What Is SaaS? Software As a Service Explained by a Developer.

SaaS-Software as a Service is a web-based solution that has replaced offline software. The subscription-based model doesn’t require users to install software on their devices or upgrade their hardware to run it. 

Typically, clients use SaaS solutions through connected devices using different browsers, whereas the service provider takes care of all maintenance. In addition, the infrastructure is maintained by a third-party cloud-computing provider. 

And the demand for SaaS is only flourishing. Don’t believe me? Check out these facts: 

According to the study, SaaS will bring in nearly $141 billion in revenue by 2022. And that’s not all. The cloud-based service has a significant lead over other cloud services. Gartner predicts it will continue to maintain its supremacy in the days to come. 

SaaS Development 

SaaS development is an arduous task. But it surely is rewarding. The revenue of cloud software is likely to touch $278 billion by this year. It means launching your own SaaS product could remarkably increase your earning potential. 

Here is what you should consider when developing your own SaaS solution.

• Hire a SaaS Developer 

The number of SaaS app developers may vary. The variation largely depends on the complexity of cloud software. Also, this is a core aspect of how to build software as a service. 

Since your next move is to develop a minimum viable SaaS product, you don’t just need to hire a SaaS developer. It requires you to have the following development team configuration at least:

• Project Manager
• Business Analyst 
• UI/UX Designer 
• Backend Developer 
• Frontend Developer 
• Quality Assurance (QA) Specialist 

• SaaS Development Framework 

SaaS development lifecycle begins right after the discovery phase of the project. The stages of developing a SaaS application are much like common software development.

Here is how the workflow looks like:

• Business Analysis: This stage requires you to gather product requirements and build user journeys. 

• Designing: At this juncture, the design experts create lower-fidelity prototypes together with a User Interface kit to give you an exquisite visual design. 

• Development: During this stage, the development team gets into action and makes your product with the SaaS app’s MVP features and the integrations pertinent to the validation process. Also, it is essential to note down the development costs at this point. 

• Testing and Debugging: The popularity of any SaaS product is highly dependent on its smooth operations and performance. Thus, you need to ensure that everything is just fine, and it requires you to test the outcome of each iteration. 

• Product Maintenance: It guarantees that your product always remains up to date with the latest trends and market requirements.    

It is necessary to zero in on high-quality user experience, especially if you are eager to offer a valuable SaaS product. It can only be accomplished when you take all the critical development challenges into account. When you hire a SaaS developer that knows how to create a SaaS for the best results it becomes easier to tackle this challenge. 

• Tech Stack for SaaS Development 

When it comes to SaaS development, there are gazillions of technologies to choose from. These tools help you build an ideal application in terms of development. 

The choice of tools is also essential to understand how to create a SaaS product. Besides this, the mix of languages, frameworks, and libraries is also essential. But it all comes down to what exactly you need for a particular software as a service or product. 

Hence, it’s vital to highlight the tech stack. At DFY SaaS, we determine the tech stack by keeping the needs of SaaS platform founders in mind. To this day, we have leveraged a myriad of technologies for the development of reliable SaaS applications. But here are the ones we frequently use to build SaaS apps or software:

• React JS 
• Node JS 
• React Native 
• Laravel 
• PHP 
• AWS 

• Checklist for SaaS Development 

The development of the SaaS or Software as a Service is one of the crucial steps in the process. However, creating a checklist will allow you to make fewer or no mistakes and complete repetitive tasks more efficiently. It drastically improves productivity as you can get more done in less time.  

To carve a name for yourself in the market, consider a few crucial steps. The first and foremost one is well-executed and satisfying technical requirements. Then, be sure that your SaaS platform must help users with their pain points. Meaning it should offer value and help them overcome their problems. 

Below are the top four points you should consider for your SaaS development. 

• Be sure to test the results of each iteration of the SaaS app. Since the customer expectations are high, it is crucial to impress the users right from the first touch. Thus, it is indispensable to conduct thorough testing of each aspect of the app. It includes design, business logic, and technical integrations. Furthermore, catch sight of the development costs when developing these features. Don’t forget to include the following fields into the testing loop:

• • Performance & Load Testing 

  • Functionality Testing 

  • User Experience Testing 

  • Security Testing 

  • Compatibility Testing  

• Offer a smooth and easy onboarding experience. User onboarding is critical for a terrific user experience. The usual onboarding process entails: therefore, think through this step when developing the SaaS platform.
  • Sign up and Sign In
  • A Welcome Screen
  • Quick Product Walkthrough
  • A String of Product Launch Emails  

• Outsource your SaaS project. For any startup, it is essential to build an in-house team. Unfortunately, it has a huge disadvantage. It costs a startup three or four times more than outsourcing the project. Hence, if you have a tiny budget, try finding a professional and dependable outsourcing partner for SaaS development. In the present day, the market for SaaS development is more reliable. Not only do the companies sign NDA, but they also assure results. As a result, you get a high quality of the code. More importantly, this is where SaaS founders often see a significant change in the final SaaS software development costs. 

• Define and evaluate core business metrics. It will give you precious and insightful information to analyze. It reflects how your target users really feel about the product. Gathering users’ feedback makes SaaS software development a whole lot easier. Additionally, it aids you in generating and prioritizing novel features. 

• Cost to Build a SaaS Platform 

It’s an arduous task to define the approximate costs of a SaaS application. It would help if you considered various factors in its development, such as: 

• The Complexity of Essential Features 

• Implementation of GDPR or HIPAA 

• Third-Party Integrations and Complexities

Above all else, determine the scope of your SaaS project to have a good idea of the development cost. For example, are you interested in creating a platform or a tool? Both SaaS systems have a completely different scope. Subsequently, the cost to build both the solutions also differs. 

Generally speaking, tools have a limited scope. They are developed to fix one or maybe two problems and are likely to perform only a handful of functions greatly. One classic example of a SaaS tool is Buffer, a system used to manage social media accounts. 

Platforms, on the other hand, often consist of several tools. As a result, they have a more complex structure, and their functionality also differs across the platforms. A popular platform that comes to mind is Salesforce, a leading sales CRM. 

If you are building your first SaaS product, it would be best to keep it simple. You can start with a tool and then scale it by incorporating new features. In such a case, you won’t have to worry that the cost of building a software as a service system will be too expensive. 

That said, you can determine the cost of developing a SaaS app by directly calling us or using our online Calculator.