What Is CRM Software?
CRM stands for Customer Relationship Management. This is a definite strategy for developing a business
that focuses on a client-oriented approach.
These systems provide an opportunity to trace the relationship history between the client and the
company, analyse the wishes of your customers, and the nuances of their behaviour, by which you gain an
insight into the mind of your typical customer. In total, this serves to not only attract clients, by
tailoring your business to their needs, but also to keep them for the long term.
At first, before putting everything into action, you need to know exactly who the
clients of the company are, what they are interested in, what they are expecting from
you, and where they come from. In order to do this, there is software, a set of
technological and organisational solutions, through which the company collects,
processes and stores all data.
The main goal of any CRM software is the systematisation of the information of a user in
a single database, which is made available to all employees of the company.CRM solutions
help to segment target audiences, plan and administer sales, market campaigns more
effectively, assist in identifying strengths and weakness, and above all attract and
retain new clients.
Customer relation systems are powerful tools for optimizing business processes, which
can increase the efficiency of the company by 50%, save the manager's time by 80%, and
significantly increase sales. But the main thing is that the management receives
information about the client's behavior, and therefore an understanding of what he or
she likes and dislikes, and what steps should be taken to ensure that the client is
satisfied and will return.
Why You Need a Customer Relationship Management System
With the help of an automated management system you can quickly generate sales documents and promptly
provide agents with necessary information. Such software can significantly facilitate the company's work
in such areas as:
- maintaining client database
- preparing primary accounting documentation
- generating reports (on sales, efficiency, etc.)
- compiling lists of necessary calls and sending notifications
- fixing incoming calls and much more
Note: According to Forrester
Research, 34% of companies use CRM systems to serve customers, 29% use them to automate sales
and 20% - for marketing purposes. The same study shows that 65% of companies that have implemented these
systems are consistently fulfilling the sales plan.
Clients
An example of the successful implementation of the CRM software is in the case of the coffee shop
franchise, Costa Coffee in the UK. Several years ago this organisation implemented a CRM solution,
which not only increased by 47% in visits to coffee houses, but also led to an increase in revenue
of 21 million pounds.
CRM software is in demand in a wide range of sectors, from e-commerce, FMCG goods, insurance, banks
and financial services, tourism, retail, pharmaceuticals and medical equipment, to telecom. These
organisations unite a large number of customers, which entails big amounts of data that need to be
systematized and automated.
Types of CRM Systems
CRM software products differ from each other in its goal and purpose, according to each business; for
example, level of information processing, and method of organization. Let's analyze the characteristics
of each type for a deeper understanding of the purpose of the software.
According to the aims of the software, it can be:
-
For sales management - forecasts and sales analysis, contact management, profit and loss
analysis.
-
For marketing management - the analysis of results of the implementation of marketing
strategies.
- For client service and call-centers management, eg. call processing.
In terms of information processing CRM systems are divided into:
-
Operating - used to quickly access information of a particular customer during the sale
or service process.
-
Analytical - are used for the analysis of various data relating both to the customer
himself and to the activities of the firm.
-
Collaborative - give customers the opportunity to influence the internal processes of
the company as a whole.
By the way of organization, there are two main types of software:
-
Cloud CRM system (SaaS) - all information is stored in cloud services. Excellent for
small and medium businesses, because it does not require the cost of additional
equipment and technical personnel, the ease of use plays a positive role.
-
Standalone - when choosing this option you will need your own server, however, unlike
cloud technologies, you can fully adapt the software to your needs.
By the degree of customisation of the solution:
-
Bespoke CRM - when creating software of this kind, finished products are not used,
unique offers are created that meet all the requirements of customers.
-
Customised out-of-the-box solution - can be used by almost all companies. An example of
such programs may be Microsoft Dynamics CRM from Microsoft.
Which Software to Choose?
To determine the software for your business, first of all it is necessary to identify your goals.
The next step is to investigate the market, choose from the variety available the one that best
suits your needs, assess the level of costs for implementing the software, and contact the companies
that provide these services.
You also need to decide on the budget that you are willing to spend on implementing the solution, by
which you can make a decision either to order a bespoke solution or use ready-made options. In any
case, it is advisable to pay attention to the ease of use and visibility of provided information.
5 Best Ready-Made CRM Systems for Small Business
Start-ups and small businesses are looking for CRM software to manage the ever-growing customer
base, as well as to monitor the quality of service for important customers. With the development of
your company, there is a growing need for a centralised system for managing customer relations.
-
Maintenance of the full account of references of clients becomes complicated as volumes
increase;
-
The lack of space for storing all information, data about potential customers, business contacts
and possible items of income leads to inevitable financial losses;
-
However, for the "smallest" representatives of small businesses, buying and installing CRM
software can be time consuming and costly.
We compiled a list of 5 best (based on user ratings on usability) out-of-the-box CRM tools. Some of the
CRM companies on this list offer free use of their software only during the trial period, others are
absolutely free.
HubSpot CRM provides you
with everything you need to organize, track and grow your customers, while the number of
users and contacts are unlimited. It is worth mentioning that this software has tools for
tracking and maintaining email marketing companies, it can be integrated with any software
to automate the marketing activities of your choice.
The name Zoho is widely known in the small business world, and their
free CRM platform is a good option for start-ups,
small and medium-sized businesses. It provides opportunities for generating detailed
reports, and can grow with you as your company grows. The free version of the Zoho platform
is suitable for use by no more than 10 users.
The free version of the
Insightly CRM platform allows you to connect up to two users and has thoughtful
contact management tools for establishing and developing relationships with customers.
Integration with accounting software, as well as e-mail templates, is available to make it
easier for you to work with clients.
Workbooks.com integrates sales,
marketing and customer service teams into one, and all for free! This free offer is limited
to 2 users, but in return you get many benefits. Workbooks.com helps you track your leads,
lead and analyze marketing campaigns, create a query database for improved customer
relationships.
This version of CRM
from Freshsales has excellent opportunities for small businesses, necessary for
managing customers, contacts and sales. There is integration with Zapier(data),
Freshdesk rel="nofollow" (service ticketing for customer
support), Mailchimp (email marketing) andGoogle Apps. All this
helps to link all parts of your business. FreshSales' free platform gives access to 10
users, making it a good choice for a growing team.
Our Achievements:
322 App Development Projects
413 Mobile Applications
75 Enterprise Software Solutions
Bespoke CRM Development
Here at Magora, we create bespoke software for years. Since 2010 we have developed turnkey CRM for
businesses for a variety of clients in the UK, USA, Australia, etc. We have the established development
processes at hand, coupled with the expertise, gained from years of hard-work, constant development and
cooperation with world-known brands, like Toyota, Viza, Yandex, and Trivago.
If you feel that the functionality of any out-of-the-box CRM software is not enough, or your management
has specific requirements for how CRM should behave, we are ready to develop a bespoke software from the
ground up in compliance with your requirements.
If you tired of using several programs, with constant repetition of routine operation, manual reporting
and loss of data, it high time to gain one, all inclusive, convenient tool for your enterprise - contact
Magora today to make your first step towards the ultimate business optimisation.
