What Types of SaaS Tools Do I Need for My Company?
According to statistics, 38% of companies have been doing business almost completely relying on SaaS applications, on average using 34 different tools.
Nothing explains the importance of SaaS solutions like the statistical data and reports based on the numerous users’ experience. And, the ones that are using them are reaping the benefits.
To enjoy the perks of SaaS products you should think about the products that represent your must-have SaaS tools for real, rather than randomly activating solutions that might not cover your critical business areas.
And in this post, we’re going to show you some of the most reliable and convenient types of tools that you can consider implementing. Whether you’re looking for SaaS tools for a startup or a larger business, check out the product line below to reshape the way you do business.
So, let’s dive!
Must-have SaaS Tools for any Business: Top Priority SaaS Solutions
1. Project Management SaaS Platform
An effective project management system lets you stay on top of not only individual tasks but the entire system, as well. If you do your project management activities manually, without the use of a SaaS solution, you may end up not being able to keep track of everything that’s going on. And this is a pretty realistic scenario for 44% of project managers that use no software at all.
With a SaaS platform that features project management tools, you take your business performance to a higher level in different terms. Depending on the diversity of its features, a project management platform may positively impact:
- the collaboration among your employees (owing to the tools that facilitate file and customer data sharing, team communication, shared tasks dashboard, etc.)
- tasks scheduling and planning (with time slot features, shared calendars, and the possibilities of marking priority tasks)
- budget management activities (offering time tracking tools, an automated invoicing system, a budget dashboard with the possibility of customized reports creation, etc.)
- document organization (letting you build a centralized data storage, access and share your documents in no time, and create reports that include key metrics based on those documents)
Best examples of must-have SaaS tools for project management: ProofHub, Trello, Wrike, ProProfs Project
2. SaaS Solutions for Accounting Processes
If you want to be sure your system gets the most out of the available smart technology solutions, then some financial management apps definitely should be among your must-have SaaS tools.
Not only will they provide more precise and accurate information on your finances, but they’ll also help speed up different accounting processes. On top of that, the majority of accountants believe traditional accounting isn’t efficient enough to compete with these advanced SaaS solutions.
Now, let’s see what precisely the financial management SaaS tools bring to your business.
1. They save you money
Implementing a cloud-based accounting solution, you will significantly reduce your accounting costs in the long term.
First of all, you don’t have to make additional payments to have your software upgraded.
Besides, this type of solution is usually available as a subscription-based model, so you don’t have to make huge investments to have it implemented.
Finally, it also reduces the costs that you’d have by self-hosting a server, which makes it one of the most useful SaaS tools for startups. (For extra tips on useful tools for startups, click here.)
2. They increase the security of your financial management
Having in mind that reliable cloud-based solutions are automatically upgraded and regularly checked, you reduce the risks of using outdated and vulnerable solutions, which are easy targets for hackers and viruses.
3. They increase the flexibility of your accounting system
The flexibility and ease of access are additional perks of SaaS platforms for accounting tasks. Not only can they easily integrate with other tools, apps, and add-ons that can be useful for your accounting management, but they can also be accessed from wherever you are. All you would need is a valid username and a password.
Best examples of must-have SaaS tools for accounting management: QuickBooks, FreshBooks, Wave Accounting
3. SaaS Software for Sales Improvement
To get the most out of your essential business aspects, SaaS software for sales increases the chances of improving sales and staying on top of all phases in your sales process. Automating diverse sales activities and letting you stay on top of your communication with (potential) customers, a reliable sales platform can provide:
1. increased lead generation, by letting you adjust your sales strategy based on the collected information from the sales channels,
2. increased visibility of essential sales insights, by letting you monitor all sales segments, which positively impacts further strategy development,
3. increased sales opportunities, thanks to mobile-responsiveness and the platform flexibility,
4. integrations with other departments’ software and tools, which let you create a unified and centralized business organization, and, therefore, potential sales improvement.
Best examples of must-have SaaS tools for accounting management: Salesforce (SaaS tools for large businesses), Salesmate (SaaS tools for startups)
4. SaaS Platform for Marketing Automation
Even though marketing automation is usually connected with facilitating different processes for employees, SaaS platforms for marketing automation provide a diversity of other effects, as well. With features that help you reshape your email marketing and landing pages as well as improve your blogging activities, marketing automation tools also provide you with valuable analytics and SEO information. Some of the positive effects provided by SaaS platforms for marketing automation are:
- simplified tracking of visitors’ navigation, decisions, and preferences in terms of buying,
- time efficiency, which is owed to the automation of the regular daily tasks, to the possibility of running multiple campaigns at the same time, and setting up the auto-responders for social media or daily follow-ups,
- establishing more personalized relationships with customers owing to the constant collection of customer-related data,
- multichannel monitoring, which practically lets you do all your interactions with your potential clients no matter where they occur (social media, your website, emails…), etc.
Best examples of must-have SaaS tools for marketing automation: HubSpot, GetResponse, OptInMonster
5. SaaS Customer Service Software
When we think of SaaS software for customer support, the first thing that strikes your mind is live chat software and real-time support.
While these associations are entirely right, there’s certainly more to a reliable SaaS customer service software than just providing real-time communication. It’s also about handling requests even when you’re offline, monitoring your support staff, and providing smarter organization of support tasks and activities.
So, a high-quality customer service solution, like ProProfs Help Desk, brings you a diversity of other features and possibilities, including:
- ticket tracking, prioritization and solving;
- sharing knowledge both with your customers and among your employees through knowledge base integration and internal notes feature,
- providing training for operators and customers who need it,
- offering unlimited access to both agents and customers, wherever they are, and so on.
All these features benefit your business in numerous ways:
- They improve your support organization and make you seem available even when you aren’t.
More precisely, all of the requests made by your customers are saved and held at the same spot. You don’t have to be constantly online to provide support efficiently. So, practically, all of the messages received while you’re offline are transformed into tickets and kept in your helpdesk dashboard until you resolve them.
- They increase your support agents’ productivity.
In other words, they’re speeding up the time agents need to address the tickets as they don’t have to look for them manually, constantly checking multiple support channels. All requests and questions are unified in the same base, and that’s your helpdesk software.
- They help you share the knowledge about your products, services, and brand, both with your customers and among your support staff.
A reliable helpdesk software comes either with its own knowledge base tool or an option to integrate it with one quickly. A well-developed help desk provides a perfect chance for you to create a responsive resource of knowledge that any of your stakeholders may use, and in terms of customer support. This means that you’re motivating your clients to proactively solve their issues, which frequently leads to the elimination of their need for contacting an operator.
Best examples of must-have SaaS tools for customer service improvement: ProProfs Help Desk
6. SaaS Solutions for Sales Automation
Tired of spending hours on manual tasks instead of building relationships with your customers? Say hello to SaaS solutions like Osmos for automating sales! These cloud-based apps help streamline your sales process and boost efficiency.
Here are four reasons why you should consider using SaaS solutions for sales automation:
- Boost Productivity: SaaS solutions automate time-consuming tasks like data entry, lead nurturing, and follow-up. This frees up more time for you to focus on building relationships and closing deals.
- Increase Sales: By tracking leads, quotes, and opportunities in real-time, you can prioritize your sales efforts and close more deals, resulting in increased revenue for your company.
- Enhance Collaboration: With a centralized platform, your team can easily share information and communicate better, leading to improved coordination and transparency throughout the sales process.
- Personalize Customer Experience: SaaS solutions help you track customer interactions and purchase history, allowing you to offer personalized recommendations and messaging that enhances the customer experience.
7. SaaS Solutions for Diagram Making
A diagram is described as a graphical illustration of any process or program flow. Diagrams is an ideal tool for visualization of complicated or long processes in your business. Diagram making can get complicated, which is why SaaS solutions for diagram making is available. In other words, your business’s visual identity can be created through diagrams and diagram making software. These tasks can be automated by the use of diagramming tools and software designed for this sole purpose. Let’s take a look at what SaaS solutions for diagram making bring to your business
- Visually depicts all your business models and create an eye-pleasing experience.
- This helps collect all sources of information and present them in a sequential and simple manner to optimize productivity.
- Diagrams help improve interpretation and retention of longer and more complex abstract descriptions.
Key features of SaaS solutions for diagram making should be-
- Accessibility and ease of use
- Collaborative platform
- Ability to create everything from flow charts to floor plans
- Big library of vectors, graphics, and templates
- Design friendly and scalable vectors
- Smart shapes and connections
- Flexible platform
- Intuitive designs
- Option to export in multiple file types
- A plethora of templates for every diagram type
A diagram making software can ease out the manual work it takes to create diagrams. Using this SaaS tool will help you design eye-pleasing diagrams and speed up your business processes. One such tool is EdrawMax. It is an all-in-one method for diagramming and an intuitive platform to serve all your designing needs. From drawing flowcharts, pie diagrams, UML diagrams to designing floor plans and office layouts, you can find everything you’re looking for in EdrawMax. You can also export diagrams in multiple file types like .PNG, .JPEG, .PDF, .HTML, .PPT, etc. This user-friendly tool is designed to make the diagram easily. It has over 280+ diagrams options available. With its wide range of templates and a design-friendly user interface, EdrawMax is the best diagram making SaaS tool for your business.
8. Saas Platform for Email Marketing
Marketing companies are forever struggling to get the most out of their marketing process, and the best way to achieve that is to get an exceptionally effective Email Marketing Software.
Growing your audience through easy-to-design emails is one thing which remains a major area of focus for marketing companies, and you need a SaaS Platform for Email Marketing which can deliver excellence in it.
Some SaaS Platforms for Email Marketing optimize email campaigns based on several parameters including past open behaviour, time-zone, domain name, email client, ISP etc.
Key capabilities offered by SaaS email marketing software are:
- Build your email list using high converting email popups forms, inline forms, and landing pages to own your audience.
- Design your forms
- Readymade themes
- Integrates with any website
- Automate your email marketing with a powerful rules-based interface. Send the right message to the right user at the right time.
- Email Drip Sequences
- Automation on user activity
- Audience Segmentation
- Design emails without HTML.
- Pre-built email templates
- Personalization
- Count down timer, images, buttons
It would also serve you well to go for a plan in which you can send unlimited emails to opted-in subscribers. You also need something that counts your contacts only once, no matter how many lists you have them on. It would be a good idea to go for something which intuitive and affordable at once.
Best examples of must-have SaaS tools for Email marketing: SendX.
9. SaaS Software for Analytics
Last, but not the least, SaaS software for analytics is definitely among the most important, must-have SaaS tools for any business. Regardless of the size of your business, staying on top of your analytics without investing a lot of effort should be your top priority. Having a sleek and reliable automated analytics system will let you focus on your other essential business aspects.
SaaS solutions for this purpose can help you with a diversity of amazing features, including detailed and customized reports on any of your business spheres, including your KPIs, website visitors’ profiles, preferences, and their paths on your website, general performance results, etc.
Now, what are some of the main advantages of using SaaS software for business analytics?
1. It helps you understand where and how visitors find your website, which parts of it they click the most, and how to get the most out of that popularity (or how to improve it to increase conversions additionally).
2. It lets you analyze your target audience and create subgroups in your audience based on their locations, behaviors, preferences, interests, or other aspects that are relevant for the way you should approach them.
3. It signalizes the areas that are neglected by your visitors, implying what aspects you should consider improving to provide better performance (changing copywriting, visual elements, text style, images, etc.).
Best examples of must-have SaaS tools for business analytics: Google Analytics
10. SaaS Solution for Product Management
Product companies usually have feature ideas all over the place and use different tools for scoping and iteration planning. No wonder that some ideas may slip away while some requests may seem to have higher priority than they actually do. This is why it is critical for product companies to streamline feedback management and scoping. While different tools offer different solutions for that, we gathered the most important work phases a good tool can help you with.
What shoulda product management tool do for you?
- Manage expectations during scoping
Capturing the right requirements can be very challenging when you have a limited budget or timeframe. Having a tool that assists scoping can be very helpful — especially if you develop software for clients. - Have a better understanding of your users
Making user journeys visual with different techniques helps the whole development team be more empathetic with the user, thus develop a better, more user-centric product. One of the most common techniques is user story mapping. - Streamline user feedback
Product feedback comes from many different channels — email, Slack, Trello, Intercom, Zendesk, etc., making it hard to keep track of who feature requests come from and what business value they have. Today, there are several tools that take care of collecting feedback into a single repository so that no valuable feedback gets lost. - Manage iterations
Once you have the scope ready and start development, scope of each iteration might change based on feedback received. Having the big picture in front of your eyes while you can also manage iterations can save you a lot of time. - Validate feature ideas
By streamlining user feedback, you can build a strong user base you can turn to for feature validation. Many well-known product companies validate their ideas on public roadmaps today and take action on ideas of the highest value.
Best examples of must-have SaaS tools for product management: StoriesOnBoard, ProductBoard
Summing Up: These Must-have SaaS Tools Take Business to an all New Level
While different businesses and organizations are advised to choose the apps and platforms that suit their specific needs based on their size and industry, there are some must-have SaaS tools that can be a great help no matter what type of business you run.
So, if you want to make your work routine easier before you focus on automating some more specific tasks of your business, you should first consider the use of smart tools for your basic, essential processes.
In other words, your first steps in the process of automation should be related to introducing reliable SaaS tools for project management, marketing, and sales activities, customer support, and business performance analytics.
By doing this, you will undoubtedly ease the burden on your employees and ensure their higher productivity and efficiency. And if you choose the right tools, your business move will be more than likely to improve your general performance and results, as well.
Author Bio: Dwayne Charrington is a technical writer currently associated with ProProfs Help Desk. He possesses hands-on experience in writing for the customer service industry. Dwayne is insightful when it comes to industrial challenges, emerging customer service trends, and how businesses overcome related challenges. Dwayne likes drawing connections between different industries and entities while designing his blogs.
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