Industry Insights
SaaS and the Changing Support Needs of SMBs
By Gretchen Dukowitz / October 17, 2017

For small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), the cloud technology tipping point has already come and gone. By the end of this year, 94 percent of U.S. SMBs are expected to be using SaaS applications, while 76 percent of SMBs are already using cloud services worldwide.
These high adoption rates, however, only tell part of the story. Dig a little deeper and SMBs report significant challenges to getting up and running with their cloud-based applications. According to a recent survey, 25 percent of SMBs say that the “initial [user] experience is confusing,” while an equal number say that their software has “too many features.”
In short, too many SMBs don’t realize the full value of their business solutions because they don’t know how to use them and don’t have access to training. This is where service providers can offer tremendous value. By not only selling cloud services but also supporting SMB customers through onboarding and support, companies can evolve from mere providers into trusted cloud advisors.
To learn more, check out Help Wanted: How SaaS is Changing the Support Needs of SMBs, a recent white paper from the team at AppHelp. The paper details topics that include how SaaS has changed the support needs of SMBs, why could application support is different than traditional IT support, the four critical categories of SaaS services, what to look for in a third-party support services provider, and more.
Click here to download Help Wanted: How SaaS is Changing the Support Needs of SMBs.
By supporting SMB customers through onboarding and support, companies can evolve from mere providers into trusted cloud advisors.
Gretchen Dukowitz is Senior Content Marketing Editor at AppDirect.
Related Articles

Industry Insights
Ecosystems Mean Big Business, So What Are They?
Boost your business with ecosystems and marketplace strategies. Discover how participating and or orchestrating a partner ecosystem, or building your Ecosystem-led Growth (ELG) strategy, can help you scale, combat customer churn, and increase revenue. Plus learn 5 sales and marketing practices leading companies are employing right now to stay competitive.By Ideas @ AppDirect / AppMarket / September 20, 2023

Industry Insights
Sell More, Tap into 3 Product Stack Trends
Are you curious what tech stacks are trending right now? Or are you looking for insight into having more productive customer conversations in the coming year?By Ideas @ AppDirect / Advisors / February 27, 2023

Industry Insights
5 Market Predictions for 2023 —What You Need to Know
Get prepared! Our 2023 forecast will help you decide where to focus on. Find out key predictions and how it may impact you and your customers.By Ideas @ AppDirect / Advisors / January 30, 2023