When it comes to the success of SaaS (Software-as-a-Service) products, it depends on its ability to deliver value. Besides, businesses need to create user-centric web and app designs to make their software-as-a-service products stand out. Moreover, they can partner with SaaS explainer video services to successfully promote their products to the right audience.
In this post, we shall tell you how businesses can craft user-centric software-as-a-service products. Before diving into our topic, we want you to understand the following:
- What Is a Software-as-a-Service Product (Web or App)?
- Diverse Benefits of Software-as-a-Service Products
- Types of Software-as-a-Service Products
What Is a Software-as-a-Service Product (Web or App)?
Software-as-a-service products include internet software that allows internet users to connect to and use cloud-based apps. Email and Microsoft Office 365 are a few good examples of such products. Even many of people’s favorite internet platforms are SaaS, such as Dropbox, Canva, and many others.
Moreover, the explainer videos have a great potential, too, for businesses to become participants in the cloud. Not to mention, it is a trillion-dollar market.
Diverse Benefits of Software-as-a-Service Products
The following are diverse benefits of SaaS products:
1. Accessibility
Besides using an internet connection to access software-as-a-service products, users can access them from remote locations.
2. Limitless Integrations
SaaS products allow for endless integrations; by the same token, ever-growing cloud apps have become a must-have for businesses today.
3. Scalability
Software-as-a-service products technically allow growing businesses to use them with upgraded features.
4. Data Security
Software-as-a-Service products, as cloud-based apps, provide users with high security standards.
Types of Software-as-a-Service Products
The following are the main types of Software-as-a-Service products:
- CRM Software (HubSpot is an example.)
- ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) Software (Oracle is an excellent example.)
- Project Management Software (As an example, Jira.)
- The Billing Software (For example, Xero.)
- The Collaboration Software (For instance, Miro.)
- Ecommerce Software (As an example, Shopify.)
- Mobile Device Management Software (For example, Scalefusion Android MDM SDK.)
Now, it is time we dive into our main topic. That is, how to craft user-centric SaaS web and app designs.
How to Craft User-Centric SaaS Web and App Designs
Here are the tips alongside examples on crafting user-centric SaaS web and app designs:
1. Understand Your Audience
In order to create user-centric web and app designs, you must understand who your target audience is. You can create user personas based on market research and conduct user interviews in this regard. It will aid you in understanding the needs and preferences of your audience alongside their expectations. Therefore, make sure you understand your audience prior to creating your user-focused SaaS product.
Example: Slack is a productivity platform with its main users, including freelancers, in addition to remote and office workers. It created its SaaS product with an easy-to-use interface that works with popular tools. Do you know how Slack created it? It created its software-as-a-service solution with an emphasis on communication to meet the needs of diverse users.
2. Outline the User Journey
To create a user-centric software-as-a-service product, outlining the user journey will help you, too. Besides, the user journey is the process that users follow to accomplish their goals. Moreover, your user journey includes onboarding, learning how to use a software-as-a-service product, and accomplishing tasks. Thus, you should outline your user journey, too, to eventually craft a user-centric SaaS web or app product.
Example: Canva is an online design tool that uses a cloud (software-as-a-service) system to store users’ projects. Moreover, it perfectly fits in with the example of an app based on the user journey. Canva provides users with a guided tour during onboarding, offers premade templates, and also has a drag-and-drop interface. All of these features allow Canva users to create professional-looking designs without any experience in graphic design.
3. Focus on Usability
Another thing to keep in mind to creating a user-friendly software-as-a-service product is its useability. In this regard, you have to make sure your software solution is intuitive, steady, and easy to navigate.
Furthermore, focus on visual hierarchy, responsiveness, and accessibility of your products. Here is what the aforementioned elements mean when it comes to creating software-as-a-service solutions:
- Visual Hierarchy – It Guides Users’ Attention via Visual Cues
- Responsiveness – It Ensures Product Works Seamlessly across Various Devices
- Accessibility – Design for Every User, Including Users with Disabilities
Moreover, you can create an explainer for your software-as-a-service product working with one of the top SaaS explainer video services. It will aid you in effectively promoting your software-as-a-service solutions once it is ready.
Example: Dropbox is a popular cloud-based storage service that surpasses others when it comes to useability. It has a simple and consistent interface. Plus, it allows for seamless integration with various other platforms. For this reason, it is a user-friendly software-as-a-service product, which allows users to access and organize files from different devices.
4. Ponder and Exploit User Feedback
It is imperative that you prioritize user feedback to eventually design your user-friendly software-as-a-service web or app design. Besides, you can collect user feedback throughout the design process via surveys, user interviews, and useability testing. Once you gain insights through user feedback, you can improve your product design with a user-centric focus.
Example: Mailchimp is a strong cloud-based email and marketing automations platform. It consistently encourages users to provide their feedback via in-app prompts and surveys. Relying on user feedback, Mailchimp constantly improves its products while successfully addressing the pain points of its users.
5. Ensure Seamless Integration
More often than not, software-as-a-service products need to integrate with other tools and platforms. By the same token, you must identify the most popular and essential integrations for your user-centric SaaS product. Once you identify essential integrations, you have to make sure your product supports them.
Example: Trello is an overwhelming cloud-based project management tool that integrates with various third-party apps. Google Drive and Slack, to name a few third-party apps it integrates with. Integrations Trello allows for aid users to streamline their workflow and enhance productivity.
6. Encourage Collaboration
Make sure you come up with design features for your software-as-a-service product that fosters collaboration. It will allow your users to easily share, collaborate, and communicate via your software-as-a-service web or app product.
Example: Asana is a cloud-based task and project management tool that encourages collaboration via its features. Real-time updates, team communication, and file sharing, to mention some of its prominent features. It aids teams that use Asana in remaining organized and focusing on accomplishing their goals.
7. Provide Excellent Customer Support
Another tip to keep in mind when creating a user-centric software-as-a-service product is to ensure your app offers excellent customer support. For this purpose, your app should include support channels, such as email, live chat, etc., to help your customers.
Example: Zendesk is a cloud-based customer service platform. It offers comprehensive knowledge base software, live chat, and phone support. It ensures Zendesk users find quick solutions to their problems with a positive experience.
Conclusion
If your software-as-a-service product can deliver value to customers, it can surely stand out. Moreover, hiring one of the top SaaS explainer video services, you can promote your software-as-a-service products. Sticking to certain tips, you can craft user-centric SaaS web and app designs. Understanding your audience and focusing on the usability of your software solutions are a few of those tips. Lastly, you can create a competitive software-as-a-service solution while sticking to the tips we have shared in this post.
