Want to Maximize AppExchange Investment?
We will teach you how to use AppExchange platform to the fullest and build an upscale solution for you.
Are you contemplating launching your business idea on the AppExchange marketplace? Considering all the peculiarities of the AppExchange app development process, there are 2 options available: you can do it alone or cooperate with an established Salesforce AppExchange Partner.
Frustratingly, opting for the first approach demands significant investments and gives no guarantees that your application will successfully pass Salesforce Security Review from the first attempt not bumping into numerous other roadblocks which we outline below.
You may also want to outsource a development team for the development process, but here’s another trick: not every development team is qualified enough and has proper certifications to create apps for the Salesforce AppExchange marketplace.
With a bundle of different application types, plugins, platforms, and compliance guidelines to adhere to, only certified Salesforce Consultant AppExchange experts can provide the services that your business needs.
It is even more beneficial if your AppExchange Consultant is an independent software vendor (ISV) with solid experience in developing AppExchange software and apps.
Without further ado, let’s delve into both terms and explore why they hold significance in your AppExchange development journey.
Salesforce AppExchange Partner is an umbrella term for:
An independent software vendor (ISV) is a company or organization that has met specific requirements set by Salesforce and has successfully listed its product or service on the AppExchange marketplace.
Put simply, independent vendors make their own software that either integrates with Salesforce or is built on top of it.
ISVs understand the Salesforce Ecosystem inside out, so that they can guide you through the whole AppExchange app development process: from building your app to publishing it on AppExchange with further support.
But how can you check the level of professionalism of ISV?
Salesforce took care of that and created “AppExchange Trailblazer Score”. It consists of 4 tiers: Base, Ridge, Crest, Summit.
According to Salesforce’s fiscal year, partners are evaluated each quarter and can be reassigned to a new tier. A maximum score is 1,000 points.
AppExchange ISV Program Tiers
The score is determined by the partner’s contributions towards the objectives established in four key areas: Customer success, Innovation, Growth, and Impact. All the requirements for obtaining total points in each category can be found here.
For example, Ascendix has recently gained Crest tier and works thoroughly to gain Summit tier soon.
High AppExchange ISV Track Trailblazer Score for partners means:
Consulting and integration AppExchange partners are certified specialists, orgs, and companies that offer a wide range of services to Salesforce customers.
Their core offering is consultation; therefore, AppExchange partners spend a large amount of time with customers learning about their businesses, discussing options for implementing and enhancing Salesforce.
Unlike ISVs, consulting and integration AppExchange partners do not own listings on AppExchange. Their value proposition is all around consulting.
But consulting is an umbrella term for scope of services AppExchange partners provide. There is an ABC of Consultants on AppExchange that fully describes how these specialists can help your business.
Some companies go beyond just independent vendors and consultants and become both.
For example, being a CRM consulting firm first and foremost, Ascendix is an AppExchange partner that owns two listings on AppExchange: AscendixRE CRM and Ascendix Search.
We have been cultivating our presence on AppExchange since 2014 resulting in a significant exposure to thousands of active users and prospective customers.
Our 2 AppExchange apps (AscendixRE and Ascendix Search) help and support thousands of users daily from the real estate industry to generate steady revenue streams.
At the same time, we are Crest (Gold) AppExchange consultants helping companies drive meaningful results fast by managing the development, coding, configuration, user training, and integration of Salesforce products within your operating systems.
The dual expertise of being both a consultant and an independent software vendor (ISV) means we have a deep understanding of the Salesforce ecosystem from multiple angles, not just from the consulting perspective but also from the product development viewpoint, which ultimately results in better and more efficient service delivery.
You can of course apply to become a Salesforce AppExchange Partner, i.e., an independent software vendor, yourself and start introducing your apps to your new audience, however, you must be aware of one thing: not all apps get approved by Salesforce.
There is a stringent Salesforce security check in place that all AppExchange solutions need to comply with, and if they don’t, app owners are doomed to pay another $999 for a new round of review.
Apart from the security review, there are numerous other challenges that companies might encounter when embarking on the AppExchange development journey alone:
The best solution to overcome these challenges is to hire an AppExchange consultant and individual vendor in one – as they will not only advise you on how to best plan your AppExchange endeavors but also help to avoid the mistakes they might have faced when developing their solution.
This practice-based advice is invaluable and can significantly reduce the time, cost, and stress associated with the process.
So, what other benefits of hiring an AppExchange Partner will you get?
Assistance in obtaining or improving your Salesforce partnership. If you’re not a Salesforce customer, you must sign up as a partner and request a trial- a partner business org. In this case, the experienced AppExchange consulting team assists you with filling out the form and submitting the trial request correctly.
If you are an existing Salesforce customer, you don’t need to set up a new partner business org. Instead, you can use your existing org to build your package and do that activity before you go and reach out to become a partner.
Building your product and deploying a managed package on AppExchange. This point matters the most.
As we mentioned earlier, not every development team is certified and has experience with Salesforce products.
What differentiates Salesforce AppExchange Partners from other software development vendors?
Additionally, AppExchange partners take responsibility for adequately investigating required budgets, resources, and technologies.
Launching a product on AppExchange is not the end of the process. You need to track feedback, plan marketing activities, process user support, and manage licenses.
If you’re new to this, managing all these tasks can become overwhelming and may detract from your primary business operations. In this case, experienced AppExchange partners can do you a big favor – they will train your teams and keep track of all vital metrics.
Ascendix Key AppExchange Services
So, a partnership with Salesforce AppExchange partner provides you with:
And if your AppExchange Partner has the dual experience of being both a consultant and an independent software vendor, they bring even more value.
Benefits of Hiring AppExchange Partner with Dual Experience
When it comes to product development, engagement with a certified AppExchange Partner ensures the successful creation and deployment of your Salesforce-based product and its publishing on AppExchange.
Apart from this, there are other benefits a multi-faceted AppExchange Partner can bring for your product development:
On the consulting side, a certified AppExchange Partner can provide several benefits to your business when it comes to consulting:
Choosing a reputable and experienced Salesforce AppExchange partner that aligns with your organization’s goals and values is important. Conduct research, review client testimonials, and have detailed discussions to ensure they are the right fit for your specific requirements.
The AppExchange onboarding process from the documentation and the assistance perspective is complicated, confusing, and difficult to navigate.
And because the Ascendix team has gone through that process both as a product company and consulting partner, we know all the ins and outs of becoming a Salesforce Partner and AppExchange app developer.
Being Salesforce AppExchange individual vendors and consultants, we know what our clients need to watch out for, what the process is, and how clients will get to their destination.
Ascendix is an experienced team of developers and AppExchange consultants with strong Salesforce development expertise. We know how to create a package, which documentation, and how much time is required to submit your solution on the AppExchange platform successfully.
So, what benefits do you get from cooperation with Ascendix?
As a company that has experienced the power of turning ideas into thriving businesses through our real estate products and helping clients succeed, we can attest to the vast opportunities that await.
We understand how to succeed with Salesforce. Contact us to get started.
We will teach you how to use AppExchange platform to the fullest and build an upscale solution for you.
Kateryna creates engaging content about Salesforce consulting, Ascendix products, and CRM best practices for the commercial real estate industry and legal services. Her articles provide readers with relevant data, stats, business tricks and overviews of new industry trends and CRM updates.
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