How SaaS Companies are Changing How We Live

Source

SaaS companies are remaking how we interact with brands, and we don't even notice it.

They are changing how businesses do business and how businesses reach out to us, trap us even, and we haven't consciously absorbed what it means.

You've enjoyed SaaS if you have ever used Slack for your work. If your favorite company or e-commerce site has ever used those consistent emails, those marketing strategies, and those tactics to close you and make you a customer, they probably use HubSpot. Or Salesforce. Or any other related company in the industry. They are Saas companies.

If you use a company that provides instant response to your questions about their services, they're probably using Zendesk.

Here's an example:

Suppose you use a Fin-tech company like Flutterwave. You have issues with a payment, and you hit customer support. You state your problem, and you receive a prompt message referring you to a blog post about how to resolve it. Flutterwave is probably using Zendesk, a software that manages customer service systems.

The point is that SaaS companies make you happier, and you don't even realize it's them. Ordinarily, you would think your company is offering an excellent service that makes your life easier. If you look beyond that, it could be a SaaS company.

What Is SaaS — for Dummies?

I won't bore you with scholarly definitions.

SaaS is a 'software as a service.' Think of a template or an app you can install. When you install that app or activate the template, it improves the work you do or how you do it.

Take, for example, software like MailChimp, or Substack. You may opt for MailChimp if you run a business that requires sending emails to customers. MailChimp lets you customize a newsletter meant for your readers. You design it and hit send.

When it lands in their email, it becomes personalized.

When you get this in your inbox as a customer, not only are you thrilled to go through what your favorite store has for you; you're excited to see the friendly designs.

You're even excited to see that it says 'Hi Zendia' or 'Hi Joey' or 'Hi John'.

Of course, the company didn't send an individual email to you. They used software. It's automated.

SaaS companies change your life and improve your expectations. They make you feel valuable.

You have a feeling: Now that's what I like.

You want to create to-do lists to manage your calendar for the day. You download an app like TickTick to schedule your day.

To you, you're just downloading an app that makes your life easier. If you step outside that narrative for a second, you'd realize that before a period like this, there was nothing like TickTick.

Your to-do list was mechanical. You had to tick an activity you concluded off a paper or, most likely, sticky notes. Now, your to-do list is more organized.

If you have worked as a secretary for decades, you most likely used Microsoft Word when it had no cloud document feature. You used a typewriter, then a computer. You had probably even printed copies of what you typed to show your boss for validation.

Now, you can use software like Bit.ai for document collaboration. You can even use software like Google Docs.

You'd think it's an organic flow of the world if you don't think about it.

Technology evolves. More software programs are developed. And you joined the trend.

If you're a frequent shopper, something inside you wants to see everything an online store has to offer without stress.

Suppose you come across a website that uses the software service of a company like Kahani, which integrates GIFs or a sort of Instagram reels just to breeze you through what a company has for you, would you not like it?

You would. But you wouldn't think it's a big deal.

And just like you reacted to MailChimp— Yes! This is a company that knows my preferences. I'd love to see everything this store has for me without hassle.

SaaS companies are a big deal, but we don't think they are big deals. They are primarily working behind the scenes for users like you and me.

How SaaS Work, or How SaaS Companies Make Money 

Now, how do SaaS work?

It's like running an electricity company. Software as a Service (SaaS) is the electricity company since anyone can start one.

The businesses/companies you love use them for the services they offer. A SaaS company may provide cloud-based services. They may provide content management system services. They may even provide customer relationship management services or Email marketing software services.

A SaaS company may be about simplifying and promoting your tweets. Yes. Tweet Hunter Pro does that.

Another SaaS company may be about simplifying how you navigate an online shop. Or how you save your documents online. A SaaS company may even help you experience shopping differently through artificial intelligence simulations. But of course, you won't know this.

The businesses who use them know this. And like an electricity company, they have bills.

The businesses or companies you like pay subscriptions every month or year for the external software service.

SaaS companies need a backbone. Infrastructure as a service (IaaS) and platform (PaaS) comes in. Collectively, they empower the software.

The software company is only in charge of designing your favorite company or business's website or app. Don't forget; a software company may also help do other things.

But let's stick with the design of their business website or app if your company uses Kahani, for example. They get something like Instagram reels, making it super fast for you to assess their products or services.

They will install this software or template on their website or app, and boom, you'll enjoy what you see and go back to them to shop.