Introduction for my 3D Configurator Business and my problems

[Fiete]

Hello, my name is Fiete and I come from near Hamburg (Germany).


Briefly about my background:


I built an agency ECommerce agency with 18 years as Co Founder which is specialized in Shopify, Shopware and WooCommerce store development. We ran the agency with this business model from 2019-2021.


Our Company: Konfiguratoren - Automation & Visualisierung - WeimannMedia


Then in 2021, one of our clients asked if we could also develop a 3D product configurator. Together we developed a test project and we enjoyed it so much that we said we would only specialize in configurators. We then wrote a business plan and rebuilt our business model and branding.


Here is an example of one of our 3D configurators:

Konfigurator

kuechen.outdoor-kochen.net

At the moment we develop the configurators completely by ourselves. We have already built a few frameworks together but it is not a SaaS model. That's why the price is between 20.000€- 70.000€. The price is a one-time payment, we still offer service contracts but we don't have a big monthly recurring income. Currently we sell it only in Germany.


The product configurator is interesting for several target groups:

- E-commerce & Brands (time saving, increase conversion rate, process optimization, reduce marketing budget...)
- B2B & Industry (CPQ solution for sales)
- Retail


We are currently at a standstill and do not know what to do, so I would just like to get opinions from outside. I hope you can help me.


Here are my questions:


1. we offer the configurator to all the target groups i described above. This means that there is no uniform process and we do not address any target group directly in our branding, but rather generally what advantages a configurator has.


Does it make sense to specialize in one target group or should we just offer different solutions for the different target groups?



2) We currently have a strong problem in prospecting, in sales we have a coverage rate of 67% which is actually quite good.


Currently we only have a cold mailing campaign for prospecting which goes to a free workshop on the benefits of a configurator for the company and how to integrate it.


Which sales strategy and which sales channel would you recommend to us?

I know there are a lot of questions - but I appreciate any help. Thanks a lot in advance!

Best regards from Germany, Fiete.

 

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[Jobless]

Focus on competitors of already existing customers.

Showcase how the configurator has helped customers and in turn increased sales / profit etc.

Act as customers of target company and ask if they have a 3D configurator, later contact them. Plant seeds.

Go to trade shows and let people try the configurators.

I don't like the "free workshop" method. Do not use the word 'free' or try to mask what the workshop is really about.

Focus more on recurring plans and try to reduce the one-off payments by focusing on a niche that has worked well, where you can easily replicate the 3D configurator. This may require to go outside German market.

Stipulate that you will receive a % of revenue on orders made through the configurator.

 

[Nikolche]

Try to change the business model of the platform itself. Implement a subscription model and give potential customers a free trial.
It is best to have a website that will represent the product in the best way and direct all leads there.
You have to constantly work on improving the product, you have competition, look at what they are doing and try to implement what they have and you don't. Also to make up for their shortcomings.
For further marketing, it is best to consult a marketing specialist and have him create a detailed marketing strategy.
At the moment, an idea came to me that you can make all this in the form of a plug-in and sell it all over the world, to a specific target audience that is engaged in making custom-made furniture. That way customers will be able to create their own kitchen or whatever. And the subscription will be paid by the owner of the site.