The SaaS product launch playbook: from pre-launch to post-launch

Launching a SaaS product is no small feat. It's a journey filled with potential pitfalls and opportunities for triumph. In this comprehensive guide, we'll walk you through the entire SaaS product launch process, from pre-launch planning to post-launch evaluation. Get ready to discover how to define your target market, generate buzz, and most importantly – how to launch a software product.

SaaS product pre-launch checklist

Experts often emphasize the importance of frequent SaaS product launches. The iterative process allows you to learn from each launch, applying valuable insights and user feedback to your subsequent attempts. But what if you're a first-timer?

Here are four essential tasks to set you on the right path:

Conduct market research to understand your competitors and how your product fits into the market

Before diving in, it's crucial to understand what you aim to achieve with your market research. Here are some key focus areas:

• Target market identification: Understand who your ideal customers are, their needs, and pain points.
• Competitive analysis: Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of existing solutions.
• Market dynamics: Assess the market size and growth rate for your product.
• Product positioning: Determine how your product will stand out from the competition.

To collect the data required for further decision-making processes, you can utilize surveys, interviews, feedback, competitor analysis, online research, and your own observation.

Next, said data needs to be examined. You should look for trends and patterns, maybe a certain group of users was missing a feature? Or maybe they found problems with the UX of your product? The conclusions of your research should be used to improve your product.

Define your Unique Selling Proposition (USP) which distinguishes your product from others on the market

Your USP is what your target audience will know you for. It should be a benefit that no one else offers and that is clear and easy to understand. Also, the product itself has to deliver on a promise – it has to do, what the USP says it does. And while it might be tempting to oversell it, it’s best to show evidence that your product really IS different.

Every marketing material, landing page, and social media post should communicate the same benefits of your product and point out the same USP. Failing to do that can confuse your target audience about what your product does and make them less likely to use it. Also, consistent marketing communication is more effective in general.

To see if your target audience understands and appreciates your USP, you need to test it. You can do that with A/B testing, customer surveys, and focus groups. It is also important to make your USP measurable, so that you can track the effectiveness of your marketing campaigns and make necessary adjustments.

Identify your target audience and define user personas

Detailed profiles of your ideal or preferred customers are called user personas. To create one, you should think about the problems that your product solves and then define the kind of people who usually experience these problems. This is how you find who your target audience is.

To find them in real life, you need to research. You can either conduct surveys, interviews, or analyze social media data. With that information, you should be able to create a profile of your potential (or ideal) customer.

Even though your personas will be based on real-life data, don’t be afraid to make some tweaks and tests. To reach your target audience, create content that targets their pain points and use social media to connect with them. You can also run paid advertising campaigns to reach a large number of people who are likely to be interested in your product.

Prepare your product and development teams for the launch

The secret ingredient in your SaaS product launch is people. Your product development and support teams are the ones who will be a “make or break” of the first weeks after the release. Train them, so they are able to respond to problems and answer questions from your user.

The same goes for your product. In the last weeks before the launch, you should focus on testing it extensively in search of bugs and other issues. Alternatively, if you use an outsourcing partner, this could be done as a part of their SaaS development services.

SaaS product launch checklist

The scariest and most exciting part – launching your SaaS product. At that point, it is essential to provide excellent customer service. This will help you build strong relationships with your customers and encourage them to continue doing business with you.

Apart from that, there are 2 more tasks that you should take care of:

Implement a solid go-to-market (GTM) strategy

A well-crafted go-to-market strategy should include:

• Online platforms for digital products like Product Hunt can give you initial visibility and feedback from potential customers.
• Content marketing can help you generate organic leads on a scale.
• Paid advertising gives you access to a wider audience for brand exposure.
• Product demos serve as a valuable tool for customer engagement and conversion

Set your Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to track the effectiveness of your marketing strategy

To track the progress of your marketing efforts, you need to set a goal and measure it. In SaaS world, the most common metrics used for that purpose are:

Net Promoter Score (NPS)

• Definition: NPS measures customer loyalty by asking customers how likely they are to recommend your product or service to others on a scale of 0-10.
• Formula: % of Promoters (score 9-10) – % of Detractors (score 0-6)
• Importance: A high NPS indicates strong customer satisfaction and loyalty, which often leads to higher customer retention and referrals.

Monthly Recurring Revenue (MRR)

• Definition: MRR is the total amount of subscription revenue generated in a month.
• Formula: Sum of all monthly subscription fees from active customers.
• Importance: MRR is a key metric for understanding the financial health of subscription-based businesses, helping to predict future revenue and growth.

Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC)

• Definition: CAC is the average cost to acquire a new customer, including all marketing and sales expenses.
• Formula: Total Marketing and Sales Costs / Number of New Customers Acquired
• Importance: A lower CAC indicates more efficient marketing and sales processes, while a high CAC relative to Lifetime Value (LTV) can be a warning sign.

Lifetime Value (LTV)

• Definition: LTV is the total revenue a company expects to earn from a customer throughout their entire lifecycle.
• Formula: (Average Revenue per User (ARPU) / Churn Rate) or (Customer Value x Customer Lifespan)
• Importance: A higher LTV compared to CAC indicates a more profitable customer relationship. It helps in making informed decisions about customer retention and acquisition spending.

Churn rate

• Definition: Churn rate is the percentage of customers who cancel or do not renew their subscription within a given time period.
• Formula: (Number of Customers Lost During Period / Number of Customers at Start of Period) x 100
• Importance: A lower churn rate indicates higher customer retention, which is often correlated with customer satisfaction and product value.

These are just some of the metrics that you might consider. There are other critical SaaS metrics:

PQL-customer rate

• Definition: This metric measures the percentage of product qualified leads (PQLs) that convert into paying customers.
• Formula: (Number of PQLs that become customers / Total number of PQLs) x 100
• Importance: A high PQL-customer rate indicates that your product is effectively meeting the needs of users who have engaged with it to a significant extent, thus leading to conversions.

Sign-up-to-PQL rate

• Definition: This metric shows the percentage of users who sign up and then become Product Qualified Leads (PQLs).
• Formula: (Number of sign-ups that become PQLs / Total number of sign-ups) x 100
• Importance: A high rate suggests that your onboarding process and initial user experience are effective in moving users to a more engaged state.

Visitor-to-sign-up rate

• Definition: This metric measures the percentage of website visitors who complete the sign-up process.
• Formula: (Number of sign-ups / Total number of website visitors) x 100
• Importance: A high Visitor-to-Sign-up rate indicates effective website design and copy, as well as a compelling value proposition that encourages visitors to engage further.

Sign-up-to-customer rate

• Definition: This metric calculates the percentage of users who sign up for your product and eventually become paying customers.
• Formula: (Number of sign-ups that become customers / Total number of sign-ups) x 100
• Importance: A high rate here indicates that your product and marketing strategies are effective in converting initial interest into revenue.

Activation rate

• Definition: This metric measures the percentage of new users who take a specific action within your product that indicates they are receiving value from it. The specific action can vary depending on the product (e.g., completing a profile, making a first purchase).
• Formula: (Number of users who take the 'activation' action / Total number of new users) x 100
• Importance: A high activation rate is a strong indicator that new users find immediate value in your product, which is crucial for long-term retention and revenue generation.

SaaS product post-launch checklist

Just as important as it is to know how to launch your SaaS product successfully, it is crucial to figure out what to do about it after. The best way is to look at your product’s performance and find areas that you can improve.

Evaluate the launch performance

This is where all your metrics and KPIs will come in handy. Your post-launch analysis should focus on 4 key areas:

• User acquisition: How many users were gained and through which channels?
• User engagement: Are customers actively using your product?
• User satisfaction: Measure this through NPS or customer reviews.
• User retention: How many users continued using the product after the trial period?

Identify the leaks in the user's journey and fix them

For this step, you need to look at your metrics once more. This time, you'll be trying to figure out how people came about from hearing about your product to becoming its users. In other words, you’ll be analyzing your user’s journey. Sadly, there is no blueprint for that. Just like with any other analysis, you need to decide which metrics are relevant for your business the most and look at the data in search for patterns.

Your analysis should lead you toward different points where your SaaS product is losing users. It could be anything: from your sales landing page, and download screen on the app store, to the main menu of your product. Fixing these “leaks” could mean making changes in the UX, the marketing materials, or the product itself.

Evaluate how your prospects are reacting to your demo

At this point, demos that you released during your SaaS product launch can show you how customers engage with your brand. This will help you find weak points in your marketing strategy and optimize them for better results. On top of the metrics mentioned above, you can track:

​​Conversion rate across the customer journey

• Definition: This metric measures the percentage of users who complete a specific action at various stages of the customer journey.
• Formula: (Number of Users Who Complete Action / Total Number of Users at that Stage) x 100
• Importance: Understanding conversion rates at different touchpoints helps identify bottlenecks and opportunities for optimization.

Feature engagement

• Definition: This KPI measures how often users interact with specific features within your product.
• Formula: Varies depending on the feature; could be the number of clicks, time spent, etc.
• Importance: High feature engagement often indicates that the feature is providing value, while low engagement may signal a need for improvement or reevaluation.

Product adoption rate

• Definition: This metric indicates the percentage of users who have adopted the product, often defined by a specific set of actions or feature usage.
• Formula: (Number of Users Who Meet Adoption Criteria / Total Number of Users) x 100
• Importance: A high adoption rate suggests that the product is meeting user needs and providing value.

Active users

• Definition: This KPI measures the number of users who have engaged with the product within a specific time frame, such as Daily Active Users (DAU) or Monthly Active Users (MAU).
• Formula: Count of unique users who engage with the product during the time frame.
• Importance: Active users are a key indicator of product engagement and potential revenue.

Average session duration

• Definition: This metric measures the average length of time a user spends in a single session within your product.
• Formula: Total Duration of All Sessions / Total Number of Sessions
• Importance: Longer session durations often indicate higher engagement and a more compelling user experience.

Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT)

• Definition: CSAT measures customer satisfaction by asking users to rate their experience on a scale, usually from 1 to 5 or 1 to 7.
• Formula: (Number of Satisfied Responses / Total Number of Responses) x 100
• Importance: A high CSAT score indicates customer satisfaction, which can lead to higher retention and referral rates.

Customer Effort Score (CES)

• Definition: CES measures the ease with which customers can achieve their goals using your product, usually on a scale from “Very Difficult” to “Very Easy.”
• Formula: (Number of Easy Responses / Total Number of Responses) x 100
• Importance: A high CES indicates that customers can easily achieve their goals, which often leads to higher satisfaction and loyalty.

5 examples of successful SaaS product launches

Below, we have gathered 5 examples of well-known tech companies. We encourage you to study them closely to see if there are any strategies that you could implement in your business. Combine that knowledge with our guide to SaaS development to better understand how to launch your SaaS products successfully.

HubSpot

Pre-launch: Conducted extensive market research to identify a gap in inbound marketing tools. Developed a strong content marketing strategy to build brand authority.

Launch: Released a comprehensive suite of marketing automation tools. Utilized webinars, influencer partnerships, and PR to generate buzz.

Post-launch: Continuously updated the product based on user feedback and expanded into new markets. Maintained a strong focus on customer education through blogs and free courses.

Shopify

Pre-launch: Identified the need for a user-friendly e-commerce platform. Engaged with potential users through forums and social media to validate the concept.

Launch: Rolled out a highly intuitive platform with a focus on user experience. Leveraged influencer testimonials and offered free trials.

Post-launch: Introduced new features based on customer feedback and expanded to multiple countries. Developed a robust app ecosystem to enhance platform capabilities.

Slack

Pre-launch: Built a strong community through beta testing and gathered valuable user feedback for product refinement.

Launch: Utilized a unique invite-only model to create exclusivity. Focused on seamless onboarding and real-time customer support.

Post-launch: Continued to build community engagement through forums and social media. Introduced new features and integrations to keep the product relevant.

Zoom

Pre-launch: Identified gaps in existing video conferencing solutions, focusing on ease of use and reliability.

Launch: Offered a freemium model to attract a broad user base. Utilized PR and influencer partnerships for initial visibility.

Post-launch: Adapted quickly to the increased demand due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Introduced new features like breakout rooms and enhanced security measures.

Stripe

Pre-launch: Conducted market research to understand the complexities of online payment processing. Engaged with developers to create a developer-friendly API.

Launch: Secured initial funding from high-profile investors, including Elon Musk. Launched with a clear value proposition focused on ease of integration.

Post-launch: Expanded to over 40 countries and diversified the product offering. Maintained a strong focus on developer community engagement and support.

These are just a few examples of successful SaaS launches. As you can see, the key to success in this market is to provide a high-quality product or service, have a strong marketing and sales team, and provide excellent customer support. In many cases, having a reasonable pricing strategy also helps.

Why RST Software is a trusted SaaS software development partner

Building a SaaS product can be a profitable business. It can also be incredibly complex. You need to consider the user’s needs and problems, different marketing strategies, and the technology that your product will be built in.

To succeed, you require a solid plan. One that takes into consideration current trends in the market and the USP that your product offers. At RST Software, we do that on a daily basis. Book a product workshop and let’s plan your product launch the right way.