In order to boost client growth, we helped a French Web agency TFS align its product roadmap with value for customers, while enhancing the customer journey and B2B marketing strategy to deliver a better customer experience. Through our customer experience-led product and marketing assistance, TFS was able to boost client growth by 2-3x in each of the 9 months after re-launch.

1. CLIENT OVERVIEW
The Floating Stone (TFS) is a French Web and software design agency founded in
2007. TFS fuses the creative energy and the technical know-how of its two
founders, Andres Gleixner and Greg Fournel.
In addition to carrying out custom web projects for a range of institutional clients,
TFS offers a range of slick, fun and easy-to-use professional SaaS-based tools
catering to the needs of independent workers and small businesses. Their current
Web-based services include Pictomos, an online image gallery for artists and
designers; Tomosfactory, an object-oriented Web design platform, and Factomos,
an online invoicing tool targeted at small service-sector businesses.
TFS’ BUSINESS CHALLENGE
Following on the success of Factomos, and with the
support of reputed Paris-based accounting firm
Experts et Performance, TFS developed Factomos
Xpert: a specialized SaaS tool for accountancy firms,
allowing them to quickly and easily access client
invoice data stored securely within their respective
online Factomos invoicing accounts.
This online client-accountant platform allows
accountants to avoid data re-entry, reducing possible
accounting errors, while also helping to forge a
closer and more collaborative relationship between
accounting firms and their businesses clients.
While experienced in creating and selling Web-
based services for independents and small
businesses using mostly online, B2C marketing
techniques, TFS was inexperienced in approaching a
more traditional and highly regulated accounting
sector. To successfully introduce Factomos Xpert,
TFS faced a number of challenges:
} Aligning the product roadmap with value
for customers – The product development of
Factomos Xpert started out with a technically
driven process of developing specific functions
allowing accountants to access and manage
existing clients’ invoice data. While this gave
their first accountant users the ability to read
and import client data, it did not address other
key requirements and demands for successfully
delivering a great customer experience to both
accounting firms and their client-users.
} Targeting professional institutions – Up
until now TFS had successfully commercialized
its online services to small businesses like itself,
using the Web. Previously accustomed to
dealing with creative-sector professionals who
live and work on the Web, TFS had to find more
appropriate channels and new commercial
strategies to engage with the more traditional
and institutional accountancy sector in order to
Case Summary: A web agency re-launches its new SaaS offer using a customer value-driven product
roadmap and an integrated B2B go-to-market plan, generating new client growth
Target Audience: Small company - Business Owner, Head of Products, Head Business Development
Med & large firms - CMO, Head Product Management, Head Prod. Marketing / Sales
Key Point: Client-focused marketing is critical for designing and commercializing successful products
TFS ACHIEVES 2-3X CLIENT GROWTH RATE IN FIRST 9
MONTHS AFTER COMMERCIAL RE-LAUNCH OF NEW SAAS
OFFER
CLIENT CASE STUDY

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identify prospective and create awareness for
this new service.
} Enhancing B2B marketing efforts – Beyond
simply developing a working Web-based
platform to help accounting firms save time and
reduce accounting errors, TFS needed to design
an attractive value proposition to address this
new segment. This meant gaining a deeper
appreciation of this new market and its specific
demands, and using this to shape and highlight
the value its SaaS offer. This would require
additional client research, while acquiring new
methods and tools to communicate and engage
customers around the value of Factomos Xpert.
THE SOLUTION: DELIVER ITS SAAS
PRODUCT WITH AN INTEGRATED GO-TO-
MARKET PROGRAM
To help TFS successfully re-launch Factomos Xpert,
Merkado designed and kicked-off an integrated go-
to-market program with several aims:
§ Gain a deeper understanding of clients’
needs and the value offered by the SaaS tool
§ Create a customer experience-led plan to
successfully deliver an improved, value-
driven offer to market
§ Provide TFS with some key processes and
tools to further develop this new business
Our collaborative engagement began with an audit
of TFS’ current situation, helping identify several key,
interrelated areas for development in order to help
successfully re-launch an improved SaaS offer. Based
on this Merkado took several actions:
§ Performing a customer study to gain insights
into current usage, expectations, unresolved
issues and areas for improvement
§ Implementing a customer-led product
roadmap focused around feature releases
providing clear value to users.
§ Creating a better buying process, including
content, to guide prospects through their
customer journey
§ Designing a go-to-market plan to reach the
accountancy market and facilitate new
customer growth
§ Establishing 3rd
party partnerships to
reinforce in-house capabilities in the areas e-
mail marketing and IT systems
With these actions underway Factomos XP would be
ready for commercial re-launch in early 2012.
BUSINESS RESULT: 2-3X CLIENT GROWTH
IN THE FIRST 9 MONTHS AFTER RE-LAUNCH
To enhance its core offer and increase value for
customers, we prioritized several roadmap releases
including group registration and easy service
payment using PayPal. We also added additional
case management and real-time collaboration
features between accountants and end-clients.
To highlight the value offered, to guide customer
through their journey and to increase engagement,
we re-designed the SaaS website (Figure 1) by
adding aspects like a simple product overview, client
testimonials, quick start user guide and practical user
support for both accountants and their business
clients. We also developed related standalone
marketing and sales documents to enable face-to-
face commercial discussions with prospects.
To create awareness and demand we selected a set
of adapted on and offline channels to reach
Figure 1 - Factomos Xpert Homepage

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accountancy firms. This included e-mail marketing,
leveraging data from various French business
registries, and in-person attendance at the yearly
French Accountants National Congress.
To help convert prospective accountancy clients to
Factomos Xpert users we introduced a limited-time
trial, while giving those firms the ability to easily
migrate their business clients from existing invoicing
tool to the Factomos online invoice service.
Finally, by leveraging the existing Factomos invoicing
platform and user base, we gave small business users
the ability to give their existing accountants access to
their invoice data, effectively generating new
demand for Factomos Xpert from the end business
client-side up.
Following these changes Factomos Xpert was re-
launched at the end of the first quarter of 2012. The
number of customer accounts grew by 2-3x the
previous rate during each of the first 9 months,
validating this investment in customer experience-led
product and marketing advice and assistance.
With its improved Factomos Xpert offer, which now
helps accounting firms be more productive and forge
closer and stronger relationships with end-clients,
TFS is now well positioned to further grow its
business in the promising market for collaborative
accounting tools.
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR TECHNOLOGY COMPANIES
1. A customer value focus is critical for developing market-driven products – While many new
product concepts result from custom client development or skunk-work projects, focusing on creating
value for customers is key when creating attractive, market-driven offers that clients will pay for. It can be
tempting for product development teams to add the latest features and technologies to a new product.
However, without a clear connection to business strategy, market facts or real user stories, technology
companies risk using resources to build engineering wonders that ultimately don’t really resolve clients’
underlying needs and demands, delivering little value to both clients and the company.
2. Leverage an integrated, customer experience-led approach when bringing new products
to market – To improve the chances of success for a new client offer, technology companies need to
implement integrated, on and offline marketing programs to help create and maintain profitable customer
relationships. Where possible favour coordinated actions that help connect with clients on an individual
basis through adapted channels (e.g. Dedicated webpages and mobile apps, forums, or other direct on
and offline channels). This will not only help deliver a better customer experience, but also establish
personalized, interactive relationship for providing timely and relevant support, while maintaining a pulse
on customer satisfaction and on emerging needs. Finally, to effectively reach all relevant client
stakeholders any technical aspects must be translated for non-technical audiences.
3. Adapt your go-to-market strategy to your target customers – When expanding into new
markets or segments technology companies need to reassess and adapt existing commercial strategies in
order to deliver on their customer promises. A company should use careful planning and pragmatism to
reduce the time and effort for choosing and preparing new channels. This includes understanding who the
primary decision-makers are and what are the key considerations driving them towards a purchase
decision. Technology companies should also examine the tools and methods needed to create awareness,
interest and growth of new offer. If the gap between existing and required commercial capabilities is too
large they can look for additional resources to kick-start growth in the new market.

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About Merkado
Merkado helps technology companies
create customer value and business
growth through our practical and
integrated go-to-market solutions.
From market opportunity evaluation to
strategic sales support, we deliver a full
range of go-to-market advice,
assistance and methods, combining
proven, international experience with a
first-hand understanding of the latest
consumer and business technology
trends.
Contact Us
To see how Merkado can assist your
organization please contact:
Juan Carlos Sanchez
Managing Director
jcsanchez@merkadoservice.com
For more information visit:
www.merkadoservices.com
Merkado SAS
10 rue de Vouillé
75015, Paris
France
Copyright © 2012 Merkado Services. All rights reserved