13 FACTORS TO CONSIDER WHILE CHOOSING A CRM FOR SMALL BUSINESS
CRM is Customer Relationship Management. A CRM system brings the customer’s complete history with your business exists with a list of your emails, notes, and appointments in one unit.
Companies can gain real-time notifications when customers perform a significant activity like when they click on a link in your email.
It is a goldmine of information available in one system.
It is the one-stop-shop for your sales process. It is a gateway to increase sales productivity and better coordination between teams. CRM software assists you in building a lasting relationship with your customers.
With the increase in the number of CRM software to choose from today, it can be difficult. Here are some essential factors that you, as a small business, should consider when while selecting a CRM.
- Company needs have to be defined.
The CRM that you choose must depend on your company’s needs and objectives. There are variations of options, and you should buy the solution. It is essential to map out the objectives and goals of your company. Choosing a CRM that meets every one of those needs becomes less complicated.
- Budget set aside to purchase a CRM.
Resources and funds are limited for small businesses and startups. The software tools that your business needs to grow could be very expensive. Companies have to do enough research to find the best CRM for small business without losing capital. An all-in-one CRM that includes additional features like marketing automation and customer support would be the best choice at this point. There are also free editions of lead CRM software solutions available.
- User-friendly CRM software.
Intuitive and easy to use systems are vital in choosing a CRM software. Selecting a CRM that is difficult to use and proves difficult for users to work efficiently will negatively impact your sales process. When the system is challenging to navigate, your CRM will reduce efficiency.
- A CRM that ensures a walkthrough to set up.
The CRM provider you choose should be a partner and help your staff through the set-up and implementation process. Ensure that your team checks that the CMR software provider will provide support until the systems are up and fully operational. It is of top priority to find out if your CRM comes with a set of instructions to implement the software.
- The CRM software provider you choose must offer customer support.
You will require assistance after you have implemented the CRM software into your business. Ensuring that the CRM provider offers your company with customer support and help when and an issue arises, is mandatory.
- Dashboards
Dashboards are a standard feature in CRM for small business. You must check to ensure you will have a panel that is easily customizable and allows you to change/develop it with any metrics you need to see daily. Your team should be able to log in and check parameters on easy-to-view charts and graphs with a deep level of insight.
- Tracking your company’s touchpoints.
Customer contact data should be well-organized and easy to access. It is essential to have the details of every interact each contact in your CRM database has had with your company. That way, your sales team sales can view which marketing touchpoints have been engaged with and whether your customer is likely to upsell.
- Efficient social CRM software.
Social CRM software uses social media to manage customer relationships. Some systems provide social CRM features that let you to monitor brand mentions as well as interact with your customers on social media via your CRM. Nowadays, social media is where lead generation and customer interactions take place.
- Marketing features
CRM software should include marketing automation software. The features of such software will have tools such as email marketing, building landing pages, creating survey forms, scoring and qualifying leads, running multichannel marketing campaigns, etc. making it a great CRM for small business to amplify their sale process.
- Helpdesk features
It also helps your teams work in alignment, as everyone will be able to see when a customer has an open support ticket. If you need to provide customer support, choose a CRM that includes a helpdesk.
- Use of Application Programming Interface(API).
Most businesses use various applications daily. An open API system enables you to work with apps from within your CRM. It also syncs data from those apps into your CRM, so you have one source of data.
- Mobile access
In today’s day and age, most CRM software for small business provides mobile access. You should ensure that your CRM can provide service through an app on your mobile.
- Metrics and reporting
Your company needs to make informed, data-driven decisions. You need to maintain insight into results to identify problems and where you should improve. Your company needs robust metrics that come from CRM reporting. Ensure the CRM you choose provides robust reporting for measuring your team’s efforts and promoting growth research and assess your needs while selecting a CRM. The key to selecting the right CRM is knowing what you need and identifying the solution that solves those needs.
