And as our annual SaaS and software benchmarking data report has shown across the last few years, the shopping spike doesn’t just apply to physical goods like clothing, jewelry, toys, or electronics. 

End-of-year budget spending certainly contributes to this effect too.

Is your SaaS or software business ready to take advantage of the B2B and B2C spending sprees? 

FastSpring is a merchant of record for over 3500 companies that use our platform daily. By analyzing years’ worth of aggregate sales data, we have helpful insights to share about Q4 sales spikes for software and SaaS businesses.

Below, we share this year’s insights into:

• The latest U.S. trends in year-end SaaS and software sales data.
• The latest global trends in year-end SaaS and software sales data.
• How FastSpring can help you best capitalize on Q4 sales spikes.

FastSpring is a merchant of record that can help you easily grow your business internationally. We provide an all-in-one payment platform for SaaS, software, video game, and other digital product businesses, including VAT and sales tax management, payment localization, and award-winning consumer support. Set up a demo or try it out for yourself.

Our Data Sources and Analysis Methodology

Where the Data Are From

FastSpring helps companies sell digital products in over 200 countries, but to help us keep this study consistent and repeatable, we’ve pulled sales data from eight countries around the world. 

Each year, we include the U.S., Canada, Germany, Great Britain, India, Brazil, Australia, and China.

This data are specific to where the sales took place, not where the companies are located.

To show a glimpse into one specific country that’s also a large, often-targeted SaaS and software market, we also show the same trends for just the United States.

When the Data Are From

To highlight useful trend data while avoiding any major outliers skewing the data, we use aggregated data for the most current five calendar years. The data below represent sales across 2020-2024.

We also use a seasonal index to show quarterly or monthly sales against a year’s monthly or quarterly average (read more about that in the How section below).

What We Measured

FastSpring supports the sales of a vast array of digital products, including SaaS, software, video games, mobile apps, AI, and eLearning. 

To narrow this report to a specific type of industry, we’ve excluded everything but software and SaaS.

We also used U.S. dollars as the currency for all figures to make comparison easy and clear. 

How We Measured It

To establish a baseline, we calculated monthly and quarterly averages for each year. 

For a very simplified example, if four quarterly totals were $200, $200, $100, and $300, the quarterly average for the year would be $200. 

Then once we had the period average for the year, we compared each period’s actuals to that period average to get a percentage.

So for example, if Q3 shows a percentage of 90%, it means the sales total that quarter was 10% lower than the year’s quarterly average. If Q4 shows a percentage of 111%, that means Q4 sales totals were 11% higher than the year’s quarterly average. 

We then combined that data across five years to get the five year averages and avoid any outliers causing a sharp spike that might have skewed the results too much. 

US Year-End Trends for SaaS and Software Purchases

The following data show the monthly and yearly averages for U.S. software and SaaS sales across the last five years.

5YR Average US SaaS and Software Sales by Month

In the U.S., the three highest monthly spikes of SaaS and software sales are in March (104%), December (105%), and as expected, November (112%).

5YR Average US SaaS and Software Sales by Quarter

Similarly, Q4 is the highest-performing quarter for software and SaaS sales at 106%, with Q1 at 99%, Q2 at 97%, and Q3 at 98%.

Global Year-End Trends for SaaS and Software Purchases

Global trends show even stronger spikes in November and Q4, thanks to particularly strong sales in China and Germany (more on that below). 

5YR Average Global SaaS and Software Sales by Month

Just like in the U.S., global sales of software and SaaS spiked slightly to 104% in March and 105% in December. 

But as expected, the spike in November was higher than just in the U.S., at 118% globally.

While Black Friday and Cyber Week have traditionally been anchored to the Thanksgiving holiday in the U.S., seasonal sales surges have caught on worldwide, perhaps thanks to other countries such as Germany observing Black Friday and Cyber Monday (or even an entire Cyber Week), and China observing Singles Day on November 11 (11.11). 

5YR Average Global SaaS and Software Sales by Quarter

Quarterly sales reflect a slightly smaller spike over the shopping holiday season when Oct.-Nov.-Dec. are averaged together, but the spike is still significant at 8%.

Because the quarterly spike isn’t as high as the single spike in November, it reinforces that software and SaaS companies should focus their marketing and sales efforts specifically in November to get the best return and see the most growth. 

5YR Average SaaS and Software Sales by Month per Country

To illustrate the changes in various countries (and give you an idea of which countries may be most worth targeting), we’ve also broken out the monthly data by country for the eight countries we included in this survey. 

Here’s what monthly software and SaaS sales fluctuations look like with five years of data for the United States (US), Canada (CA), Germany (DE), Great Britain (GB), India (IN), Brazil (BR), Australia (AU), and China (CN).

We mentioned the China and Germany shopping holidays in November above, but China also sees spikes in April and June, likely due to the 418 (April 18) and 618 (June 18) shopping holidays.

Regardless of other monthly spikes throughout the year, November is still the single highest spike for any of the eight countries we included — ranging from 112% in the U.S. and 117% in India on the low end, to 148% in Germany and 149% in China on the high end.

SaaS and software companies can capitalize on this trend with:

• Email promotions.
• Custom partner coupon codes (which they can help you promote).
• Social media campaigns.
• Upsell or bundle offers.
• Localized promotions that would especially appeal to customers in each of your targeted regions.
• A merchant of record partner for online payments that can help you easily sell your software or SaaS worldwide.

How FastSpring Can Help

Software companies that already use FastSpring know why we’re a trusted partner in the global payments space. (Check out what Avid and Stardock have to say about the great experiences they’ve had with FastSpring, or find more FastSpring customer stories here.)

But if you’re new to FastSpring (or to the merchant of record model), here are some of the reasons our customers love using FastSpring to sell their software around the world.

FastSpring Makes Global Payments Easy for You and Your Customers

Payments Localization

Making your product available for purchase in more countries is only part of taking a software business global. 

You also have to make it very easy for users to make the purchase, with the least hesitation possible.

That requires presenting a localized checkout experience — including automatic conversions to local languages and currencies, offering dozens of the most popular payment methods (which vary by region), intelligent payment routing to regional payment gateways (to help reduce failed payments), and more.

To support improved payment localization, we work closely with our customers and payment partners to understand which payment methods are the most valuable in different regions and industries across the globe. 

This has materialized in the release of UPI in India and Pix in Brazil throughout 2025. 

By the end of October 2025, we plan to improve our Pix capabilities with support for recurring payments on subscription purchases. We’re also excited to add Toss payments in South Korea, providing additional support beyond Kakao Pay in the region.

Custom Discounts, Offers, and Coupons

When you’re running campaigns for Cyber Weekend or other regional holidays, you’ll need a partner who can support customizable offers and coupons. 

This includes the ability to:

• Offer percentage discounts on individual items.
• Preapply coupons via custom links.
• Stack multiple coupons.

FastSpring already supports all of those today, but now, we’re adding the ability to apply discounts at the order level to add even more flexibility on promotional planning. Instead of offering discounts on a per-item basis, you can now apply the discount to the entire order — which translates into clearer promotions for your customers, and ultimately, more completed orders. This feature is set to launch by the end of October, with plenty of time for Cyber Weekend prep.

Robust At-a-Glance Reporting

Once you’ve launched your Cyber Weekend campaigns, you’ll need to monitor their success throughout the course of the promotional holidays. 

With FastSpring, you get access to our Welcome Dashboard, which provides an instant view of the health of your business and campaigns. This dashboard shows key metrics such as net sales, orders, subscriptions, and chargebacks — without the need for extra navigation. That makes it easy to understand at a glance how your campaigns are performing.

If you need to dig deeper, you can simply click into an individual dashboard to dig into more specifics around individual products, chargeback rates, churn rates, and even revenue recognition for the future.

With the wide variety of reports available, you won’t have to wonder how your campaigns are performing. Instead, you can glean clear insights into your campaign’s successes or make tweaks to your campaigns if something is trending in the wrong direction.

FastSpring has localized payments, flexible discounts, and visual reporting covered. Learn more about FastSpring’s global payments.

FastSpring Calculates, Collects, and Remits Global Taxes so You Don’t Have To

FastSpring doesn’t just facilitate payments — we’re a merchant of record, which means we become the entity actually selling the digital products.

That also means that we’re the ones who handle sales taxes and VAT. 

FastSpring’s team of experts stays current on global tax regulations so we can calculate, collect, and remit those taxes — so you don’t need to worry about it. 

Learn more about FastSpring’s global tax management. 

FastSpring Has World-Class Support for You and Your Users

FastSpring’s award-winning support team is standing by and ready to help both the companies that use FastSpring as their merchant of record, and the customers who purchase software, SaaS, and other digital products.

For consumer support, customers can submit an online request and get personalized assistance. FastSpring also provides a helpful list of support topics for consumers to browse, including Licenses and Downloads, Checkout and Purchasing, and more.

For software companies using FastSpring as their MoR, you can submit a request from within the FastSpring app, or simply visit our support page.

Read more about our Stevie® award for Front-Line Customer Service Team, our Globee® award for Customer Excellence in the “Achievement in Team Customer Success” category, or submit a seller or consumer support request.

Partner With FastSpring

For over 20 years, FastSpring has been a trusted payment provider that can help you easily grow your business internationally. As a merchant of record, we provide an all-in-one payment platform that includes VAT and sales tax management, payment localization, award-winning consumer support, and more — making us an excellent partner for SaaS, software, video games, mobile apps, AI, eLearning, and other digital goods businesses. 

Set up a demo or try it out for yourself.

The post Cyber Weekend Benchmarking Data: 2025 SaaS and Software Holiday Spend Report appeared first on FastSpring.

At FastSpring, we’re here to help you handle the surge, delight customers, and maximize sales well beyond the weekend itself.

Here’s your step-by-step game plan to stay ahead of the competition and maximize every opportunity.

1. Lock In Website Performance

• Stress-Test Your Site: Simulate peak traffic to make sure your store won’t slow down or crash.
• Streamline the Checkout: Eliminate friction so shoppers can move from cart to confirmation in seconds. Reduce checkout to as few clicks as possible — no unnecessary forms or fields — and offer plenty of different payment methods.

2. Play to Win With Conversions

• Optimize Product Pages: Use A/B testing to refine layouts, calls-to-action, and copy.
• Maximize Conversation Rates: Offer local currencies, payment methods, and regionalized experiences. The more familiar the journey, the higher the likelihood of conversion.

3. Prep Your Fulfillment and Inventory

• Forecast With Data: Review past sales to anticipate this year’s best sellers.
• Stock up on Licenses: Ensure that you have sufficient licenses uploaded to meet the increased demand.
• Check Your Systems: Confirm fulfillment workflows are ready to deliver without bottlenecks.

4. Create Offers That Stand Out

• Bundle and Discount: Craft compelling promotions and bundles that shoppers can’t ignore.
• Offer Smart Coupons: Use multi-discount options and FastSpring’s Combine Discounts feature for maximum impact.

5. Run Practice Drills: Test Everything (Twice!)

• Be Thorough: Products, coupons, checkout flows, and license keys — test them all.
• Prepare for Scale: One small glitch at scale can cost a lot of money. Don’t leave it to chance.

6. Kick Off Marketing Early

• Go Live Before the Rush: Launch campaigns now — across email, social, and ads.
• Build Buzz: Use countdowns, sneak peeks, and reminders to generate excitement.

7. Defend Against Threats

• Secure Your Site: Cyber threats spike with higher traffic. Protect your data and your shoppers.
• Trust FastSpring’s Defence: Our fraud prevention engine is your shield at checkout.

8. Coach Your Support Team

• Prepare for Game Day: Train your team to resolve payment and order questions fast.
• Tap Into FastSpring: Keep customer interactions seamless with our extensive resources. From detailed documentation to OwlBot, our AI-powered support tool, we’ve got everything you need to resolve queries quickly and confidently.

9. Manage Payment Hurdles

• Expect Some Declines: High volume = higher likelihood of declines.
• Have a Backup Plan: Guide customers to alternate payment methods while FastSpring filters out risky transactions.

10. Play the Long Game: Post-Purchase Retention

• Follow Up Strong: Thank-you emails, loyalty discounts, and re-engagement campaigns build lasting connections.
• Think Beyond the Weekend: Convert Cyber Weekend shoppers into holiday-season regulars and year-round fans.

FastSpring: Your Partner for the Full Season

Cyber Weekend is just the starting whistle. With FastSpring’s all-in-one payment platform — from checkout, to fraud protection, to global tax handling — you’ll be ready to win the weekend and the extended sales season ahead.

Sign up for a free account or request a demo today.

The post Your Cyber Weekend Game Plan: Maximize Conversions and Minimize Stress appeared first on FastSpring.

These events are more than just sales — they are massive ecommerce festivals that drive consumer behavior, presenting significant opportunities for even SaaS, software, mobile game, and other digital product companies to  boost revenue.

Among these, Singles’ Day on November 11 stands out as the biggest. Often referred to as the “Black Friday” of China,  Singles’ Day eclipses Western shopping events in both scale and sales volume. (For more info, see FastSpring’s 2024 holiday spend report, where benchmarking data shows sales peaks in China for April and June, too.)

Singles’ Day is just one of many important dates on the Chinese shopping calendar. There’s a wide array of festivals throughout the entire year, each with its own focus and customer appeal.

Here’s a guide to China’s top shopping festivals for global sellers looking to engage Chinese consumers.

10 Key Shopping Holidays in China

January: Chinese New Year Sales

• Timing: Varies (typically 1-2 weeks before Chinese New Year)
• Focus: Festive shopping, gifts, and deals on a wide range of products.

March: 3.8 Women’s Day (38女王节)

• Date: March 8
• Focus: Discounts on fashion, beauty, and women’s products.

April: 418 Shopping Festival (418电商购物节)

• Date: April 18
• Focus: Electronics, home appliances, and general retail.

May: 5.20 I Love You Day (520告白日)

• Date: May 20
• Focus: Gifts, fashion, and romantic items (FYI: 520 sounds like “I love you” in Mandarin).

June: 618 Shopping Festival (618年中大促)

• Date: June 18 (with deals starting in early June)
• Focus: Large-scale promotions across all categories.

August: Qixi Festival (七夕节)

• Timing: Varies (typically in August)
• Focus: Romantic gifts, fashion, and beauty products.

September: 99 Wine Festival (99划算节/酒水节)

• Date: September 9
• Focus: Alcohol, beverages, and food-related promotions.

October: National Day Golden Week Sales (国庆黄金周)

• Date: October 1-7
• Focus: Travel, electronics, home goods, and general retail.

November: 11.11 Singles’ Day (双十一购物节)

• Date: November 11
• Focus: The largest shopping festival in China, covering all product categories.

December: 12.12 Double 12 Shopping Festival (双十二购物节)

• Date: December 12
• Focus: Year-end clearance, general discounts across all categories.

How FastSpring Can Help You Sell More Into Asia

For global merchants looking to tap into the Chinese market, aligning with these shopping holidays can be a game-changer for engaging with Chinese consumers on their preferred platforms. As ecommerce continues to dominate China’s retail landscape, understanding these holidays and adapting your promotions accordingly can help your business benefit from these online sales peaks.

FastSpring is a merchant of record that can help you easily localize and grow your business internationally. We provide an all-in-one payment platform for SaaS, software, video game, and other digital product businesses — including VAT and sales tax management, payment localization, and award-winning consumer support. 

Set up a demo or try it out for yourself.

The post 10 Major Shopping Holidays in China: What Global Sellers Need to Know appeared first on FastSpring.

Once a single Black Friday shopping day, deals expanded to encompass the following Cyber Monday, with the entire weekend now referred to as Cyber Weekend. And between the Cyber Weekend halo effect, major global holidays, and end-of-year budget spends, sales in November and Q4 are stronger than other times of the year.

That creates a lot of opportunity for your SaaS or software business to optimize sales opportunities during this profitable weekend, month, and quarter. 

Because FastSpring is a merchant of record for over 3500 companies that use our platform daily, we can analyze aggregate sales data for benchmarking insights into Q4 for your SaaS or software business.

We’ve updated this annual report with: 

• Up-to-date U.S. trends in year-end SaaS and software sales data.
• Up-to-date global trends in year-end SaaS and software sales data. 
• How FastSpring can help you take advantage of those Q4 sales lifts.

FastSpring is a merchant of record that can help you easily grow your business internationally. We provide an all-in-one payment platform for SaaS, software, video game, and other digital product businesses, including VAT and sales tax management, payment localization, and award-winning consumer support. Set up a demo or try it out for yourself.

Our Data Sources and Analysis Methodology

Where: Like last year’s Cyber Weekend data report, even though we help over 3500 companies to sell digital goods in over 200 countries and territories, we’ve pulled sales data from eight countries around the world to help us narrow it down a little. Those countries are the U.S., Canada, Germany, Great Britain, India, Brazil, Australia, and China. 

Note that the data below are specific to where the sales took place, not where the companies are located.

Besides the global data, we also highlight the trends just for the U.S., since it is a large, single market that SaaS and software companies often target. 

When: Using aggregated data from the most current five calendar years helps us show insightful trends while avoiding any major outliers skewing the data unnecessarily. The data below come from 2019-2023, and we use a seasonal index to highlight each month’s or quarter’s sales against the year’s monthly or quarterly average (more on that below).

What: While FastSpring supports the sales of many different digital products including SaaS, software, digital downloads, video games, and mobile games, we’ve limited this data only to SaaS and software sales to keep it applicable to a specific industry and avoid being so broad that it isn’t helpful.

The figures shown were also all calculated in U.S. dollars for simplicity’s sake.

How: First, we calculated a monthly or quarterly average for each year. For example, four quarterly totals of $100, $200, $300, and $200 would average to a quarterly average for that year of $200. So $200 would be our baseline of 100%

Then we compared each month or quarter’s actuals to that year’s average to get a percentage. For example, if Q1 shows a percentage of 90%, that means it is 10% lower in sales compared to the quarterly average. If Q2 shows a percentage of 111%, that means its sales are 11% higher than the quarterly average. 

That data was then combined to get the five-year averages and help smooth out any stark outliers. 

US Year-End Trends for SaaS and Software Purchases

Here are the monthly and quarterly averages for U.S. software and SaaS by month and quarter.

5YR Average US SaaS and Software Sales by Month

Months that stand out as particularly higher than the monthly average include March and October (tied for third place) at 2% higher, December at 7% higher, and November highest at 12% over the monthly average.

5YR Average US SaaS and Software Sales by Quarter

After seeing the monthly averages above, the quarterly averages offer no big surprises — Q4 comes in at 7% higher than the quarterly average.

Global Year-End Trends for SaaS and Software Purchases

Global trends see even stronger rises in seasonal sales of SaaS and software.

Here’s how late-year numbers fluctuated across the globe when including data from the U.S., Canada, Germany, Great Britain, India, Brazil, Australia, and China. 

5YR Average Global SaaS and Software Sales by Month

Compared to U.S. numbers, global October sales at 3% above the monthly average and December sales at 6% above the monthly average are fairly expected. 

However, November saw a much larger bump in global SaaS and software sales against the monthly average, coming in 18% higher. 

Black Friday (and subsequently, Cyber Week) was originally anchored to the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday and may still seem very U.S.-focused. The SaaS and software sales data, however, show that the November sales surge is even stronger outside the U.S. for the other seven countries included in this study, with that 18% rise over the monthly average growing to 29%  when the U.S. is removed. (More on individual countries below.)

5YR Average Global SaaS and Software Sales by Quarter

Global SaaS and software sales in Q4 were 9% higher than the quarterly average.

So while November global sales were particularly high for that month, the Q4 average doesn’t show as high of a peak, indicating that November is a particularly key month for SaaS and software companies to capitalize on.

5YR Average SaaS and Software Sales by Month per Country

To further show why sales show a much higher peak in November globally than just in the U.S., we’ve broken out the monthly averages across the eight countries we included for our global tallies. 

Here’s what monthly software sales fluctuations look like with five years of data for the United States (US), Canada (CA), Germany (DE), Great Britain (GB), India (IN), Brazil (BR), Australia (AU), and China (CN).

Spikes in China in April and June are likely due to the 418 (April 18) and 618 (June 18) shopping holidays, but as you can see, all countries in our list see a large spike in November — the highest month for all eight countries measured. 

Germany and China especially see high spikes in November, indicating that they may be particularly good geos to target for promotions that month as China observes Singles Day on November 11 and Germany observes Black Friday and Cyber Week.

This reinforces that November and Q4 are SaaS and software sales opportunity windows you can’t afford to miss out on. Take advantage of the selling season with:

• Custom coupon codes for partners to promote.
• Email promotions.
• Upsell or bundle offers.
• Social media campaigns.
• Localized promotions for targeted regions.
• Any other offers that might appeal to your target customers in your target regions.

How FastSpring Can Help

Companies already using FastSpring (such as Stardock and TestDome) recognize FastSpring as a true partner to their SaaS and software businesses.

Here are just a few of the reasons FastSpring makes it easy to sell globally in the right places, in the right ways, and at the right times — such as over Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and beyond. 

FastSpring Makes Global Payments for You and Your Customers

It isn’t enough to just make your product available for sale in more countries — customers need to be able to purchase with a localized checkout experience that makes them feel comfortable buying. That includes automatic conversions to local languages and currencies as well as offering dozens of the most popular payment methods, which vary by region.

Learn more about FastSpring’s global payments.

FastSpring Handles Global Taxes, From Calculating to Collecting to Remitting

Because FastSpring is a merchant of record, we don’t just facilitate payments — we actually become the entity selling the product. That means we also become the entity worrying about card brand rules, regulatory rules in many geographies, risk and fraud, and even taxes. 

Our team of tax experts stays up to date on global tax regulations so FastSpring can calculate, collect, and remit taxes without you needing to worry about it. 

Learn more about FastSpring’s global tax management. 

FastSpring Supports You and Your Customers

FastSpring doesn’t just offer award-winning support to companies that use us as their merchant of record — we also handle consumer support for your customers.

Consumers can submit an online request to get personalized assistance, or they can reference our helpful support topics such as Checkout and Purchasing, Licenses and Downloads, and more.

Need assistance with your FastSpring store? You can submit a request from within the FastSpring app, or visit our support page. 

Read more about our Stevie® award, our Globee® award, or submit a seller or consumer support request.

Get Started With FastSpring

FastSpring is the leading full-stack merchant of record service for growth-stage SaaS and software businesses. Our platform serves as an all-in-one payment platform that handles everything from payment and checkout localization, to sales and VAT tax management, to customer support for end consumers, and so much more.

Learn more about how FastSpring can help you grow your business globally: Set up a demo or try it out for yourself.

The post Cyber Weekend Benchmarking Data: 2024 SaaS and Software Holiday Spend Report appeared first on FastSpring.

At FastSpring, we believe it’s never too early to start preparing for this peak sales season to ensure a smooth and profitable experience. Here’s your comprehensive guide to gearing up for Cyber Weekend 2024.

9 Tips for Preparing Great Cyber Weekend Support

1. Optimize Website Performance

• Thorough Performance Checks: Ensure your website can handle increased traffic without slowing down or crashing. Run load tests and optimize server capacity.
• User Experience Enhancements: Simplify navigation and streamline the checkout process. An intuitive design keeps customers engaged and reduces cart abandonment.

2. Conversion Optimization

• Store and Product Optimization: Analyze your store layout and product pages. Implement A/B testing to find the best layouts, calls-to-action, and product descriptions that drive conversions.

3. Fulfillment Planning

• Analyze Past Data: Review previous Cyber Weekend sales to predict demand for popular products. Ensure you have sufficient licenses uploaded.
• Fulfillment Infrastructure: Make sure remote fulfillment systems are robust and ready to handle the increased demand.

4. Craft Compelling Deals

• Exclusive Offers: Stand out with attractive deals. Consider product bundles, discounts, or limited-time promotions.
• Coupons and Discounts: Set up and test all discounts and coupons. Utilize FastSpring’s Combine Discounts setting to maximize promotional impact.

5. Ecommerce Testing Is Crucial

• Comprehensive Testing: Test every ecommerce-specific aspect of your site, from product pages to checkout paths. Ensure that all features, including coupons and discounts, work flawlessly.
• Testing Tools: Use FastSpring’s resources for thorough testing:
  • Testing Orders.
  • License Keys.
  • Coupons.
  • Product Discounts.

6. Proactive Promotions

• Early Marketing Campaigns: Launch your marketing efforts well in advance. Leverage social media, email marketing, and other channels to build anticipation.
• Awareness Building: Create buzz around your deals to attract and engage customers.

7. Robust Security Measures

• Enhanced Security: With increased traffic comes a higher risk of cyber threats. Ensure your website has strong security protocols to protect customer data.
• Risk Management: FastSpring’s risk management tools help safeguard you from fraud during checkout.

8. Customer Support Readiness

• Prepare for Inquiries: Anticipate a surge in customer inquiries. Train your support team to handle common issues efficiently.
• Support Resources: Utilize FastSpring’s support resources for seamless customer interactions. Learn more about contacting FastSpring’s Customer Support.

9. Managing Payment Issues

• Expect Declines: Higher transaction volumes can lead to payment issues. Be prepared to address declined or canceled payments calmly.
• Resolution Strategies: Guide customers to use alternate payment methods and consult their banks for issues. FastSpring’s fraud assessment system will protect you from risky transactions:
  • Declined and Canceled Payments.
  • Machine-Learning Fraud Engine.

FastSpring Is Your Partner for Cyber Weekend Support

Preparation is essential for a successful Cyber Weekend. By following these steps, you’ll provide a positive experience for your customers and maximize your sales potential. Remember, the impression you make during Cyber Weekend will shape your customers’ perception of your brand throughout their journey.

Are you ready to take on Cyber Weekend 2024? With FastSpring by your side, success is within reach!

Not yet benefiting from the award-winning support FastSpring provides for software companies and their customers? FastSpring handles the entire payment process, from checkout to remitting end-of-year taxes for SaaS companies. To learn more about how FastSpring can help you scale quickly, sign up for a free account or request a demo today.

The post Gear Up for Cyber Weekend 2024: Your Ultimate Preparation Guide appeared first on FastSpring.

It’s also a great time for shoppers like you to take advantage of those deals! 

In case you missed it, our recent 2023 SaaS and Software Holiday Spend Report highlights how, whether your business focuses on B2C, B2B, or both, SaaS and software Q4 sales bumps are significant around the globe. 

Just as your business can take advantage of the Cyber Weekend sales strategies highlighted in our report, there are many companies offering great deals through FastSpring this holiday season for their SaaS, software, and other digital products. 

Check out the list below for deals on video editing effects and plugins, social media tools, photography software, coding and developer training, presentation design templates, and more!

Are you looking for a merchant of record to help you grow your business internationally? FastSpring provides an all-in-one payment platform for SaaS, software, video game, and digital goods businesses, including VAT and sales tax management, payment localization, and consumer support. Set up a demo or check out our platform yourself.

2023 Cyber Weekend SaaS and Software Deals

World Anvil

“World Anvil is the ULTIMATE all-in-one software for anyone who loves creative worldbuilding! Gamemasters: Keep essential lore & stats one quick click away for immersive sessions. Interactive maps help create an original setting for DnD5e, Pathfinder & 45+ RPGs. Writers: World Anvil is a writing software, novel planner & worldbuilding app! Family trees, mind mapping, and plot templates based on proven storytelling methods help you finish that novel! Publishing, subscription & monetization tools can help build your fanbase.”

Deal: “50% off your first year.”

Deal starts: December 1, 2023

Deal ends: December 31, 2023

Coupon code: FASTFRIENDS50

FxFactory

“The App Store for Video Creators – FxFactory lets you browse, install and purchase effects and plugins from a huge catalog for Final Cut Pro, Motion, Premiere Pro and After Effects.”

Deal: “20% discount on all products.”

Deal starts: November 21, 2023

Deal ends: November 28, 2023

Coupon code: BLACKFRIDAY

SocialBee

“SocialBee is a social media management and automation platform that helps users streamline their social media marketing efforts. Its main features include an AI Copilot that generates a complete social media strategy, direct publishing on major social media platforms, a unified inbox for handling comments, mentions, and messages, and an Analytics section to track the performance of your accounts and posts.”

Deal: “Get a 70% discount for 3 months on monthly plans, or 30% off for 1 year on yearly plans.”

Deal starts: November 24, 2023

Deal ends: November 27, 2023

Coupon code: SOCIALBEEBF23

Capture One

Since Capture One was “Born out of a passion for photography, we provide photographers with the tools to easily collaborate with clients and creatives, achieve the highest quality photographs, and bring their visions to life. Starting out as a RAW image converter for Phase One cameras in 1994, our powerful photography software is built on more than twenty-five years of technical expertise. Today, we offer the fastest tethered shooting in the industry, an intuitive and efficient workflow, unparalleled image quality with support for over 600 camera and lens profiles, true-to-life color processing, and precise editing and collaborative tools.”

Deal: “Black Friday week, offering 50% on all in the store for both new and existing customers.” 

Deal starts: November 20, 2023

Deal ends: November 27, 2023

No coupon code required. 

Skylum: Luminar Neo

“Skylum is a global imaging technology company dedicated to revolutionizing the world of photo editing and creative tools. Its core product, Luminar Neo, empowers photographers of all skill levels to unleash their creativity and transform their visions into reality with advanced AI-based technologies while providing the artist with complete control over the final result.”

Deal: “An exclusive 15% discount on everything at checkout.”

Deal starts: November 13, 2023

Deal ends: November 30, 2023

Coupon code: CyberMonday15

www.iamtimcorey.com

“Software Developers are in high demand today. But how do you learn to code? You don’t need to spend tens of thousands of dollars and relocate to a college or bootcamp. With IAmTimCorey, Tim will teach you the skills you need to become a professional developer using a proven pathway and online courses. Now, you can learn to code like a pro from home.”

Deal: “Get up to 30% off developer training courses during our Black Friday Sale at iamtimcorey.com.”

Deal starts: November 24, 2023

Deal ends: November 29, 2023

No coupon code required. 

SketchBubble

“SketchBubble is one of the leading presentation design firms that specializes in pre-prepared, professionally designed and completely editable PowerPoint, Google Slides and Apple Keynote templates. We pride ourselves on our expertise in professional presentation creation and design and on our longstanding commitment towards fostering creative innovation, generating high-quality products, and maintaining uniqueness.”

Deal: “50% off everything.”

Deal starts: November 18, 2023

Deal ends: November 28, 2023

No coupon code required. 

2BrightSparks Pte Ltd

“2BrightSparks was incorporated in 2004 and has established a reputation in developing high quality, easy to use utility software. SyncBack, our class leading backup software, was first released in 2003. SyncBack is widely used for backing up and synchronizing files across different devices and platforms. It offers features like automated backup scheduling, data compression, and encryption, catering to both individual users and businesses. 2BrightSparks has built a reputation for providing reliable and user-friendly solutions, along with responsive customer support, contributing to its popularity in the data management and protection domain.”

Deal: “20% off new purchases and upgrades of SyncBackPro and SyncBackSE.”

Deal starts: November 20, 2023

Deal ends: December 1, 2023

No coupon code required. 

Muscle and Motion

“At Muscle and Motion, we believe that knowledge is power, and understanding the ‘why’ behind any exercise is essential for your long-term success. Our innovative suite of apps and online courses provide cutting-edge solutions to help you better understand how the body works and how to maximize its performance.”

Deal: “Get 50% off on all “Muscle and Motion” apps & online courses with the Black Friday Sale.”

Deal starts: November 15, 2023

Deal ends: November 30, 2023

No coupon code required. 

Moneyspire Inc.

“We are Moneyspire Inc., a financial software company founded in 2007 and based in Southern California. Our software is used by thousands of people and organizations in over 100 countries. Our mission is to inspire financial success through innovative and powerful software. We strive to provide the best solutions and services for our customers, and we are always listening to feedback and improving. Our vision is to help people better manage their money so they can achieve their full potential.”

Deal: “$20 off new user license.”

Deal starts: November 1, 2023

Deal ends: November 30, 2023

No coupon code required. 

BdThemes

“BdThemes is a WordPress Product development company creating WordPress Themes, WordPress Plugins, Elementor addons and widgets for WordPress users.” 

Deal: “Up to 75% off.”

Deal starts: November 18, 2023

Deal ends: December 5, 2023

No coupon code required. 

WPPOOL

“WPPOOL is a fast-growing software company that promises to build high-quality and high-performance WordPress plugins. We are the creator of WP Dark Mode, Google Sheets to WP Table Live Sync, Easy Video Reviews, FormyChat, and other unique WordPress products. We are always dedicated to create and craft innovative solutions for our users.” 

Deal: “This Cyber weekend, WPPOOL brings you up to 85% off on all WordPress plugins, including WP Dark Mode, Sheets to WP Table Live Sync, Jitsi Meet, and more.”

Deal starts: November 27, 2023

Deal ends: December 1, 2023

No coupon code required. 

Rocket Validator

Rocket Validator provides “Digital accessibility monitoring for busy developers. Find Accessibility and HTML issues in your large sites, in seconds.”

Deal: “30% off your first subscription period.”

Deal starts: November 23, 2023

Deal ends: November 30, 2023

Coupon code: CYBWEEK2023

InventPure Software

“At InventPure, we’re passionate about simplifying your email experience. Our Mail Backup X app is the ultimate solution for secure email backups, migrations, and archiving. Protect your data with ease.”

Deal: “Unleash email mastery with Mail Backup X! For a limited time, seize the Mail Backup X app at just $20 (originally $79), with 1-year maintenance updates. Elevate your email game today! 💻🚀”

Deal starts: November 1, 2023

Deal ends: December 31, 2023

Coupon code: THANKS2023MBX

Apparent Software

“Apparent Software creates helpful, friendly and unique software for Apple devices, complemented by first-class customer care.”

Deal: “50% off any product including ImageFramer add-ons and upgrades.”

Deal starts: November 22, 2023

Deal ends: November 28, 2023

No coupon code required. 

Astra Security

“Astra‘s comprehensive pentest platform combines an automated vulnerability scanner, manual pentest capabilities, and an all-purpose vulnerability management dashboard. With Astra Pentest, you can streamline every aspect of your pentest process – from detecting and prioritizing vulnerabilities to collaborating on remediation. Our innovative AI powered platform emulates the behavior of hackers to uncover critical vulnerabilities in your application proactively.”

Deal: “10% off across all plans.”

Deal starts: November 22, 2023

Deal ends: November 30, 2023

Coupon code: BFCM10

How FastSpring Can Help Your Business

Are you looking for a merchant of record to help you grow your business internationally? FastSpring provides an all-in-one payment platform for SaaS, software, video game, and digital goods businesses, including VAT and sales tax management, payment localization, and consumer support. Set up a demo or check out our platform yourself.

The post Holiday Specials: 2023 Cyber Weekend SaaS and Software Deals appeared first on FastSpring.

Q4 sales numbers usually outperform the rest of the year thanks to year-end holidays and their associated shopping cycles — but how much does that trend carry over into software and SaaS sales? And does it improve B2B sales too, or is it more just a B2C advantage?

FastSpring serves as a merchant of record for over 3500 companies that use our platform every day to sell digital products globally. We’ve analyzed aggregate sales data to give you insights into just how important Q4 can be for your software, SaaS, or other digital goods business.

While modern holiday shopping trends may have started with Black Friday deals and spread to Cyber Monday, the entire weekend is now often referred to as Cyber Weekend — and sales throughout the quarter are generally strong as shoppers prepare for its many holidays. Are you optimizing all possible Q4 sales opportunities for your software business? 

Below, we’ll cover: 

• U.S. sales trends by month and quarter.
• Global sales trends by month and quarter.
• How B2B vs. B2C sales compare.
• Advice for making the most of seasonal sales opportunities around the world.
• How FastSpring can help.

Are you looking for a merchant of record to help you grow your business internationally? FastSpring provides an all-in-one payment platform for SaaS, software, video game, and digital goods businesses, including VAT and sales tax management, payment localization, and consumer support. Set up a demo or check out our platform yourself.

About Our Data

Where the Data Are From

FastSpring supports over 3500 companies to help sell digital goods in over 200 countries and territories globally, but we’ve narrowed down the data we used for this report to keep it applicable to software and SaaS companies.

The data below are also specific to where the sales took place, not where the companies are located. 

For the global statistics, we selected eight  countries — the United States, Canada, Germany, Great Britain, India, Brazil, Australia, and China — to get a broad view of sales around the world.

When the Data Are From

The data below are pulled from 2018-2022 to give the most up-to-date insights, while showing trends that are relatively consistent across a five-year period and avoiding any outliers skewing the data unnecessarily. 

We further use a seasonal index to highlight each month’s or quarter’s sales against the year’s monthly or quarterly average.

US Year-End Trends for SaaS and Software Purchases

We first looked at U.S. software and SaaS sales data from 2018-2022 to glean insights into monthly and quarterly sales trends across the last five years.

After calculating a monthly average, we compared each month to that average to get a percentage. For example, if February shows a percentage of 90%, that means it is 10% lower in sales compared to the monthly average. If November shows a percentage of 111%, that means its sales are 11% higher than the monthly average. 

5YR Average US SaaS and Software Sales by Month

While sales do peak in November at 11% higher than the monthly average, sales for all three months in Q4 are the highest throughout the year, with October at 4% higher and December at 8% higher.

5YR Average US SaaS and Software Sales by Quarter

When looking at the quarterly average, Q4 sales are higher by 8% — high enough that each of the other three quarters fall below the average. 

Global Year-End Trends for SaaS and Software Purchases

Moving beyond the U.S., we combined data with the same parameters from the U.S., Canada, Germany, Great Britain, India, Brazil, Australia, and China. This gives us a clearer picture of how late-year software sales might fluctuate across the globe.

In fact, the bump gets bigger. 

5YR Average Global SaaS and Software Sales by Month

Global sales jumped to a yearly high of 16% more in November compared to the monthly average. As in the U.S. data above, October and December round out the highest quarter of the year with respective 4% and 7% increases.

5YR Average Global SaaS and Software Sales by Quarter

When viewed from a quarterly perspective, Q4 is 9% higher than the quarterly average, once again so high as to push the other three quarters below the average. 

While global Q4 quarterly sales were only 1% higher than sales in the U.S. for the same quarter, November as a standalone month showed a jump of 16% compared to the U.S.’s 11% jump in the same month — suggesting that November specifically is a huge sales opportunity around the world. 

5YR Average SaaS and Software Sales by Month per Country

For more detail on how each month breaks out by country, we parsed the data for the 8 countries we included in our global review. Here’s what monthly software sales fluctuations look like with five years of data for the United States (US), Canada (CA), Germany (DE), Great Britain (GB), India (IN), Brazil (BR), Australia (AU), and China (CN).

Particularly large lifts in countries like China and Germany in November suggest a huge opportunity for SaaS and software companies to profit in Q4, especially if you’re targeting those countries as part of a global expansion strategy. 

Additionally, while U.S. data suggest a smaller lift of only 11% in November, keep in mind that North America accounts for a very large share of global software and SaaS sales, with one study reporting 43% of 2022 global software revenue attributed to North America, and another reporting a share of up to 57.5% of the 2020 global SaaS market attributed to NA. Therefore,  an 11% lift in November in the U.S. could mean a lot more revenue if it’s a slice of a much larger pie.

B2C vs. B2B

Many companies that use FastSpring to sell software globally serve both B2C and B2B markets, but whether your SaaS business focuses on both or just one, it can be helpful to monitor how Q4 sales trends differ between the two markets. The resulting information can help you decide how much to focus marketing and sales efforts within those segments, especially if one segment offers a bigger opportunity.

While in prior reports, we focused on a small segment of specific companies over three years for B2C vs. B2B comparisons, this year, we expanded the data set. The following information comes from the same eight countries we mentioned above and spans the same five years, 2018-2022. We filtered that data for B2B-only and B2C-only data, and we excluded data from companies that explicitly serve both.

The resulting data show the same general trends throughout the year, with Q4 being the strongest quarter for both segments. 

B2C sales saw an average bump of 11% above the quarterly average, which is perhaps unsurprising in a season known for promoting consumerism — “consumer” is in the name. 

But don’t sleep on B2B sales in Q4. While B2B revenue appears to be slightly more stable throughout the year than B2C revenue, a 5% lift in Q4 is significant within a sometimes spend-happy segment that still takes advantage of end-of-year deals, regardless of whether a buyer is buying for themselves or their company. Corporate credit cards are of course still wielded by many people — people who are shopping for software, and who may still want a good deal, especially if rigid departmental budgets are a factor in their purchase decisions. 

Additionally, some B2B shoppers may be looking to use up budgetary money before the end of the year to ensure their budget is not reduced next year, or they may be pushing their teams or departments set up with the right tools before the new year starts. Business-specific instances like these could contribute to increased B2B sales in Q4 despite the many holiday work disruptions.

To see some of the following strategies in action and take advantage of great SaaS and software deals yourself, check out our 2023 Cyber Weekend deals roundup!

Cyber Weekend Strategies for SaaS and Software Companies

Wondering about the best ways to take advantage of that Q4 bump? Regardless of whether you’re targeting B2B or B2C shoppers, here are some tactical strategies for boosting software and SaaS sales before the end of the year.

Give Partners Custom Coupon Codes

Providing custom coupon codes to your affiliates and partners can work better than a generic one shared everywhere. Your partners will be more likely to promote codes that promote their own brand, and the promotion will work better for their audience if it mentions their brand. 

Plus you’ll be able to better track how that sales promotion performed compared to other coupon codes.

Use the FastSpring portal to enter custom coupon codes for your partners, or use the FastSpring API to pull codes from your own partner platform and populate in FastSpring.

Don’t Have Partners to Give Custom Coupons To? Find Some!

If you’re not yet taking advantage of promotional partnerships, the holiday season can spur on new connections. Look for other SaaS and software companies that offer a product that compliments yours. (For example, if you make a database tool, look for companies that make front end tools.) 

Besides custom coupon codes, offer to exchange Cyber Weekend promotions to each other’s audiences in the form of newsletter messages, website banners, social media mentions, or other preferred methods that will help both companies increase end-of-year sales. 

Email Your Own Prospects 

Even if you choose not to pursue partnership promotions — or if that’s a larger project you’d need more time to plan for — emailing your existing prospect list is a relatively quick and easy tactic to execute. 

Prospects can’t take advantage of sales they don’t know about, so don’t rely only on a website banner to grab the attention of potential buyers on a visit to your website. Bring them to your site with proactive email messages about upcoming, current, and extended deals to grab their attention where they are.

Email Your Current Customers

Just like prospects, customers can’t be upsold if they don’t know about holiday promotions, either. 

Here are just a few of the profitable opportunities you could target within your existing user base:

• Upsell add-ons. Analyze user data for customers that use your product the most often or the most broadly, since they might be most likely to want even more features and usability. 
• Upsell bigger subscriptions with more features. Just like with downloads, if you can pinpoint your product’s power users, you can target those most likely to want more of your product.
• Convert freemium customers to paid subscriptions with an irresistible sale. If freemium is a big part of your business model, a strong holiday sale might be the lever to finally convert users who love the features they have access to, but who know they could really use a lot more of them.
• Upsell from individual subscriptions to team subscriptions, or from team to enterprise subscriptions. It may not be easy to find out which power users are also evangelists for your product at their own companies, but if you have contextual user information (such as that which can be gleaned by your own internal salesforce), Q4 could be a great time to target companies where you have some user penetration but the opportunity to get a lot more. 
• Cross-sell into entirely new products. If your business model includes various standalone products, there’s a big opportunity to target the user base of one product with offers to purchase the other, and vice versa. The more products you have, the more segmentation you can do, and the more opportunities you have.
• Switch users from monthly to yearly subscriptions. The English adage “A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush” often applies in business, as revenue available to your company now may be preferable to slightly more revenue doled out slowly throughout the next year. Take advantage of buyers being in a shopping mindset in Q4: Tempt them with a great offer to save money in the long run by switching their monthly subscription to a yearly one.

Leverage Social Media 

Social media platforms can be a great place to celebrate events, so sharing holiday-themed posts from your business can be a natural fit. 

Many social media platforms have advertising services that can target users by geographies or interests. Consider taking advantage of the ability to show regional holiday ads in applicable regions, or the ability to show ads to users who may have mentioned their interest in the holiday on the platform.

Conversely, organic social media posts — which can often be seen by any users who follow you regardless of geography — can also be a good way to spread sales without limiting views to a small segment. Just keep in mind that if your followers or audience are very diverse, your holiday-specific organic posts should be too.

Offer More Aggressive Discounts in Target Geos

If you experience greater profitability in a particular region or just want to break into a new market, promoting more aggressive discounts in specific regions can help you further take advantage of Cyber Weekend sales increases.

To implement this, use GeoIP-based elements on your marketing site to promote region-specific discount codes. 

Then use FastSpring’s Store Builder Library to automatically apply those codes in the checkout to help increase your conversion rates. 

Localize Holiday Promotions

While Cyber Weekend has become popular around the world, there are still local holidays that may be more profitable in each region or country you’re targeting. Holidays like Boxing Day can rival more U.S.-centric specials (such as Black Friday and Cyber Monday) in countries such as the UK, Australia, and Canada, or Singles’ Day in China and southeast Asia.

Customize your holiday season campaigns by geography so you don’t miss out on big opportunities in key regions. 

How FastSpring Can Help

Need a real partner to help you take advantage of Q4 sales lifts and expand your SaaS or software business globally? Here are just a few of the great FastSpring features that can help your business go farther faster.

Global Payments: Localized Languages, Currencies, and Payment Methods

FastSpring knows that simply making your product available in more countries isn’t enough — it needs to be easy for your customers to make the decision to purchase. 

That’s why FastSpring’s global payments features provide a localized checkout experience that can automatically convert pricing to your customer’s local currency and language, then enable customers to purchase with dozens of the most popular payment method options. 

Global Tax Management: Let Us Worry About Taxes

While your customers expect the purchase process to be easy for them on the front end of the sale, we think it should be easy for you on the back end of the sale, too — especially when it comes to global tax management.

FastSpring is a merchant of record, which means that not only do we help facilitate payments, but we actually become the entity selling the product — so we become the entity worrying about card brand rules, regulatory rules in many geographies, risk, and even taxes. 

Our tax experts stay current on global tax regulations, and we calculate, collect, and remit taxes so you don’t have to. See what one of our experts has to say about taxes here. 

Consumer Support Management: Send Them to Us!

One of the other key responsibilities FastSpring helps cover is consumer support management. Your customers can start with us to help them solve issues with checkout and purchasing, taxes, billing and subscriptions, downloads, and more. 

If our consumer support topics don’t solve the issue for them, they can contact us directly by submitting a support request, and our team of support agents will reach out to further assist them. 

Are you looking for a merchant of record to help you grow your business internationally? FastSpring provides an all-in-one payment platform for SaaS, software, video game, and digital goods businesses, including VAT and sales tax management, payment localization, and consumer support. Set up a demo or check out our platform yourself.

The post Cyber Weekend Benchmarking Data: 2023 SaaS and Software Holiday Spend Report appeared first on FastSpring.

The fourth quarter is the most important quarter for software companies around the world. 

We confirmed this by reviewing sales data from over 3500 SaaS and software companies that use our billing platform. We discovered that Q4 is by far the best-performing quarter of the year for both business and consumer sales.

And here’s our question to you: Are you really taking advantage of the quarter? In November, software companies see 11% to 24% over the average monthly revenue. At the end of the year, buyers are ready to spend money on software and subscriptions — are you using your marketing dollars wisely?

In this report, you’ll find:

• Trends in US software sales by month and quarter
• How software sales vary across the globe throughout the year
• A comparison of B2B and B2C sales from quarter to quarter
• Tips on taking advantage of holidays and other seasonal opportunities around the world

About Our Data

FastSpring’s billing platform supports over 3500 SaaS and software companies who have customers found in over 200 countries or territories. In this guide, we’ll be focusing on where the sales happen as opposed to where a company is located. 

We’ll also be looking at the average monthly revenue of all sales made in a specific country using a seasonal index, which compares the month to the average revenue of a given year. 

Our data suggests it’s worth running Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and other holiday promotions in November and December.

But the “holidays” can be more than Black Friday and Cyber Monday. If you think globally, there are dozens of holidays you can leverage to run promotions and drive revenue. 

You just have to know where in the world to look. 

US End-of-Year Trends for SaaS and Software Purchases

In the U.S., many industries see a significant lift in sales at the end of the year. For example, hobby, toy, and game stores earn 35% of their total annual revenue around the holidays. But is this true for SaaS and software?

Using five years of data, we looked at the average monthly revenue of all software sales made through FastSpring’s platform to customers in the U.S. We then compared each month to the yearly average. 

We see that sales peak in November but continue to be strong through the end of the year.

Average US SaaS and Software Sales 

Again, looking at the quarter as a whole, we see the fourth quarter is much stronger than the other three.

US SaaS and Software Sales by Quarter

That’s sales data exclusively in the U.S. But what about global trends? 

Global End-of-Year Trends for SaaS and Software Purchases

To understand consumer behavior globally, we looked at SaaS and software purchases across eight major markets, including the U.S., Canada, Germany, Great Britain, India, Brazil, Australia, and China.

Once again, when we looked at October through December revenue compared to the annual monthly average, we did see increased sales in October, November, and December, with sales peaking most in November — and the peak is significantly higher on a global scale.

Average Global SaaS and Software Sales 

Remember that these numbers are based on where the customer is located, not the company’s headquarters, suggesting those Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals really do drive a global increase in revenue for SaaS and software companies.

Where Q4 sales were 8% over the annual average in the U.S., when we add another seven countries into the mix, we see a 13% lift from November to December.

Average Monthly Revenue by Country (2016-2020) 

When we break down the data further, we see that while Q4 remains the strongest quarter everywhere, the lift varies significantly from country to country. For example, of the countries we compared, China and Germany had the biggest average spikes in November.

B2B Versus B2C End-of-Year Performance

There’s a lot of anecdotal talk about B2B sales slowing down in the fourth quarter. We suspect this is true for sales processes with longer buying cycles or an account-based approach. However, when we look at B2B SaaS and software sales in general, we find that the last quarter is actually the best quarter of the year with an average 114% over the quarterly average.

To compare the performance of B2B versus B2C businesses, we randomly selected 30 FastSpring users that only serve B2B or B2C markets from across the globe. We then looked at their revenue from 2019, 2020, and 2021 to identify trends.

As you can see, the fourth quarter is the clear winner for B2B and B2C businesses.

B2B Versus B2C Quarterly Sales

What do these insights tell us about how SaaS and software companies should approach the holidays? In the next few sections, we’ll offer best practices for end-of-year campaigns. And we’ll show you some extra data to help you find other holiday opportunities to drive revenue — throughout the year.

5 Holiday Strategies for SaaS and Software Companies 

1. Consider Different Marketing Strategies per Country or Region

If you run promotions in multiple countries or regions, consider localizing your campaigns.

In many countries, the sales uptick in November probably happens during Cyber Week, which is celebrated by many countries across the globe. This includes Germany, which has the second-biggest November lift of the countries we compared.

But the biggest lift came from China — a country where Cyber Week is not as big a deal as Singles’ Day, which occurs on November 11. Per our data, we found a large increase in sales in China on Singles’ Day.

2. Add Regional and Other Less Competitive Holidays to Your Campaign Calendar

Our data reveals opportunities in other months of the year, as well. For example, while revenue dipped in June in most countries we studied, it increased in China, perhaps due to China’s annual 618 shopping event, the second-largest ecommerce day in the country. Single’s Day is the largest.

Most companies will run promotions around Black Friday and Cyber Monday. But don’t forget that there are dozens of other holidays all through the year you can leverage to drive revenue. 

If your product has great adoption in a specific region, it may be worthwhile to create a regional holiday calendar for that area and create a specific regional offer accordingly.

We can’t tell you what will happen to your specific business, but you know your markets. Take a look at your data and see what patterns and trends you can find.

In general, regional data will give you a better sense of your return on investment (ROI) for any marketing campaign you run.

Holidays or Major Shopping Days of Note

Here are a few to think about. There will be many more in specific areas, and we encourage you to look into events in the regions you market to.

• Chinese New Year/Spring Festival — Always falls between January 21 and February 21
  • Celebrated in China and countries with significant Chinese or Sinophone populations
• International Women’s Day — March 8
  • National holiday in 27 countries throughout West, Central, and East Africa, Eastern Europe, Germany, China and North Korea 
• Singles’ Day — November 11, an Anti-Valentine Day holiday
  • Celebrated in Southeast Asia and Western Europe
• Diwali — The 15th day of the Hindu month of Kartik (Usually late October or early November)
  • Celebrated in South Asia, Southeast Asia, Caribbean
• Click Frenzy — Second Tuesday of November
  • Australia
• Black Friday  — Last Friday in November
  • North America, much of Western Europe, China, much of Africa, Brazil, and Mexico participate
• Cyber Monday
  • Most countries that participate in Black Friday are also interested in Cyber Monday
• Christmas — December 25
  • North America, most of Easter and Western Europe, Australia, Colombia, Venezuela, Brazil, Pakistan, India, Japan, Hong Kong, most of Southeast Asia, South Africa
• Boxing Day — December 26
  • Celebrated in Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand
• International Workers’ Day or Labor Day — May 1 in much of Europe, Russia, Africa, Central and South America; the first Monday in September in the U.S. and Canada; and the first Monday in October in Australia
  • Widely celebrated throughout the world

3. Promotional Efforts Can Roll Into Q1

While software sales slow down in the first quarter of the year, the drop may not be as steep as you expected. In January, sales remained solid (above 90%) in the US, Great Britain, Germany, and Canada. The bigger drop occurred in February.

Many sales and marketing teams take it easy in the first quarter to regroup or recharge. But there’s also an opportunity to stand out in a less competitive season.

When you run campaigns during the fourth quarter, you’re not just competing against your direct competitors. At the end of the year, people’s inboxes and social media feeds overflow with holiday promotions. More than any other time of year, you’re competing for attention.

January and February may be the perfect time to try something new or big. 

4. Track Your Sales Using a Seasonality Index

Track the success of your campaigns year-over-year to make sure that an increase in spend doesn’t exceed the increase in revenue.

Month-over-month (MoM) and year-over-year (YoY) growth tells you much, but those aren’t the only way to examine performance. 

A seasonality index, such as the one we used in this guide, shows how a given month compares to the average month in a year.

We recommend tracking annual campaigns YoY and comparing the results against other campaigns you run throughout the year. 

Keep in mind that a monthly increase in revenue may not give you the full picture of the success of a campaign. For instance, depending on time zones and when purchases are processed, Cyber Monday sales may extend into December. If you only look at November sales numbers, you may not see the full picture.

As you’re planning your promotions, here are a few other KPIs we recommend tracking.

5. Focus on Customer Appreciation

Even if you’re not doubling your revenue at the end of the year, the holidays are the perfect time to work on customer relationships, especially if you have a SaaS product.

Use the holidays to show appreciation to your existing or VIP customers through extra generous promotions, gifts, giveaways, or personalized offers. Here are a few ideas that other SaaS and software companies have successfully used:

• Run a “Holiday Bundle” promotion with your most popular add-ons or even a complementary training.
• Offer a great discount on a subscription plan or software upgrade.
• Run a gift promotion encouraging customers to buy subscriptions or software for their friends and family.
• Run a “Treat Yourself” promotion encouraging customers to buy something for themselves during the holidays.
• Give away an annual subscription or upgrade to those in a loyalty or referral program.
• Do something special for email newsletter subscribers.

4. Reward Your Affiliates

Many affiliates, whether they’re individuals or companies, may be planning to push hard throughout the holidays, which makes it a good time to reward them with a larger commission rate or a particularly good deal that they can promote.

Check out our blog post on preparing affiliates for the holidays for a full list of holiday affiliate program ideas.

How FastSpring Can Help

Here are a few ways FastSpring’s full-stack commerce platform can help you during the holidays and beyond.

1. Support Inquiry Management

If you expect a large increase in orders during the holiday season, is your customer support team prepared for it? FastSpring can manage purchase-related support inquiries on your behalf, saving you hours and budget that can be focused on driving more sales during the holiday season.

2. Localized Languages, Currencies, and Payment Methods

To compete and win in the global marketplace, your business must offer a localized shopping experience that accommodates a broad range of languages, regulations, and local preferences. 

The preferred payment methods vary by region. If you can see a trend of popular regions in your website analytics, you can narrow down payment methods you should automatically offer to global shoppers. This includes digital wallets like PayPal, credit cards, and wire transfers. By offering the preferred payment method, you will be able to reduce cart abandonment and payment declines. 

FastSpring offers a localized checkout experience that automatically converts your product’s pricing information to your customer’s local currency and preferred language and offers a wide variety of payment options. 

3. Global Tax Management and Regulation Compliance 

Global shoppers don’t want unexpected tax or regulatory requirements, which can be extremely disruptive to the purchase process.

FastSpring automatically calculates taxes, VAT, and GST in the checkout and ensures regulations such as GDPR and PSD2 are automatically applied for impacted transactions.

Contact us to learn more about how we can increase your revenue while reducing the complexities of selling around the globe.

The post Get More Out of Q4: 2022 SaaS and Software Holiday Spend Report appeared first on FastSpring.

We asked five SaaS and software companies what they did for existing customers around the holidays. In this piece, you’ll find successful strategies to reward customers, reduce churn, and increase their lifetime value.

1. Focus on Upsells and Cross-sells

Upsell and cross-sell opportunities are the most straightforward way to increase the lifetime value of your existing customers.

This strategy worked well for Natalie Luneva, co-founder and CMO of outranking.io, who ran a successful promotion on an add-on that’s popular with many of their power users. “We ran a limited-time, one-week promo where we discounted the add-on and saw a spike with hundreds of extra purchases that was a nice bonus to our MRR,” Luneva said.

Similarly, CocoFinder ran a holiday promotion offering users an automatic upgrade to a higher-tier plan. “The automatic upgrade worked best if combined with a coupon option that allowed users to upgrade their plan at a lower price than the basic plan,” explained Harriet Chan, co-founder and marketing director of CocoFinder.

2. Run a Limited-Time Lifetime Plan 

Gorilla ROI generated $200,000 in sales in one week by offering a limited-time lifetime plan during a Black Friday/Cyber Monday sale, when consumers expect to see the biggest and best deals of the year.

The lifetime plan encourages loyalty, which is why the promotion didn’t just lead to a one-time boost in sales. Customers on the lifetime plan average a 1.5 to 2 times higher lifetime value, as well.

3. Create a Loyalty Promotion for VIPs

When you’re constantly running promotions to attract new customers, your existing users can feel left out or stuck with a plan that’s more expensive than it should be. To combat those negative feelings, run specific promotions for current customers to reduce churn. 

The team at Proqura use the end-of-year season as an opportunity to reward customers that have stuck around:

“Every Christmas, we send our most loyal customers some loyalty coupons that have special discounts and offers they can avail within the next two months,” said Haroon Sethi, CEO and founder of Proqura Technologies. “This is a rather popular campaign each year and one that has brought us a lot of profits.”

If you’re not already offering a loyalty program, the holidays can be a good time to introduce it. Bookyourdata.com offers a loyalty program that includes lesser fees, faster service and 24/7 support from our customer services staff.  “Repeat customers also get several charges waived for our services,” CEO Gary Tailor explained.

4. Run a Holiday Giveaway

“We primarily focus on customer retention strategies over the holiday season,” said Eden Cheng, co-founder of PeopleFinderFree, “especially during a time in the year when so many of our competitors are trying to attract new leads.”

PeopleFinderFree holds holiday giveaways for existing customers that have signed up for their email newsletter. Each year, the company gifts ten year-long premium plan memberships. 

“We also ask our customers to share our contest on social media to raise their chances of winning the contest, which often helps us to generate some good buzz in the process,” Cheng added.

5. Run a Holiday Referral Campaign

MacKeeper runs the same holiday referral campaign each year. They allow current users to gift a subscription to their friends and family members for as little as $1. “For businesses like ours, it’s all about getting users to give us a chance, and the holiday season is the perfect opportunity for that,” COO Mykola Tymkiv said.

Gift subscriptions work well for MacKeeper, which makes cybersecurity software.

For B2B markets or more niche B2C companies, the key to success is to offer an incentive of enough value that makes customers’ efforts worthwhile.

Setting Up Coupons and Promotions in FastSpring.

Coupons and promotions are easy to manage using FastSpring, the #1 full-stack commerce solution for growth-stage SaaS and software companies worldwide. We offer world-class SaaS payment processing, and we also help you manage sales taxes, VAT, currencies, payment methods, compliance, and more.

Learn more about how FastSpring can help you grow your business in new markets worldwide.

The post 5 Holiday Promotion Strategies for SaaS and Software Sellers to Increase Customer Lifetime Value appeared first on FastSpring.

And with the affiliate marketing channel estimated to account for 16% of online purchases in the US & Canada, your affiliate program should certainly deserve your attention.

Here are some recommendations of what you should be doing in order to leverage the affiliate program during Black Friday and afterward. 

1. Align Affiliates and Your Other Marketing Channels 

It’s essential to get all of your marketing channels on the same page so you can work with your affiliates to amplify one consistent brand message. 

If your internal marketing team is planning a 25% discount on your product during Black Friday and Cyber Monday, but your affiliate audience is told to promote a 20% discount, you could be missing out on tons of sales.

Worse, you could be eroding the trust of your affiliates and discouraging them from promoting this offer and potentially other offers in the future.

Affiliates should have access to your current holiday discount, if not a slightly better one. This incentivizes affiliates to create content to promote the offer and reinforces the idea that they had a special relationship with the brand. 

It also encourages their audience to follow their links and use the affiliate-specific coupon codes so that the affiliate gets credit for the sale.

Takeaway: Make sure affiliates have access to:

• Any specific holiday brand messaging and imagery
• Special holiday discount affiliate links

2. Create Holiday Assets to Cover Your Entire Network

If you have a healthy mix of affiliate types, they will need different tools and resources to succeed. Keep this in mind when you’re planning special holiday offers.

For instance, your content affiliates may only want the details to build their own resources, while your coupon and deal sites will likely respond well to a custom coupon code. 

Things like reviewer guides, customized links, and offer details are a great start, but try to think back to what different affiliate types have asked for in the past and do your best to deliver that to them without them having to ask so they can get going quickly!

Takeaway: What holiday assets do you need to equip each different affiliate type within your network?

Note: Check out Multi-Discount Coupons, which allow FastSpring users to offer a single coupon code to promote up to ten different offers.

3. Leverage the Strengths of Your Network

As you create your holiday promotion strategy, you might find areas where your in-house marketing resources aren’t as good as you’d like them to be. Your company may have an incredible email marketing engine or excel at paid search, but there is probably at least one aspect of your marketing mix that you would like to bolster up. That’s where your affiliate network can come in.

You might want to give special attention to the affiliates that match where your internal resources are the weakest. You may also need to recruit specific influencers or sites based on your current needs. 

Equally important is understanding the strengths of your network. For example, if you have incredible social media influencers in your network that specialize in reviews, you could ask them to create posts that promote your Black Friday lead generation campaign. Or you might create special holiday-themed product descriptions, offer details, and branded links for affiliates with a strong email list to share in their newsletters.

Knowing where your team is weakest and where your network is the strongest can help you make sure you’ve given them the specific resources they need to maximize their impact.

Takeaway: Identify weaknesses in your internal resources that will impact your holiday efforts and prioritize the affiliates that can fill in the gaps.

4. Plan Far, Far Ahead

For many online sellers, the holiday season is their busiest time of year. This is extra true for affiliates. Most affiliates participate in more than one campaign, so your offer will be competing for attention against other products and offers in the mind of the affiliate. 

By communicating early with affiliates about upcoming offers and providing as many details and resources as possible, you maximize your chances of getting their attention, and you greatly improve the odds of them promoting your offers. 

Planning Tip: Set an embargo date for information to go out about your holiday offer so affiliates can schedule and coordinate offers to go live when you want them to!

5. Don’t Neglect the Post-Black Friday Holidays

Apart from the Black Friday or Cyber Monday deals, Q4 is also about the December holidays and sharing more with the best-performing affiliates from your program.

Though this can usually be translated into a performance-based bonus or an increased commission for the sales-driven period between Christmas and New Year’s, you can also be creative and work together on a special project like a license or subscription giveaway for their blog readers or Social Media followers. 

Planning Tip: Pay your affiliate a bonus based on their performance. With bonus tiers, you can increase payout for subsequent actions based on the monthly revenue. 

Looking for more help leveraging your affiliate network? Check out our white paper on how to drive affiliate activity. You’ll learn how to create an affiliate recruitment checklist, a communication timeline, and an engagement strategy. You’ll also read a case study detailing how one software company used FastSpring to grow its affiliate program. Download it here.

The post How to Prepare Your Affiliate Program for the Holidays appeared first on FastSpring.