Many developers have dreams of creating their own profitable Software as a Service. Mainly because it provides you with the freedom to work on the things you are super passionate about. It's also a good feeling to make money working on your own stuff.
Each step you take toward building your SaaS will eventually lead to a successful product as long as you keep pushing forward. Eventually, you'll be making money to continue improving your product and dominating your niche 😉.
In this post, I want to highlight five actionable steps you can take towards building a SaaS application today!
Let's dive into it. 😉
1. Craft Your Idea 💡
Coming up with an Idea for your SaaS is pretty fun 😃. Here are a few ways you can find an idea if you do not have one.
One of the best ways to find an idea is by solving your own problem. Is there a repetitive task that you constantly find yourself doing? Many other people may be doing the same repetitive task, so if you can find a way to automate this and save people time, you may be very close to striking gold.
Next, if there is a service with many customers yet you feel like many of their services are too complex, try creating a simplified version of that service, and you will start creating some buzz 🐝.
Need help with inspiration? Visit a few of these resources below for inspiration on finding an idea for your SAAS.
2. Design a simple logo 🧑🎨
Logo design is pretty simple, and the logo you come up with in the early stages may change down the road. Don't spend too much time on this step ⏳.
Here's a good thing to keep in mind when designing your logo. SIMPLICITY. That's right! Keeping it simple and clean will help your brand looking memorable and professional.
Sometimes all you need is a simple bold letter. Facebook has the bold letter f. ProductHunt has a simple letter p inside a circle. Simplicity is key 🔑.
You may also find it helpful to check out TheNounProject. Slap a simple icon next to your SaaS name, and BOOM 💥 , you have yourself a simple and professional logo.
3. Find your domain 🔡
Finding the right domain may seem difficult, but it's not. If you are having trouble finding a domain, here are some tricks that you may want to follow.
- Try using some new TLD's such as
.co,.so,.io,.dev,.app, and many others. - Add a filler word to the beginning or end. Try adding words like
get,use,helloto the beginning of your domain. Try adding words likenow,hq,appto the end of your domain. - Try to make it simple and memorable.
Find something you are happy with and commit to it. If your app starts making millions, you can buy a better domain later. This happened with Basecamp; their name used to be basecamphq.com, and after they purchased basecamp.com. Clicky.com used to be GetClicky.com, and there are so many others that have done the same.
4. Build your SaaS with Wave ⚒️
When you are ready to start building your SaaS application and are familiar with Laravel, you may want to reach for a SaaS starter kit such as Wave.
Wave has all the main building blocks you will need for your SaaS, including Authentication, Billing, Plans, User Profiles, and so much more. Be sure to check out the official videos page to learn more about how to use Wave.
Wave is 100% open source and free to use. If you would like to support the project and gain access to a few premium tools, you may want to consider upgrading to a Pro Account 😉.
5. Design your SaaS with Tails 🎨
Designing your SaaS is easier than ever before with all the cool design tools available.
If you are using Wave to build your SaaS application, then you'll be able to design with ease using TailwindCSS. There is also a premium tool you can gain access to with a Pro account, called Tails.
Tails is a Drag and Drop page builder that can help you craft the landing page of your dreams. I've created a quick video about how you can make/design your own SaaS using Tails in under 10 minutes. Check out the video below 🍿:
Conclusion
Building your own SaaS is a Journey on its own. There can be times when it seems challenging, and you feel like you're not making much traction, but I guarantee that if you stay persistent, you will always end up on top.
You will never go down if you never give up.
Learning is all part of the process of growing a successful SaaS. Here at the DevDojo, we are building tools to help you as you embark on your Journey of SaaS creation. You can get started by using our awesome SaaS starter kit Wave, and you can design your SaaS by using Tails.
You have the potential to create amazing things. So, be sure to keep building, keep creating, and enjoy the Journey. ⛰️