Price optimization refers to the use of data to fix the optimal price of a product. It makes use of mathematical analysis to find out the price that is most effective. Pricing strategy is very important since it helps the business decides the price that will help the company be profitable. Identifying the right strategy is vital.
There are different ways in which a company can decide the best price for its products.
Cost plus pricing
This is the most simple and oldest strategy used to set a price. The company needs to calculate the costs involved in making the product. A margin is added to the cost to arrive at the pricing. The problem here is in deciding the margin to be fixed. This strategy doesn’t help in deciding the value that the product is offering and the price for that value.
Competitive based pricing
This is again a simple strategy. It involves setting the price of your product based on the prices set by your competitor. Making changes to the price set by the competitor is the core of this strategy. This kind of a strategy relies on waiting for the competitor to make a move. While this strategy is helpful in some cases, it is not an effective strategy since it does not keep other factors in mind.
Value based pricing
This strategy considers the value added by the company to the customer. The higher the value offered, the more is the price the customer is willing to play. This is the one of the effective strategies since it focuses on the customer who is the actual person who pays the price. This kind of a pricing helps companies to understand more about customers, offer value, and fix prices accordingly. To achieve this strategy, it is important to know the customer. It calls for the use of data, analysis of data, and formulating a strategy accordingly.
Price maximization
This is a pricing strategy aimed at maximizing profits for the company. The objective of this price strategy is to fix the price that helps the company earn the highest returns. This is an ideal strategy for startups.
Market penetration
This strategy involves introducing a product at a low price so that it generates high volumes of sales. This can help in increasing market share at the beginning. Once they become popular, then the price can be increased to achieve profits.
Price optimization solutions
Solutions like those provided by Grid Dynamics price optimization can help in fixing the pricing of a product. The software uses data fed by the company to fix the optimal price. Artificial intelligence as well as algorithms are used to fix the price of products.
The features to look for in a price optimization solution include:
- The ability to understand which are the value-added features that customers would be willing to pay for. The data analysis should project prices at different stages of the customer lifecycle.
- The software should be able to localize the price keeping in mind local factors. This is a better strategy to capture customers.
- The software must be able to create a buyer persona based on the data collected. Such a persona will help in segmentation of the market and help in targeted marketing.
- Good software will help the company decide what product features can help earn the most revenue.
- A good pricing strategy should help a company implement a subscription model instead of a one-time pricing. This type of a strategy can be implemented based on the software’s recommendation.
- Analysis as compared to competitors pricing is a major feature that price optimization solutions can offer.
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