Who benefits from product configurators - who are the target groups
Author: Claudia Riener
Configurators can be used for a wide variety of industries and products. Configurators provide valuable services in both B2C and B2B. They offer you added value, create a unique selling proposition, and give you a competitive edge. But who actually benefits from them and why?
In this article, we will show you which target groups particularly benefit from configurators and what this added value consists of in detail.
Distribution
In the world of modern sales, a product configurator plays a crucial role. It transforms product knowledge into a constantly available tool that enables the smooth creation of customized offers.
By using a configurator, comprehensive product knowledge is always available, which enables the rapid creation of suitable offers. Good product configurators are therefore always intuitive and can be operated without prior knowledge. This not only facilitates the induction of new sales staff, but also ensures that specialist knowledge is safeguarded within the company.
If the configurator is also equipped with guided selling functions, the sales department can focus even more intensively on the needs of the customer during a sales talk. Moreover, thanks to the automatic price calculation in real time, the price calculation becomes a fast and secure process. In addition, there is the possibility to supplement the generated offers (e.g. as PDF) with images, technical documents and further details if required.
The result: sales staff have customized offers for their customers available in the shortest possible time and thus reach a positive conclusion more quickly and easily.
In the configurator, you also have the option of displaying complementary products, upgrades, additional options, recommendations and much more. This opens up enormous potential for cross-selling and upselling.
Marketing
Configurator solutions open up new lead generation opportunities in marketing. Right at the beginning of the customer journey, potential customers can immerse themselves in the world of products and configure their desired solution. Thanks to visual aids, 3D representation and augmented reality, customers can even imagine their individualized products in different scenarios. The exciting thing is that they reveal their contact details as soon as they send a request in the configurator or ask for more information. And this is exactly where the product configurator turns into a valuable lead generator.
This means that companies not only have the opportunity to engage potential customers early in the decision-making process, but can also gather valuable contact information to continue the conversation and provide tailored offers.
The importance of new content that you get through the configurator should also not be underestimated at all. This content can be used in a variety of ways, be it to design social media posts or to optimally present your products at trade fairs.
Customers
If a product configurator is offered on the website, customers can quickly and independently individualize their desired products. At a time when more and more prospective customers are tending to obtain information online first and bypass personal meetings with sales staff for the time being, a well-designed configurator can offer a clear competitive advantage.
Depending on the type of configurator, customers have the option of assembling products independently, adapting them to their needs, visualizing and comparing products, and selecting suitable accessories. This represents a decisive added value for customers and also gives them a feeling of an individual shopping experience.
In summary, this means that customers can use the configurator to understand the options for configuring the optimum product according to their own wishes and needs. An initial evaluation of the supplier is made and thus a product configurator has a considerable impact on the brand and subsequently the purchase decision of the customer.
Retailers
If you sell your products through a dealer network, a configurator offers a clear competitive advantage by constantly providing up-to-date information and the right product knowledge. Dealers have the opportunity to present the product optimally in all available versions and variants, without the need for a fully equipped showroom, or they can integrate the configurator directly into the online store. The regular provision of new catalogs, brochures and price lists is thus a thing of the past.
As part of our configurator solution, the necessary white labeling is a matter of course. This means that colors, fonts and logos can be customized individually for each dealer. Do you already know our blog article: "Can my dealers use the 3D configurator?"
A configurator enables dealers and specialist partners to create individually tailored offers and provide qualified advice to end customers.
Production
Automation and optimization of product assembly can contribute significantly to reducing the effort required in subsequent manufacturing processes. A concrete example of this is the automated creation of parts lists. In addition, orders placed in the configurator are returned much less frequently because the customers have already dealt intensively with the product and its features.
Conclusion
The introduction of configurators has led to a revolution in various industries by enabling customers to customize products according to their own preferences and needs. In a world where individuality and customized solutions are becoming increasingly important, configurators are an indispensable tool to provide customers with a unique experience and differentiate themselves from the competition.
Using a product configurator not only benefits your customers, but changes the entire value chain. From the initial interaction in the marketing department, to effective sales processes in distribution, to ensuring fully defined orders for production, a configurator can add real value to your entire business.