There were roughly 25,000 SaaS businesses worldwide in 2021, suggesting the demand for cloud-based solutions is high.
Popular SaaS solutions are in use in everyday life like Microsoft Office 365, Grammarly—and even Netflix.
But how do you build a SaaS product remotely?
Building a SaaS product remotely isn’t as complicated as it might sound. You don’t need significant technical expertise (founder of Moz Rand Fishkin admits that he didn’t in his book Lost and Founder)— but you do need a solid step-by-step strategy.
In this article, we will look at what you need to do to build a SaaS product and get it up and running remotely.
What Is A SaaS Product?
SaaS stands for “Software as a Service." It means customers access your product via their browser or a web-based app.
Some refer to SaaS as web-based solutions; others refer to it as cloud-based solutions.
They work like a bank as all the customers in the bank use the same technology to withdraw cash. But every customer has a different account, and each individual can access it accordingly.
All kinds of SaaS products exist, including project management software, marketing software, and so on.
The Benefit Of Building A SaaS Product Remotely
The 2020 pandemic has forced organizations to hire remote developers and adapt to the remote working lifestyle. It has made a mandate for entrepreneurs and CTOs to hire remote developers who cited the option to work remotely as a must-have when looking for a company’s offer. Now that you understand a little more about a SaaS product, let’s see the advantages of building it remotely.
Your Team Wants To Work Remotely
You can try to build a SaaS all by yourself. But unless you know all the technical aspects inside-out, including how to code, it is better to work with others.
And the good news is that post-Covid, 74% of professionals now expect remote work to be the future. It has become a new normal to work remotely and hire remote developers. When you give people what they want, morale and productivity go up.
Access To A Wider Talent Pool
Because you’re no longer hiring someone within a 50-mile radius, you can choose from a wider talent pool. If there is an A-star coder who lives 800 miles away and doesn’t want to uproot, you can still persuade him to work for you.
Lots Of Tools That Can Help
When building your product remotely, you need to host video meetings, share files, garner feedback, and monitor your employees. There is a tool for everything in 2022 (including all the above), and you can streamline your operations without entering the office.
Businesses are increasingly adopting cloud services because they want high-quality tools without having to invest thousands of dollars in their development. And if you don’t have room in your budget right now for more tools like traktion.ai and others, you could explore SaaS financing options.
How To Build A SaaS Product With a Remote Team
Today, businesses are not just implementing the remote working model for their in-house teams but also building digital center of excellence in an offshore country. Their dedicated team works from that location and handles all the aspects of their SaaS product and its technical requirements.
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Bridge The Talent Gap
The fate of a SaaS product depends on the team that works on it. By hiring developers in your area, you can access a wide range of talent pools. But there might be occasions when the employee may lack in certain areas.
That’s okay—with a remote team, you can bridge the talent gap in a few ways.
For example, identifying their core skills is essential. Then, you can delegate roles that will help the individual and the team at large, boosting overall efficiency.
If there’s someone more experienced on your team than others, they can act as a mentor who sharpens others' skills and helps them level up.
Team training guides are helpful, and you can also provide your remote team with a list of resources related to your company, your niche, and your job role. These can include podcasts, educational videos, onboarding videos, webinars, and so on.
And to avoid a total bad hire straight off the bat, you can work with recruitment agencies and experienced HR managers who can help you find the best talent for the right roles and devise ways to screen potential hires.
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Use Automation
Automation works in many industries and niches—including SaaS.
With process automation, you can use tools that speed up your processes, saving you bags of time on tedious, repetitive tasks.
For instance, you can use email marketing software to automate your emails, customer support tools to automate your customer service and even a tool that can automate your sales funnel.
Essentially, automation helps remote SaaS businesses achieve their goals faster and will help you and your remote team.
Want to know about SaaS Product Development? Read our blogs:
Provide Technical Support
SaaS businesses are very different from others as your team may require access to technical support 24/7. If your team can’t get the access and support they need at the time, it can slow things down.
It is better to ask each team member what technical support they need to work from home. For example, a team member might need a competitor analysis tool, so it is essential to comply with their request.
Essentially, ask yourself “what does my team need?” Then, you can write down a list of solutions that will improve your processes while ensuring that your team can do their work with minimal disruptions.
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Be Clear About Your Visions And Goals
Productivity is key to the success of any business, but it can be much harder to harness it when you are working remotely, especially when you're hiring remote developers for your project.
It is essential that you share your vision and goals with your team members. It gives them the chance to buy into what you are doing, gives their work meaning, and gives them a clear path to success.
It is also essential to communicate regularly with your team members and keep them in the loop about what you are doing and how their work impacts your company.
Also, creating personal connections with each team member, setting personalized goals, and giving positive feedback will encourage them to work better.
Also Read: SaaS Development Lifecycle: Understanding the Stages & Steps
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Find A Reliable Agency
Lastly, if you feel you are hitting dead ends when searching for remote talents, reliable web and mobile app development agencies can help build your SaaS product.
You can look at existing customer reviews to help you find reliable agencies and narrow down your search that suit your specific criteria.
When you choose an agency, make sure to approach them with the right information. For example, the more information you can give the agency about the product you need to build, the easier it will be for them to decide if they are the right fit.
Conclusion
Building a SaaS product with a remote team can be challenging. But by hiring the right team, automating tasks, giving technical support, and clearly communicating with your team members, you can build a product, market your product—and take on the competition.
Just know that the most important thing is having the right product and the right team. If you lay down these foundations, everything else can be tested, tweaked, and refined until you hit the jackpot.
