Good Better Best

Good Better Best focuses on strategies and trends in pricing and packaging predominantly in the SaaS industry. It covers freemium models, pricing page optimization, the impact of acquisitions on pricing, and strategies for raising prices or moving away from free plans, drawing insights from major companies.

Pricing Strategies SaaS Industry Trends Product Packaging Market Entry Strategies Customer Acquisition Brand Positioning Customer Feedback Competitive Analysis

The hottest Substack posts of Good Better Best

And their main takeaways

A Guide to Pricing Research, Part II

2 implied HN points • 13 Mar 24
💼 Business
  1. Internal data is crucial for successful pricing research, focusing on areas like SaaS metrics, product usage data, sales data, and customer interviews.
  2. Key internal data categories include SaaS metrics like LTV:CAC, ACV, and NDR.
  3. Using product usage data, sales data, and customer interviews can provide valuable insights for pricing strategy.

A Guide to Pricing Research, Part I

3 implied HN points • 23 Feb 24
💼 Business Customer Insights
  1. Start pricing research externally with quantitative surveys, using methodologies like MaxDiff, Conjoint, Van Westendorp, and Gabor Granger to understand customer preferences and price sensitivity.
  2. Consider using survey vendors like Qualtrics, QuestionPro, SawTooth, or Conjointly based on your product, team sophistication, and target market for data collection.
  3. For deeper insights, conduct qualitative interviews to explore nuances and motivations behind pricing decisions, ensuring flexibility, validity, and complementing quantitative efforts.

State of SaaS Pricing with Alvaro Morales, CEO of Orb

3 implied HN points • 09 Feb 24
💼 Business SaaS Pricing Pricing Models
  1. SaaS companies like Squarespace, Clearbit, and Slack are making pricing changes to align value metrics, add features, and adjust discounts.
  2. Interest in pricing is growing in the SaaS industry due to the impact on revenue, customer-centricity, and the need for efficient business growth.
  3. Orb, a developer-centric billing engine, aims to make pricing a product by offering tools for iterative pricing changes and flexible billing structures.
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SaaS Shrinkflation

6 implied HN points • 28 Jul 23
🕹 Technology SaaS Pricing Software AI
  1. SaaS companies are implementing Shrinkflation by reducing usage limits while keeping prices the same.
  2. The debate between PLG and SLG in SaaS focuses on removing friction for customers.
  3. Recent SaaS trends aim to make it easier for small teams to build products and offer outcome-based solutions.

Hubspot's Pricing Evolution

5 implied HN points • 11 Aug 23
💼 Business SaaS Pricing Competitive Analysis
  1. Hubspot's pricing strategy evolved over the years with various models like flat rate, usage tiers, and freemium.
  2. Pricing pages are crucial for positioning a brand clearly to potential customers.
  3. Understanding power law pricing and avoiding discounts can be beneficial for SaaS companies.

5 SaaS Pricing Tactics to Drive Profitability

3 implied HN points • 29 Sep 23
💼 Business SaaS Pricing
  1. SaaS companies are focusing on increasing profitability by adjusting the value-to-price ratio.
  2. Tactics include lowering usage limits but changing prices, plan consolidation, and implementing fake discounts.
  3. For SaaS companies, raising prices is a simple yet effective strategy to boost revenue.

Beware of Price Cliffs

4 implied HN points • 04 Aug 23
💼 Business SaaS Pricing Subscription Model Messaging
  1. Pricing changes shouldn't be scary - customer pushback can be handled confidently.
  2. Identify pricing thresholds ('price cliffs') where demand could drop sharply.
  3. When messaging customers about a price increase, explain reasons clearly and offer options to adjust their plan.

👋🏼 SaaS companies are getting rid of freemium

3 implied HN points • 21 Apr 23
💼 Business SaaS Pricing Monetization Market research Community Engagement
  1. SaaS companies are getting rid of freemium plans recently.
  2. Use clear storytelling principles on your pricing page: build for someone, use resonating names, offer clear value propositions, focus on benefits not features, and provide expanding detail.
  3. Consider different strategies for pricing research based on the nature of your product and market.

How to sell against free 💼

3 implied HN points • 01 Mar 23
💼 Business Marketing Technology Finance Services Sales
  1. Uber's diversification into food and grocery delivery gives them pricing power within ride-sharing.
  2. When selling against free competitors, reframe the conversation to reveal the hidden costs of using free tools.
  3. Apple's services revenue, including subscriptions, surpasses that of major companies like Nike and McDonald's combined.