In recent years we have seen the sudden rise of software as a service. These software tools charge a monthly rate for access to highly powerful tools that might help you to expand your business or automate processes within your industry. There are many opportunities that software as a service businesses can provide to entrepreneurs. There are many benefits to choosing this route over some of the more traditional software sales methods.
1. SaaS Turns Developers into Decision Makers
In software as a service models, developers have been able to take on larger roles within their own organizations or as valued team members. Since most SaaS models run on a monthly subscription model, developers must find ways to provide continued value to their audience in order to keep them subscribed.
2. User Experience Design Becomes Increasingly Important
When your customers are paying a monthly fee to gain access to your software, user experience development takes on an increased role in your day-to-day operations. When your customers are paying a monthly fee to access to software, they are expecting a higher level of commitment from the develop, and issues in the user experience could cause cancellations from your customer base. Many businesses underestimate how important user experience truly is. It can make or break the success of a software as a service platform.
3. Offer Several Packages
You will find that your customers fall within a range. Many software as a service development companies start by offering a free option that allows their user base to make an account and try out some of the basic features that the software provides for free. This will help your customers to see what they could potentially get out of subscribing to the software and also allow them to get a feel for the basic features that you make available through the free package. Of course, not all software types are suitable for a free package, but there should always be a series of stepping-stones that a customer can take toward your largest package. Make sure that your software has several upsells and account upgrades available to those that are using your smaller packages.
4. Find API and Integration Opportunities
One of the traits possessed by many software as a service businesses is the usage of API's and integration. By allowing your software to connect with third-party software and platform, you add many new uses to your ecosystem and allow third-party developers to piggy-back off of your work and extend the functionality of your program. By seeking out other developers in your industry, you will be able to find a range of new opportunities that can get your software in front of a completely new audience that otherwise would have never known your software existed.
5. Measure, Analyze, Improve
There are many actions that can be tracked within the SaaS model. Track everything that you possibly can. Know who is logging into your software and when. Know how long the average customer interacts with your software each time that they use it. Determine which features are actually being used by your customers and which features need to be placed on the back-burner for future development. A/B split testing will allow you to determine how you can encourage your users to utilize all of the awesome features that you make available.
If you are interested in running your own software as a service development team, please contact us to schedule your free initial consultation. We'll walk you through the process of designing your platform, make recommendations that can help you to grow your business and put together a plan for moving forward.
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