Indian SaaS giant Zoho has created history by crossing 100 million users across various business applications. Soho achieved this feat without any other investment. Founded 28 years ago, Zoho now serves more than 700,000 businesses in 150 countries.
Zoho, which thinks differently from the usual marketing methods, is a model company that has conquered the world-class market. This is the story of how a company that started by targeting rural India through Bootstrap became a global leader. A journey of unique vision and unwavering commitment.
How did Zoho become a global SaaS powerhouse
Powered by the vision and visionary leadership of its founder, Sridhar Vembu, Zoho has grown with a customer-centric approach and innovative ideas.
- Decisions without the involvement of investors
Zoho is a company built through bootstrapping with no recourse to investments. In fact, that's what led to Soho's success. By making the decision to grow organically, it helped automate important decisions related to the company.
This freedom allowed the company to re-invest profits directly into R & D and long-term innovation, without the pressures of satisfying other investors. For Zoho, this path, which is not chosen by many, has become the key to creating a sustainable and profitable business model.
Zoho offers more than 55 business applications to improve the functioning of businesses. Each of these applications, such as CRM, HR, accounting, and marketing automation, is designed to solve a specific problem. Zoho provides a comprehensive solution for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) and helps them manage all their operations from a single platform. This all-in-one approach has been very helpful for SMBs who need multiple tools. This method is called the Swiss Knife Approach.
2. A customer-centric approach
Zoho focused on making the best of the consumer approach rather than brand growth. Helped in the growth of SMBs by providing functional applications at affordable prices. This made Soho's business base the most secure. The company's Zoho One, made available to SMB customers at an affordable price point, helped Zoho capture a significant share of the market.
3. Business strategy to attract customers.
Zoho offers free trials, product demos, and detailed case studies for users to get a firsthand understanding of the value of Zoho's tools.
Zoho's sales team helps customers by providing tailored solutions to meet their needs.
Provides tailored suggestions and attractive payment options for each company.
Provides ongoing support and continuous product updates (customer reviews, training videos) to help customers maximize the use of Zoho's products.
Positive check-ins, user community access, and extensive training sessions help customers increase their engagement with Zoho's tools.
By understanding consumer interest and feedback, Zoho continuously refines its products and services.
Zoho focuses on turning customers, at every stage, into paying customers.
4. Importance of research
For Soho, innovation is the lifeblood of the company. Zoho invests 60% of its revenue in research and development. This has become a major reason for retaining customers in Soho.
The B2B SaaS industry is one of the fastest growing sectors globally. The market size is expected to be $1 trillion by 2030. In India, the SaaS market is particularly vibrant. Helping SMBs sprout like mushrooms and the growing demand for SaaS solutions is helping companies like Zoho reach greater heights in the sector.
