CUSTOMER ACQUISITION TACTICS

•  Customer acquisition is the process of bringing new customers or clients to your business.
• Some of the most popular tactics used by companies to attract new clients include 1) defining a target audience to offer a free trial and gather customer data; 2) using social media and website traffic measurements; 3) publishing video content; 4) doing giveaway campaigns on social media; 4) creating high-quality content in blogs; and 5) using SEO tactics.
• Some common SEO tactics are the use of industry-related keywords, referral programs, back links from authority websites, optimizing the website with an attractive landing page, and email engagement through customized and promotional emails.

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

VANTAGE COMMERCIAL CAPITAL

• Blogs: Vantage Commercial uses blogs to attract new clients, with topics like " A Guide to Help You Choose How Much Office Space Is Needed" and "How Venture Capital Financing Helps Small Businesses," among others.
• Free Analysis: They also do a free, no-obligation, analysis on the prospective customers' financial portfolio through highly experienced financial professionals by signing up or filling a contact form.
• Mailing Lists: Finally, the company invites its website's visitors to sign up on a mailing list with their email and name, to get updates on the company's information and promotions.

• Vantage Commercial doesn't share details on its rates and processing fees publicly. This information can be requested from its processing experts by filling an online form.

• Vantage Commercial offers a vast portfolio of business financing lenders in the segments of business financing, commercial real estate loans, working capital advance, and term loans. The company offers a high service level for small, medium, and large companies.
• Vantage Commercial Capital claims to have the most competitive rates for "SBA 7a and 504 Loans " offering fixed terms out to 25 years as low as 4.5 percent.
• The Bank rate has provided Vantage commercial Capital with a 4-star rating based on its services, safety, and soundness among other merchant finance companies.

DIVIDO

• Industry reports: The company uses high-quality content to acquire potential customers. They share industry reports like the "Global Lending Report," through an online information form requests.
• Video Content: On its website, Divido shares a "How does it work?" video as a way to acquire potential customers by raising engagement.
• Blogs: The company regularly posts industry-specific blog posts covering topics like "How can banks take advantage of the SWIFT ‘Pay Later’ API?" and "Buy it, don’t build it."

• The company doesn't share details about its rates and processing fees publicly. They provide an online form so the clients can request the information directly from its experts.

• The company offers each lender fully customizable features based on their needs and requirements along with lower costs and a quick route-to-market system.
• Divido works with over a thousand banks, merchants, and partners, including MasterCard, HTC, and BNP Paribas.
• The UK Government, Google, Skype, Worldpay, TransferWise, and Forrester have recognized Divido as a leader in innovation for the retail and finance industries.
• Additionally, according to PR News, Divido recently expanded to France and has a 5-star rating from Trustpilot based on more than 300 consumer reviews.

THE KLARNA GROUP

• Blogs: Through Klarna's knowledge hub, the company shares high-quality content on industry-specific topics like "7 changes to your online stores" and "Does size matter for fashion online retailers," among others.
• Promotional emailing: To attract more clients, Klarna offers a free sign up option for potential visitors and readers of its website's content. After signing up, these subscribers receive regular emails with the latest updates and promotional information.
• Referral program: The company runs a referral program where it asks merchants to promote Klarna's payment method by using its logos, ready-made messaging, and creative suggestions.

• The company doesn't share details on its rates and processing fees publicly. Clients can request this information from the customer service team by filling an online form or calling support's phone number.

• Klarna is one of the largest banks in Europe and provides payment solutions in 17 countries for 60 million consumers and 170,000 merchants. The company offers direct payments, pay after delivery options, and installment plans through one-click.
• Klarna offers multiple shopping and payment options to merchants like "pay later in 30 days," pay in three installments, and the option to choose flexible financing.

RESEARCH STRATEGY

CHARGE AFTER

Customer acquisition tactics

• One of the methods by which Charge After entices customers is through its partnership with top financial solutions providers such as VISA, PICO, and Fortiva Financial to expand its global outreach, and also, draw from their customer bases.
• Another customer acquisition approach used by Charge After includes providing lenders with smooth integration for lenders and streamlining of credit distributions. This is to enable the company to gain a competitive advantage against other top market players and to break into new retail markets.
• Furthermore, Charge After attracts customers by holding omnichannel and ecommerce conferences and boot camps to educate people about point of sale financing.
• Other customer acquisition tactics by Charge After includes digital marketing outreach through its various social media handles on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn and employing hashtags such as #chargeafter, #etail, #etaileast, #ecommerce, #omnichannel, and #ecommerce.

Rates and processing fees

• Charge After supplies "personalized point of sale and financial checkouts with 85% approval rates."
• The company provides equal payments, flexible payments, and 0% financing.
• On Primestyle, Charge After offers zero interest if the amount is paid completely in 6 months.

Unique service offerings

• Charge After helps to approve applicants for various retailers, improving sales by about 45% via its expanding chain of global lenders.
• Charge After's unique competitive advantage includes being reasonable and transparent to lenders and merchants, as well as providing safe and private offerings to customers. Furthermore, due to its network of lenders, it is permitted to offer superior terms to consumers, with the highest reported approval rates.

GET BREAD

Customer acquisition tactics

• Get Bread increases its customer base through its integration with top e-commerce platforms, such as Shopify, Oracle, Volusion, and 3DCart, and also, by supporting homegrown solutions.
• Get Bread also draws customers by providing retailers with the benefit of customizing their financing options.
• Moreover, Get Bread acquires customers through its active social media channels and digital sponsored ads on Twitter and LinkedIn and employing hashtags such as #bread and #etail, #etaileast, #ecommerce, and #POS.

Rates and processing fees

• Get Bread rates and processing fees differ according to transaction costs.
• For instance, there is a $29.34 interest charge over a 6-month period, a $54.93 interest charge over a 12-month period, and a $107.37 interest charge over a 24-month period for a $1,000 transaction.
• According to Velocity Micro, Get Bread rates ranges from "6.99% to 29.99% APR resulting in, for example, 24 equal monthly payments of $45.22 to $55.91 at 7.99% to 29.99% APR, per $1,000 borrowed."

Unique service offerings

• Customers prefer Get Bread due to the innovative white-label method it employs, which continuously surpasses alternative solutions when it comes to improving customer lifetime value and AOV and generating revenue.
• According to Forbes, Bread differentiates itself from competitors by enabling retailers to provide financing options that are customized alongside their own branding.

Research Strategy: