Ideas are a dime a dozen, execution is key. Acting on your ideas and building a software-as-a-service (SaaS) application already put you ahead of those who are merely contemplating. However, building the product does not guarantee potential customers will discover or use it, neither does a massive advertising budget. In order to save time and money, you must plan your launch wisely.
Keep It Simple
You don’t need to launch a full-featured product. In fact, launching with a few key features can help you get your product out faster. It is better to do a great job at one thing than a mediocre job at many. As soon as your SaaS application is live, your first users can help you gage which features to build and roll out next.
Don’t Reinvent the Wheel
Trying to build a product that does everything is costly, time consuming and may be unnecessary. If you can integrate other SaaS application features, do so.
Generate Buzz and Identify Early Adopters
Before your product is ready for launch, you can get the word out. While you may be afraid of tipping off your competition, the risk is worthwhile. You don’t have to release the details of how you’re solving the problem.
Testing
Beta testing is an essential debugging phase in a product launch. Testing ensures you’ve worked out the kinks before going live to a broader audience. In addition, you should take the time to ensure your website copy is concise and convincing. Many applications and websites go live with copy marred by spelling mistakes and grammatical errors. You may have built an amazing product that works seamlessly, but it is ultimately your messaging that will attract buyers.
Validate Your Advertising Methods
You may want to wait until after launch to spend money on advertising. This will give you an opportunity to figure out where your users are coming from and if you need to spend money on advertising at all.
If you decide to invest in advertising, you need to refine your message and methods. You can run small campaigns on a variety of networks with different messages and images to determine which ones are worthwhile.
Research and Refine
Launching the first version of your SaaS application is a major milestone, but it is only the beginning. The phrase ‘launch and learn’ is common among start-up communities because releasing a product is an opportunity to gain valuable feedback and identify barriers to purchase.
The best way to ensure your SaaS application is successful is to keep an open mind and listen to your users. At the same time, it is important to remember that you can’t please everyone and your application can’t do everything. In time you will find a balance between your own business sense and consumer feedback.