Why having a SAAS website is the way forward
Jamie Arthur, Managing Director of leading website and marketing solutions business Property Webmasters explains the benefits of having a SAAS (software as a service) website.
Jamie says: “For years the traditional model for a company was to pay to have a website created with the cost of that site dependent upon functionality and the number of pages it contained. Almost as soon as the site was completed and went live it seemed that it was out of date as competitors who had a more recent offering, incorporated the latest functionality in their site which, as soon as that went live, was invariably overtaken by someone else who had invested in the next best thing.
Bespoke built websites and templated websites were easily distinguishable from each other but offered, often significant, variance in costs and some flexibility of approach. Now the world of websites has moved on to the betterment of both the client and the end user experience.
There is now no need to write off a capital cost and rebuild a website every few years in order to stay at the leading edge of innovation and the best technology.
Companies like Microsoft moved away from selling a set of disks for a software product that got superseded by the next technology release and ultimately obsolete when it was no longer supported or capable of the required functionality. Microsoft now provide all of their software on a SAAS subscription model that automatically keeps the user in pole position and using the latest version of
the product.
Similarly, many businesses no longer tie large sums of money up in car fleets but hold their vehicles on contracts where they are effectively renting the vehicle on a pay as you go basis.
Similarly, the same is now available for websites. Bespoke build or template build websites can both be available on a SAAS model with significant costs and user benefits.
Businesses do not stand still and technology certainly doesn’t. A SAAS model website can react proactively and quickly to digital trends. After all, what worked last year may not work this year.
Some examples of SAAS licensed website advantages that have, and are, being delivered now
include:
- Website speed Upgrades
- Third party integrations such as AI Chatbots, LiveChat and WhatsApp!
- Functionality improvements such as language integrations, multi-location search, area guide pages, instant valuation pages, CRM and web hooks, overseas property listings
- Conversion rate improvements such as audio integration
- ChatGPT API implementations
In a nutshell, I question why anyone would want to own and maintain, at a much larger cost, a depreciating asset like a website when, by having a SAAS platform, their web presence can grow and
develop, almost without them knowing it, and help keep them ahead of trends and technological advances.
Staying ahead of the competition is always a key metric but, particularly at a time of rising costs, many may look to put their website on the “back burner.” In reality, what is now available on a SAAS model could transform their business through significant, and ongoing, improvement but also prove extremely cost effective in terms of outlay.”
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