Why waste time creating a new product from scratch when you can just buy an existing one, rebrand it, and sell it forward?
Reep all the benefits without putting in all that hard work.
How?
White labeling!
To formally define it, a white label solution is when a product or service can be rebranded and resold as your own.
This is how it works: Company A creates a product. Company B purchases that product, puts its own branding on it, and sells it as if it were its own to begin with. There are no remaining tell-tale signs that might point to Company A at all.
White labeling has been around for a long time and isn't just limited to the software sphere. For years, brick-and-mortar stores like Walmart have been buying products from other companies and relabeling them under their own Great Value brand. A classic example of what a white label is.
Let's dive deeper into different white label solutions and why you should invest in them.
White Label vs. Open Source
Differentiating between white label and open source solutions can be tricky, especially if you're new to this whole rebranding and reselling domain. But once you get down to the details, you realize how the two are poles apart - and how one is much easier than the other. Let's see how.
Open source solution
Open source means the source code is readily available on the internet for all to use. The code is entirely free, so you're essentially paying nothing for the integral building blocks that make up any software or solution.
While that sounds like a fantastic deal, there are many cons to this.
Think of the code as trying to assemble Ikea furniture without the instructions. That's precisely what it's like working with open source. You don't get a ready-made solution. Instead, you get bits and pieces and have to create the solution yourself, that too without any directions.
Furthermore, there's no way you can handle the code yourself. You'll most likely have to hire a developer to modify the code, set it up, and test it out, which will cost you time, money, and effort.
White label solution
Unlike open source, white label solutions don't make you deal with code or figure out the instructions on your own. Instead, you get the complete package, i.e., an already tested and fully-functioning solution that you can buy and sell as your own, and customers can start using immediately.
This saves you time and effort that you can better spend elsewhere. We'll discuss the various advantages of such solutions in greater detail below.
The only possible con of a white label solution is that it will cost you money. However, the cost is justified when you look at the benefits and ease it offers. Moreover, you can find different packages among white label solutions and pick one that fits your budget best.
5 Reasons to Opt for White Label Solutions
Now that we have more clarity on what white label solutions are, let's look at five reasons why you should invest in them right now.
1. Saves you time and money
Developing a whole new solution or platform from scratch is costly. You'll need to form a separate team that can create the tool, test it out, and is in charge of its upkeep. And of course, the team will also need its own funds to make all of this happen.
That just sounds like an inefficient use of your resources. Instead, save time and money by looking for a readily available white label solution that meets all your requirements. Why take the more complex route when a perfectly reasonable easier path exists, right?
2. Expands your product offering
Companies continue growing and attracting customers by offering newer products and features. White label solutions help you offer more products much quicker, without spending your own resources.
For example, if Hubspot, an email marketing software, purchases a white label email design solution, they can easily advertise a new addition to their product portfolio.
The new product will bring with it new people who are blown away by how consistently Hubspot keeps growing. Whereas in actuality, all the company did was get a white-labeled tool and embed it into their system.
In short, you can keep expanding your product offering much quicker and at a fragment of the time it would take you to create them in-house. And don't forget, more products mean a better competitive advantage and an increased customer base.
3. Quicker route-to-market
Whether it's traditional stores or the online sphere, the companies that stay on top are the ones that keep launching new products and services to meet growing customer demands. It is a test against time since you must ensure that you bring something new to the table before your competitors do.
The easiest way to win this race? Don't get bogged down trying to create custom solutions on your own. Save yourself the trouble and simply launch a white label product. This way, you can keep adding more tools and services in the blink of an eye.
4. Lower risk and better brand credibility
Developing solutions from scratch comes with a ton of associated risk, and the chances of things going south are much higher than we realize.
According to research by McKinsey, in-house software projects go over budget 45% of the time while delivering 56% less value than predicted. That's not all; 17% of these projects go so bad that they threaten the company's very existence.
See? Tons of risks.
You know what isn't risky? Going for a solution that's already been tried and tested, won't under-deliver or drain your budget - which brings us back to white label solutions.
And the best part is that the responsibility of troubleshooting doesn't fall on you. Just ask the solution-providing company for help, and your problems will be fixed immediately.
5. Lets you focus on what matters
Let's talk for a minute. Your marketing agency needs a live chat tool for its website. Developing that solution yourself falls outside your company's area of expertise. It isn't a smart business move to stretch your resources over something that doesn't fit your core competencies.
Instead of shifting your focus, think about whether a white label solution is better suited to reach your goals more efficiently. Prepackaged solutions provide an easier way out, freeing your time to focus on what matters.
6 Types of White Label Solutions to Know About
A white label solution isn't specific to any particular industry. These solutions solve all types of problems and can fulfill various purposes. Here, we're going to talk about five different kinds of solutions to help you understand how there's an existing solution out there for any possible need you might have.
1. Digital agency white label solution
A digital agency offers marketing solutions with a heavier focus on the creative services and promotional offerings side of the business.
How can such services be white-labeled?
A white-labeled digital agency is a company that provides outsourced marketing services. So instead of dealing with the task themselves, Company A outsources the task to Company B. Company B solves the job and sends it back to Company A, who then resells it to the client under their own name.
The concept of such a digital agency is very similar to "ghostwriting," where one party is paid to solve the creative problem, and the other party is credited for it. A couple of examples of white-labeled digital agencies you can look into are That! Company and Thrive Agency.
2. Email and landing page builder white label solution
While all white label solutions are ones you can rebrand and resell, there are some that you can also embed for your own company to use and benefit from.
A white label email and landing page builder is one such example. Such a tool provides you with a blank canvas and tons of design tools that you can embed into your application, add your branding and then sell to your clients.
You can also use this tool for your own company if you want.
Let's say you're an email marketer who not only resells an email builder to customers but also designs templates to sell. You can easily use the white label solution you've procured to create your templates, making your life one step easier.
Unlayer Embed is one such great embeddable drag-and-drop email and landing page builder that takes less than five minutes to embed into your web app and comes with 1,500+ pre-built responsive templates.
3. eCommerce white label solution
With more and more products and services being ordered online, every company, big or small, needs to have an online store now. But setting up an eCommerce space is a highly time-consuming and burdensome task, with several moving parts that need meticulous attention.
The best path to take is opting for white-labeled online store builders that you can offer to your clients under your own brand. This way, the white label company sources, operates, and manages your entire eCommerce operation on your behalf, without your customers knowing it.
A huge advantage of white label eCommerce solutions is that you don't have to deal with the headaches of maintaining and upkeeping the store.
The two leading examples in this sphere are Ecwid and SellersCommerce.
4. Live-chat white label solution
White label solutions can be services, such as the ones agencies offer, or tangible tools you buy from another company, such as the live-chat tool. Once you find a white-labeled existing solution you like, you purchase a subscription and then embed the solution into your site or product.
So the tool will open up on your site, and customers will be able to use it, but at no point will there be any branding pointing to the original creator company. Customers will think this is entirely something your company developed themselves.
You might wonder why you need a live-chat at all though. Here’s a simple reason why: 73% of customers prefer live chat over any other form of communication with the company. Clearly, not something you can ignore.
So, whether you make a website or invest in mobile app development to have your business app, make sure to have a live chat, as it has become an essential tool for providing real-time customer support and engagement.
A few reasonable live-chat white label solutions you can consider are AtomChat and Blazeo.
5. Social media marketing white label solution
White-labeled social media marketing means all the relevant content creation and platform management is outsourced to another company. And your client won't know who the solutions are really coming from because it's all presented as your own.
Social media marketing solutions can either take the agency route or be an app that enables clients to manage all their social profiles from a single source of truth. Depending on your requirement, you can find either kind of a white label solution.
When looking for such a solution, just ensure the white-labeled company has the know-how over all essential social media sites. Examples of such solutions include SocialPilot and Sendible.
6.White label client portal
Another kind of white label solution is aimed for improving the client experience quality. The white label client portal is an ideal solution for digital agencies who want to offer a platform for their clients to access all their services in one place. This includes a project dashboard, task management tools, analytics data, and invoicing software for small businesses as well.
By using the white label client portal rather than building your own, you can save time and money while ensuring a secure and reliable product for your clients.
Service Provider Pro is one such white label client portal solution that provides all the features you need for a highly customized product tailored to your needs.
Ready to Invest?
The advantages of white label solutions are boundless. You get to reap the benefits without putting in all that effort, saving you so much time to focus on more important matters. Sure, you'll need to set aside a budget for these white label solutions, but we hope you now see how it is definitely worth it!
