In 2024, when the internet has become an integral part of life, for most people, a business that does not have an online presence simply does not exist.
This fact encourages owners to turn to various IT companies for help in creating products of various types, from websites and platforms to mobile applications and internal programs.
However, creating a product is just half of the challenge. The real task is to craft a product that will be in demand, profitable, and remain relevant for a long time.
That’s why, in this article, we’ll take a look at the key steps in developing a popular SaaS product and share tips we’ve gathered from the experts at IvorySoft, a company with many years of experience in this field.
Researching Your Way to SaaS Success
It all starts with proper planning and a bit of research. When building SaaS software, the first and the most important thing is to identify who will use your product.
Analyze the situation in the market you want to enter and determine the target audience to provide the solutions users are currently seeking.
Then, it’s time to establish the clear goals of your future SaaS platform. Make some notes on your computer or write down thoughts on paper so that you can get a realistic idea of what you want your product to look like in the end.
Do not neglect to outline the roadmap for product development, including key milestones and timelines. This will help you and your team stay on the same track while meeting the project objectives on time.
Money is another big thing to consider. Defining your monetization strategy will help you understand the potential sources of revenue.
At first glance, that may seem easy peasy. However, pricing your product too high may drive potential customers away, while too low cost can undervalue your product and limit the revenue potential.
Shaping the Look and Feel of Your Product
Now, we are moving closer to the design stage. Among many types you can choose from, prioritize user-centricity. The user interface (UI) should be a reflection of your customer’s needs, clearly navigating where to click and what to press.
To achieve this, utilize an intuitive to-navigate layout, but do not forget about its visual appearance. For some spark of inspiration, you can check out different platforms like Dribbble, Awwwards, or Behance, where world-class IT companies and independent designers share their creative works.
So that your visitors can guide effortlessly through your SaaS platform take care of the user experience (UX). Structure your information in small pieces, as nobody likes to read long texts, and make the scrolling process question-free of what to do, where to click, or how to find.
To ensure that the user experience is at the highest level, conduct usability testing. This way, you’ll pinpoint areas for improvement and get rid of potential problems before they even appear.
Bringing Your SaaS to Life
Backend infrastructure development is the most important and sometimes complex stage when creating SaaS software. It contains a list of the programming languages, frameworks, and tools to run the web application.
When picking up a tech stack, pay attention to three components — server infrastructure, app server, and database. At IvorySoft, our specialists take advantage of proven and robust solutions, namely Amazon Web Services, Node.js, React, JavaScript, MongoDB, Firebase, and many others.
However, the development phase has a few more specifics. And if you want to learn about them in detail, we recommend reading the full guide to building a SaaS product.
Once the technical part is over, testing begins. Unfortunately, it’s impossible to create the platform without bugs, glitches, or performance issues, so a thorough checkup is a must.
There are many different types of testing — functional, non-functional, structural, and change-related — each with its benefits exactly for your project. By spending a lot of time and effort, you’ll make sure your clients are delighted with your product.
Making Your Product Accessible
Market analysis, planning, UI\UX design, and development tasks are all behind you. Now, you’re ready for the final part of building a SaaS product — deployment.
By making your product available for end users, you can start handling growth and driving traffic. Your software is live, and all you have to do is track various metrics and accommodate infrastructure according to rapidly changing market needs.
To keep customers engaged, make constant updates and announcements. This will pique users’ interest in new features and generate conversation rates with increased profits.
Plus, being available 24/7 strengthens the relationship with your customers, boosting satisfaction and retention.
Partner with IvorySoft
For different business models, SaaS opens great opportunities that are filled with benefits. If some day you decide to take advantage of this software type, don’t do it alone. You can always get in touch with the IvorySoft team to develop your dream project, no matter how complex it is.
The experts will design a unique layout, choose the appropriate tech stack, and implement the necessary features. Our goal is not just to craft a product but to make it a memorable one.
