Top SaaS Trend You Can't Miss

Did you know that the SaaS market is projected to soar to a staggering $195 billion by the end of 2023, according to Statista? With such exponential growth on the horizon, it's time to talk about trends that will keep transforming and empowering SaaS platforms.

The 2023 SaaS Industry Market Report foretells the rise of groundbreaking technologies that will leave a lasting impact on the SaaS environment. 

From artificial intelligence to micro SaaS and superapps, these trends hold the keys to unlocking business success. And today I will tell you all about them. 

I selected 10 most prominent SaaS trends that businesses should embrace in 2023. Let’s see what they are right away! 

1 – Artificial Intelligence

In the ever-evolving world of SaaS, there's one trend that stands out like a shining star: the remarkable rise of AI. As we step into 2023, AI is poised to revolutionize the SaaS landscape, unlocking a realm of possibilities and transforming the way businesses operate.

From automating repetitive tasks to uncovering hidden patterns in data, AI empowers SaaS platforms to deliver enhanced user experiences, drive data-driven decision-making, and ultimately, fuel growth.

SaaS products can leverage AI in a variety of ways. Here are just a few examples to inspire your digital transformation. 

Personalization

Users' expectations for a more personalized experience in every app they use is one of the reasons why AI has become one of the fastest-growing SaaS opportunities. 

AI enables software to comprehend consumer better wants and automatically adjust the product to meet those needs. For instance, when implemented in business software, AI may examine employee app usage habits and modify the home or menu screens to prioritize the most frequently used functions.

Automation

SaaS providers employ AI to automate labor-intensive tasks, reduce the possibility of human error, and streamline manual procedures. Automation saves resources and money. 

Intelligent data capture, robotic process automation, and customer communication management are all possible uses for AI automation. By extracting printed and handwritten text from any document using AI, services like Amazon Textract cut the time needed to complete paperwork. 

Predictive Analytics

Massive amounts of data are analyzed using sophisticated algorithms in predictive analytics to predict outcomes, trends, user behavior, etc. 

Predictive analytics offered by SaaS systems can provide information that will help your company, such as statistics summary, reasons and patterns for past events, future events predictions, budget planning, and risk identification and management. Tableau and Adobe Analytics are examples of SaaS for predictive analytics.

Security

The vulnerability of cloud-based data requires extraordinary security measures. However, you can utilize sophisticated security algorithms thanks to AI. 

Security systems powered by AI can detect and stop new threats automatically. Also, these systems don't require the expertise of cybersecurity specialists and can operate without user input. Seedata.io is an example of a SaaS startup leveraging AI for security.

2 – Blockchain in SaaS

Blockchain is a fast evolving SaaS trend. Its concepts of cryptography and decentralization guarantee the security of transactions. Therefore, blockchain solutions help to secure transactions and users' private information inside SaaS software—consequently, blockchain in SaaS results in increased client loyalty.

Smart contracts, powered by blockchain, are another breakthrough within SaaS. These self-executing contracts enable parties to establish and enforce agreements without intermediaries. By automating contract fulfillment and eliminating the need for manual verification, smart contracts enhance efficiency and reduce costs. 

Smart contracts, online payments, auditing, and tax collection are just a few of the procedures that can be secured thanks to this technology. OriginStamp and MythX are examples of SaaS-based blockchain startups. 

3 – Hybrid Cloud Adoption

Get ready for a seismic shift in the SaaS world as hybrid cloud-based services take center stage! By combining the best of private and public clouds, these services revolutionize platform and application interactions. 

With a staggering 82% of organizations adopting hybrid cloud, according to Cisco, the potential is undeniable. However, for most companies security remains a top concern. SaaS customers use cloud security techniques to protect the data, namely: encryption, multi-factor identifications, etc. And SaaS providers should work with reliable data centers.  

4 – Integrations and APIs

SaaS vendors start offering more integration capabilities, which attracts companies who seek hybrid systems that combine an on-premises and cloud back-end. 

SaaS integrations are beneficial because they enable the partial automation of operations, significantly reducing human error. An example of SaaS integration is Zapier, a product combining various systems, including email clients and CRMs.

You probably know that building new IT ecosystems is quite expensive. So it is obvious that more APIs will be used for SaaS applications. They can be united in existing IT structures. 

In 2023, we will see a growing number of SaaS vendors tending to provide more excellent integration capabilities instead of redirecting their customers to third parties. The experience of big companies like Uber, PayPal, Airbnb, and Stripe confirms it. 

5 – Micro SaaS

In 2023 we might observe a significant increase in micro SaaS products due to the lower risk and relatively low operating costs of such businesses, particularly those attempting to service more specialized customer groups and niches. There are certain areas that are expected to thrive: 

• personnel management and tracking;
• billing and invoicing;
• web-based applications for email management;
• efficient content creation tools that allow different departments to work together.

6 – Mobile-First Approach

This trend has the most logical explanations for its existence. Statista suggests that by 2025 the number of mobile users worldwide will reach 7.49 billion. So SaaS models and solutions will provide diversified functionality for mobile devices. 

Organizations that prioritize mobile-centric strategies will undoubtedly gain a competitive edge, tapping into the ever-expanding market of mobile users worldwide. A mobile-first design enhances user engagement and satisfaction, ensuring optimal performance and intuitive interfaces tailored specifically for smaller screens.

There are all possibilities to create an efficient mobile product nowadays. My team already works in this area and combines mobile development with holistic business analysis and research.

7 – Data-As-A-Service (DaaS)

In-house data collection and storage have lost their effectiveness and security, establishing Data-as-a-Service (DaaS) as one of the top SaaS trends for 2023. Using DaaS helps businesses save the time needed to make crucial strategic and operational decisions while also improving the accuracy and dependability of their data. 

Also, because setting up cloud-based software is far simpler than on-premise software, DaaS dramatically reduces the time and cost of setting up data tools and processes across the organization. 

8 – New Tools To Fight Churn

SaaS platform providers are working on various strategies to give maximum value to platform users, to enhance retention rates, and decrease churn as the SaaS market proliferates. As a result, many current platforms and upcoming innovations will be equipped with fully customizable features and tools that give users access to a wealth of information.

9 – More Tools for Cross-Platform Organizations

Companies of all sizes face the problem of dispersed company data in various locations. It makes it harder to access valuable information within an organization, and presents a barrier to growth. SaaS platforms can help address this issue in a very effective way.

Document Management Systems

Document management systems allow employees to access documents distributed across numerous cloud platforms and communication tools. Open-source SaaS solutions of this type provide a variety of connectors intended to automate and speed the processing of documents from various apps. Nira (formerly FYI) is an example of this type. 

Digital Asset Management Solutions 

According to projections, the global market for digital asset management will increase at a CAGR of 16.5% to $8.5 billion in 2025. With the help of digital asset management solutions, any team member can independently locate the files they require in the formats and sizes they require. They connect employees with the tools they often use, keeping the company’s data assets current. Some examples include Lingo, Third Light, and Canto. 

Integration Platform as a Service (iPaaS)

The estimated value of the global iPaaS market is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of 40.4% to reach $10.3 billion by 2025. 

The goal of an iPaaS is not to assist employees with locating documents and files but to use APIs to connect an organization's data pipes. They provide back-end capabilities for enterprises. MuleSoft and Boomi are two famous examples of iPaaS. 

Login Management Software

The typical worker can handle dozens of different passwords. Software for single sign-on (SSO) and password managers aid in resolving that issue. In the past five years, searches for "single sign-on" have grown by 127%. 

SSO software allows users to log in with sessions rather than passwords. Password managers maintain numerous logins protected by a single master password. LastPass and OneLogin are popular password managers actively used by businesses.

10 – SaaS Superapps

SaaS superapps are anticipated to become a significant trend in 2023. A superapp offers end users a set of fundamental functionality combined with access to independently generated mini-apps. It is a platform for delivering individualized and consistent app experiences that is anticipated to give its providers a significant competitive advantage.

A superapp is a composable application and architecture that enables several unconnected integrations to be created into one app. A superapp is more than just an application that offers multiple features and services in one interface. It allows businesses to create "one API for all" by combining many APIs into one. 

This SaaS trend will rise in 2023, particularly in the B2B market. Alloy Automation is an example of superapp with over 200 app integrations.

SaaS platforms built by my team  

Many businesses consider SaaS platforms with a customer-centric approach to be game changers. They actively invest in custom SaaS development and my team helps to perform it. We collaborated with dozens of clients who wanted to build custom SaaS platforms and gained extensive experience. 

By focusing on user experience, accessibility, and advanced technologies, we build SaaS platforms tailored to specific business needs. Here are a couple of examples showcasing our best SaaS platforms. 

SaaS Platform for the HR/Recruitment Teams in SMEs

Our client came to us with the request to build a SaaS platform that could help to manage career websites and candidate pipelines. He wanted to develop a lasting system that people could use and enjoy. 

Our task was to design a SaaS with two unique user flows for recruiters and job seekers and developing a new brand identity.

My team (namely: an art director, a UI/UX designer, two front-end engineers, two back-end engineers, a solutions architect, a DevOps engineer, a QA engineer, a project manager, and a business analyst) invested two months in research and design. Four months — in development and quality control. 

We developed the entire app's architecture in response to user demands and pains. To develop valuable solutions and user flow, we collaborated extensively with stakeholders. 

We also created a new brand identity to provide the platform and brand with a visual framework. Our designers opted for a straightforward graphic style with practical color coding for recruiters everyday use following the latest UX/UI design trends. Ultimately, we created a marketing website with various graphics and marketing materials.

As a result, our clients achieved the following outcomes:

• The talent pool grew by 200 percent.
• The number of offers accepted has doubled, facilitating a 1.5x reduction in cost per application.

SaaS Platform for Digital Advertising

Our clients had substantial expertise in digital advertising and an idea for a tool that would fundamentally change the sector. However, they lacked accessible aggregating services to streamline the procedure. 

Advertisers were required to sign a contract with each site separately. Managers had to enter the information manually and used random third-party services and task trackers. In addition, the cost of advertising purchases needed to be more transparent.

So my team needed to develop a system that would link advertising platforms in a single location to monitor money withdrawals, and facilitate document movement. 

Two UI/UX designers, a project manager, a business analyst, two front-end developers, two back-end developers, a software architect, a QA specialist, and an art director worked on the project for nearly a year.

Our main objective was to compile all the resources needed for the efficient campaign launch, analysis, and optimization in one location. Our product's marketplace, which gathers platforms, services, and offers, is one of its main components. By the use of APIs that we created, we connected our solution to more than 100 advertising websites and services.

We also made the advertising paperwork simpler by offering a set of document templates. Finally, we created a complex admin panel for admins and account managers.

As a result of joint efforts of my team, our client has a steady increase in the amount of users, merchants, and money used for advertising.

• 685 platform users;
• 3,000 completed tasks per month. 

Final thoughts 

The SaaS industry is poised for remarkable growth and innovation. As businesses of all sizes recognize the value of SaaS, it continues to evolve and redefine the software landscape. The advent of game-changing technologies ensures that the SaaS environment will remain dynamic and full of opportunities.

To thrive in this competitive landscape, it's crucial to stay ahead of the curve. So, seize the moment and embrace the endless possibilities offered by the SaaS industry. 

And in case you are looking for a potential development partner, just drop me a DM. My team, Artkai, has extensive expertise in SaaS development. So we can help you design, create, and enhance your SaaS product to align with the latest industry trends and your current business goals. 

Share your thoughts below and let's start the conversation on the immense potential of SaaS development and its role in business success!