Top 7 Benefits Of A SaaS-Developed Website

80% of companies today use at least one SaaS application. And it’s no wonder given the benefits, especially for small businesses.

BDX has been in the SaaS business since day one, developing & designing over 400 websites and interactive tools for builders. Why SaaS? It is the most flexible solution that has allowed us to adapt, change and innovate for our builder clients at a reduced cost with greater efficiencies.

Yet, despite its mass adoption, some people are not aware of the benefits of using SaaS software, so we thought we’d discuss the top seven as it relates to a builder’s website.

First, a definition – so what exactly is SaaS?

SaaS stands for software as a service. Before SaaS, companies had to install and maintain software on-premise. This required an investment in both hardware and people. However, with SaaS, you access the same software via the Internet freeing yourself from complex software and hardware management and the associated costs that accompany each.  

And just to clarify – SaaS is not the same as web hosting. BDX websites include hosting which is simply the way your website is published to the internet. SaaS is different and so much more!

And now the benefits.

1. Zero IT or infrastructure needs

As mentioned above, one of the most significant benefits of having a SaaS-developed website is that it requires zero IT investments on your side, including hardware and the people to manage it. This translates to an average reduction in IT infrastructure and maintenance costs of 15%.

One of the biggest headaches with a website is the constant upgrades and release updates. With a SaaS-developed website, you spend zero time monitoring for these updates. Instead, they are automatically pushed to your website. It’s our responsibility, not yours, to make sure your site is up-to-date from a security standpoint 100% of the time.

2. Lower, predictable cost

The business model for SaaS applications is simple - pay as you go. Builders are charged a monthly subscription fee, so you know exactly what to budget, and there are no surprises or hidden costs when upgrades need to happen. And as stated above, you also eliminate any IT costs associated with on-premise software.

3. Secure and safe

SaaS applications maintain enterprise-level security and are just as secure as on-premise applications. BDX has a 99% up-time rate and manages all of our SaaS platforms for security breaches, browser updates, and more to ensure every site is always secure.

For example, when SSL certification became a website and SEO best practice for communicating with customers, BDX implemented SSL across all of our builder-client websites to protect and secure them.

4. Unequaled Support

The BDX team has your back, delivering unequaled reliability and response time. You have direct access to a support team and platform community that can help you troubleshoot any issue. And we monitor WebPremium sites 24/7. In fact, we often know before a client when their site is down.

This past Christmas morning, our team received an alert that a builder client’s site was down because they forgot to pay the GoDaddy domain fee. Our team notified the client and got their site back up and running the same day.

5. Integrations

SaaS with BDX means seamless integration with your community and plan data, interactive elements such as ISPs, IFPs, Virtual Tours, and VR. This is done via a simple API, and once connected, the two can share data freely between each other. This not only saves cumbersome manual data pulls but also improves the customer experience on your website.

6. Content updates

While BDX does the heavy lifting developing the website, our builder clients enjoy the flexibility of efficiently managing their own CMS (content management system) and making content updates. The best part is that it requires zero coding knowledge. Instead, our user-friendly interface makes it easy for anyone to go in and make content updates. And behind the scenes, we are monitoring your website, ensuring that it is secure and up-to-date.

7. Features and upgrades

The best part of SaaS is all of the added features and upgrades that come your way! When you buy into a SaaS platform with BDX, you don’t have to re-invent the wheel. Features are constantly being added and tested on your behalf like our new floor plan search that dynamically displays additional communities that can accommodate the selected floor plan.

Social a crucial part of your marketing plan? BDX has a direct Instagram integration to add your social media feed to the website. We can also add your TrustBuilder reviews through an API. These are just a few of the recent enhancements that our clients are enjoying as part of our SaaS-based website solutions.

So there you have it! It’s no wonder, so many builders are relying on BDX and relying on SaaS to develop their website. Want to learn more about BDX websites and interactive tools? Email us.

About the Author

Alaina Latiolais is currently the Marketing Manager and HBA Partnership Program Manager for Builder’s Digital Experience. She previously worked as a Digital Marketing Consultant for BDX working with builders of all sizes in the Austin, San Antonio and Corpus Christi markets. Finding her love for B2B marketing, she now helps educate home builders about marketing and technology and understanding the digital consumer. Alaina has over a decade of experience working with small, medium and large businesses on their marketing strategies, always with a strong focus on the latest technology and results. She has a practical approach that saddles between warm and daring, always challenging businesses to take the next step to adopt new technology and ideas.

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