SaaS currently dominates the global public cloud services industry. The growing SaaS industry offers equal potential for organizations. It affects businesses of all sizes, from startups to big giants. Also, established software giants like Microsoft and Adobe are looking into it.
Now is the moment to construct a SaaS application. However, do not rush into launching a SaaS solution because it might be difficult at times. That is why we have produced a guide on how to find the best SaaS application development firm.
What is SaaS application development?
Software-as-a-service, or SaaS, is a model for delivering and licensing software. It provides subscription-based distribution of the software application. In this model, the provider charges users on a per-user basis for access to their SaaS product.
According to PR Newswire, the SaaS market is estimated to reach $220.21 billion by 2022, growing at a 13.1 percent compound annual growth rate. As a result, it’s unsurprising that SaaS technology has been widely adopted by various types of software applications in the modern era. The most frequently encountered instances are as follows:
- CRM (Salesforce);
- ERP (NetSuite by Oracle);
- HR (Calamari);
- Accounting and invoicing (Workday);
- E-commerce (BigCommerce);
- Email marketing (MailChimp);
- Project and data management (YouTrack by JetBrains).
The SaaS model’s cross-platform accessibility and auto-update functionality are significant advantages. You can access the app’s most recent version from any device with an Internet connection. It sounds simple enough, but is SaaS development similarly simple?
We must acknowledge that developing SaaS applications is not a straightforward undertaking but a time- and resource-intensive endeavor. This paradigm demands continuous availability and zero-downtime deployment to ensure that the program may be used at any time.
Another problem is developing and maintaining a system that is truly customizable, which is one of the primary reasons people appreciate SaaS solutions. Additionally, any software-as-a-service offering requires specific payment integration and subscription lifecycle management from a third-party provider. It offers customers simple and convenient payment choices.
SaaS application development stages
To ensure compliance with all criteria, we recommend breaking down software as a service development into five distinct stages, as detailed below.
Research & discovery: This step entails obtaining and evaluating client expectations and product specifications. Additionally, it entails gathering and evaluating data about the market and target audience. On this basis, corporate objectives and requirements are defined.
Product design. The second stage involves the interpretation of the product’s concept and the creation of a prototype by your SaaS product development business.
Product development. The following phase is responsible for developing the final product, or MVP (minimum viable product). The MVP is a stripped-down version of a product that satisfies early users and collects input for future development.
Optimization and QA. This phase entails rigorous testing of the program and the correction of any defects or problems discovered. Testing is a subset of the steps included in contemporary development lifecycle models. The QA process is complete when the product is completely bug-free and meets all standards.
Deploy, monitoring, and support. The final step begins with the application’s deployment. Your SaaS development business keeps an eye out for and resolves any concerns that may arise.
What qualities should a SaaS application development business possess?
Expertise in SaaS development
Typically, software-as-a-service offerings are associated with cross-business connectivity and rapid innovation leveraging solutions. This significantly raises the bar for SaaS product development organizations.
Apart from that, the industry is vast and varied, offering a diversified range of SaaS development services. Thus, when looking for a solution in a particular domain, conduct a search inside the domain’s various areas of competency to guarantee your objectives are accomplished.
Above all, you want to work with a SaaS application development company that has the correct team and experience working on the right kind of project. This is critical since reputable businesses will take your preferences and requirements into account. That is what it takes to suggest a business model, user experience/user interface design, and programming tools that will propel your concept forward and make it profitable.
Portfolio
One of the most effective ways to determine whether a company is capable of translating your idea into action is to view examples of their work. Competent SaaS application development companies can demonstrate their expertise through an analysis of case studies. You must visit the vendors’ websites or follow them on Dribble or Behance.
Are you unsure what to look for when evaluating a software development portfolio? Put your thoughts to the issues you’ve encountered, the additional functionality you’ve introduced, the project’s complexity, usability, and UX/UI design.
The extensive Codice case studies, which we are pleased to share with our customers, provide useful evidence. It enables us to demonstrate our skills and experience in smoothly delivering SaaS apps.
Client reviews
Another effective method of determining a business’s legitimacy and dependability is to read customer reviews. And the modern market has a plethora of resources where this knowledge may be easily located.
Investigate rating and review sites for global IT service companies, such as Clutch and GoodFirms. These sites capture genuine and candid feedback, not just five-star reviews. That is why you should consult Clutch and other similar services to determine your best course of action.
Clutch, on the other hand, evaluates organizations that provide SaaS development services based on a multitude of parameters. It takes into account client feedback, market presence, experience, and industry recognition, among other factors. The following is a review written by one of our clients.
Digital presence
Another way to determine the credibility of a SaaS application development business is to visit its website, blog, and social media pages. Analyze the agency’s website content, design, and usability.
Has the company’s website piqued your interest? Is the design and functionality up to date? If the answer is no, the chances of obtaining a high-quality web product with an appealing design are extremely slim.
Additionally, you can follow firms’ blogs to learn about their experience and technical and business insights. Consider it as a secondary source of information when evaluating specific SaaS developers.
Our solution
We’ve developed a full-featured online tool to facilitate deeper collaboration on IT projects. And it has evolved into a growing platform that provides convenient solutions for both client and development teams.
How did we accomplish this? Our knowledgeable professionals did extensive research. We then planned and implemented the required functionality based on this and the client’s business requirements. The functionality encompasses, but is not limited to the following:
- Intuitive and pleasing UI/UX;
- Easy and efficient search options;
- Powerful project management;
- Functional teams and channels creation;
- Convenient and workable Admin section.
Coda’s versatile, secure, and scalable solution helped differentiate Digital Village from the competition. Additionally, we keep the application expanding and improving it on a continuous basis.
Conclusion
We’ve discussed the critical factors to consider when selecting the proper SaaS application development company.
To begin, familiarise yourself with the company’s experience and competence by perusing its portfolio and client testimonials. Then, learn about their SaaS development process, technology stack, and team organization. Combine all of these puzzle pieces and collaborate with an experienced development team to create new ground in SaaS.
At Coda, we specialize in developing powerful, scalable, and secure SaaS applications. Kindly contact us to discuss your concept. Our professionals will gladly share their knowledge and help your project succeed.
