SaaS is the most successful application in recent times for efficiently fulfilling business operations. SaaS stands for software as a service, a delivery model that distributes apps using a web browser. These apps do not need any one-time purchase or installation, and require paying a subscription fee. In any case, if you wish to resume your services, you can stop paying the fees.
Cloud computing helps businesses benefit from reduced costs, enhanced security, and scalability. SaaS applications are experiencing high demand in the following sectors, irrespective of whether they are private, public, or hybrid.
- Education
- Finance
- Government
- Healthcare
- Engineering
Before going into knowing the design and the development process of the SaaS applications, here are a few significant benefits :
SaaS application benefits
- You can enjoy the privilege of using a SaaS application through any device connected to the internet
- You are free of the costly expenses of purchasing and maintaining hardware resources
- Stay free of complex tasks such as software downloads, updates, and maintenance
- SaaS apps provide high scalability to scale your app up or down anytime
- Enjoy greater security and backup automation
The process of designing and developing a SaaS application
- Be creative
Give something unique to the existing SaaS solutions. Look at its demand. It must meet the requirement which did not exist before. Put forward your idea, criticism, and experience with the present SaaS applications. In such a way, you can come up with a unique and exciting idea.
- Analyze the market trends
Know the trends of the current market. This way, you will understand the customer needs much better and the challenges with the existing solutions. Study your competition properly to analyze the gaps so you can fill them with your idea, and it helps not to repeat the mistakes competitors make. The result of such a study is an enhanced success rate.
- Select a revenue-generating model
The revenue-generating model states the app’s features, the cost to the customer, and the architecture. Here we have some top monetization models to know:
- Subscription model:
SaaS apps on a subscription basis have monthly, quarterly or yearly payments. Such a model finds relevant to the apps rendering valuable and unique services that users use regularly.
- Transaction model of communication:
You can gain a commission each time a user earns money with your app.
- In-app advertising:
In the In-app advertising model, the app can make revenue whenever a user looks at the advertisement. The basic features are free to access. However, for the premium features, the users have to click on the ads.
- Freemium model:
The freemium model is about downloading the app for free, wherein users can access only limited features. For more advanced features, users have to pay a subscription fee.
4. The right technology stack
Primarily choose the right technologies relevant to the front end, database, application server, and server side.
Some of the best SaaS web hosting services include the following :
- AWS
- Google Cloud
- Cloudflare
- HubSpot
- Acquia
- Pantheon
Some of the SaaS front-end applications are as follows:
- Java script
- CSS
- HTML
- React
- Angular
SaaS application backend storage recommendations comprise MongoDB, MySQL, or PostgreSQL, and the recommended options for the server side are PHP, Python, Ruby, or Javascript.
Third-party integration requirements and the app’s scale help choose the right technology for developing SaaS.
5. Adopt an effective onboarding strategy
The onboarding strategy helps new users to get familiarized with the features and the functionality. For the first time you wish to use an app, you have to register, after which you will be given the guidelines to go about with the apps comprising even help documents.
The onboarding strategy helps gain users’ trust, minimizes customer support dependency, and enables users to use it regularly hassle-free.
Develop an MVP
A minimum viable product(MVP) is the trial version of an app. MVP development takes less finance compared to developing a full-fledged product.
With an MVP model, you will know the customer feedback know how things work. It helps find the limitations so you can incorporate them into your final product.
Start the development
Adopt an agile approach for the application development so that everyone will know the app’s objective. The agile approach helps perform the product changes on time. Ensure the marketing is planned much ahead, usually before the product launch. Consequently, you can create a buzz among the public and develop trust.
Quality Assurance
Execute beta testing. Further, execute User acceptance testing (UAT). Post gathering applause after the beta testing, go further to publish it. The success of an app depends on the successful functioning of the features, 24×7 customer support, regular upgrades, and maintenance.
Conclusion:
Are you aiming to develop a SaaS application? It is time to do with the rich guidelines mentioned above, which help you implement SaaS applications cost-effectively and efficiently.
