7

Hi Richard,

Thank you suggestion. Sales teams is a good target, I agree. We will try to follow your advise.

Thanks,

  • Ratibor.
#8

We reworked the message on the main page of the website. We’ve tried to make it more clear and concentrate on how potential customers can benefit from our software.

We would appreciate any feedback on this.

#9

I wish more people would respond to your thread, as you have interesting challenges and there are a lot of experts here. My impression is that the message could be clearer. For example: http://www.helpspot.com/ For example, there’s a big headline and a block of text which covers the key points about the product.

From Idea to $1,100/revenue in 30 Days
#10

That’s good point, but we can not put all the intro info to such a small block. Probably that is the main issue - to find proper sentense to explain the idea shortly. We will keep working towards this goal.

#11

Maybe something like “Powerful demographics for signage and retail”? I think the point is to generate interest in visitors to read the rest of the page.

#12

Thank you for suggestion, Steve.

The slogan is really great. We are looking for the wordpress theme to fit the new home page structure.

What if we add “counting”?

Powerful counting and demographics for signage and retail.

I like this.