11 Examples of Productized Services That Simply Work
Many potential clients find us after stumbling over examples of productized services from agencies who are already using SPP. It’s true that the best path to scale an existing business is to productize it, or at least partially. Both freelancers, especially consultants, but also small agencies can scale their activities with a few adjustments to their business model.
Before they do, there’s one thing they should think about: narrowing down their business focus. We’ve talked about why you shouldn’t be afraid to niche down in a previous blog post. When we look at some of our existing clients, many of them focus on a very specific niche. This allows them to focus on what they do best while also keeping things very simple.
Here’s a concrete idea: instead of productizing SEO, focus on a specific SEO niche instead, for instance, local SEO for vegan cafés. Not only is there a lot of potential with anything vegan related, it allows you to easily market yourself because you know who your ideal client is.
Now, let’s look at different types of productized services, and use them as examples as to why they work so well.
1. WordPress speed optimization
WP Speed Fix focuses on WordPress speed optimization after realizing that there’s a real need for it. Many of their clients’ websites used to load in five to ten seconds, which is simply too slow. Not only does a slow website hamper the user experience, Google also prefers fast loading pages.
A big part of the business is to educate customers on why speed is important, how speed is measured, and why fast hosting is very important. On top of that, WP Speed Fix offers a free side speed audit, which is a great way to capture leads.
SPP does a lot of the heavy lifting we used to do manually saving us a ton of time & effort. It’s fantastic and I recommend it all the time. The way I explain it is that it’s kind of like the Shopify for service businesses!
The service model is very simple: all site optimizations are one-time fees, but this kind of business could opt for a recurring service model for maintenance. For bigger projects, they could also charge a consultation fee before a one-time optimization service is purchased.
2. Online interior design & curation
Founded in 2014, Laurel & Wolf was a promising e-design company that sadly went out of business five years later. Luckily, a Canadian duo bought the domain and revived the brand, now running their business on SPP.
With the relaunch, the business model also slightly changed. Laurel & Wolf offer a simple pricing structure consisting of three one-time services. While competitor HAVENLY’s prices start at just $79, Laurel & Wolf doesn’t want to compete on pricing alone. From the beginning, they recruit talented designers with a commission revenue-share system. With the growth potential of the company, designers should stay with them long-term.
3. Recordings to blog posts
Spoke (formerly PodReacher) turns audio recordings into high-quality content that is successful both with audiences and search engines. The company focuses on B2B brands who want to repurpose existing content, but lack the resources to do so.
One thing to keep in mind that this is not a transcription service. While that is a popular productized service category, Spoke doesn’t simply transcribe the audio recordings. Instead, they create long-form content that preserves, and even expands upon their clients’ unique voice. Their clients can then publish the content on their blog, use it for guest posts, or create an eBook for lead generation.
The pricing structure for this productized service is pretty simple: clients could order the content one at a time, or in bulk (with a potential bulk discount). There’s also an opportunity to offer a recurring service that gives clients a certain number of content pieces each month.
4. Amazon listing optimization
Many business owners sell their products exclusively through Amazon. Getting those listings seen and clicked on is what they struggle with the most.
KENJI ROI specializes in Amazon listing optimization. They analyze their clients products, find competing products, and optimize the product description along with keywords. With their years’ of experience, they know how to adjust the language to target buyers who are looking to solve an issue or remove a pain point.
Besides their listing services, KENJI ROI have also expanded their business, offering product photography, PPC management, and even Amazon storefront design. The core business is still focused on Amazon without showing any interest in tapping into other stores.
5. Fish veterinary services
Veterinary Services are certainly not what you’d expect in a list of productized services, but one of our clients has pulled this one off quite well. Aquatic Veterinary Services use SPP so that new and existing clients can purchase virtual consultations, and recurring pond subscription services to keep their fish healthy.
The advantage of productizing a part of your business is that it can be put on autopilot while focusing on other more demanding tasks that require consultations.
6. Podcast production & editing
Lower Street helps businesses and consultants launch with their podcast strategy, content, and promotion. While other companies focus mostly on editing, Lower Street can take of all aspects from concept to production and launch.
What sets this company apart from the competition is that they don’t have a pricing page that lets potential clients place orders directly. Instead, the CTA always leads to a contact form promising a free consultation.
This isn’t unusual for higher-priced service providers who have a sales/success team that consults prospects. By qualifying leads, it’s much easier to ensure that they get exactly what they need. Once they have access to the client portal, they can probably place new orders themselves.
7. Small business website design
There are many talented web designers out there, but the NOTION Design Group targets small businesses and nonprofits. They know how important it is to let an expert handle the website to be able to focus on the core business.
As many other productized service providers, NOTION Design Group offers free consultation calls. However, those who have been convinced by their impressive web design portfolio can purchase services right from the pricing page. The choice is quite easy as there are only two packages to choose from. A third one is displayed only in the order form, and adds a one-time branding package to the cart.
Apart from that, clients can choose from a variety of add-on services, for instance, a simple logo design, the creation of a custom form, or making the website multi-lingual.
8. Facebook ads for high-growth companies
AdPros is an Facebook ad agency that focuses on high-growth companies looking to sustain their rapid growth. Compared to other Facebook ad service providers, AdPros does not have a pricing page. More than that, they only work with select companies they vet via their application form.
While they cannot accept all companies, they do try to help anyone as much as possible. One of their strategies is that they moderate two Facebook groups: one for Facebook ad strategies, and another for share and analyze existing ads.
9. Google My Business management
GMB Gorilla helps companies with their Google My Business management so they appear on the top of the search results. The target group is anyone who haven’t been successful in getting their business listed by Google, from solopreneurs to Fortune 500 companies.
Instead of just offering a one-time service of creating and optimizing Google My Business profiles, GMB Gorilla has opted for a recurring business model. On top of the creation and optimization process, they monitor the profile, create posts to promote the business, and respond to questions.
Having just one single service keeps the task and order management very simple. However, they do offer special pricing for agencies and multi-location businesses.
10. Social media management
For many, social media is a time-consuming task they simply don’t have the resources for. 50 Pound Social has productized this niche by offering a simple, monthly recurring social media management service.
As the name suggests, the price is just 50 British Pounds, and the basic plan includes five content pieces per week tailored to the unique business needs. Also included is an account manager who takes care of the content strategy of the client.
Those who require a bit more than the basic service offers can opt for the higher-priced plans. Among other things, those include Instagram postings, and a Facebook Ads campaign.
11. Turn-key dropship websites
Dropship For Sale taps into the dropship niche with their pre-made store offering. The stores are already live, have a registered domain, and a logo – everything waiting to be transferred to the new owner.
Those looking for a more custom solution can choose from the templates DropShip for Sale has prepared, customize the brand, name, and logo. Naturally, all templates can be previewed via a live demo.
Apart from the above-mentioned offering, there’s also an option to let the service provider build a custom solution. The pricing is only available upon request.
Takeaways
The above-mentioned examples show that it’s a good idea to niche down on a service idea, and position yourself as an expert. On top of that, the productized service examples have all been able to make their ideal client clear, such as high-growth companies or WordPress users.
Many of them focus on a recurring service model because it brings in a reliable cash flow they can use to scale their companies. Some productized companies can scale with a pay-as-you-go model, too. For instance, the content writing service provider WordAgents uses a word-count based system.
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What all agencies have in common is that they’re aware of agency account management best practices that ensure that clients stick around for a long time. This includes reaching out at the best time to upsell them, sending ocassional coupons, and more.
With that said, when you productize something, always keep the long-term goals in mind. Think about ways to upsell clients even if you just sell one-time services.
With that said, focusing on a niche and clearly defining the ideal customer will help you set yourself apart from the competition. This is one of the key points of the value-based pricing strategies we’ve talked about in a blog post.