How do you create a great fan base for your online application, website, or software as a service (SaaS)? First create a product people already understand and then ask for their feedback. That is what has lead to the success of Google Apps and 37 Signals. Here are some testimonials from each that contain some clues as the softer side of software that we can all benefit from reading.

Think of each of these in terms of marketing, customer satisfaction and buy in, and requirements.

• Learned about google apps through gmail
• Implement google apps to fill in gaps
• Easier than what we were using
• Starting using google apps for better email solution -happy with that it snow balled
• Google start page –make this your home page
• Browser bases- shared online
• Securely hosted- don’t need special servers
• More efficient
• Takes away IT needs for small business
• Outgrew infrastructure
• Alternative to by new server – $250,000 – $50/user/yr $47,000 instead $250,000
• Pure user of users using all the futures- non event –collaboration aspect. Simple
• Keeps building, new users,
• On demand – get the greatest offerings and new capabilities
• Get into it for one need and realize it fills a whole host of others.
• On the go not in the office- web mail solution
• Rock solid email solutions –roll out solution- dead simple
• Compatible with Linux- not tied to one vendor or operating system
• Can access exact same interface no mater where their at
• Gmail- can go from personal services to business,
• Hosted- using your brand email url instead of google’s
• Not reliant of one expert managing your email set up
• Quality, reliability safe secure available is important
• Needed a replacement of email calendar
• Only sweet of products entirely online
• Cloud computing from Google and other apps saved money
• Online- multiple data centers
• Saves millions over five years
• Saves from world wide disaster recovery
• Little training required
• Can go from one to 15,000 instantly
• Rapidly access
• May not need that huge number of users can scale up and down quickly
• The ability to colaborate with clients and share files. I use multiple systems in different offices, so having it all online is great.
• ease of use
• simplicity
• organization
• It’s not overly complicated
• The fact that I have one place to put everything, combined with the ability of the system sending out emails is great.

Abstracted from videos and testimonials on Google Apps Customer Stories & Basecamp Survey these stress the importance of simplicity, smaller investment, increased organization, and collaboration.