SaaS Launch Checklist: Set Your SaaS Up for Success
So, you’ve got a great idea for a SaaS product and you’re ready to start building it out.
Congratulations! You’re about to embark on an exciting yet challenging journey. But before you start coding or designing any app, there’s one very important phase you need to go through first: the pre-launch phase.
This is where you’ll do all the necessary preparation work to make sure your SaaS business and product is set up for success.
Moreover, a successful SaaS product launch does not end in launching the product. You’ll also need to support and market your product, as well as manage customer relationships. The post-launch phase of your SaaS business is just as important as the launch itself.
To help you get started, we’ve created this comprehensive SaaS launch checklist. Follow these steps and you’ll be well on your way to creating a successful product that meets customer needs and drives revenue growth.
The Pre-Launch Phase
During the pre-launch phase, it’s critical that you set goals and KPIs (key performance indicators) to help measure the success of your company’s growth trajectory.
You also need to learn as much as you can about your target market so that you can create a brand story that resonates with them.
And finally, you need to start building out your launch plan so that you’re ready to hit the ground running when your product is ready for launch. Let’s take a closer look at each of these pre-launch essentials.
Set Goals and KPIs
As any business owner knows, setting goals is essential for ensuring the continued success of a company. Without specific targets to aim for, it can be difficult to gauge whether or not a business is on the right track.
However, simply setting goals is not enough – it’s also important to have a way to measure progress. This is where SaaS KPIs come in. They are specific metrics that can be used to track progress towards a goal.
By carefully selecting KPIs that are relevant to your business, you can get a clear picture of how well your company is performing.
In addition, setting KPIs can help to keep the team focused and motivated, as they can see the direct impact of their work on the SaaS company’s success.
Learn About Your Target Market
Taking the time to learn about your target market means understanding which clients you want to target and what their needs are. Only then can you create a sales strategy that is likely to be effective.
Gathering data about potential customers can be done in a number of ways, including online research, surveys, and focus groups.
Once you have a good understanding of your target market, you can begin to develop relationships with potential customers and create customized offerings that are likely to meet their needs.
Creating buyer personas is also a great way to understand the needs of your target market. Buyer personas are detailed representations of customer segments, based on factors such as demographics, interests and behaviors.
Creating a buyer persona begins with market research. You’ll need to gather data on who your current customers are, what needs they have, and what motivates them to make a purchase.
Once you have this information, you can start to build a profile of your ideal customer. Be sure to give your persona a name and a face, and make note of their demographics, interests, and needs.
Create a Brand Story
A strong brand is more than just a logo or a catchy tagline. It’s the result of consistent messaging and an emotional connection with customers. And one of the best ways to create that connection is through a brand story.
A brand story helps customers see your company in a new light, as something more than just a provider of goods or services. It humanizes your company and gives customers a reason to care about your products or services. When done well, a brand story can be an incredibly powerful sales tool. It can help you connect with customers on a deeper level and build brand affinity that lasts long after the initial purchase.
Build Out a Launch Plan
A launch plan outlines all the steps necessary to get from pre-launch to post-launch, including marketing strategies, customer acquisition techniques, and product pricing plans. This is an important step in ensuring that your product or service is launched on time and as planned.
Having a detailed launch plan can also help you anticipate potential problems that may arise along the way, allowing you to address them before they become too big of an issue.
And finally, having a comprehensive launch plan in place will ensure that all stakeholders are on the same page and working towards the same.
Here are some key elements to consider of a well-thought-out launch plan:
- A lead generation strategy. How will you get people to try your product? Consider providing free trials or heavily discounted introductory offers. You’ll also need to generate awareness of your product through PR, content marketing, and paid advertising.
- A go-to-market strategy. How will you reach your target market? What channels will you use? What kind of marketing campaigns will you run? Having a clear plan will help ensure a successful launch.
- A strong team. Launching a SaaS product takes a village. Assemble a team of talented individuals with complementary skill sets to support the launch.
Create a Landing Page
A landing page is a single page on your website that contains all the information potential customers need to know about your product. It should include factors like pricing, features, and how to sign up.
Your landing page should also contain a form that allows people to sign up for your email list so they can be notified when you launch. Creating a strong landing page is crucial during the pre-launch phase because it will be one of the first things potential customers see when they visit your website.
Drive Traffic to Your Landing page
Once you have created your landing page, it’s time to start driving traffic to it. There are a number of ways you can do this, including:
- Hosting a webinar or live event
- Creating social media ads
- Writing blog posts about your SaaS product
- Sending email blasts to potential customers
The goal is to get as many people as possible interested in your product before you even launch it.
Get Feedback From Potential Customers
Before you launch your SaaS product, it’s important to get feedback from potential customers. This will help you fine-tune your software so it’s exactly what they’re looking for. There are a few ways to get feedback, including surveys and interviews.
You can also offer potential customers access to a beta version of your SaaS product in exchange for their feedback. Getting feedback during the pre-launch phase is essential so you can make any necessary changes before launching your product to the public.
Set Up Payment Processing
Since you’re selling a SaaS product, you need to set up payment processing before you launch.
This way, when people sign up for your product, they can immediately start using it without any delay. Setting up payment processing can be done through a number of different services, such as PayPal or Stripe.
Whichever service you use, make sure it’s set up and ready to go before you launch your product.
Build Anticipation For Your Launch
As the date of your launch gets closer, start building anticipation among potential customers by sending them reminders that it’s coming up soon. You can do this by emailing them, posting about it on social media, or even host a countdown on your website leading up to the big day!
Building anticipation for your launch will help ensure that people are excited about your product and more likely to buy it when it launches!
The Launch Phase
The launch phase is the time when you set milestones and track progress while making adjustments as needed based on customer feedback from the pre-launch stage.
It’s essential to have a clear plan for this phase, as well as a team in place that can execute it flawlessly. The launch phase can make or break a new business, so it’s important to do everything possible to ensure success.
Onboard New Customers
Onboarding can be a time-consuming and resource-intensive process. Automating the onboarding process can help to improve efficiency and reduce costs. Here are some things you can do:
- Quick sign-ups, welcoming messages, and product tours can help new customers to get started quickly and easily.
- Walkthroughs and tutorials can provide more detailed information about how to use the product or service.
- Lifecycle emails can keep customers engaged and up-to-date on new features and updates.
By automating the onboarding process, businesses can improve the customer experience and increase conversion rates. In fact, over 60% of customers consider a company’s onboarding program when making purchasing decisions.
Make Your SaaS Product Customizable
Any good business relationship is built on trust. Clients need to trust that you have their best interests at heart, and that you’re not just trying to sell them something they don’t need. This is where customization or personalization comes in.
By taking the time to understand a client’s specific business pains points, you’re showing that you’re invested in finding a solution that will work for them.
This level of customization makes clients feel like you really understand their needs, and as a result, they’re much more likely to convert.
A study found that 87% of companies say that a well-implemented personalization boosts important growth metrics such as conversion rates and average order value.
Create a Customer Retention Strategy
Think about how you’ll retain customers once they’ve signed up.
What features will keep them coming back? How can you provide an outstanding customer experience?
If you can keep your customers happy and engaged, they’ll be more likely to continue using your SaaS product long-term.
Post Launch Phase
The post launch phase is often overlooked, but it’s actually very important. This is the time when you should assess how well your SaaS product performed and identify areas that need to be improved. You should also use this time to build on customer relationships, collect feedback, and adjust your strategy if needed.
Get Feedback From Your Customers
Ask for customer testimonials or reviews, solicit feedback through surveys or polls, and encourage customers to share their experiences with your product or service.
Keep Track of Your Progress
Tracking key metrics will give you insights into how well your business is doing and whether or not it’s meeting its goals.
Use analytics to track customer data, such as website visits, conversion rates, average order values, and customer retention rates. This will help you understand the impact of your marketing efforts and optimize campaigns for better performance.
Measurement tools such as dashboards, spreadsheets, and reports can help you keep track of all the numbers in one place. There are also automated tools that can make the tracking process easier such as Google Analytics and Mixpanel.
By understanding what’s working and what needs improvement, you can tweak your strategy for better results in the future.
Celebrate Your Success!
Successful businesses don’t get to where they are without hard work and dedication. If you’ve achieved a big milestone or reached a major goal, celebrate it! Host an event, send out thank-you cards, give out rewards—whatever works best for your business.
Celebrations will not only boost morale and show appreciation to your team, but it will also help to spread the word about your business and its successes. So don’t forget to take time to celebrate your wins—you’ve earned it!
Rinse and Repeat!
Successful SaaS businesses know that the process doesn’t end once you reach your goal. It’s important to continue improving and growing for the long-term, so don’t be afraid to change things up or take risks.
Keep track of all your wins and losses, analyze your performance data, experiment with new strategies—rinse and repeat.
Final Thoughts
Now that you know what goes into a successful SaaS launch, it’s time to get to work! The pre-launch phase is all about getting your ducks in a row and preparing for liftoff. In this stage, make sure you’ve covered all the basics, such as identifying your goals, setting up your KPIs and building an effective marketing plan.
In the launch phase, it’s go time—you need to make sure your website is up and running and start promoting your business. Make sure you’re targeting the right customers, using personalization techniques to increase engagement, and creating a customer retention strategy.
And finally, post-launch is when you collect feedback, analyze your data, and fine-tune your processes. You should also take time to celebrate your successes and remember to keep improving for the long-term.
Keep these three phases in mind as you plan and execute your own SaaS launch—and be sure to visit our blog for more tips on growing your SaaS business.
