Finding the right customer relationship management (CRM) software for your business can be a challenge. After all, this important piece of software will provide essential information to many different stakeholders, so it needs to be efficient, usable, and in alignment with your core business needs. Here are some important tips for finding the CRM solution that is right for your company:
Review Your Goals
Businesses require CRM technology for a variety of reasons. Before you take the plunge and invest in a CRM solution, sit down with your core team and review your company’s key objectives with fresh eyes. Do you want to:
- Track customer information?
- Analyze customer behavior?
- Find ways to reach more customers?
- Improve your team’s efficiency and productivity?
- Make information easier to find and query?
- Improve your marketing strategy?
While your answers are most likely “yes” to many of these questions, not all CRMs are created equally. Focusing on your core goals will help you select a CRM whose features mostly closely align with your business goals.
Evaluate Integrations
If your team currently uses software like Microsoft Office 365 or Google’s G-suite, it will be important for any CRM you choose to integrate seamlessly with those programs. When considering CRM solutions, ask yourself important questions such as:
- How easy is it to migrate existing data to the new platform?
- Will data exported from the CRM work well with our existing software?
- Does the CRM have international functionality? If your business operates internationally, understanding any potential CRM’s GDPR functionality will be important.
Consider Your Hosting Setup
Businesses can choose between having their CRM solution hosted on-premise or in the cloud. With today’s businesses often including work-from-home and on-the-go options, cloud-based SaaS CRM programs are popular and effective. If you have employees, sales reps, members of your marketing team, and other stakeholders who need immediate access to CRM data whenever and wherever, cloud-based solutions are king. If, however, your employees are based solely in your office and rarely work on the go, on-premise solutions allow your data to be housed safely on-site, unaffected by connectivity problems or issues with the cloud.
Determine Your Budget
While any CRM program is likely a huge upgrade from using a basic Excel spreadsheet, some of them are more advanced (and expensive) than others. Take a close look at your budget to determine how much you can spend on a CRM program, training, and technology investments, and plan accordingly. It is worth noting that unless you already have the servers and other infrastructure required to host your CRM on-premise, this solution could be much more costly than a monthly subscription to a SaaS CRM.
Conclusion
Choosing a CRM for your business is an important decision, so don’t forget to try before you buy. Many CRM companies offer free trials that will allow you and your team to test out a program’s fit and capabilities. If you would like to learn more about CRM solutions or cloud-based CRM hosting, contact Qnectus today.