Challenges in the development of a SaaS product

System Integration

• Successfully integrating a third-party payment systems and other features can be quite challenging.
• Usually, the developers need to examine how to successfully fit the additional features into their platform so that it doesn't interfere with its other functions.
• Some developers opt to install the most basic optional features and focus solely on the platform's native capabilities to save time and money but that can work against them in the long run.
• Support systems like customer support, billing, and on-boarding are crucial for customer satisfaction.
• Unfortunately, a lot of SaaS platforms fail to properly integrate those solutions into their platform, which leads to higher rates of customer turnover.

Quality testing

• Every successful platform has one thing in common: a bug-free solution that provides unique capabilities to its customers.
• To achieve something like that, however, the development team has to go through multiple quality tests to find and fix all the bugs that prevent the proper functionality of the platform.
• However, identifying every single bug, especially in a more complex SaaS platform, is incredibly challenging for project teams.
• The most challenging part is that if a bug cannot be reproduced it is very hard to fix it, which can lead to developers wasting time and money trying to find a solution.
• A single major bug or issue with the platform can cost the company a lot of money, so it is always beneficial for the team to be rigorous in their approach to fixing the bugs before the launch of the product.

User accessibility

• Designing a complex system can come with a lot of different drawbacks and challenges, one of which is user accessibility. 
• There has been several instances where experts have noted that some features were not fully accessible to the user upon the deployment of an SaaS platform.
• A big part in that plays the fact that software developers often forgo quality assurance processes to save time and meet deadlines.
• The improper set-up of the different parts in an application can also cause problems with user accessibility.
• One way to deal with that challenge is to set-up a downtime deployment strategy, which ensures that the service is fully responsive during the deployment and continued operations.

Best Practices

Scalability

• Scalability is one of the most important features for a SaaS application.
• The application needs to cater to customers from different geographical regions and scale vertically and horizontally for the best possible outcome.
• Scalability is important because it directly impacts the company's growth.
• Setting up for a more scalable option earlier on can also save the company a lot of time, energy, and even money in the long run.

Customization/Personalization

• Customer feedback can be extremely beneficial in the development of a SaaS platform.
• Incorporating the customer's wishes can lead to better retention and churn rates.
• To be able to achieve that, offering customizable options is the way to go.
• For instance, a recent Twitter poll found that more than half of their user base think that a dark-colored interface is more appealing.
• Another poll by Vinneage found that over 35% of people preferred "text dominant and horizontal style logos for tech companies."
• While those are just examples of customer preferences, it is important to ensure that the interface, styling, colors, and pallets of the SaaS platform reflect the brand's image and goals.