In marketing terms, Private Label means "something being offered by someone else." In this case, you are buying or renting something from another supplier but branding it yourself. In most cases, this involves selling your own product to customers who want to buy from you rather than from the original seller. For instance, if you were an e-commerce store for shoes, you could sell them on Amazon's marketplace without having to worry about shipping costs because they would be handled by Amazon itself. You wouldn't have to pay any fees at all. But what happens when you don't control the entire supply chain? What if there was some middleman involved between the customer and you? That's where the term comes into play -- white labeling.
The term originated in retailing around the 1970s with retailers like Sears (which became part of Kmart) offering their own branded versions of well-known manufacturers' items such as dishwashers and washing machines. This type of business model has since become common practice across many industries including software development. The idea behind using white labeled solutions is simple: instead of paying money directly to the provider of the solution, you'll pay money to a third party intermediary who will purchase the services from the vendor and then rebrand it and resell it as though it came from the vendor themselves.
One classic example of white labelling is Apple Pay. Instead of going through the hassle of setting up credit cards and signing contracts with banks, users can simply use their iPhone to make purchases via iTunes. If you're familiar with Apple Pay, you know that it looks very similar to how other payment apps work. It doesn't matter whether you've used PayPal before or not! All you need to do is enter your phone number and verify your identity. After entering your details, you'll see a screen asking you which app you'd like to use to complete the transaction. At first glance, it might seem strange that Apple isn't doing anything here, but everything works exactly the same way. The difference is that Apple owns the service and you never actually interact with Apple directly. They just act as a middle man.
Another popular example is ActiveCampaign, one of the leading email marketing platforms available today. While it may look like a regular email client, it goes much deeper than that. Once signed up, you'll find that it offers more features than you ever thought possible. It integrates seamlessly with Gmail so you won't even realize it exists unless you dig deep inside the settings. Other integrations include social media networks like Facebook and Twitter, plus CRM systems like Salesforce, Hubspot, Zoho, Google Apps, and more.
As you can imagine, these types of tools require a lot of customization depending on the needs of each individual user. That's why we decided to take a closer look at three different kinds of white label solutions: active campaign, dashthis, and webliem. Each tool provides unique benefits and challenges, making it difficult to compare them side-by-side. So let's get started!
If you go back to the beginning of this article, you'll remember that we mentioned that Nike sells sneakers online. However, unlike typical shoe stores, Nike only allows people to order sneakers via its official website. There's no physical storefront anywhere near you. When you click on a pair of shoes, you'll land on a page that says, "Your size is out of stock" followed by two links: Buy Now & Get Shipping.
So how did Nike manage to create a successful brand while still retaining full ownership over the production process? The answer lies in a concept called "Private label". Basically, Nike created a new name for the sneaker line and gave it away to a 3rd party distributor. Then they allowed those distributors to handle the sales themselves. Not only did this allow Nike to maintain full control over the final sale price, but it also helped give the product a better reputation among consumers.
While this particular example deals specifically with footwear, it helps illustrate our point that sometimes, you don't necessarily have to deal with the actual manufacturer of whatever good you're trying to market. Sometimes, you can create your own version of the product and sell it under a completely separate name. That's exactly what happened with the launch of DashIt.
DashIt is a cloud based task management system designed to help small businesses run their day-to-day operations. To put it plainly, it eliminates manual tasks by automating repetitive processes throughout your workflow. By replacing hand-written forms with automated emails, DashIt saves both time and effort, allowing employees to focus on higher value activities like growing revenue.
But how did DashIt manage to gain traction despite being marketed as a competitor to existing competitors? According to CEO Alex Tew, he saw an opportunity to solve problems within his industry. He noticed that employees spend too much time writing things down instead of focusing on high value activities. That's when he realized he needed to build a tool that would eliminate the need for paperwork entirely.
After developing the service, DashIt partnered with several major corporations, eventually launching its beta program last year. Since then, it claims to have saved companies millions of dollars and reduced employee stress levels by up to 95%. Because of that, it was able to attract $30 million in investment capital from investors including Andreessen Horowitz, General Catalyst Partners, First Round Capital, GV, Greycroft Ventures, Khosla Ventures, and Sequoia Capital.
Today, DashIt operates in five countries worldwide with plans to expand globally soon. Its biggest challenge right now is finding enough qualified candidates willing to fill positions in remote locations. Despite the fact that DashIt is currently a niche player compared to larger players like Asana, Slack, Trello, and others, it shows that success depends largely upon building something useful and valuable for your target audience.
Ikea is probably best known for its flatpack furniture assembly kits. These DIY projects involve putting together various pieces of wood, metal, plastic, and fabric in order to assemble sturdy tables and cabinets. With the rise of home improvement television programs showing off Ikea's latest designs, the company has grown exponentially. Today, it boasts annual revenues upwards of $22 billion.
However, while the flat pack design makes it easy to assemble furniture quickly and inexpensively, the real secret sauce lies in the quality of materials used in each piece. Unlike traditional wooden furniture, Ikea relies heavily on laminated veneers made from pine trees harvested from forests outside Sweden. Although each cabinet or table may cost less than $100, they are built to withstand years of heavy usage. And since every single component is manufactured according to strict standards, the result is always consistent.
With a strong emphasis on sustainability and environmental responsibility, Ikea has been recognized by multiple organizations around the world. In 2017 alone, it received six awards from the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), including top honors for Sustainable Timber Management, Global Leader in Fair Trade, and Responsible Care.
Although Ikea's commitment to sustainable practices has had great impact on the environment, its longterm goal is to reduce waste by 50 percent per unit produced. Currently, 90% of their packaging consists of paperboard, and they plan to increase that percentage further over the next few years. But aside from reducing waste, Ikea is committed to providing affordable goods to anyone who wants to live comfortably. One of the ways they accomplish that is by hiring local artists and designers to produce custom artwork for their products.
We hope this article provided you with a basic overview of the concepts discussed above. However, since there are literally thousands of applications out there that fall under the umbrella of "white label", it's difficult to pinpoint exact examples. So to close this article, we chose to highlight two specific ones based on their popularity and importance.
First, Weblieme.com is a project management application that aims to simplify teamwork by helping employees track their progress against goals and deadlines. Like DashIt, it's meant to replace tedious paper forms with streamlined automation. Unlike DashIt however, it focuses primarily on team collaboration and communication through video conferencing.
Second, we used Active Campaign as an example of a fully featured email marketing platform that can integrate with almost any other systems you may already be using. From scheduling campaigns to tracking open rates, it gives you access to virtually unlimited functionality. Just choose whichever feature seems appealing to you and start sending messages to prospects today.
When you're looking for software to help your business grow, one thing you should consider is whether or not there's a white label version available. This refers to when a vendor creates an identical copy of their product, but then they sell it to another party instead of selling it themselves. The end result is that both parties are using the same product, but without any overlap between them.
The benefit of this kind of setup is that you can take advantage of a larger market by offering exactly what people want -- while also avoiding duplication efforts on your part. However, if you don't know how to find white label solutions, it may be difficult to identify which ones would work best for your needs. Here are some answers about what white labelling means, why you might use it, and where to look for it.
In terms of user interface (UI), white label simply refers to a piece of software being branded with the name of the original creator. For example, if someone else created a particular program, you could imagine that it was named "My Awesome App" instead of "Microsoft Excel." If another person were to create an app called "My Awesome App," this wouldn't imply anything about Microsoft at all. In short, this term describes a situation where two different entities have used the exact same codebase to build something new.
However, in many cases, the differences between these apps will still exist because they'll be developed from scratch by separate teams. That said, just like other types of branding, having the same brand associated with different pieces of software makes things easier for users who already know the identity of the developer. It can make everything seem more familiar and less confusing.
As far as actual functionality goes, white labels often contain minor tweaks intended to improve usability. These changes include adjustments to fonts, colors, navigation menus, and even icons. All of these elements contribute to making the final product feel more cohesive, so it's important to see how closely they match up before deciding whether or not to buy into the idea.
You can learn more about the concept of white labeling here.
If you've ever seen an online store that has a completely unique appearance, chances are good that it had been customized with white-labeled technology. You may have noticed that most websites tend to feature similar layouts across multiple domains. There are lots of reasons for this, including ease of maintenance, familiarity, and consistency.
That said, if you need to develop a custom website for your business, it might be worth considering building a white label version first. While doing so won't necessarily save you money over traditional development methods, it can reduce costs significantly. And since everyone knows what the site looks like anyway, you'll likely find yourself spending less time trying to explain things to customers than you would otherwise.
Finally, you shouldn't overlook the fact that white labeled sites are usually more responsive to customer feedback too. Since they're essentially copies of each other, you get to try out every change suggested by your audience directly before implementing it permanently. As such, they're typically easier to update later on, especially if you plan to hire outside developers to finish the job.
For more information on how to customize a website, check out our article on How To Create A Website From Scratch With HTML5 & CSS3.
There aren't really any specific technical requirements for getting started with white labeling in IT. But keep in mind that the process involves creating a new instance of something that already exists. So, you'd probably do well to follow along with the steps outlined below whenever possible.
First, set aside enough time and resources to complete the project properly. Don't expect to launch a fully functional prototype in one day, no matter how much effort you put into it. Instead, think about how long it takes to implement major features within your existing system. Then, factor in some extra hours for testing and debugging. Finally, add an additional couple days to account for unforeseen issues.
Second, determine the extent of customization you want to offer clients. Do you only intend to tweak font sizes, color schemes, and images? Or do you want to rebrand entire sections of the application? Before beginning the process, figure out what kinds of alterations you plan to make so you can avoid duplicating those modifications later on.
Third, decide whether or not you actually need to rebuild everything from scratch. Sometimes, it's better to start fresh rather than redoing old projects again. Keep in mind that if you choose to go down this route, you'll lose access to the source files. So, whatever you do, don't forget to back up your data!
Last, don't underestimate the amount of work involved in developing a white label solution. Even though you'll be starting from scratch, you'll still need to come up with a few ideas of your own. Plus, depending on the scope of your project, you might need to coordinate with several different departments to ensure that nothing gets overlooked during production.
For more details on working with web applications, read our guide on Getting Started With Web Development.
Since white labeling occurs primarily in the world of software, it doesn't always apply to businesses that rely heavily on digital media. Still, the basic principle remains the same. When you hire a third-party service provider to handle certain aspects of a campaign, you give them full control over the content and messages that appear in various places throughout the internet.
Of course, marketers use this technique all the time. They send emails through services like Mailchimp, optimize landing pages with tools like Google Analytics, and run campaigns through platforms like Active Campaign. By outsourcing parts of their workflow to others, however, they eliminate a lot of potential headaches.
By contrast, if you use white labels extensively, you risk losing control over your messaging entirely. After all, once a client chooses a template to base their ads off of, they generally have no way of knowing what happens next. Depending on what you're promoting, this lack of visibility could cause problems ranging from confusion to lawsuits.
Fortunately, there are ways around this issue. First, you can use a tool like HubSpot to track conversions and measure results. Second, you can opt to provide clients with access to analytics reports and historical data. Third, you can train employees to respond appropriately to questions from customers.
Ultimately, whatever you do, remember that white labels are meant to increase efficiency. This gives you more time to focus on other tasks, freeing you up to spend energy on improving your overall performance.
Learn more about how to manage your social accounts effectively here.
If you’re looking for ways to increase your business revenue, then maybe you should consider using white label software. This term refers to when a third party or an independent developer creates a product based on some other company's code or design. The end result might be called “white labelling” (often shortened to just “white-labeling”), but what does this mean exactly?
In short, white label means creating something similar yet different from another person’s work. It can also refer to selling someone else’s software under the name of your own company. For example, if I were to create a website builder toolkit, and sell it as my own, I would likely call it "my web building solution." But if I decided to sell it through a service like Weebly, which allows users to build their sites without coding knowledge, they may choose to use the same name. They could even change the logo and branding to make it look more like theirs. The end result would still be known as "My Web Building Solution," but it wouldn't be mine anymore.
So how do we know whether any given piece of software is actually white labeled or not? One way is to check for copyright violation, so if there are elements of the program that seem too close to another one, it probably isn't original at all. Another common sign is when people buy a program, only to find out later that it was created by someone else—and often not legally! That's because most white label programs aren't made with the intention of being used commercially. In fact, many times these services have been built specifically as side projects, and never intended to become profitable businesses themselves. So while they're technically not violating anyone's copyrights, they really shouldn't be marketed as such either.
But why bother with all this technical jargon anyway, right? Let's get down to brass tacks. What is white label technology? What is white labeling content? And what is considered white label? These are important questions because in order to understand them better, we need to first define each part individually.
The concept behind white label technology is simple: take a popular app or service, tweak it slightly, and rebrand it as your own. You don't necessarily have to copy everything about the original app into your new version, though. Often, developers will simply add features to existing apps to give customers new options. Or, they'll replace entire sections with entirely new ones. Either way, the end result is usually very similar to the original, but yours.
For instance, let's say I wanted to create a website builder toolkit. Instead of starting from scratch, I'd want to grab whatever tools already exist online today, and modify them until they fit my needs. Then, I'd package up those changes and release it as My Website Builder Toolkit. While the idea sounds crazy enough, plenty of startups have successfully done this sort of thing before. Here are three famous examples:
DashThis - A simple dashboard creation application originally written by Justinmind Labs. After raising over $2 million in funding last year, DashIt has since branched off into several separate products, including Teamwork, Project Manager, Task Scheduler, and Analytics.
Weblium - An online community management system designed by HubSpot co-founder Dharmesh Shah. The company raised over $1 million in funding after launching Weblium in 2013. Since then, they've released additional applications like Blogger and CRM.
Shift4Shop - Originally developed by Shopify founder Tobi Lütke, who named his startup after this process. Today, he sells his business to Uber. However, the core functionality remains largely unchanged.
While the above examples show us that white label technology is possible, we must now ask ourselves whether it makes sense. If you decide to go ahead and take advantage of this technique, you'll likely run into two types of problems: legal concerns and customer confusion.
First, there's the issue of intellectual property rights. Although copyright laws vary widely depending on where you live, the general rule states that anything that's unique cannot be copyrighted. So if you alter a program in any significant way, you won't be able to claim ownership over it yourself. Even worse, you might accidentally violate someone else's copyright. When that happens, you risk getting sued.
Second, there's the issue of confusing customers. Imagine buying a car from Ford Motor Company, only to discover months later that it wasn't built by Ford itself. Now imagine doing the exact same thing with an ecommerce site, marketing it as your own store instead. How would customers feel? Would they trust you? Would they think that you copied the whole thing from somewhere else?
To prevent both of these issues from happening, here are some tips to keep in mind:
Make sure your alterations are minor. Don't try to reinvent the wheel every single step of the way. Keep things consistent across platforms. Use recognizable logos and names wherever possible. Make sure your modifications are clear and easy to spot. Be honest upfront. Your goal is to help customers solve real problems, so avoid making misleading claims.
And finally, remember that although white labeling is nothing new, it doesn't always involve actual copying. Sometimes, it involves tweaking existing programs in small ways. Other times, it involves adding completely new functions. Regardless of what it entails, it's best to consult a lawyer or professional trademark attorney beforehand. Do your research before investing thousands of dollars into a project. Otherwise, you might lose money, reputation, and credibility along the way.
When talking about white label technology, it's important to distinguish between branded and unbranded versions. To explain what this means, let's start by going back to our previous example. Say I had bought a generic dashboard creation toolkit, and customized it to meet my specific requirements. At this point, I'm no longer calling it "My Website Builder Toolkit" anymore. Instead, I'd be referring to it as "Our Customized Website Builder Toolkit."
Now, that's clearly different than saying "our custom dashboard maker." That's a totally different product. But what about "website builders"? Is that also considered a variation of "dashboard creators?" No, it absolutely is not. There's no reason whatsoever to believe that DashThis is identical to Our Customized Website Builder Toolkit. On the contrary, it's much easier to tell the differences between the two.
That brings me to a key distinction: What is considered white label depends heavily on context. Because of this, it's difficult to provide definitive answers to this question. As mentioned earlier, you'll encounter variations everywhere. Some white label vendors might offer a few extra bells and whistles, while others might remove features altogether. Ultimately, however, it comes down to preference.
How you market your product will depend greatly upon what kind of software you're offering. If you plan on selling it directly to consumers, then you'll need to focus on branding as well as usability. Similarly, if you intend to resell the product to other businesses, you'll need to focus on ease of implementation, customization, and support.
Finally, when choosing between branded versus unbranded solutions, consider your target audience. Are they tech savvy, or do they prefer simplicity? Will they appreciate subtle tweaks and additions? Whatever the case, be aware of what matters most to your potential clients. By putting thought into your decision, you'll ensure that your efforts pay off.
As stated previously, you won't see many websites dedicated solely to the topic of white labeling. Private labels, meanwhile, are commonly referred to as "software as a service" (SaaS). Unlike white label products, private label solutions are generally paid subscriptions.
Another notable difference lies in the level of control available to customers. With a white label solution, you retain full control over almost everything. Whereas with a private label product, you typically have little choice regarding pricing, payment plans, billing cycles, etc… You can read more about the pros and cons of these two models in the next section.
There are numerous reasons why you might choose to use white label software. Perhaps you're trying to save costs by outsourcing certain aspects of development. Maybe you want to expand your reach beyond your local area. Or perhaps you just want to experiment with various ideas. Whatever the case, there are tons of benefits associated with this type of arrangement. Read below to learn more.
Save Money
One major benefit of white label software is cost savings. Many white label providers charge less per unit than traditional software developers. Plus, thanks to economies of scale, you can expect to spend far fewer resources overall compared to developing a fully functional product from scratch.
Reduce Development Time
Just follow our battle-tested guidelines and rake in the profits.