We live in a world clouded with hundreds of thousands of apps. In this case, I’m not talking about Instagram or Venmo – but rather B2B cloud software applications.
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As someone who works in software, I am frequently juggling anywhere from two to 10 different cloud software applications on an average day. From Box to Salesforce to Reflektive’s own internal feedback tool, I find myself logging in and out of different portals every few hours to find what I need.
Just yesterday, I took a quick mental inventory of all SaaS applications my team at Reflektive uses and it easily surpassed 10 applications. While many of these cloud computing services offer integrations with each other, there are a staggering amount that lack them.
Reflektive, for example, integrates with both my Slack and my Gmail (among other integrations) – making my feedback experience with both of those applications seamless and streamlined. But for the applications that do not offer integrations, I find myself forgetting where to find them, or worse – forgetting about them all together.
Can’t Find it, Won’t Use it
Adoption rate is a huge success metric when determining the quality of a SaaS application and low adoption rates are directly tied to the usability and functionality of a tool.
In 2019, the SaaS technology industry is projected to bring in $201 billion in annual revenue.
[bctt tweet=”In 2019, the SaaS technology industry is projected to bring in $201 billion in annual revenue.” username=”@reflektive”]
If users have to visit a separate portal, log in, and spend minutes searching for information – they are not likely to adopt and engage with the application.
Just as my team at Reflektive utilizing somewhere around 10 to 20 SaaS applications on a daily/weekly basis, data shows that the average SMB organization has about 14 different cloud app subscriptions.
When apps offer integrations, those integrations serve as a reminder about the app, which can aid in engagement and frequency of use.
Without these integrations, apps can fall victim to getting lost in the sea with all of the others and ultimately, if none of your employees are using and engaging with a tool, then decision-makers are unlikely to renew the software’s license.
[bctt tweet=”When apps offer integrations, those integrations can serve as a reminder about the app.” username=”@reflektive”]
Staying Within Your Workflow Increases Productivity
Productivity is where integrations pack the biggest punch. If executed right, integrations keep your application top-of-mind by living within an employee’s existing workflow. Plug-ins and Chrome extensions are great examples of solutions to keep your application top of mind for users — while also staying out of the way of their normal operations.
One way Reflektive takes advantage of the convenience of plug-ins is by allowing users to give real-time feedback within their native Gmail, Outlook, or Slack applications. With a few simple clicks, employees are able to say thanks or give constructive feedback to their peers or managers – all without leaving their browser or web page.
Without the convenience of the plug-in, users would need to open a separate tab, type in the web address and spend time logging in from there.
[bctt tweet=”Integrations keep your application top-of-mind by living within an employee’s existing workflow.” username=”@reflektive”]
There’s a Reason Why Single Sign On (SSO) Software is So Lucrative
Login times have proven to be a huge waste of money when added up throughout the course of a year. Though it’s surprising, the minutes wasted everyday logging in can be detrimental to daily productivity and an organization’s bottom line. In fact, the average size SMB company stands to lose almost $15,000 per year on login time alone.
By cutting down on login times and time wasted finding the right application, integrations allow users to spend time on more productive tasks that add value to their organizations.
Integrations Enable Customization
Cloud software aims to provide companies with solutions to fix a business or organizational problem. This is why one of the biggest benefits of app integration is the ability to provide an organization with more control over their software and data.
Plug-ins and extensions make software easy to scale as companies grow. By being flexible, integrations can help retain existing customers as those customers expand and add more employees.
Not all software combinations benefit from integrations, but by providing the opportunity and option, apps empower their customers.
[bctt tweet=”Plug-ins and extensions make software easy to scale as companies grow.” username=”@reflektive”]
Silicon Valley Practically Churns Out a New Software Company Every Day
In a world filled with mundane software services, all of these things are important to keep in mind when designing SaaS applications that you want to stand out of the crowd.
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It’s clear that even in niche markets, companies have a surprising amount of choice when prospecting cloud software options, which is why integrations will become increasingly important as competition thickens in the coming years.