The SaaS industry seems really attractive, right? Modern technology, products that generate income on a regular monthly or annual basis, a vibrant community… Indeed, if you have a good idea for a plugin or something like that, it can seem to you that becoming a part of the SaaS world is the best way to capitalize on it.
Scared to dive into the #SaaS industry? In this article, you can learn about the top 5 ways of gaining valuable experience in this specific filed!
And while that may be true in many cases, starting in this industry from scratch can be a daunting task, especially if you have no previous experience. But how can you get some? Here are the top 5 ways to gain SaaS experience!
Do your research
If you’re starting something new and you’re serious about it, researching the topic properly is the best way to start. Simply, that lays a very solid foundation for everything that comes after.
The SaaS industry has been around for quite a while, so there are some pretty smart people out there who have written about it and who know how to succeed in it. See what they say, identify the most common problems SaaS businesses face, and prepare yourself accordingly. The amount of time and effort (and consequently money) this can save you cannot be overstated.
There are plenty of blogs and other texts out there you can read, but people like Neil Patel or Jeff Bulas are especially worth your time. Check out what the leading people in the industry have to say (and they usually have plenty of articles and blog posts on the topic) and then just read, read, read.
Keep an eye on the competition
As we said, the community in this industry is vibrant, but it’s also quite big. Therefore, you can potentially learn from a lot of people. Do some exploring of established SaaS websites and see how they are structured.
You will notice that there is a certain pattern there – see how they enumerate the features of their product, notice the testimonials of satisfied customers, check whether a free trial is offered or not (this can be a very lucrative marketing strategy!), and examine the pricing range and the packages offered.
It would also be beneficial to see where and how they advertise and maybe even try to find out a bit about their marketing campaigns.
If their websites are successful, that means the ideas they had for them worked, so you would do well to learn from their example.
Also, keep tabs on their new ideas and products. Not so that you can copy them but that you can analyze them and then see how they can be improved. You don’t necessarily have to be the first to offer something, you just have to offer the best version of it to make your way to the top.
Get a job in the industry
But there’s really no better way to gain experience than to actually work for a SaaS company. If you can land a job in their marketing department or even as a member of the support team, you will get incredibly valuable insight into the way the whole industry works.
More importantly, you will see firsthand how your potential customers think and what their needs are. You might even get to see what they’re dissatisfied about and then apply that to your own product in order to offer something that stands out from day one.
Working like this introduces you to all potential problems you can expect to encounter when you start your business, but you won’t have to risk anything and you may even find a way to solve them.
Attend and create webinars
Webinars are another great way to learn about this business. Many marketing experts, in fact, believe every SaaS company should set up webinars themselves, particularly an evergreen webinar, as it allows ongoing engagement with audiences over time.
They are an excellent way to interact with your existing and prospective clients because they provide an opportunity for all the parties to talk to each other directly in a fairly relaxed atmosphere.
Also, the feedback you get that way is often invaluable, and the recordings of webinars can also be used in various marketing endeavors later.
So, if you’re looking for info, there’s probably a no better way of getting it – you get to talk with a member of the team behind the SaaS product directly and can ask them whatever you want. Furthermore, you’ll get answers then and there, not after waiting a whole while for someone to answer your email.
On the other hand, if you’ve just started your company, connecting with people like this can make them feel closer to you, plus you get direct feedback from them. Even if you get only a few people to come, that can be considered a success.
Sign up for a course or a boot camp
There are also plenty of online and offline courses you can attend to learn all about the world of SaaS from seasoned professionals.
These courses can last anywhere from 5 to 96 weeks (part-time and full-time courses) and cover a wide range of topics, from CSS and app development to algorithms. Additionally, you can opt for a boot camp, and these are held literally all over the world. Vancouver, London, Prague, Mexico City… you’ll find something no matter where you are (Treehouse is a good example).
The advantage of this approach is that you’re immersed in everything SaaS-related every single day and are overseen by people who can always point you in the right direction. Therefore, any SaaS skills you want to develop will improve dramatically over this period of time.
And in the end, it’s up to you to see how much time and other resources you have to invest in something like this.
Conclusion
So, the ways to gain SaaS experience are quite numerous, but the most important thing is your determination and willingness to dedicate yourself to it.
There is certainly a lot to learn. However, seeing how things work can be a very enlightening experience, and you will see immediately how your idea fits into all of that. And with a little bit of luck, you will find something that can be improved or simply designed better and then take the world by storm.
