With companies across all industries competing for leadership, intensive revenue growth and cost-effectiveness, it is critical to cater the needs of the main resource of each company’s profits – the customers. In a world of economic instability where customers become increasingly demanding, the goal of satisfying your customers has never been more obvious. Therefore, companies realize that the only way to maximize the profits is to establish an unbreakable bond and mutual trust between your customers and your business. Such strategic approach towards customer relationship will kill two birds with one stone – it will generate high revenues and reduce customer dissatisfaction at the same time.
While customers are expecting companies to make their life easier, more and more businesses start looking for robust solutions to help them engage their clients better as well as enhance customer experience. In order to achieve these ambitious business objectives, forward thinking organizations are deploying advanced Customer Relationship Management (CRM) solutions as they help to sell smarter and faster while improving customer engagement. At the same time, choosing the best solution for your organization can be a challenging task, especially without understanding what to look at during the selection process. So let’s take a closer look at the most important criteria to consider while choosing the best CRM solution to meet your organization’s specific needs.
Cloud Based or On-site Deployment
Today, CRM software comes as cloud-based (SaaS) or on-site solution. It is worth noticing that only 12% of companies preferred SaaS software 6 years ago, but the number of businesses who choose cloud solutions now has risen up to 87% since then. Undeniable advantages of SaaS software include agility, mobility, scalability and high level of security. With a cloud platform at place, you will not have to worry about buying extra hardware and hiring additional staff whose only purpose would be IT management. Also, the best vendors offer iOS and Android apps enabling users to keep track of business operations on the go. A great example of such vendor would be www.bpmonline.com/crm/cloud-crm as it shrinks the gap between all departments by storing all data in one unified cloud storage providing a transparent picture of all processes at your organization.
User-friendly Usability and Customization of Cloud based CRM
This is one of the most important details that businesses tend to overlook too often. Before settling on a certain automation platform, it is critical to run a test-drive of the solution by signing up for a trial version. That way you will get a general idea of how the system operates, where all of its features are located and how it can help you streamline business operations. In particular, the complexity of automation solutions may have detrimental effect on the productivity of your employees. Nearly one out of four CRM users acknowledge that the system they use is too complicated to be used efficiently while 86% of users named “usability” the main criteria when choosing an automation platform. That’s why before purchasing one, make sure that this system features a genuinely easy-to-use user interface which will make the adoption process easier and faster for the end-users.
Customization of cloud based CRM solution is another important matter that needs to be addressed. If you are searching for a CRM to meet the specific business goals of your company, it needs to be customizable as well as capable to be integrated with other 3rd party applications. The superior ones are open source systems that enable open configuration and development on the platform.
Marketing, Sales and Service on a Single Cloud based CRM Platform
Marketing department exploits various communication channels to generate as many high-quality leads as possible, while it is sales department’s responsibility to transform marketing qualified leads into buyers. At the same time customer support agents should deliver excellent customer service regardless of the communication channel your clients choose, towards improving overall customer experience and increasing customer retention and loyalty. In order to deliver on this goals companies are leveraging solutions that bridge the gap between all departments while establishing effective automated processes to streamline the workflows and boost productivity. Such solutions are capable of enhancing your marketing campaigns, sales activities and customer support by automating your key business processes and suggesting the best next steps on each stage of the customer journey – from early prospecting to deal closure and account maintenance.
In conclusion, suitable CRM solution gives your company the best possible understanding of your client and your customer’s experience with products or services your company provides. It also equips businesses with unique tools to enhance business operations and customer relationships, respectively. To go even further, cloud based CRM software aids your company in managing high volumes of customer related data in a coherent way, which makes monitoring your customers and activities exceptionally easy. Deploying such technology will definitely benefit your company as you will be able to significantly increase your profits and have a better understanding of your customers.
