How to Further Explode Sales After a Successful Crowdfunding Campaign
For those struggling with what to do after reaching their goal in crowdfunding (hereinafter referred to as "crowdfunding"), I will explain a strategy to smoothly transition to general retail (Amazon, Rakuten Ichiba, etc.) and further increase sales in a way that is easy for beginners to understand.
1. Crowdfunding success is not the goal, but the "start"
Crowdfunding is not only a place for fundraising but also a "zero-order distribution" venue to test market reactions. By not letting the success here end as a temporary boom and instead connecting it to general retail, you can grow the product into a long-seller and scale your business in earnest.
Especially if you hold exclusive distribution rights for overseas products, you are less likely to get caught in price competition and can maintain a strong competitive advantage in general retail.
2. "Essential preparations" before starting general retail
To start general retail smoothly, the following preparations are indispensable.
Complete reward delivery to backers: If you start general retail before shipping to backers is finished, you will lose trust and cause complaints.
Obtain a JAN code (barcode): To sell on major e-commerce malls like Amazon, a JAN code to identify the product is essential.
Confirm legal certifications: Certifications based on relevant laws are required, such as PSE certification or technical conformity marks for gadgets, and the Food Sanitation Act for food products.
Secure inventory and production systems: Set up a system for additional production so that you can ship immediately after receiving orders.
3. Which site should you sell on? (Characteristics of major e-commerce malls)
The royal road to general retail is opening a store on major e-commerce malls with high customer traffic.
Amazon: The advantage is that the store screening process is fast, and by using "FBA" to outsource shipping operations, it is easy to operate even with a small team.
Rakuten Ichiba: The page design is highly customizable, making it suitable if you want to convey the "product story" just like in crowdfunding.
Yahoo! Shopping: Initial costs and monthly fees are free, making it suitable for those who want to start with low risk.
Makuake STORE: If it is a project conducted on Makuake, you can utilize continuous sales at the official store or agency services for listing on major malls.
4. "Pricing" and "Presentation" to avoid failure
Pricing is an extremely important point related to the continuity of your business.
Prices that do not betray backers: Basically, the rule is to set the general retail price higher than the crowdfunding support price. If you sell at a discount early on, backers will feel disadvantaged.
Strategic list price setting: While using "three times the cost price" as a guideline, you should also research the price range of competing products before deciding.
Leverage Crowdfunding Achievements: By posting achievements such as 'Reached 30 million yen in crowdfunding!' and supporter reviews on your product page, you can easily gain trust from general customers.
5. Learn from Success Stories
NANGA (Sleeping Bags): Established a high-quality brand image through crowdfunding and maximized exposure by expanding into multiple e-commerce malls.
SURUTTO (Frying Pan): Achieved #1 in Amazon's new release rankings by utilizing affordable pricing and high-quality reviews collected early on.
ChillSauna (Sauna Bag): Cultivated a niche market and succeeded in media exposure by combining the influence of influencers with crowdfunding achievements.
Summary
The key to success is to transition to general sales systematically without letting the enthusiasm generated by crowdfunding cool down.By formulating 'when, where, and at what price to sell' immediately after the project ends, and by carefully proceeding with each practical task, even beginners can aim to maximize sales.
More detailed information is explained in this article.