Marketing Plan For Web-Based ERP Software
7.0 Distribution Strategies
7.1 Distribution Objectives
· Delivering right products to right customers.
· Selling products in different geographical locations properly.
· Improving company’s brand by extending marketing channels to ensure stable services within customer
- STANDING TECH. Company aims to build trust within customers by increasing distribution channels
- More physical places for selling and support services increases customers trust and also improves STANDING TECH. ‘s brand
- Extending distribution channels to other cities that the company’s office not exist.
- Finding proper distributor (retailer, broker, agents) for selling the product properly.
7.2 Channel Design
· Direct Distribution: By using Website, Company’s agents, and company’s main office and sub-offices.
· Indirect Distribution: Contracting with individual agents, brokers, and some effective retailers.
- STANDING TECH. company focusing on direct distribution because this product require more customization and configuration that must be maintained by developers, also, STANDING TECH. Company not willing to distribute source-code and compliers for re-generation the software by third parties. It depends mainly on its developers and experienced agents to direct selling and product customization to create exactly what customer required and to estimate the price properly.
- Another reason is to building direct relations with customers (that most of them are small companies) for other long-term benefit.
7.3 Direct Distribution
7.3.1 Website
· For providing detailed specification.
· Automated system for estimating price according to customer input.
· Providing Help-Desk support system for managing customers help and support requests.
· Providing shopping cart system that supports online ordering (Credit Card).
- STANDING TECH. Company uses its website for managing customers, the website used as main contact and main information-exchange for Internal and External uses also, Indirect channels also must use the website for recording customers and their requests.
- Providing detailed information on customers and their records for business use because centralized information can be managed easily.
7.3.2 Formal Channels
· Formal agents and developers are STANDING TECH. Company’s employee that directly allowed to sell specific products and each of them manage limited number of customers.
· Agents and Developers distributed among company’s offices, and some of them allowed to work separately.
· Formal channels includes those channels that directly managed by STANDING TECH. Company including (Agents and Developers, Main and sub offices).
- STANDING TECH. Company aims to manage all transactions directly by its staff for ensuring good-value services and product during transactions, also for preventing over-charging customers via indirect channels.
7.4 Indirect Distribution
7.4.1 Retailers
· Retailers: Contracting with some popular retailers that can increases sales and refers more customers.
· Retailers not allowed to sell the product directly, however, a percent of revenue will be shared with retails if the product sold in its line.
- STANDING TECH. company tries to maintain its prices in all channels for ensure consistency
- Retailers not able to sell the product directly because they require developers to build customers requirements and also to create support and maintenance contracts formally.
- Promotions will be offered to retailers like (10% of revenue, or $500 for each customer)
7.4.2 Other individuals (Agents)
Informal agents includes those individuals that not employee of STANDING TECH.’s company, they allowed to promote the product and then send the customer to one of company’s offices, the same strategy will be used like retailers (offering percent of revenue or constant value for each new customer).
7.5 Other direct distribution
· Leaflets: publishing leaflets is other effective way in some newspapers with special discount promotion, by providing toll-free numbers, a direct response of some customers expected.
· The same idea will be used in some TV channels and Radio broadcasting.
- Publishing leaflets in some newspapers in active pages or like appendix that interested customers will be discounted for better improving that program.
- Using same idea in TV programs, Radio and also joining International and local trade-shows for direct presentations and offering some special products.
