Software as a Service (SaaS) and cloud technology have been major booms for businesses across the globe. Many companies are beginning to see value in SaaS offerings, which enables them to store and retrieve data via off-site servers and utilize solutions remotely as long as they have access to the web. Instead of a large initial investment, which was required for traditional software, organizations can simply pay subscription fees by the month. SaaS offers a tremendous amount of value and flexibility for an affordable price in the post-recession era.

The demand for SaaS services is high, especially for new Marketing Automation technologies. A new report from ClickZ suggests that many of the sector’s top dogs have turned to marketing automation to quickly engage prospective customers. Approximately three-quarters (76 percent) of the 17 largest SaaS companies in the world are leveraging marketing automation and all of them utilize at least some basic form of website tracking. The fact that these up and coming SaaS companies have chosen to use marketing automation to propel their businesses forward speaks volumes about it’s importance and effectiveness.An interesting comparison can be made between these SaaS companies and top Fortune 500 companies, only 28 percent of B2B software firms are using marketing automation technology and while 97 percent use website tracking, the majority are using free tools such as Google Analytics.

Learning from the Best

The SaaS industry is booming right now and is only expected to grow in the future. Their use of marketing automation certainly isn’t the only reason these companies are thriving, but having a cost effective method of automating and distributing marketing campaigns has allowed these companies to cut back on costs and generate leads more efficiently.

So what can you learn from these SaaS companies? If your business is hoping to fuel future growth and reach a broader number of customers, you may want to consider leveraging marketing automation just as these leading companies have done. Keep in mind that you’re company won’t grow without customers. Opting to use a highly efficient way of reaching, nurturing, and converting prospects is essential. Moreover, when resources are tight – as they always are, you need to make sure they are going into a platform that delivers substantial ROI and promotes company growth.