How to Productize a Service: A Practical Guide for Business Owners
9 min read
Running a business can be tough, especially when you’re trying to grow and keep up with demand. However, one of the best ways of standing out from the crowd and achieving growth is to make things easier by "productizing" your services. But what does that mean?
To productize a service means to take a service that you offer in a custom way and turn it into a standardized, repeatable package. This makes the service easier to sell, deliver, and scale. Instead of tailoring the service for each customer, you create a clear, fixed offering with set features, pricing, and processes.
For example, instead of offering a unique marketing plan for every client, you might create a “Social Media Management Package” that includes specific services like daily posting, reporting, and engagement for a set price.
In this guide, we’ll break down how you, as a business owner, can productize a service and unlock growth for your business.
Why Business Owners Should Productize Services
When a business owner productizes a service, they take something they normally do for people and turn it into a package that’s easy to sell, understand, and repeat. Instead of changing what they do for every customer, they make a version that works for most people, like creating a kit or a step-by-step process.
For example, let’s say someone is good at designing websites. Instead of making a completely new plan for every client, they could create a "Starter Website Package." This package might include five pages, a contact form, and basic designs, all for a set price. That way, every customer knows what they’re getting, and the person creating the websites doesn’t have to start from scratch every time.
It also makes things easier for people to buy from you. Customers love it because they know exactly what they’ll get, and it saves time for the business owner.
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7 Steps to Productize Your Service for Business Growth
1. Identify a Repeatable Service
To begin productizing a service, take a close look at the services you already offer and identify the ones that customers request most often. Focus on services that can be easily simplified into a step-by-step process, making them consistent and easy to deliver. It’s also important to choose services that are not only in demand but also profitable and aligned with your strengths and skills.
For example, if you run an accounting firm, tasks like tax preparation or payroll management could be transformed into clear, standardized packages that customers can easily understand and purchase. By doing this, you create services that are simple to deliver, appealing to customers, and beneficial for your business.
2. Understand Your Target Customers
To create a successful productized service, it’s essential to understand your ideal customers and what they truly need. Take time to think about the challenges they face, the outcomes they want to achieve, and the price range that fits their budget. Understanding these details will help you design a service that meets their expectations and solves their problems effectively.
For example, small business owners might be looking for simple and affordable bookkeeping services that save them time, while larger businesses may prefer more detailed and comprehensive monthly financial reporting packages.
3. Develop a Clear Service
When developing a clear service offering, it’s important to define the details of your service packages so that your customers know exactly what they’re getting. Start by establishing the scope of work, which means clearly explaining what is included in the package and, what is not included. Then, focus on the deliverables such as the specific outcomes or results that customers will receive upon completing the service. Next, set a realistic timeline, giving your customers an idea of how long it will take to finish the service, which helps avoid any misunderstandings. Finally, make sure your pricing is transparent, offering fixed rates for each package so customers can easily see what they are paying for.
For example, you might offer a Basic Package for $500 a month that includes payroll processing for up to 10 employees, or a Premium Package at $1,500 a month that includes payroll processing, benefits administration, and tax filing. This approach makes your services clear, organized, and easy to understand for potential customers.
4. Systemize Your Processes
Start by breaking down all the steps needed to deliver your service in a consistent and reliable way. Document each step clearly so that both you and your team can easily follow them every time you offer the service. This helps ensure that the service is delivered and meets the same high standards for every customer.
For example, a digital marketing agency offering a “Social Media Starter Package” might have a workflow that includes steps like having the client fill out an onboarding form, conducting a competitor analysis, creating a content calendar, reviewing the deliverables, and then handing everything over to the client.
5. Build a User-Friendly Sales System
To build a user-friendly sales system, make sure it’s as simple as possible for customers to purchase your productized service. Consider integrating features such as adding "Buy Now" buttons to your website, so customers can easily check out and pay for the service. You might also want to use booking systems like Calendly to allow customers to easily schedule consultations or meetings. Another important step is creating dedicated service pages for each of your services, where you can provide clear descriptions, pricing, and any additional information that will help customers make a decision.
6. Use Automation Tool
Invest in automation tools that can handle repetitive tasks, saving you time and effort. For example, tools like Stripe or QuickBooks can automate invoicing and payment processing, making sure you get paid on time without having to manually track everything.
For client communication, consider using email automation platforms like Mailchimp or HubSpot to send out follow-up emails or updates without doing it by hand. You can also use project management tools like Trello, Monday.com, or Asana to keep track of tasks, deadlines, and team progress automatically.
7. Test, Get Feedback and Improve Your Service
Start by launching it to a small group of customers. This allows you to gather valuable feedback and make improvements before fully rolling it out. After customers have used your service, ask for their input on things like whether the service met their expectations, if the process was easy to follow, and if they would recommend your service to others.
Use this feedback to adjust your service packages, pricing, or processes as needed, ensuring that it meets customer needs and improves over time.
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12 Examples of Productized Services for Business Owners
Accounting Firms: Monthly Bookkeeping Subscription (includes regular bookkeeping and financial reports).
Cleaning Services: Weekly Office Cleaning Package (includes cleaning of office spaces on a regular schedule).
Marketing Agencies: SEO Website Optimization Package (includes keyword research, content adjustments, and on-page SEO for better search engine ranking).
Consultants: 90-Day Business Improvement Plan (includes a detailed strategy for business growth over three months).
Food Vendors: Weekly Meal Plan Package (includes 5 meals delivered each week).
Bakers: Monthly Cake Subscription (includes one custom cake per month).
Caterers: Corporate Lunch Catering Package (includes delivery of sandwiches, salads, and beverages for up to 100 employees).
Fitness Trainers: 12-Week Fitness Transformation Program (includes personalized workout plan, nutrition guide, and weekly check-ins).
Photography Services: Family Portrait Package (includes a 1-hour shoot and 3 high-resolution prints).
Pet Grooming Services: Monthly Grooming Subscription (includes one grooming session every month).
Tutoring Services: 10-Session Math Tutoring Package (includes 10 lessons focused on improving math skills).
Event Planners: Corporate Event Planning Package (includes planning, organizing, and overseeing corporate events for up to 300 people).
5 Tips to Market Your Productized Service
Highlight the Benefits of Your Services: Emphasize how your productized service makes it easy for customers to understand what they’re getting and what to expect. Show how your processes save them time and money, reduce confusion, and provide value. Use your website, social media, and email marketing to communicate these benefits.
Create Service Pages: Build dedicated landing pages for each service package with detailed descriptions, pricing, and the specific outcomes customers will get. Include testimonials, before and after examples, or case studies to showcase the success of your service.
Leverage Proof and Testimonials: Share customer reviews, and testimonials from happy clients who’ve benefited from your productized services. Highlight their success stories on your website, social media platforms, and email newsletters. Social proof builds trust and helps potential customers feel confident in purchasing.
Offer Free Resources or a Trial: Provide value upfront by offering free resources, like webinars, or downloadable guides that help potential customers understand the benefits of your productized service. Consider offering a limited-time trial or a money-back guarantee to reduce risk for first-time buyers and encourage them to take action.
Use Paid Advertising to Drive Traffic: Use targeted ads on platforms like Google, Facebook/Instagram, or LinkedIn to drive traffic to your service pages. Focus on keywords and demographics related to your target audience. You can create specific ad campaigns for each service package to ensure you’re reaching the right potential customers with the right message.
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Conclusion
Productizing a service is about taking what you already do well and shaping it into a clear, predictable package that customers can easily understand and buy. Instead of offering something different for every client, you create a standard version of your service with set deliverables and pricing. This makes it simpler for customers to trust what they’re getting and easier for you to deliver consistently. By productizing, you’re giving yourself more room to grow your business without stretching yourself too thin.
Productizing your service is the first step; delivering it is the next
Here at Kwikpik, we’re dedicated to helping business owners and individuals grow by taking the stress out of logistics and delivery. While productizing your services is a smart way to scale, ensuring your products reach customers is where we shine.
We are the leading Delivery-as-a-Service (DaaS) provider in Nigeria, offering end-to-end logistics solutions. With us, you can send and receive packages, track deliveries in transit, secure your deliveries with our insurance policy, and protect your package against mistakes using our security codes. We also provide a warehousing solution, so your business can reach more customers in underserved areas and go beyond your local city.
You have the option to leverage our API, or speak with our support and become a Kwikpik partner, click here.
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