Marketing and sales: how we do it

Marketing and sales of software products

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Marketing and sales

HOW WE WILL PROMOTE AND DISTRIBUTE YOUR SOFTWARE PRODUCT,

if your product is absolutely NEW or new for a certain market

Entering the market with a new software product and successfully promoting it is a complex but manageable process.

Here’s a step-by-step approach to inflow a new software product and ensure it gains traction:

1. Research and Positioning

Before launching, it's crucial to lay a solid foundation:

To identify Target Audience: Who is this software for? It is necessary to define the demographics, industries, and pain points this product solves.
Tp analyze Competitors: Study competitors offering similar solutions. Understand their strengths, weaknesses, and pricing.
Unique Value Proposition (UVP): To highlight what sets this product apart, whether it's features, ease of use, price or innovation. //* low price - is not the best feature.
Beta Testing: If a product is absolutely new - It is useful to release a beta version to a small, relevant audience for feedback and improvement. //* TO DO THIS BEFORE MASS SELLING.

2. Pricing Strategy

To define the pricing strategy for the product:

Freemium Model: It is useful to offer basic features for free and charge for premium features.
Introductory Discounts: To use early-bird pricing or special launch offers to attract initial users.
Subscription Models: To leverage SaaS pricing with monthly/yearly plans for continuous revenue.

3. Advertising and Promotion Channels

Paid Advertising:

Google Ads: To target users searching for relevant solutions with specific keywords.
Social Media Ads: To use platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Reddit, LinkedIn, or TikTok to reach targeted demographics.
Programmatic Ads: Automated ads placed on relevant websites and apps.

Content Marketing:

To start a blog with tutorials, case studies, and thought leadership content. Multi Blogging in several social services, like YouTube, Reddit, X, Facebook, Instagram, etc. are efficient way to promote software products. The main demand for content - it should be interesting. For achieving this we need interesting materials, stories. photos from the software product developer.
To create and publish posts in collective blogs, like Habr, and similar social services.
To create engaging videos, such as demos, explainer videos, and testimonials. The task is to make the content interesting!
To create and publish posts in relevant groups of social networks / social services: publishing in groups of Facebook, publishing in Reddit. Some groups can unite tens of thousands and hundreds of thousands users - targeted potential clients for certain software products.

Influencer Partnerships:

To collaborate with tech influencers, industry bloggers, and YouTube reviewers to showcase your product. It can be costly for certain types of products and we will discuss these questions with the software developer.

Referral Programs:

To encourage existing users to refer others with rewards like discounts or free upgrades.

Sponsorships:

To sponsor events, podcasts, or webinars within the niche of the product. We should calculate the coverage of the informational flow and possible financial costs and results for each potential case.

Participating in software, computer and IT exhibitions, events, conferences. Offering software products there:

In-person and remote participation are available and efficient.

Collecting feedback, comments, opinions of the product. Participating in competitions and ratings. Comparing the product with similar products::

Comments, opinions, ratings and comparisons can make the product better. Better products generate more sales.

4. Direct Marketing

Email Campaigns:

To build a mailing list and create personalized email sequences to nurture leads and encourage sign-ups.

Cold Outreach:

To reach out directly to companies, offering personalized solutions to their problems.

Direct sales:

Some products, especially integrated digital solutions, or software of corporate / business purpose, can be successfully sold with direct sales. This type of sales should be separated from pure cold outreach / cold phones.

Webinars and Demos:

To host live sessions to demonstrate the product and answer questions.

5. Distribution Channels

The Online shop of the software distributor.

The efficient tool for selling.

The Special Promo Website of the Software Product:

It is absolutely necessary to create a professional website OF THE PRODUCT, optimized for conversions, with clear CTAs and landing pages for campaigns.

Marketplaces:

To list the software product on platforms like Amazon, eBay, Microsoft Store, Google Workspace Marketplace, or Apple App Store.

Affiliate Programs:

We offer commissions to affiliates who promote and sell your product.

Software catalogs with referral links:

This is an additional type of affiliate program.

6. Retargeting and Customer Retention

Retargeting Campaigns:

It is necessary to use cookies to re-engage visitors who didn’t convert initially, showing them tailored ads.

Customer Support:

It is absolutely necessary to provide excellent onboarding and support to new users.

Regular Updates:

It is necessary to continuously improve the product based on feedback and market needs.

Community Building:

To foster a user community through forums, social media groups, or Discord channels. It really works.

7. Metrics and Analytics

Track KPIs:

To monitor downloads, active users, churn rate, and customer acquisition cost (CAC).

Optimize Campaigns:

To use tools like Google Analytics, Mixpanel, or SEMrush to analyze performance and improve strategies. It is an absolutely must-do activities.

Our vision of an Advertising and Promotion Plan for a New App / software product

(1) Launch Phase:

To announce the product with a press release and social media buzz.
To offer early access or beta invites to create exclusivity.

(2) Awareness Phase:

To run paid ads on Google and LinkedIn.
To collaborate with influencers for reviews.

(3) Growth Phase:

To focus on SEO for organic reach.
To invest in content marketing (blogs, videos, and webinars).
To implement referral and affiliate programs.

(4) Sustain Phase:

To use retargeting campaigns and loyalty discounts to retain users.
To introduce premium features or new pricing tiers to upsell.

As well we ruled by Guides and tips which have been written with our efforts and published on this site.

About distribution organizing ✨

The main questions and step-by-step description of the process:

How SaaS vendors, which create their new SaaS product, solve the task of distribution and promotion of their product?
Which AD strategy they implement, which sales channels they use?
What are the steps SaaS vendors do to start selling their new product in the market, step by step?
What is the role of software / SaaS distributors and marketplaces?

We can help SaaS / software developers on all stages of this complex process, from launching stage to scaling and extending.

Launching a new SaaS product involves a well-thought-out strategy for distribution, promotion, and sales. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how SaaS vendors typically approach this:

Website: Create a professional website with clear messaging, product details, and a call-to-action (CTA). //* We should keep in mind that the website is a place of the link to the selling SaaS product. The website itself does not generate inflowing traffic and clients and needs promotion itself.
Content Marketing: Start a blog, create whitepapers, eBooks, and case studies to attract and educate your audience. //* We should remember that the blog itself does not generate inflowing visitors. Blog is just an informational resource and is needed in promotion itself.
SEO: Optimize your website and content for search engines to drive organic traffic. //* Here we should keep in mind that SEO is a long way to attract traffic, users and transform them into clients. But the vendor needs sales immediately after launching. So, paid AD - context AD in search engines (SEM), paid targeted AD in social media (SMM) are “must do” solutions.
Paid AD: SEM - context AD, SMM - targeted AD.

Necessary detailing of section 3 “Build a Strong Online Presence”:
Website

Purpose: The website serves as the central hub for your SaaS product, providing detailed information, showcasing features, and guiding visitors to take action (e.g., sign up, request a demo, or purchase).

Key Considerations:

Ensure the website is user-friendly, mobile-responsive, and optimized for conversions.
Include clear CTAs (e.g., "Start Free Trial," "Book a Demo," "Contact Us").
Important Note, again: A website alone does not generate traffic or clients. It is a destination that needs to be promoted through other channels (e.g., paid ads, social media, email campaigns).

Content Marketing

Purpose: Content marketing helps educate your audience, build trust, and establish your brand as an authority in your niche.

Key Considerations:

Create valuable content such as blog posts, whitepapers, eBooks, case studies, and video tutorials.
Focus on topics that address your target audience’s pain points and showcase how your product solves their problems.
Important Note, again: A blog or content library does not automatically attract visitors. It requires promotion through SEO, social media, email marketing, and paid ads to drive traffic.

SEO (Search Engine Optimization)

Purpose: SEO helps your website and content rank higher in search engine results, driving organic traffic over time.

Key Considerations:

Conduct keyword research to identify terms your target audience is searching for.
Optimize website pages, blog posts, and other content for these keywords.
Build backlinks from reputable sites to improve domain authority.
Important Note, again: SEO is a long-term strategy and may take months to yield significant results. For immediate traffic and sales, paid advertising is essential.

Paid Advertising (Immediate Traffic and Sales)

Purpose: Paid ads help generate immediate visibility, traffic, and conversions while organic strategies like SEO are ramping up.
Key Strategies:

(1) Search Engine Marketing (SEM):

Run pay-per-click (PPC) campaigns on Google Ads or Bing Ads.
Target high-intent keywords related to your product.
Use compelling ad copy and landing pages optimized for conversions.

(2) Social Media Marketing (SMM):

Run targeted ads on platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter / X, and Instagram.
Use audience segmentation to reach specific demographics, industries, or job roles.
Retarget website visitors or engaged users to increase conversion rates.

(3) Retargeting Campaigns:

Use tools like Google Display Network or Facebook Pixel to retarget users who visited your website but didn’t convert.

(4) Marketplace Ads:

If listed on SaaS marketplaces, leverage their advertising options to boost visibility within the platform.

Additional Notes:

Balancing SEO and Paid Ads: While SEO is crucial for long-term growth, paid ads are a "must-do" for immediate results, especially during the product launch phase.
Tracking and Optimization: Use analytics tools (e.g., Google Analytics, HubSpot) to track the performance of your campaigns and optimize them for better ROI.
Budget Allocation: Allocate your marketing budget wisely between paid ads, content creation, and other promotional activities based on your goals and target audience.

Direct Sales: Build an in-house sales team to reach out to potential customers directly. //* Generally direct sales is one of the functions of professional software distributors, which have an appropriate experience of direct sales, ready sales infrastructure, client base, understanding of demands of their clients and the market as a whole on certain products. Forming the sales team can take months, while software distributors have it right now and can start immediately. The vendor’s sales team needs management and pays monthly salaries despite real results, while distributors charge percent payment only after real sales.
Channel Partners: Partner with resellers, integrators, and other channel partners to expand your reach. //* Here we encounter the same situation. Contacting resellers, integrators and affiliate partners takes time and having an in-house sales team. Before forming your own team it can be useful to hire a distributor to solve these tasks.
Affiliate Marketing: Create an affiliate program to incentivize others to promote your product. //* Here we can again address you to the previous texts about organizing a process on the initial stage of launching of the SaaS product.

Additional important details for section 6. Utilize Sales Channels:

Direct Sales

Purpose: Direct sales involve building an in-house sales team to reach out to potential customers, nurture leads, and close deals.

Key Considerations:

Challenges: Forming a sales team from scratch can take months and requires significant investment in hiring, training, and management.
Costs: The vendor must pay salaries and overhead costs regardless of sales performance.
Alternative Solution: Partnering with professional software distributors who already have:

A ready-made sales infrastructure.
An established client base.
Market expertise and understanding of client demands.
The ability to start selling immediately.

Distributor Advantage: Distributors typically work on a commission basis, meaning they only get paid after generating real sales, reducing financial risk for the vendor.

Channel Partners

Purpose: Partnering with resellers, integrators, and other channel partners can help expand your reach and tap into existing customer networks.

Key Considerations:

Challenges: Identifying and onboarding channel partners can be time-consuming and requires a dedicated team to manage relationships.
Alternative Solution: Hiring a distributor can streamline this process. Distributors often have:

Existing relationships with resellers, integrators, and affiliate partners.
The expertise to negotiate partnerships and manage channel relationships on your behalf.
The ability to accelerate the process of getting your product to market.

Vendor’s Role: Once the product gains traction, the vendor can gradually build their own channel partner program and sales team.

Affiliate Marketing

Purpose: An affiliate program incentivizes third parties (e.g., bloggers, influencers, or other businesses) to promote your product in exchange for a commission.

Key Considerations:

Challenges: Building and managing an affiliate program requires time, resources, and expertise.
Initial Stage Solution: During the early stages of product launch, it may be more efficient to rely on distributors or channel partners who already have affiliate networks in place.
Long-Term Strategy: As your product gains traction, you can develop your own affiliate program to complement other sales channels.

Analytics: Use tools like Google Analytics, Mixpanel, or HubSpot to track performance. //* Usage of analytics tools are essential. It is necessary to monitor efficiency every day for campaign corrections. Professional distributors do this on an uninterrupted basis. Developers which are starting their software / SaaS products should do this at least once a day.
Feedback Loop: Continuously gather customer feedback and iterate on your product and marketing strategies. //* Monitoring reviews, clients' claims are essential. Ignoring it undermines reputation and decreases sales. Monitoring should be provided on the daily basis, answers to clients and publishing answers in discussion threads should be implemented in a short time. Vendors, despite their size, should have a special corporate officer responsible for feedback and reputation monitoring. For professional distributors this functionality is built-in and part of their daily selling process.
A/B Testing: Test different marketing messages, landing pages, and CTAs to optimize conversions.

Additional important suggestions to section 9. Monitor and Optimize

Analytics

Purpose: Analytics tools provide actionable insights into the performance of your product, marketing campaigns, and customer behavior.

Key Considerations:

Essential Tools: Use tools like Google Analytics, Mixpanel, HubSpot, or Amplitude to track key metrics such as:

Website traffic and user behavior.
Conversion rates (e.g., sign-ups, demo requests, purchases).
Customer acquisition cost (CAC) and lifetime value (LTV).
Campaign performance (e.g., click-through rates, ROI).

Daily Monitoring: Regularly review analytics data to identify trends, spot issues, and make informed decisions.
For Vendors: At a minimum, check analytics daily to ensure campaigns are performing as expected and make adjustments as needed.
For Distributors: Professional distributors typically have built-in processes for continuous monitoring and optimization.
Actionable Insights: Use data to refine your marketing strategies, improve user experience, and allocate resources effectively.

Feedback Loop

Purpose: Customer feedback is invaluable for improving your product, addressing pain points, and building trust with your audience.

Key Considerations:

Gather Feedback: Use surveys, interviews, and in-app feedback tools to collect input from users.
Monitor Reviews and Claims:

Regularly check reviews on your website, SaaS marketplaces, and third-party platforms (e.g., G2, Capterra).
Address customer complaints and issues promptly to maintain a positive reputation.

Daily Monitoring: Assign a dedicated team member or corporate officer to:

Monitor feedback and reviews daily.
Respond to customer inquiries and complaints in a timely manner.
Publish responses in discussion threads to demonstrate accountability and transparency.

Distributor Advantage: Professional distributors often have built-in processes for handling feedback and reputation management as part of their daily operations.

A/B Testing

Purpose: A/B testing allows you to experiment with different versions of marketing messages, landing pages, and CTAs to determine what works best.

Key Considerations:

Test Variables: Experiment with:

Ad copy, headlines, and visuals.
Landing page layouts, colors, and CTAs.
Email subject lines and content.

Tools: Use tools like Google Optimize, Optimizely, or VWO to run A/B tests.
Continuous Optimization: Regularly test and refine your campaigns to improve conversion rates and ROI.
Data-Driven Decisions: Base your decisions on test results rather than assumptions to ensure optimal performance.

What brings money in IT

Coding itself and much programming work is not a recipe for real success in the IT sphere.
When someone codes as a contractor, he/she obtains fees for executing some works, as a rule, on hourly payment basis.

The final product in this case belongs to other people, who ordered the works. They obtain a lion's share of benefits of the final product and get profitabilities from many many years. Hired coders and hired software development companies just get fees for development works and get nothing over the fees.

That is why such countries like Poland, Hungary or Belarus, having high-skilled programmers, remain without a significant number of world leading IT businesses, which can generate hundreds of millions or billions in revenue.

Programmers from these countries are concentrating on development work, executing orders from customers - product owners from other countries.

Development software products for their own commercial use of the developers bring far more money than coding as contractors.

How can anyone come to this situation?

In the situation of lack of investment financing - to create software products in free time, after the regular job, on weekends.

Or to make products which demand not too much time for development and go to the simplest functionable product.

Many significant products were created in the student rooms, in free time. Facebook has created such a method. The Tetris game was made by only one man. Minecraft was created by one developer, using just Java….. This list is long.

Everyone can find the road to success, using their programming skills. So, just think and act after thinking.

Where to sell SaaS products:

This is the list of the largest SaaS marketplaces according to neural networks. TOP-25
Data is actual on 2025 01 31

1. Salesforce AppExchange
- Year Established: 2005
- Monthly Visitors: ~5 million (estimated)
- Number of SaaS Products: 5,000+ apps and solutions
- Revenue: Part of Salesforce's $31.4 billion annual revenue (2023)
- Specialization: CRM-focused SaaS solutions, integrations, and business tools.
- Downloadable Software: No, primarily SaaS products.
2. Microsoft AppSource
- Year Established: 2016
- Monthly Visitors: ~3 million (estimated)
- Number of SaaS Products: 10,000+ apps and services
- Revenue: Part of Microsoft's $211 billion annual revenue (2023)
- Specialization: Business apps, AI, analytics, and Microsoft 365 integrations.
- Downloadable Software: No, primarily SaaS and cloud-based solutions.
3. Shopify App Store
- Year Established: 2009
- Monthly Visitors: ~10 million (estimated)
- Number of SaaS Products: 8,000+ apps
- Revenue: Part of Shopify's $7 billion annual revenue (2023)
- Specialization: E-commerce tools, marketing, and store management apps.
- Downloadable Software: No, exclusively SaaS products.
4. Google Workspace Marketplace
- Year Established: 2010
- Monthly Visitors: ~4 million (estimated)
- Number of SaaS Products: 5,000+ apps
- Revenue: Part of Google Cloud's $26 billion annual revenue (2023)
- Specialization: Productivity, collaboration, and Google Workspace integrations.
- Downloadable Software: No, exclusively SaaS products.
5. AWS Marketplace
- Year Established: 2012
- Monthly Visitors: ~2 million (estimated)
- Number of SaaS Products: 12,000+ software listings
- Revenue: Part of AWS's $80 billion annual revenue (2023)
- Specialization: Cloud infrastructure, DevOps, AI/ML, and enterprise software.
- Downloadable Software: Yes, offers both SaaS and downloadable software.
6. Zendesk Marketplace
- Year Established: 2008
- Monthly Visitors: ~1.5 million (estimated)
- Number of SaaS Products: 1,300+ apps and integrations
- Revenue: Part of Zendesk's $2.1 billion annual revenue (2023)
- Specialization: Customer support, helpdesk, and CRM tools.
- Downloadable Software: No, exclusively SaaS products.
7. HubSpot Marketplace
- Year Established: 2014
- Monthly Visitors: ~2 million (estimated)
- Number of SaaS Products: 1,000+ apps and integrations
- Revenue: Part of HubSpot's $2.2 billion annual revenue (2023)
- Specialization: Marketing, sales, and CRM tools.
- Downloadable Software: No, exclusively SaaS products.
8. Slack App Directory
- Year Established: 2015
- Monthly Visitors: ~1 million (estimated)
- Number of SaaS Products: 2,400+ apps and integrations
- Revenue: Part of Salesforce's ecosystem (Slack was acquired in 2021)
- Specialization: Team collaboration and productivity tools.
- Downloadable Software: No, exclusively SaaS products.
9. Atlassian Marketplace
- Year Established: 2012
- Monthly Visitors: ~1.5 million (estimated)
- Number of SaaS Products: 4,000+ apps and integrations
- Revenue: Part of Atlassian's $3.5 billion annual revenue (2023)
- Specialization: Software development, project management, and IT tools.
- Downloadable Software: No, exclusively SaaS products.
10. Intuit App Store (QuickBooks)
- Year Established: 2008
- Monthly Visitors: ~1 million (estimated)
- Number of SaaS Products: 700+ apps
- Revenue: Part of Intuit's $14 billion annual revenue (2023)
- Specialization: Accounting, finance, and small business tools.
- Downloadable Software: No, exclusively SaaS products.
11. Zoom App Marketplace
- Year Established: 2019
- Monthly Visitors: ~1 million (estimated)
- Number of SaaS Products: 1,500+ apps and integrations
- Revenue: Part of Zoom's $4.5 billion annual revenue (2023)
- Specialization: Video conferencing and collaboration tools.
- Downloadable Software: No, exclusively SaaS products.
12. ServiceNow Store
- Year Established: 2017
- Monthly Visitors: ~500,000 (estimated)
- Number of SaaS Products: 1,000+ apps and integrations
- Revenue: Part of ServiceNow's $8.6 billion annual revenue (2023)
- Specialization: IT service management, workflow automation, and enterprise tools.
- Downloadable Software: No, exclusively SaaS products.
13. WordPress Plugin Directory
- Year Established: 2005
- Monthly Visitors: ~15 million (estimated)
- Number of SaaS Products: 60,000+ plugins (many are SaaS-based)
- Revenue: Free marketplace, but plugins often have premium SaaS versions.
- Specialization: Website development, SEO, and marketing tools.
- Downloadable Software: Yes, offers both downloadable and SaaS products.
14. G2 Marketplace
- Year Established: 2012
- Monthly Visitors: ~8 million (estimated)
- Number of SaaS Products: 150,000+ software listings
- Revenue: G2 is a private company; revenue is undisclosed.
- Specialization: General SaaS marketplace with reviews and comparisons.
- Downloadable Software: No, exclusively SaaS products.
15. Capterra (by Gartner)
- Year Established: 1999
- Monthly Visitors: ~10 million (estimated)
- Number of SaaS Products: 700,000+ software listings
- Revenue: Part of Gartner's $5.5 billion annual revenue (2023)
- Specialization: General SaaS marketplace with reviews and comparisons.
- Downloadable Software: No, exclusively SaaS products.

Key Observations:
1. Specialization: Many marketplaces focus on specific niches (e.g., CRM, e-commerce, or IT tools), while others like G2 and Capterra are general SaaS directories.
2. Revenue Models: Most marketplaces earn through commissions, subscriptions, or being part of a larger ecosystem (e.g., Salesforce, Microsoft).
3. Downloadable Software: Only a few marketplaces (e.g., AWS Marketplace, WordPress Plugin Directory) offer downloadable software alongside SaaS products.

Top SaaS Marketplaces (16-25)

16. Freshworks Marketplace
   - Year Established: 2011
   - Monthly Visitors: ~500,000 (estimated)
   - Number of SaaS Products: 1,200+ apps and integrations
   - Revenue: Part of Freshworks' $600 million annual revenue (2023)
   - Specialization: Customer support, IT service management, and CRM tools.
   - Downloadable Software: No, exclusively SaaS products.
17. Pipedrive Marketplace
   - Year Established: 2015
   - Monthly Visitors: ~300,000 (estimated)
   - Number of SaaS Products: 400+ apps and integrations
   - Revenue: Part of Pipedrive's $200 million annual revenue (2023)
   - Specialization: Sales automation and CRM tools.
   - Downloadable Software: No, exclusively SaaS products.
18. BigCommerce App Store
   - Year Established: 2011
   - Monthly Visitors: ~1 million (estimated)
   - Number of SaaS Products: 1,000+ apps and integrations
   - Revenue: Part of BigCommerce's $300 million annual revenue (2023)
   - Specialization: E-commerce tools, marketing, and store management.
   - Downloadable Software: No, exclusively SaaS products.
19. Miro Marketplace
   - Year Established: 2020
   - Monthly Visitors: ~200,000 (estimated)
   - Number of SaaS Products: 100+ apps and integrations
   - Revenue: Part of Miro's $400 million annual revenue (2023)
   - Specialization: Collaboration, whiteboarding, and visual project management tools.
   - Downloadable Software: No, exclusively SaaS products.
20. Airtable Marketplace
   - Year Established: 2020
   - Monthly Visitors: ~300,000 (estimated)
   - Number of SaaS Products: 200+ apps and integrations
   - Revenue: Part of Airtable's $400 million annual revenue (2023)
   - Specialization: No-code tools, databases, and workflow automation.
   - Downloadable Software: No, exclusively SaaS products.
21. Notion Integrations Directory
   - Year Established: 2021
   - Monthly Visitors: ~500,000 (estimated)
   - Number of SaaS Products: 100+ apps and integrations
   - Revenue: Part of Notion's $10 billion valuation (2023)
   - Specialization: Productivity, note-taking, and project management tools.
   - Downloadable Software: No, exclusively SaaS products.
22. SAP App Center
   - Year Established: 2016
   - Monthly Visitors: ~400,000 (estimated)
   - Number of SaaS Products: 1,800+ apps and integrations
   - Revenue: Part of SAP's $35 billion annual revenue (2023)
   - Specialization: Enterprise software, ERP, and business process tools.
   - Downloadable Software: No, exclusively SaaS products.
23. Oracle Cloud Marketplace
   - Year Established: 2016
   - Monthly Visitors: ~300,000 (estimated)
   - Number of SaaS Products: 1,500+ apps and integrations
   - Revenue: Part of Oracle's $50 billion annual revenue (2023)
   - Specialization: Enterprise software, cloud infrastructure, and database tools.
   - Downloadable Software: Yes, offers both SaaS and downloadable software.
24. Wix App Market
   - Year Established: 2012
   - Monthly Visitors: ~2 million (estimated)
   - Number of SaaS Products: 500+ apps and integrations
   - Revenue: Part of Wix's $1.5 billion annual revenue (2023)
   - Specialization: Website building, marketing, and e-commerce tools.
   - Downloadable Software: No, exclusively SaaS products.
25. ClickUp Integrations
   - Year Established: 2020
   - Monthly Visitors: ~200,000 (estimated)
   - Number of SaaS Products: 1,000+ apps and integrations
   - Revenue: Part of ClickUp's $1 billion valuation (2023)
   - Specialization: Productivity, project management, and team collaboration tools.
   - Downloadable Software: No, exclusively SaaS products.

---

Key Observations for Marketplaces 16-25:
1. Niche Focus: Many of these marketplaces cater to specific industries or use cases, such as e-commerce (BigCommerce), collaboration (Miro), or enterprise software (SAP, Oracle).
2. Emerging Players: Some, like Notion and ClickUp, are relatively new but have grown rapidly due to their innovative approaches to productivity and collaboration.
3. Revenue Models: Most of these marketplaces are tied to larger platforms, and their revenue is part of the parent company’s ecosystem.
4. Exclusively SaaS: Almost all of these marketplaces focus solely on SaaS products, with only a few (like Oracle Cloud Marketplace) offering downloadable software.

So, there are many places we do have for selling SaaS products. We live in times of specialization. Maybe it will be a reasonable decision to delegate distribution works of your product to the distributor?

Anyway, someone should organize the selling process in multiple sales channels. Do something useful to advertise and promote your product. And to do this every day.

Other useful market info

The data on 2023:

The software industry is increasingly moving toward SaaS, and it's likely that SaaS will capture an even larger share of the market in the next decade. However, downloaded (on-premise) software will continue to exist, especially for specific use cases like high-performance applications, legacy systems, and industries with strict data privacy requirements.
Here are the top 10 marketplaces for downloaded software as of 2023:
1. Microsoft Store

Focus: Windows applications, including productivity tools, games, and utilities.
Popular For: Native Windows apps, especially for businesses and consumers.
Example Apps: Microsoft Office (downloadable versions), Adobe Acrobat Reader, and various utilities.

2. Mac App Store

Focus: macOS applications, including creative tools, productivity apps, and utilities.
Popular For: High-quality, Apple-optimized software.
Example Apps: Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro, and popular utilities like CleanMyMac.

3. Steam

Focus: Video games and gaming-related software.
Popular For: PC gaming, with a massive library of downloadable games.
Example Apps: AAA games like Cyberpunk 2077, indie games, and game development tools.

4. GOG.com (Good Old Games)

Focus: DRM-free games and software.
Popular For: Classic and indie games, as well as DRM-free software.
Example Apps: The Witcher series, classic RPGs, and retro games.

5. Adobe Creative Cloud (Downloadable Apps)

Focus: Creative and design software.
Popular For: Professional-grade tools for designers, video editors, and photographers.
Example Apps: Photoshop, Premiere Pro, and Illustrator (available as downloadable apps with cloud integration).

6. Autodesk App Store

Focus: CAD, 3D modeling, and engineering software.
Popular For: Professionals in architecture, engineering, and construction.
Example Apps: AutoCAD, Maya, and Revit.

7. Apple Developer Website

Focus: Development tools and software for macOS and iOS.
Popular For: Developers creating apps for Apple platforms.
Example Apps: Xcode, Final Cut Pro, and Logic Pro.

8. GitHub

Focus: Open-source and developer tools.
Popular For: Developers looking for downloadable software, libraries, and tools.
Example Apps: Visual Studio Code, Atom, and various open-source projects.

9. Download.com (CNET)

Focus: General software for Windows and macOS.
Popular For: Utilities, freeware, and shareware.
Example Apps: VLC Media Player, 7-Zip, and CCleaner.

10. Humble Bundle

Focus: Games and software bundles (often DRM-free).
Popular For: Affordable bundles of games and software, often supporting charities.
Example Apps: Indie games, productivity tools, and creative software.

Honorable Mentions:

Epic Games Store: Focused on games, with exclusive titles and free game offerings.
Unity Asset Store: For game developers looking for downloadable assets and tools.
NVIDIA GPU Software: For high-performance applications like AI, rendering, and gaming.
SourceForge: A repository for open-source software and developer tools.

Why Downloaded Software Marketplaces Still Matter:

Performance: Some applications (e.g., video editing, 3D rendering) require local processing power.
Offline Use: Downloaded software is essential for users without reliable internet access.
Data Control: Industries like healthcare and finance prefer on-premise solutions for compliance.
Legacy Systems: Many businesses still rely on older software that isn't cloud-compatible.

While SaaS is growing rapidly, these marketplaces ensure that downloaded software remains accessible for users with specific needs. Over the next decade, we may see these platforms evolve to integrate more cloud features while still offering downloadable options.

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