The year is 2021 and CRM is fast becoming the new norm. Irrespective of the nature of the business, a Open Source CRM Software is a must-have for optimum performance and cost-effective at the same time. Customer relationship management software happens to be the best friend not only of the sales team but anybody and everybody associated with the business. The digital system is quite helpful in organizing the various leads and customers. It becomes more comfortable for the sales, marketing and customer service team to connect with them directly or through specific interaction programs. A CRM system is crucial for understanding consumers’ needs and provides every detail of the various connections with the business.
Here are a few essential things that every business should take into account while considering CRM:
Easy To Use
As a business owner, you must consider the aspect of user experience when selecting a new CRM system. It is important to have a design that is intuitive enough and at the same time easy to use. In that case, it will be easier for people to fetch the required information quickly. Overall, it will be possible for the business to quickly reach out to the clients.
Integration
It is perhaps the best feature that any modern CRM should have. The software must have the required provisions so that the CRM can be easily integrated into a web site, email or phone. In case you find that the business is losing clients or the deals being closed are few, it is high time to switch to a different CRM.
Keeping Track of The Revenue
While picking a CRM, it is important to understand the extent to which it will provide visibility. The aspect of visibility is crucial when it comes to keeping track of the revenue. In case the CRM is not so useful in providing details of the revenue being generated, it is of no use then. The CRM must allow tracking data. In the current situation, data support happens to be the core of any business.
Security
A good enough CRM will extend a great deal of pertinent data of all the customers’ various categories. Some services extend a variety of in-depth features as compared to others. However, always go for the one that offers a high degree of security. The most damaging thing that any business can encounter is to lose the trust of the customers. As a result, it is essential that any data captured by the CRM, whether it is a paid or an Open Source CRM, must be adequately encrypted. In case there is a leak, or if there is any such possibility, a good alternate must be considered at the earliest.
Specificity Of Role
These days, there are a lot of CRMs in the market. Hence, the newer generations of CRMs are being designed as per a specific role. It is now possible to have a CRM that has been specifically designed to cover the requirements of PR, finance, real estate and so on. At times, the best bet is to go for a CRM that is industry-specific. The most significant advantage of having such a CRM is, it will have all the features that otherwise may need to be added later on.
Data Collection
A standard CRM software should be able to retrieve and store data. At the same time, it should also have the required provisions for collecting and analyzing various patterns. CRM must be capable enough to conduct complex analytics. Once you find that the CRM Software is no longer able to hold the scale of the business, you will automatically understand that it is time to upgrade to a new version. Likewise, if you find that you are struggling to maintain the pace of growth of the leads, contracts or campaigns, it is high time that you must move on to something else.
Elimination Of Features
CRM happens to be an industry that is heavily packed with features. Even though there has been a lot of integrations and robust applications included, there are CRMs that are no better than fancy smartphones deliberately stuffed with bloatware. It is, therefore, vital to have features that would allow customizing the CRM by adding features that can help to further enhance the user experience. Simultaneously, it should also allow the elimination of features and functions so that the system can be customized for specific use.
Channel Data Integration
It is vital to have precise knowledge about where a particular lead or business might have come from. It allows effective optimization of the marketing funnel and accordingly determines the expense for each lead per channel. If the funnel system can be organized enough, it becomes possible to figure out what metrics can best provide data and information accurately and the various means to monitor it.
A lot of CRMs are available in the market. It is vital to examine the key features to get the one that best suits your business. Do not get fooled by an Open Source CRM. Go for the one that the business can benefit from.
