6 SaaS Development Services Your Startup Needs In 2024

With over 50 billion SaaS service users in the US (including repeat customers) there’s little doubt about the health of the SaaS industry. But what exactly are these services, and should your startup business be using them? In this blog post, we’ll try to answer these questions and explain which solutions may be helpful to your business.

What Is SaaS?

One way to think of Software as a Service (SaaS) is as renting software instead of owning it. You know this very well thanks to Netflix. This is much the same but with software: you subscribe and get access to it (hosted on the cloud) without worrying about installation, maintenance, or updates.

Startup businesses usually look towards SaaS when they need to

• scale quickly,
• reduce IT overhead,
• or access sophisticated tools without huge costs.

It’s a perfect match if you need flexibility, constant updates, and global access. 

6 Types of SaaS Development Services to Consider

Okay, SaaS software development promises many benefits. But what solutions can your startup business order? Here are major development services to consider.

• Application

This one is a fit for businesses looking to offer a scalable, accessible, and maintenance-free application to their users. Think of tools like Slack or Trello. These apps run in the cloud and provide consistent experiences across all devices.

This is ideal if you’re aiming to provide continuous value to your customers through a subscription model. It ensures a steady revenue stream and the ability to update features without user intervention.

• Platform

A platform offers a more comprehensive suite of services. It gives a foundation on which other applications or services can be built. Platforms like Microsoft Azure or Amazon Web Services are good examples in this regard.

Thanks to saas platform development, startups get a robust, scalable environment for hosting various applications. They access tools to innovate and integrate with other services.

• Web

SaaS web development focuses on creating web-based applications that users can access directly in their browsers. Services like Google Docs or Salesforce operate this way.

For businesses, this means less time spent on IT management and more on improving the user experience. The beauty of such web applications is that they are scalable and constantly updated.

• Product

Here, the idea is to create a software solution that caters to a specific market or industry need. Such products are usually designed to be multi-tenant. This means multiple customers can use the same version of the product while their data remains separate and secure.

SaaS products are a fit for businesses that aim to solve a common problem for a wide audience. They are beneficial thanks to lower entry costs compared to traditional software products.

In addition to this, there are two more types of services that may be super helpful for startups that already have their own SaaS software:

• Enhancing services — SaaS developers assess your existing software and upgrade its performance to the maximum;
• Software integration services — specialists add API integration to your software so you enjoy an improved workflow.

Which Businesses Need SaaS Software?

So does this mean every business, big or small, will 100% benefit from SaaS solutions? Well, that depends on the industry, in the first place. Below, we review four industries where these solutions are particularly helpful.

#1 E-commerce

With SaaS apps, online retailers can support high-traffic volumes, manage inventory in real time, and integrate with payment gateways (or logistics services). SaaS web platforms, on the other hand, allow for robust e-commerce storefronts. This setup should be enough to handle spikes in shopping activity, especially during sales or holiday seasons.

#2 Healthcare

SaaS products in healthcare can help to store patient records, manage billing, and schedule appointments. They enable healthcare providers to deliver personalized care remotely, which expands their reach greatly. They can also help to exchange data between different healthcare systems.

#3 Education

SaaS apps in education can be super helpful as they may offer

• multimedia content,
• real-time collaboration,
• and communication tools.

All of it is great for enhancing students’ learning experience.

SaaS products, in turn, can provide platforms for course management, grading, and assessments. Put simply, they enable educational institutions to offer remote learning of good quality.

#4 Financial Services

Here, SaaS platforms and products can help with managing

• financial transactions,
• customer data,
• and compliance with regulatory requirements.

Plus, such products can be equipped with advanced security measures. So they can protect sensitive financial data and ensure compliance with financial regulations.

4 Things to Do Before You Address SaaS Development Services

If, by now, you’ve realized your business can benefit from this or another Software as a Service product, study the steps that will help you do the preparation work right.

Define What You Need and Want

Sit down and really think about what your business needs. What problem are you trying to solve? Chat with your team — everyone from the top managers to the employees who will use the software daily. Get their input on

• what features they lack now,
• what features are a priority,
• and what features are desirable but not a must-have.

Write all this down, making a list of must-haves and nice-to-haves.

Scope Out the Competition and Market

Hit the Internet and start digging into who’s doing what in your space. What are your competitors offering? What are their customers praising or complaining about? The task is not to identify what you’ll copy but to find a gap that you can fill.

Maybe there’s a feature everyone wants but no one’s got, or maybe you can do something better or cheaper. Use resources like market reports, surveys, or just browse competitors’ websites and customer reviews.

Figure Out How You’ll Make Money

This is the main question: how will your software make cash? You’ve got a few options: 

• you’ll charge a monthly fee,
• you’ll offer a free version with paid extras,
• or you’ll ask for a one-time payment.

To decide which is best, look at what you’re offering and what people are willing to pay for. Plus, check out how similar services are priced. It may be a good idea to plan out different pricing levels if that makes sense.

Do a Reality Check on Tech and Resources

Alright, time to get real with what you can do technically. Do you have the right people to build and manage this software? Maybe you should partner up with a tech company. The latter is beneficial because it’ll help you to keep your software fresh and fix any bugs.

Final Thoughts

That’s it for now. We’ve walked through the what, why, and how of SaaS development. As you’ve seen, these products can offer your business a lot from flexibility to a serious efficiency boost. Just take the time to plan it out right and it’ll certainly pay off.