Kickstarter and Indiegogo are crowdfunding sites that allow people to pre-order products in their first round of production. In fact, crowdfunding is usually what makes this initial production batch possible! Crowdfunding allows people to put financial backing into products in the form of pre-orders. Each crowdfunding campaign has a funding goal that must be met in order for the product to be mass produced and brought into reality.

Kickstarter and Indiegogo crowdfunding campaigns offer various advantages such as heavy discounts on cutting edge products, exclusive perks, and even ways to give back to communities and to the planet. Of course, when you back a crowdfunding project, it will usually be at least a few months before the product arrives at your door. To offset the wait time, preorders are generally at a discounted price. Often, the discount offered is massive.

Here are the 7 reasons why you should back a crowdfunding project:

1. Get the best price there’ll ever be

To make the most of your money, you should buy it now. You’ll be able to get a discounted price on Kickstarter or Indiegogo crowdfunding products. For the most part, a product will never be cheaper than it is during the crowdfunding campaign. Once a crowdfunding product is available to regular consumers, the product will retail for its original price. However, by preordering a product during its crowdfunding phase, you’ll be able to get an early bird (or super early bird!) deal. After all, you’re taking a chance on a product that’s not even on the shelves yet.

During these crowdfunding campaigns, inventors need to prove that there’s enough interest and demand for their product or else they won’t get funding to mass produce them. If the product doesn’t get funded during the Kickstarter or Indiegogo campaign, then it may not ever see the light of day.

Your part in making their dream a reality is worth a great deal to any creator. Theoretically, your support for a product can literally mean the difference between the product’s life or death. So if there’s a project you love and truly believe in, expect to be rewarded with handsome savings.

2. Get exclusive perks & extras

Perks are given to backers in the form of rewards, which are often exclusive. Rewards are usually personalized items for backers who are really enthusiastic about the project. For example, certain perks include launch exclusives or multi-packs of products. You also have the option to choose rewards based on how much you want to spend. Usually, larger donations will receive more personalized gifts. Moreover, products with associated subscription services often waive fees for backers — most often for the first year, but sometimes for life. Finally, backers get insider updates on the product’s progress and behind-the-scenes videos.

All in all, the more you donate to a campaign, the better chance you’ll have at unlocking elite-tier perks. You might even get lunch or a Zoom call with the inventor!

3. Contribute to a good cause

Many crowdfunding projects donate a portion of their proceeds to charities and non-profits. This is especially common in the case of Kickstarter where creativity comes from all walks of life, including entrepreneurs who also believe in giving back to society through humanitarian acts.

Some projects donate a percentage of their funds directly to charities. Other crowdfunding projects are dedicated specifically to helping non-profits with funding, awareness and resources.

The best part? You can feel great knowing that your money isn’t just going into some big company’s pockets. This is a point that leads us perfectly to the next reason.

4. Bring the ideas of passionate creators to life

Many products wouldn’t be possible without the help of crowdfunding. Crowdfunding helps bring ideas to life, which is why many entrepreneurs are turning to these platforms in hopes that they can get their product out there for more people to enjoy.

Behind every product is a vision; an idea dreamed up by someone who wants others to share in their love of something – whether it’s music or fashion or even just coffee mugs. Nowadays, with Kickstarter and Indiegogo being so popular among creatives around the world, you have all kinds of unique opportunities when it comes down to supporting innovations on both sites. If you’re a creative person yourself, and you wish to support other passionate creators, then we definitely recommend checking out what projects are available on Kickstarter or Indiegogo.

5. Be an early adopter or a trendsetter

There is a certain satisfaction in being an early adopter of things, which is why many people are turning to Kickstarter and Indiegogo for the latest inventions that haven’t hit store shelves yet.

It’s always exciting when you’re able to get your hands on a new release before it even comes out! With crowdfunding campaigns, this experience gives supporters bragging rights over their friends who might be at the mercy of waiting for the product to hit stores. It’s all about supporting something with passion and effort behind it because there really isn’t anything else like supporting work you love and helping to introduce it to the world.

6. Give small businesses a fair chance to compete with giants like Amazon

Retail giants like Walmart and Amazon benefit from an economy of scale that allows them to offer countless items at very low prices. They’ve also built an enormous amount of trust with consumers, who know things will be made right if there’s a mistake. Small creators and subsidiaries simply don’t have that, and they need to build community and demonstrate demand before they can produce in large volumes.

Crowdfunding helps to bridge the gap between regular people that’s been created by corporate giants. Kickstarter and Indiegogo are great ways for small businesses to get their products out there without having to worry about being able to compete with retail giants like Walmart or Amazon who have economies of scale on their side.

It’s always exciting when small businesses get the chance they deserve in order to compete with giants like Amazon by getting more people involved through crowdfunding. That way, supporters can feel good about supporting new products and ideas before they’ve gotten off of the ground.

7. Rest assured with robust defense measures against scammers and fraud

There aren’t really any downsides associated with backing projects on either platform, since both companies offer protection against fraud or not receiving your items after your money has been spent. These can be common fears for anyone who is new to the process.

There’s also no risk involved if you’re not happy with what you receive, and both Kickstarter and Indiegogo offer great customer service in case anything goes wrong during your transaction. By using either site, customers are covered from start to finish for a worry-free experience!

Both platforms provide protection against fraud, and not receiving your items after you’ve spent your money. If an item never ships — which rarely ever happens given the campaign reaches its funding goal — you’ll get your money back. Plus, with the level of transparency and authentication both platforms require from creators, it’s extremely difficult for scammers to run fake campaigns without it being obvious.

8. Move innovation forward

They say anything is possible, and this may be true. Surely however, there’s a force behind every breakthrough. No major human accomplishment could have occurred without the drive of those individuals behind them. As a backer, you can be a part of that driving force. Take pride taking part in the making of Tomorrowland. There’s just something that feels great about knowing you helped push the innovation needle forward.

Conclusion

Today, Kickstarter and Indiegogo are the two biggest crowdfunding sites on the web where backers from around the world connect with those who have great ideas but lack funding. Both companies offer a wide range of products that you can back today.

Kickstarter and Indiegogo offer their own unique benefits, so it’s best to sign up for both sites in order to compare the differences between each platform. Furthermore, by not limiting yourself to a single platform, you’ll have a wider selection of products to choose from. Fuel solutions that will help change the world when you back an Indiegogo project or pledge to a Kickstarter campaign today.