When it comes to marketing, your strategy is key to your success. There are several factors to consider before embarking on your venture: what are the benefits of using software as a service (SaaS)? How can using a platform as a service (PaaS) help your business? How do these strategies impact the digital marketing of your brand?
This guide will explain the key differences between the two service type models and how BRANDefenders can use them for your benefit.
The Benefits of SaaS
Cloud-based applications and services make this service model ideal for all types of small businesses looking to get started or streamline the support of their growing audience. SaaS is also great for short-term projects that need collaboration without paying a fortune out of pocket for the required program(s). Here’s why SaaS is a great service model for your business.
Ease of Use
When accessed through the internet, the apps used for SaaS can be used at home, in the office, and on the go, with no added effort on your end. This accessibility is desirable and makes the software easy to use, as people will often need to work remotely as they go about their day.
Having versatile software also encourages its use by allowing employees to access the data on their most comfortable devices. Rather than learning an entirely new program for their work, they may already be familiar with the software and use it efficiently for work.
Streamline Support
Through the use of cloud-based software, your company can streamline support. This eliminates the need for tech support, as your business is not responsible for managing any bugs, updates, or system errors because a different company handles the software. Any hardware or software updates are not your responsibility to manage.
With the apps hosted on a remote server from a central location, you don’t have to worry about maintaining the software yourself in-house. So long as you have a decent internet connection, you can access all the files you need.
Enhanced Security
Your cyber security is enhanced when you trust your digital marketing to software services. Data stored on the cloud is backed up by the provider so that in the event of an emergency when your data is compromised in-house, your provider will have additional copies for you to use.
If your employees tend to use their devices, as opposed to business devices, for communications regarding work, having SaaS will reduce the risk of data loss with these backups. You can say goodbye to accidentally deleting important files from your phone or computer since your provider has backups ready to go.
Reduced Time and Costs
Any costs for SaaS subscriptions are easily budgeted for, and some plans come with the ability to change or cancel at any time. Additionally, costs are also saved by not hiring staff to manage the software in-house. There are little to no maintenance costs on your end, other than keeping a stable internet connection.
If you’re unsure, you can always seek a pay-as-you-go option before committing to a certain SaaS.
Limitations
With all the benefits of SaaS, there are some drawbacks to consider.
While smaller businesses have increased security, larger ones may want to hold off. Having loads of sensitive information stored in the cloud could leave you vulnerable to a cyberattack. Also, there is a lack of control when using software from another company. You don’t get a say in how it looks or operates.
You may also be subject to outages and downtime where the provider performs heavy updates, leaving you without access until the service is complete. While you should receive notice ahead of time, working around these outages during busy seasons can be inconvenient.
The Benefits of Paas
While also providing cloud components to the platform, PaaS is hosted on the provider’s infrastructure, granting access to a comprehensive suite of tools and applications. Using PaaS delivers the framework developers need to create customizable applications while storing the data with a third party for safety.
Customizable
While pre-existing software applications are useful, sometimes they don’t meet all of your business needs. With PaaS, you can customize the software you need without worrying about maintenance costs. You can focus on developing the apps you need and run your business while the PaaS provider reduces the burden of keeping it running.
Scalability
As your business grows, your platform will need to grow, too. With a flexible system to meet your needs, you need only contact your provider with your new requirements to get underway. Your PaaS provider can alleviate your burden where you would generally need to add costly servers and updates yourself.
There’s no need to worry about additional costs or fees for investing in infrastructure when the provider can handle the details for you. Resources can easily be scaled to meet your digital marketing needs. All you need to do is focus on delivering quality service for your customers and let BRANDefenders handle the rest.
Saves Time And Money
Building your platform from the ground up takes a lot of time, money, and effort that could be better invested elsewhere. The team at BRANDefenders knows this and seeks to remove that struggle for your business. Using PaaS allows you to streamline services for your customers without compromising quality.
There’s no need to invest in installing servers, networks, or operating systems, nor do you need to worry about keeping them running. You won’t need to hire any additional staff as your provider will manage all of the details for you. The monthly subscription costs are easily budgeted and are only a fraction of the cost of doing all the work yourself.
Adaptable
One essential thing about PaaS is that it’s easily adaptable to various interfaces. With smart devices growing in number and capability, it’s important to cater to customers’ needs. That means making sure your content is accessible via desktop and mobile browsers. Since PaaS is offered over the internet, allowing developers and programmers to collaborate on the best designs for functionality.
Limitations
While PaaS offers great benefits, there are drawbacks as well.
For security purposes, any data stored with a third-party vendor can be at risk since it is not stored safely in-house. However, there are measures in place to protect your data that would otherwise cost you additional rates. Additionally, operational issues may reduce runtime when PaaS solutions are not optimized.
While customization is a big plus for developers and programmers, it should be noted that not all code is compatible. Some configurations may compromise the platform on the user’s end, making it inaccessible to certain pre-existing legacy systems devices.
Strategy
Understanding the differences between software and platform-based service models appeals to different digital marketing strategies.
SaaS Strategy
SaaS is perfect for starting businesses or short-term projects looking to hit the ground running. This streamlines the support process as the business relies on a third-party vendor for software maintenance and updates instead of paying for it themselves.
This allows small businesses and startups to focus more on customer care and less on the technicalities of operation. This way, they can build up the crucial customer connections required to keep running their business while being equipped with the tools they need.
PaaS Strategy
PaaS is designed for those ready to customize their software but don’t want to go through the time-consuming process of building a platform from scratch. The integration of cloud services allows developers to work collaboratively on projects as they go without sacrificing time. This reduces costs overall and lets the programmers create customized applications with pre-existing frameworks.
Any challenges while developing the apps can be streamlined since developers have a framework to start with, saving precious time coding new applications. The PaaS strategy is best used by companies ready to go to the next level and continue to further their customer loyalty through applications designed just for them.
Conclusion
Now that you know the differences between the service models, how can you decide which is best for your digital marketing campaign? There are many things to consider about what works best with your business plan. Do you want to start simply and see where it goes, or are you ready for a more complex system that lets you customize the experience for your customers?
Don’t wait to get your digital marketing operations up and running. You can always make adjustments later as your business needs change.
Get in touch with us at BRANDefenders to figure out whether SaaS or PaaS is right for your brand today!