How Do Enterprise & SaaS Marketing Software Solutions Differ?

 

It’s no secret that software is a major driver of modern business.

Technological infrastructures are what services are built on these days, and it’s essentially a foregone conclusion to say that you can’t survive, much less compete, today without a strong software support system.

However, there are pros and cons to every decision you make intending to better your organization.

The decision between enterprise software or SaaS software as the model for your marketing and SEO infrastructure is certainly subject to the same laborious decision-making you apply to any other aspect of your business.

There is nothing inherently better or worse about enterprise or SaaS software. There are differences, to be sure, but which is right for you will come down to your business’s size, needs, and financial capabilities.

So, how do enterprise software and SaaS software differ?

Let’s find out.

Choosing Marketing Software For Your Business

Let’s say you’re the chief technology or marketing officer of an enterprise business (or anyone else who makes these decisions).

You know there are gaps in your abilities as a company to serve your customers, and you know that a significant portion of those gaps is due to technological deficiencies.

If you know your business and operations well enough, you can probably conjure up some solid ideas of where you’re currently falling short and what you need in a software upgrade.

Here are some examples of concerns you might raise:

• Our current software infrastructure isn’t collaboration friendly, and the teams have complained about lost communication and productivity.
• Customers say they have difficulty interacting with their accounts on our website, but we can’t address their concerns in the current system.
• Our marketing software can’t integrate with various other applications, but we know that a new system would be able to handle them.

Knowing where you are with your needs vs. your capabilities is such a big step – and if you’ve already identified that there is a problem, congratulations.

Further congratulations are in order if you have the means and the approval to upgrade.

Which software model will be right for you, enterprise or SaaS?

You can’t know until you understand their differences, so let’s get into them.

What Is Enterprise Software, And Who Is It For?

Both types of software are meant to improve business operations by better serving the organization and its customers.

In its most basic form, enterprise software is the technology that meets the needs and solves the problems of enterprise businesses.

So, whatever an enterprise-level business needs to function, the software can handle,  whether those needs involve customer relations, technical support, email integration across applications, or team collaboration.

Enterprise software creates efficiencies and allows for greater productivity.

However, here’s the crux of it, in contrast with SaaS software: Enterprise software is owned by the business.

It’s software that has been developed and installed on-site, and that can be accessed locally.

It’s proprietary software; once completed, the business owns it from top to bottom.

There are plenty of upsides to springing for enterprise software.

What Is SaaS Software, And Who Is it For?

Now that you understand enterprise software and what it entails, the definition of SaaS software may be falling into place for you.

In contrast to enterprise software, SaaS refers to “software as a service.”

The greatest overall difference between the two is that SaaS is software that you pay a monthly subscription fee to use, not one that you own for yourself.

Like enterprise software, SaaS software is a valuable tool in streamlining business operations and ultimately bringing better services or products to your customers.

Will You Choose Enterprise Or SaaS Software?

I hope you now feel much more comfortable deciding whether enterprise software or SaaS software is best for you and your marketing organization.

The pros and cons should be clear to you.

While enterprise software will be much more time-intensive and expensive, you will appreciate its fully customizable functionality.

And, just as you know that using SaaS software will afford you a much smaller price tag and predictable budget, you’ll also be aware that it may not do every little thing you need because it wasn’t made just for you.