No matter the circumstances, SasS pricing is always challenging and always will be. Underpricing your product, using a pricing model that is not working for your ICP, not offering self-signup or offering the wrong features as add-ons — all of these pricing and packaging issues (and many more) can cost you a lot of revenue.
But the economic downturn has added another element to the mix. Common wisdom tells SaaS founders to adapt their pricing according to changing market conditions, but is that actually helpful advice for SaaS founders? As far as I can see, it isn’t for most.
Undeniably, the economic downturn will change buying behaviors and decision-making processes for some of your potential customers. But it’s wrong to assume that this means you are overcharging for your product in the current market.
In reality, most budget cuts right now, unfortunately, are the big ticket items (staff). SaaS is comparably just a drop in the bucket. However, that doesn’t mean SaaS is totally safe either. Companies are looking to trim the fat on their teams, often reconsidering entire workflows, and weighing which software can help fill in the gaps. This is especially true of low-code/no-code products where customers can make do with fewer pricey engineering resources. In this sense, SaaS products are just as much a part of the equation.
Thinking through a pricing and packaging change right now can help you flourish when things are better again.
When you see your numbers not picking up (or maybe plummet) it can get very tempting to frantically start changing your pricing, offer discounts or second-guess your strategies. But before you embark on a price-slashing journey, do some careful analysis. If your sales numbers are lagging behind what you expected, there is another question to ask: What’s actually wrong with your SaaS product or its pricing?
It’s important to make a distinction here. Does the real problem lie in how you’ve valued (priced) your product? Is it the market’s impact on your product’s demand? Or is there a problem with the product itself? Each of these are entirely different diagnoses with different prescriptions.
