Some of the most popular platforms among post-crowdfunding campaign creators are Indiegogoo InDemand and Amazon Launchpad, while others choose to launch their own ecommerce site. To help you make your decision, let’s take a look at these three options in more detail.
#1 IndieGoGo InDemand
The first and probably most popular option among campaign creators is Indiegogo InDemand. The InDemand feature on Indiegogo allows successful campaigns from Kickstarter or Indiegogo to easily continue taking pre-orders for as long as they please. “How do I know if this is for me?”, you ask. Well, InDemand might be the best option for you if you are still in the production phase of your project and don’t yet have inventory on hand. It is a good “in-between” step and allows you to continue to build momentum for your product.
Benefits of InDemand:
- Continue to take pre-orders without inventory on hand
- Continue to grow your community and followers
- Take advantage of Indiegogo’s ability to reach over 15 million visitors each month
- Receive ongoing exposure from Indiegogo’s newsletter, blog and social media pages
Moving your campaign to InDemand is simple. Project creators who originally ran a campaign on Indiegogo can simply opt into InDemand. When your campaign ends, it will automatically roll into InDemand. Project creators who crowdfunded on Kickstarter can create an Indiegogo account before the end of their Kickstarter campaign, move their page to the Indiegogo platform, and be ready to go at the end of their campaign. Still have questions? Check out Indiegogo’s InDemand FAQ page here: https://support.indiegogo.com/hc/en-us/articles/204092046.
#2 Amazon Launchpad
Maybe you aren’t quite ready to manage your own ecommerce site but you have inventory on hand and you’re ready to start selling on a larger scale. If so, Amazon Launchpad can be a great transition point to begin selling your product online or become your main tool for taking orders.
In June 2015, Amazon Launchpad was created to be a “one-stop-shop” for young tech companies, offering marketing and sales services rolled into one package. Just last year Amazon announced the opening of a dedicated shop for successful Kickstarter projects. When using Amazon Launchpad, creators have access to a variety of useful tools for small business, such as custom product pages, comprehensive marketing packages and access to Amazon’s global fulfillment network, to name a few. Amazon Launchpad has a working relationship with Kickstarter and Indiegogo to make it an easy transition from crowdfunding to mass distribution.
To get started on Amazon Launchpad you’ll need to make sure you can confirm an initial order and ship a load of products to Amazon’s fulfillment centers. Amazon will then use the order to determine whether there is a genuine demand for your product. Once you have everything in place you’re ready to begin selling!
Benefits of Amazon Launchpad:
- “One-stop-shop”
- Useful service point for small business in need of help
- User friendly
- Opportunities for in-house advertising
- Connects startups with resources and service providers they will need in order to establish themselves
- Saves small business owners time and money
# 3 Ecommerce Site
You’ve ran a successful crowdfunding campaign and are ready to start selling your product on an ecommerce site. In most cases, this step comes after project creators have not only run a successful crowdfunding campaign, but they’ve also moved over to Indiegogo InDemand until their product is ready to be shipped to the masses. If you’ve already shipped out your Kickstarter rewards and have inventory available to ship you’re ready to reach new customers through an ecommerce site. Some of the most popular ecommerce hosting sites are WordPress, Shopify, WooCommerce and Wix.
Although a lot of the same principles you may have learned during your crowdfunding campaign can also apply to your new business venture, transitioning from Kickstarter to an online store can be a complicated process. There are several steps you’ll need to take to ensure success. Make sure you have done your research, and you might want to consider hiring a marketing agency like Enventys Partners who knows the ins and outs of ecommerce and crowdfunding marketing.
Benefits of Starting an Ecommerce Site:
- Keep your momentum going
- Reliable way to attract new customers to your business
- Continue to take orders every day and build your business
In the end, whether you decide to go through all of these steps, one of them or none at all, be sure to keep your backers updated on your progress and follow through on your reward shipment. Remember that they were the first ones to support your brilliant idea, and you’ll want their help spreading the word so that your company can continue to grow.
If you need some guidance to determine next steps after a crowdfunding project, please get in touch or request a quote.
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