Those days were gone when you need to have a license to use the Software. Now, the time has changed a lot with the arrival of cloud computing technology-SaaS. Today, our article is focused on SaaS application development. Let’s begin with it.
SaaS stands for Software-as-a-service. SaaS has become the new buzzword of the town. More surprisingly, SaaS is adopted by more than 80% of companies around the world. How powerful is SaaS? Why are companies crazy for SaaS application development?
Table of Contents
What is SaaS?
SaaS is a Software-as-a-Service model in which it provides the Software to the customers in the form of web browsers or mobile applications. With SaaS, you needn’t cope with the installation and configurations of the Software; the software providers handle it by themselves. Customers can use the Software without any sort of worries about configurations. More technically speaking, SaaS is a software development approach in which the developers don’t sell the software license to the customers. They continue to make software delivery and maintenance regularly while providing services. Instead of using the traditional license system, the SaaS companies market their Software through subscription models. SaaS is a fantastic and cost-effective option for small businesses, as this Software is hosted on the cloud, and the customers needn’t install anything on the computers physically.
SaaS Examples
Google Apps, Dropbox, Slack, Salesforce, Hubspot.
What is the difference between SaaS and Traditional Software?
Software-as-a-Service | Traditional Software |
1) Using SaaS is an inexpensive approach | 1) Using Traditional Software is an expensive approach |
2) Multiple users can use SaaS at a time | 2) A single user can use traditional Software at a time |
3) SaaS can be used immediately after deployed on the internet | 3) Traditional Software needs to install on computers before ready to use |
4) SaaS can be accessed from any device at any time | 4) Traditional Software needs computers to run |
5) More reliable and provides high-end security | 5) Less reliable and less secure |
6) No expenses of installation and configurations | 6) Costly installations and configurations |
Read More: Waterfall Model: A Better Way for Software Development
Why Software-as-a-Service?
Here is the topmost reason why you should go for the SaaS application development
- Cost-effective Approach
Software-as-a-Service is a cost-effective approach for the businesses, as it doesn’t need any kind of physical devices to install, so it reduces the installation costs. All you need to pay for the online resources you are going to use.
- Expandable Approach
You can expand the SaaS application’s resources and features by upgrading the Subscription model using the few clicks. You can also go for the downgrading subscription packages.
- High-end Security
SaaS cloud-based applications are known for their high-end security features. Once you have subscribed to the SaaS application model, you needn’t worry about the security concerns since they assure your data is placed at the right and safe place.
- Fast and Easy-to-Use
SaaS applications are easy-to-use and quick to deploy as it doesn’t need any installations and configurations. The cloud hosting made it ready-to-use immediately after the deployment on the cloud. SaaS apps also provide flexibility whenever a need company needs to make changes in the existing model or Software.
SaaS Development LifeCycle
Before starting with the SaaS application development, you should be aware of the SaaS development lifecycle to ensure the continuity of the SaaS development process. By knowing the SaaS development lifecycle, you can make the SaaS application development successful and secure.
Envisioning (Research)
Having a powerful business strategy is the foundation of the SaaS development process. The better way to start with the SaaS application development is to research the customer’s requirements and the ways to attract new customers.
Evaluation of Platform
Another most important step is the platform evaluation on which the SaaS application you are going to develop. Must assure the selected platform should provide the best performance, scalability, reliability, compliance, etc.
Planning
Planning is also an essential aspect of the SaaS application development. In this phase, you should plan the implementation steps and development solutions. We also need to plan the functionalities and features restricted to the time and cost of the application.
Subscription Model
The next critical step is to ensure the subscription model for the SaaS application. Chose the right cloud platform and hosting model as per your application’s requirements. Must ensure your subscription model covers the backup and restore features.
Development
Here comes the most important part of the SaaS application- the Development Process. Here you should ensure the application should have the required features and functionalities without any kind of bugs and errors. You can choose the A/B testing to perform the iterations and determine the application performance.
Operations
This is the last but not the least step of the SaaS application development lifecycle. This phase includes the level agreements, compliances, security, and shared infrastructure of the cloud services.
Need a Competitive SaaS Application?
TWS implements advanced technologies and intuitive UX/UI design methods to build robust SaaS applications that stand out in the market.
How to Develop a SaaS Application?
The development of a SaaS application requires an equilibrium of innovative ideas; hard work, practical approach collaborated with extraordinary thinking, excellent development team, and a little bit of luck to make it successful. You need to follow the steps for the SaaS application development. Here we are:
Business Idea Feasibility
Before initiating the SaaS application development, you need to determine the feasibility of your idea. Does the world really care about your idea? Is your team really feels it a fantastic idea? Make a checklist of the following things before starting with the application development process: What problem your Software is solving? Who is your target audience? How your Software is different from your Competitors? Unique features of your Software
SaaS Requirement Analysis
While developing viable and best Software for your target audience, you should consider some points like security and privacy, customizations, and integrations, scalability, etc. As we all observed in traditional Software, acquiring high-quality products was the first priority of the customers, but now, the customers acquire the Software with high-end security and data privacy features.
Defining MVP(minimum-viable-product)
Definitely, you are aware of the term “MVP” means the minimum viable product. MVP is the early release before the actual release of the product with required features, used for the testing features.
Technology Stack Selection
Embracing the technology stack for the SaaS application development is similar to choosing the building’s construction material. In the SaaS application, you’ll need the technology stack for both the client-side as well as for server-side. For instance, for client-side,
- HTML + CSS
- JavaScript Frameworks(AngularJS, ReactJS, VueJS)
For server-side,
- JavaScript(NodeJS)
- PHP(Laravel)
- Ruby on Rails
For Database,
- MySQL
- PostgreSQL
For server,
- Nginx
- Apache
Pricing Model
The selection of the pricing model for SaaS applications can make or break your application market. There is no specific rule to decide the pricing model for your application; you can categorize it into several categories like a trial plan, business plan, personal plan, and advanced plan, etc. Some common types of pricing models are:
Expert SaaS Developer Team
Developing a SaaS application is not an easy task. You need to provide the customization and maintenance services even after the deployment. So, it requires an expert team of developers for the SaaS application development. So, these are the essential steps that are necessary for the SaaS application development and followed by most of the SaaS-based companies around the world.
Final Thoughts
There is no doubt SaaS application development is evolving at a very fast pace worldwide, so most small and large organizations adopt the Software-as-a-Service. By the end of 2020, the SaaS market is forecast to reach $157 Billion, and it is expected to cover almost 41% of the world. SaaS is a beneficial approach for both customers and service providers. If you are looking for a saas application development company or web development company, then hire the expert and dedicated saas application developer of the reputed company, Tekki Web Solutions Inc.