Software as a Service has become a new approach and has been able to replace traditional software license purchases to a great extent. If you are looking for SaaS application development, then you should have an idea of how to choose SaaS application development company in your city? This is the reason why the SaaS development model has gained immense popularity over the past few decades.
According to statistics, there has been huge growth and expansion of the SaaS market and it is expected to grow up to 172.20 billion by the year 2025.
The main reason behind its popularity is the set of benefits it offers to its users, that too in a very rapid manner. If any organization comes up with an idea of developing software, SaaS application development acts as a guiding light and gives the best possible option to do the same.
There are a lot of discussions and buzz about this topic. This article will not only give you an idea of the working of SaaS application development companies but also the procedure to work so that products get delivered on time within the estimated budget for any organization.
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What Is SaaS App Development?
SaaS or Software as a Service app development is a software delivery and licensing model that is based on cloud computing. These can be used either as a subscription base by an enterprise or an individual when they pay the subscription amount, or they can also be custom developed for an enterprise.
They are getting the attention that was due for years. Most enterprises preferred on-premise software because earlier there were speculations about the security of cloud-based software and storage.
This has changed over the years and now Cloud is one of the safest software hosting spaces. This is one of the reasons why enterprises are wishing to get SaaS development services instead of on-premise applications or software.
The model allows small and medium-sized enterprises to use the general software that can cater to all their business needs on a pay-as-you-go basis.
It makes it convenient and flexible for enterprises that cannot afford to pay a big amount to get their own customized application. There are many institutions that have done research about how the market will be for the SaaS development industry in the coming years.
It is said that the industry will grow greatly in the session 2021-2022. The pandemic has also been a helping factor in this because everything has gone digital. The need for remote software and applications is increasing. The most popular type of SaaS applications are:
- CRM (Salesforce)
- EPR (NetSuite By Oracle)
- E-Commerce
- Email marketing
- Data Management and Project Management
- Accounting and Invoicing Solutions
- Human Resources Solutions
All these are really useful to all types of enterprises. These, in the form of SaaS applications, will help enterprises to save their on-premise storage space.
The storage on the cloud computing platforms also allows users and enterprises to backup and recover their data in case of any damage. This is something that improves data security for organizations.
In situations that the world is experiencing now, it is very important to have a software solution provided by a software development company that allows employees and administrators to collaborate and work from any place. SaaS software fulfills all the needs of a business efficiently.
Phases Of SaaS App Development
It is important that the company that is planning to hire a SaaS development agency knows everything about the development process. This can be a great factor that helps them to calculate the costing and know if it is properly working or not. It will also allow them to be aware of the things that happen in various phases. Know about the phases in detail below:
1. Requirement Gathering And Research
This phase mainly consists of research and discovery. Here, a large amount of reliable data is gathered to assess a client’s expectations and product requirements.
Another thing that is kept in mind while gathering requirements is the fulfillment of the recent trends of the market and the potential audience. This phase involves collecting as well as analyzing information about the current scenario of the market and the needs of the target audience.
Based on the gathered information, the business goals and requirements are constructed. This creates a framework to proceed with the idea of the application.
2. Designing The Project
This is the second stage of development followed by any SaaS custom web development company. In this phase, a company discusses and frames the design for the team to work upon.
This consists of all the real-life scenarios and probabilities of all the aspects of a project. Designing basically means creating a prototype for a product so that the on-field work can be started.
3. Development Of The Project
This phase is purely responsible for the creation of the final product. The final product is also known as the MVP or the Minimum Viable Product.
The MVP can be explained as the version of a product that has fewer features and can satisfy the early adopters of the product. Once the MVP becomes capable of satisfying the initial adopters, then feedback for future development is taken and work is done according to it.
4. Quality Assurance
Quality assurance is the same step as the software development phase. This phase consists of testing the software and fixing all the bugs and the defects that come in its way.
Testing can be explained as a subset of all the stages that appear in the modern development lifecycle models. The quality assurance process comes to an end when the product becomes free of bugs and is capable of meeting all the requirements that have been decided on earlier.
5. Deployment, Monitoring, And Maintenance
This is the last phase of SaaS application development. This phase begins with the deployment of an application. A SaaS development company monitors all the issues closely and solves them one by one to deliver the final product that can be accepted by a software product development company as well as its end-users.
What To Look For While Hiring A SaaS App Development Company
Before deciding on a company that you want to partner with, make sure to look at the factors that are mentioned below. This will help you in finding the ones that will deliver quickly and also fit your budget.
This is something that most companies feel lost in – they either get fast delivery or in budget full stack development services. To get both, it is important to analyze all of the options on the below-mentioned aspects and then select a company that suits the requirements:
1. Expertise
The company that is selected should have expertise in the field in which they are working. Selecting a company that provides mediocre services will not help a business to grow in a way that is expected of it.
SaaS applications are a part of a business that will have a great impact on how everything happens in organizations and also how records are kept.
To know the level of expertise that a SaaS custom web development company has in the area of their work, it is advised to look at their previous projects or to have a conversation with them about the software product that is required. Their insights about their product will say a lot about their thinking process and how they will approach it during the development phase.
2. Portfolio
The portfolio of a SaaS development company is something that contains all the information about the type of projects that they can develop and how they work when they develop the project.
It is better if you look through the words and find out if whatever is written in the portfolio is true or whether it is just marketing. Portfolios are great to understand the motive behind a SaaS development company and what they want to provide to their clients.
This is also a great way to know if they really provide the services that are required. No company would want to hand over their project to a company that doesn’t have the expertise that is required in their portfolio.
3. Reviews By Clients
Client reviews are critical when it comes to deciding if a company is really the way it looks. There are many companies that appear to be the best from their portfolio but while working with them, the experience can be completely opposite.
Client reviews published on companies’ websites that are genuine will always be the best way to understand their reality. It is important to know that there are many reviews that are sponsored, which means that reviewers have been paid for the same. This is a marketing technique that might look unethical but it is happening all around the world.
4. Costing
This is the point that this whole article is revolving around. It is important that service providers have a costing plan that fits their budget. Choosing companies that are not in their budget can create problems for the company in the future.
There are companies that have decent pricing plans and they still work with great dedication to provide their clients with the best quality in the desired deadline.
They will be the best ones to work with. It might take some time to find a company that fits these criteria but once it has been found, it will provide the results that will fuel a company’s growth.
5. Digital Reach
The company should have a strong digital presence. Going through the website or the social media pages of a company can reveal a lot of things about them.
There will be comments and offers that they provide and a photo gallery of the events and meets that are organized by them. A SaaS development company should have a good online reach and should have all their social accounts active.
6. Development Approach/Style
This is what decides the speed of development. If an organization is still working in the old style, there will be no way that they can develop a project at a fast pace.
This is why it is important to look out for companies that follow the latest development approach to complete projects in the least possible time.
The development approach is something that also impacts the quality and functionality of the SaaS application development services that are provided.
The style of development should be simple and transparent so that if the client feels that the project is not being developed well, then they can call it out. This will make sure that a company does not have to spend time redeveloping any part of the application.
7. Technology Stack
The technology stack that is used by a SaaS development company also impacts the speed and the quality of a product. Make sure that they are using the languages and frameworks that are relevant to the type of product that is required.
Developing a product with a stack that is not favorable will take extra time and will also hamper the quality. It is important to go through the technology stacks of the web development companies that are shortlisted and then choose the one that fits the requirements.
8. Working Style
SaaS application development is a complex task but eventually, it has become the need of the hour. This is the reason why it has become important to give it serious consideration.
Here, the choice of the team comes into play. One can only be able to develop good software if all the team members indulge themselves in working.
There are a lot of professionals who make the idea of SaaS application development a reality. It is important to hire dedicated developers, UI/UX designers, Project Manager, DevOps, QA engineers, and more for successful implementation.
Conclusion
SaaS development is a highly tedious task that needs dedication, good ideas, thorough testing, and good design in order to gain a place in the market.
If all the aspects are covered, then it can create a huge impact on the development of a business. It is important that enterprises pay attention to all the points that have been mentioned in the article before they finalize a company.