How to Build a Cloud-Based SaaS Application

Developing a SaaS application might be the logical next step on your way to business growth. But building software isn’t a decision you can make lightly or without conducting proper research first. You need to understand the ins and outs of the SaaS development process to make proper decisions when it comes to hiring a development team, allocating the budget, or marketing the new solution. And this is what this article is about.

Continue reading to discover SaaS application development best practices and other details you need to know about SaaS application development and outsourcing.

What is a SaaS Application?

A SaaS application is a web-based app that replaces offline software. Its subscription-based, on-demand nature frees your clients from having to install it locally on their devices, as well as upgrading the hardware required to run it. 

SaaS Application Development Steps

Step 1. Idea Generation and Validation

Know the truth of this world – every solution that exists in this world is to solve (most or at least one) problem whether digital or physical. When it comes to SaaS application development, you can also bring a solution that can solve issues related to SaaS. For instance, the following are a few SaaS platform inherited use cases:

Step 2. Planning

So, you have explored your idea in the first step. In the next step, you need to brainstorm possible solutions that can go with your identified problem. Your brainstormed ideas may involve:

• Review existing solutions to your identified problem

• Find shortfalls in the existing solutions

• Discuss your idea with technical professionals

Step 3. Application Design

Design is the most important aspect of building SaaS applications. Without a user-friendly design, your proposed solution won’t sell – no matter what kind of market segment you have. Hire the best SaaS application development company in Canada for your project.

3 most significant SaaS app design considerations are:

• Mobile app navigation – If you are building SaaS mobile apps, including all types of well-organized navigations to make your application appealing.

• Typography in SaaS applications – Make your typo readable, clear, and always convenient to human and computer eyes.

• Colour schemes – Not only a SaaS platform application but all types of business applications require standard design and choices of colors.

Step 4. Software Development

With the perks of SaaS applications, there are some aspects that most software development services practice. For a cloud-ready SaaS platform development, you must also remember the following points.

• Leverage microservices (cycles of each module in a proposed solution) architecture in your SaaS app development.

• Compartmentalize data accessibility to manage as little raw data as possible.

• Remain thrifty with application layers amid data exchange across zones.

Step 5. QA and UX Testing

SaaS software testing is all about making sure it meets your and the user's requirements before and after the release date, plus has as few bugs as possible. It’s a good idea to incorporate both manual and automated testing approaches in your quality assurance process to cover the software entirely. Plus, beta testers can help you discover some non-trivial use cases you haven’t even thought of. You can also add cloud security assessment to this process.

Step 6. Managing & monitoring 

The development team (which we’ll cover in detail later on) works best when all they do is code and test, while a manager oversees the process and guides them. Managers know best which tasks should be assigned to whom and who isn’t skilled enough yet to handle more senior-level assignments. This is the person you can count on for updates on the SaaS development process.

Conclusion

Cloud applications aren’t the solution for every business case, but the SaaS model has quickly grown in popularity due to the benefits it offers both to consumers and application developers. If you decide to build a SaaS platform, you should get ready for a six-step development journey to enter the market with a high-quality product.