Should I provide template functionality?

Question

The context: We're working on a small SaaS solution for freelancer and very small companies (<5 employees). We know that people will sometimes need to create several sheets that contain almost the same content.

So my approach is that they create a sheet, and if they need a new one with almost the same content, then they duplicate the previous sheet and change what they want to change.

Of course, a different approach is also possible: The user creates a template and creates new sheets from that template.

I don't like the template approach at all because it destroys the user flow (have to create a template first, THEN create the sheet you actually want). Also I don't want to "bother" the user with templates and template handling.

A lot of software uses templates. Like MS Office. Remember the context, our users are freelancers and small businesses, which pretty sure are familiar with some office functionalities. So I guess that on the one hand, our users might know the concept of templates, but on the other hand, I can imagine that they don't use them anyway. They open an already existing document, change the things they want to change and save them as a new one. (Just like my favorized approach)

So in my oppinion, our SaaS should not provide templates. Or am I completely wrong?

Answer 1

If you, as the SaaS provider, are able to offer predefined templates, it helps you stand out as an 'expert' for users and prospects. If this is possible, then that is a huge win for you. Being able to label 'Templates' as a time saving feature, will often entice users to subscribe because it sounds more useful than duplicating existing records. Remember, the SaaS game is about subscribers, so marketing plays a big role.

In our app, we have a Save button with a dropdown option, where they can Save their record, or Save and Create Template. The second option creates a template from their new record. Similarly, when adding a new record, they have an Add from Template option as well. It's not really different than duplicating an existing record that you've proposed, but from a sales and marketing perspective, it's hugely different.