SaaS web development project planning is the same as with other kinds of planning. You need to have a roadmap before you start.

However, once you learn how to break this map into individual components, then, it is a challenge that is less daunting. 

What is SaaS?

Also known as Software as a Service, SaaS is utilizing a system through a subscription of licensing, without necessarily having to develop it from scratch or license it. 

By the time 2022 rolls in, it is predicted that a whopping 80% of apps will be SaaS. This is seen through the trend of specialization of SaaS to niche areas. Meaning, there will be more SaaS products that will be more tailored for specific needs. 

Now, here are some great tips when planning a SaaS web development project:

1. Know your goals

The first step that you need to take is to define your goals. Even the marketing agency for SaaS companies will first ask you the exact purpose of your project.

Will it serve as a vehicle for your target market to subscribe to your service or as a platform in which your software is run?

Think of your website as your core of lead generation and marketing efforts. You need your site to serve as the software yourself. That’s why you need a reliable back end that is created for your current subscribers.

Having a strong understanding of the functionality of your site is important before you could get started.

2. Determine your clients’ needs

You need to analyze your subscriber’s needs.

How do these people engage with your service? Is your software tailored to be used at work, home, or for busy professionals that are on the go?

Again, your answer might be most probably in the middle. As we know, current and prospective SaaS customers engage with software for a variety of reasons. 

That’s why having a responsive design is necessary, allowing you to offer a seamless experience to users, no matter what the screen size. 

3. Know where to start

To create a SaaS application, you have to know where to start.

Know what is the single most significant feature that you have, and deliver it. You could also use this chance to ask for SaaS ideas from users who can provide you with creative feedback.

After the first launch, make the necessary changes and add significant features. To know which features are the most important, you could start from the very core of your solution, and then ask yourself whether or not your app fulfills its primary purpose. 

Features that the app couldn’t survive without are the ones that should be prioritized. 

4. Pick your development method

After you’re done with the pre-planning process, it’s time to think about ways how you want to tackle the project. In the end, it all comes down to two major philosophies: Agile vs. Waterfall.

Most project managers and web developers in various industries have utilized waterfall as the traditional development method. This type of development philosophy was extremely popular because of its linear nature. Not to mention that it’s easy to understand and follow. 

But it also has its downfalls. Developers either run behind schedule or go over budget. Also, testing of the SaaS product only occurs when it is completed. 

That’s why the agile development method started to rise over the last couple of years. It doesn’t look at the web development method with a linear timeline. What it does is that it breaks the project into multiple parts, tackling it simultaneously, and testing it. 

The results? Increased flexibility and testing abilities. Although, keeping an overview of your site’s existing development stage can become a bit challenging for clients.

6. Have a strategy

A business strategy is a crucial part of any kind of development. So always start with searching for business opportunities with creative ways on how to attract prospects.

You need to identify the value that you have to offer. Apart from having a development strategy, you should also think way ahead with your marketing strategy. 

5. Built-in upgrades

Now that you have an excellent idea of what your needs are, you need to think about the details that you should include on your website. 

If you are like the majority of SaaS providers, then chances are, most of your revenue does not come from first-time subscribers. Instead, it comes from loyal subscribers who are more than willing to extend their relationship with you. 

That’s why upselling and cross-selling play a significant role in your current business model, mostly because it offsets the churn that you might be experiencing. 

Because of that, it makes sense that you begin planning for it even in the early stages of web development. 

7. Evaluate your platform

When it comes to coming up with a choice in the SaaS application development platform, you have to acquire particular capabilities. 

Because the final architecture has to obtain excellent performance, compliance, reliability, scalability, your chosen platform has to provide the necessary tools. 

8. Test your ideas

Now, before you decide to invest your resources in your SaaS web development project, you need to go out there, meet actual customers, and find out if your value proposition is solving a need. 

The main purpose behind it is to know whether or not you could monetize your idea. 

Testing is usually carried out through a minimum viable product (MVP). This is a version of your product that is built within a minimum amount of resources. This lets you obtain maximum information about your product from real customers. 

This also lets you meet prospects in the SaaS developmental cycle. This way, you will be able to get vital information that you can then use to refine your idea until its commercially viable. 

Over to you

There you have it. Hopefully, the tips mentioned above can help you as you start your new project.

Remember that the overall SaaS development process could vary depending on the people that you work with.  So, you must set up trustworthy relationships right off the bat with a reputable web development company in Australia during the initial stages.