By: Omri @SaaSAddict Erel
Today, we’re going to talk a little bit about SaaS software solutions that are pretty much applicable to any business, and these are ones everyone should consider using. In business, there are some general things that every business must be able to do, and tasks they must be able to perform. They all have problems to overcome and goals to reach, and there’s a set of general SaaS components that suit the needs of the many, not just the needs of the few.
Remember, there are a number of types of web service that can be considered SaaS software solutions, so if any of these are surprising, stop for a moment and evaluate what SaaS actually is.
The rules of this top five are typical, each solution must serve a purpose the others do not primarily, with minimal overlap. They can’t be exclusive to a single industry either, so gaming and art services are off the list. With that in mind, let’s get going.
#1 – WalkMe
One of the most repetitive problems business and software owners experience is website and visitors and user confusion. A great way to clear the fog and guide customers to where you want them to go and what you want them to do is by using WalkMe’s advanced website navigation system. This tool has created a huge ripple in the online world and has been a solution recommended by many of the big players.
#2 – Google AdWords
Marketing and outreach is one of the biggest obstacles any company in existence has to deal with, and in the new digital world, it’s all in internet advertising and visibility. Google AdWords is Google’s primary source of revenue, and considering how immense Google has become, that shows how effective AdWords must be.
This is an intuitive and unobtrusive outreach SaaS solution which uses inoffensive text ads that pepper throughout Google services, search results and numerous websites the world over. It is the easiest and most subliminal way to establish a presence and public awareness in this increasingly web-centric society. It’s rather cost-effective too, costing pennies per unit to deploy.
For marketing, Google AdWords is more or less the last word on the subject. But, text ads are so inoffensive they can be easily ignored by customers, which is the only drawback. High traffic is necessary for major results.
#3 – Twitter
There was bound to be a social construct on this list, and it was just a case of choosing which one was the most effective for the purpose. Twitter is definitely the right choice, and let’s look at why.
Twitter is the simplest, most cross-platform social networking system in place at the moment, and it makes it possible to reach out to the public, or for them to reach you with simple messaging and no politics or complex procedures. So, why would a business need Twitter? A multitude of reasons.
Twitter is an excellent way to handle not-sensitive CRM, and a really good way to make announcements of new deals, updates or new services as a company grows. It’s proactive and almost no maintenance is necessary. Businesses need a social network presence, and for the simplest solution to this, Twitter’s the right choice.
Twitter has a limit to characters that can be sent, be wary of this. It also has tweet limits, though they are nigh impossible to exceed. Still, know these limitations.
#4 – CheddarGetter
You’re going to need a payment platform, especially if you do business online (and who doesn’t?). With that in mind, there’s an all in one payment gateway called CheddarGetter.
CheddarGetter unifies credit cards, checking and bank drafts along with popular solutions like PayPal and Google Checkout into a single configurable entity that makes bookkeeping and management a breeze. CheddarGetter is callable to small business and enterprise solutions with minimal price increase, and allows for multiple prices and discounts to be factored in in parallel. With its ability to handle one off payments and subscriptions without any exceptions between the two, this is probably the best solution for a payment gateway for the moment.
CheddarGetter may have slightly annoying customer service if you call them on the phone.
#5 – AppNexus
“There’s an app for that”. This is a common phrase regarding any task one may want to do from a mobile device, including such obscure things as ordering a pizza or buying a shirt with the push of a button.
AppNexus makes interacting with the digital front of your business an absolute breeze by offering ad-enabled app design, hosting and deployment of custom SaaS software solutions for your business so that yes, there will eb an app for your service as well.
AppNexus is on the frontier of app-based custom task interfaces, and they’re the best at it for the moment.
AppNexus is a bit expensive.
#6 – Microsoft SkyDrive
Microsoft SkyDrive is a cloud storage and coordination system offered by the big daddy of software constructs. SkyDrive is a better alternative to Google’s Drive service when applied to a business environment due to the lack of space caps or bandwidth caps. It is of course not free, which enables a richer experience for the cost.
Despite being a Microsoft product, it is entirely cross-platform, and compatible with mobile as well as obscure server and platform architectures as well. This is the ultimate cloud storage and project coordination system around right now. Possibly Google will outrun them in the future, but for now, Microsoft’s got it.
It’s a bit pricey for the paid service, and a new comer called Carboite may quickly replace them for backup and security in the next year or two.
There are many other SaaS software solutions out there that’re equally valuable, but this is merely a top five list. Check back soon and another top five may just as readily point out five more that’re just as irreplaceable in the business world.
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