How Can You Become a Saas Developer?

SAAS, or Software as a Service, applications have shifted how small businesses operate and acquire their software. Traditionally, if you needed software for your business, you would have to get them installed on site. However, with certain applications, you can now access them through a cloud server and have the license to use them through a subscription.  

Software as a service is one of the leading software trends worldwide, as it is suitable for a large number of industries. However, one drawback of SAAS is that not all applications are available online. Therefore, there is a market for SAAS applications.

As there is a market for SAAS applications, becoming a SAAS developer can be quite beneficial. However, developing software can be challenging if you do not know how to go about the task. Read ahead to find out how you can become a SAAS developer.

What Is Software as a Service (SAAS)?

Software as a Service, or SAAS application, is the alternative to traditional software licensing and installation. Instead of buying a license for an application with SAAS, you can now use a subscription-based model to gain access to the software. Therefore, instead of selling lifetime access, companies are instead choosing to lend their software as a service. 

The pay-as-you-go, model, is extremely beneficial for small companies who are in the process of testing out various software and cannot afford to pay the upfront price. Usually, subscriptions are due monthly and are a lot more affordable than paying for a lifetime license.

Additionally, such applications are hosted in the cloud. Therefore, you need not have it installed on your computer. This feature can be a huge advantage and disadvantage at the same time. As the software is online, you are free from the hassle of going through the lengthy installation process, and you can use it on any computer with your login details.

However, you will need high-speed internet to ensure that the application works smoothly. Internet connection is a must with SAAS applications, as they are uploaded onto a cloud server, which can only be accessed through the internet. Furthermore, if there is an issue with your internet, or your service is down, you cannot use the application.

Advantages Of SAAS Application

Advantages Of SAAS Application

SAAS applications are gaining popularity over on-site application installation for many reasons. There are many advantages of using SAAS applications that have deterred people from purchasing lifetime licenses for software.

One of the main reasons is cost-efficiency. Small businesses often need SAAS tools that they are unable to pay the upfront cost of. Therefore, the subscription-based model works best for them. Additionally, SAAS software is highly accessible. You can easily access them through the cloud server from any device once you have purchased a subscription.

Therefore, it aids in productivity and efficiency, as you are not stuck at a single computer where one particular application is installed. SAAS applications provide flexibility that on-site software can not. Furthermore, SAAS software receives regular updates that you don’t have to separately install or pay for. They are directly implemented onto the cloud server, and you don’t have to make any extra effort.

There are also many benefits to developing and owning a SAAS application. By developing a SAAS application, you can enter a growing market and make a name for yourself. There is a market for new SAAS applications, and you can help expand it and attract a large customer base.

The Steps To Become a SAAS Developer

The Steps To Become a SAAS Developer

The SAAS application market is quite limited as not all application developers have come round to offering up their software as a service. However, that can be beneficial for you. 

With a small market, every new application has a chance to be the next best thing. If you were to develop a SAAS application that fills a gap in the market, it can attract a large customer base and be a source of income and revenue for you.

If you want to step into the world of SAAS app development, here is how you can do it.

Generating an Idea 

The first step to becoming a SAAS developer is to generate an idea for a product. To do this, you have to go through a creative process and generate an idea. There are many ways to go about generating ideas, and everyone has their own creative process. 

After you have generated an idea, it is a great idea to communicate your ideas with the developmental team to see whether or not it is viable. Furthermore, during the process of generating ideas, it is a good idea to conduct an extensive market survey to determine how well your application will fit into the larger market. Once the concept is finalized, you can move on to the next step, which is to design the application itself. 

Planning

One of the main reasons people, and you, may want to step foot into SAAS app development is because of the promising market. There is a great demand for SAAS apps because of their significant growth over the past years. 

However, just because there is a market does not mean that any app will attract customers. Your application must be something that is needed and will be useful for a large number of people. 

To find out what will attract people to your product, you need to research the market. This step can be done before or after generating your idea. If you conduct market research before generating an idea, you can find a gap and attempt to fill it. 

If you conduct your market research after generating an idea, you can further refine the idea and figure out your target audience. Furthermore, you will get a good idea of the competition and what you need to do to set your product apart from all the others.

Such planning needs to happen in the beginning, otherwise changing gears in the middle of development can be difficult and time-consuming. 

Planning also involves reflecting on the requirements for your SAAS application. The technical specifications of the application, and more. You also need to assess all the risks and plan for them. If there is a certain challenge you know you might run into, you need to have a plan to avoid it.

Furthermore, you should also have a breakdown list that comprises all the features you wish to implement in your SAAS application. A cost estimate is also a necessity to ensure that you are within your budget.

Application Design

After you have mapped out your journey, it is time to embark on it. The first step is to think about the design of your application. In web app design you need to look into the user interface and user experience, UI, and UX respectively. 

When deciding on the interface, it will serve you well to keep your target audience in mind. If you do so, you will hopefully end up with an application that is easy to use and serves your purpose while also capturing the attention of the customer. 

Think about the device your customer will use while using this application. SAAS apps work on both mobiles and computers. Therefore, you will need a UI/UX specialist that can prepare a design that will work for both devices. 

Computers and phones have different resolutions. Therefore the application should work on both to provide flexibility to the user. 

Development and Testing

The next step to develop a SAAS application is to work on the front end and back end of your application. You have to ensure that each part of your application works properly. In this stage, quality assurance engineers should also check whether or not a piece of the application works well in isolation and as a part of a system. 

In software development, the whole software is rarely built at once. Usually, small parts of the application are being worked on and tested. Therefore, testing and development happen side by side. 

Software developers usually start with an MVP or a minimum viable product. An MVP includes the most basic and important features of your software that will attract your target audience. Once it is developed, you can launch the MVP and gain feedback on what needs to improve.

App Maintenance 

Whether or not you launch an MVP depends on personal preference. However, it helps assess the performance of the app and how you can better it or add to it to help it perform better. During app maintenance, the developers are also on the lookout for existing bugs that may hinder its functionality.

You should also set aside a budget for maintenance. This budget should be around 25% of your developmental budget. 

Launch

The last step is to launch your SAAS application. You can use various SAAS platforms such as GitHub, CodeCommit, AWS., etc. to launch your application. Some app maintenance is often needed after the launch, as people start to use it and suggest ways that it can be bettered. 

If you have kept aside a budget, you can consider these suggestions and better your software so that it may reach a wider audience. 

Conclusion

The SAAS application market is growing faster than ever before, and it is an extremely profitable market to sip your toes into. Due to the many advantages and flexibility of SAAS applications, there is a demand for them, and becoming a SAAS developer can be very beneficial for you. However, if you have the right guidance then becoming a SAAS developer can be simple and gain you a lot of revenue.