The internet has truly redefined how we do business both as a sales channel and a marketing channel. It has also redefined how we collect information on our customer. We’ve taken CRM to a new level eCRM.
We’ve been told for decades that knowledge is power but only in recent years has it been so easy to access that knowledge. That means you can use your CRM system to learn how your customer shops and their behavior.
The way we shop has changed dramatically which also affects the type of CRM system a company needs to incorporate. With the internet there is a great deal of purchasing occurring online. But a recent survey on customer service online showed that businesses are failing miserably.
Many sites don’t even display a phone number for customers to contact them and as many as 75% have poor customer records causing customers to get a real run around. Even when you manage to find a phone number to call you can spend an hour on the telephone trying to explain to the rep about your problem on the website.
Much of this customer frustration and disassociation between website sales and store sales is a result of business failing to implement the same type of CRM system on their websites as they do with their brick and mortar stores. As a result there is no connection between the CRM system and the customer.
A smart website owner will incorporate their company CRM system because there is a lot of valuable and useful information which could be used by the company.
Electronic customer relationship management or eCRM is the latest approach to integrating customer information online with customer information offline. And the cost is very affordable even for small to medium size businesses. It’s the key to meeting customer expectations in today’s market.
eCRM serves the same purpose online as CRM does for your brick and mortar business. You will begin to understand who your customers are and what it is they want. The challenge is merging data from so many sources into a useful format that can provide the best customer service and also provide the company with valuable information.
eCRM provides a contact point that remembers who your customers are and provides that personal touch. Their likes and dislikes are available, their purchase history, credit status, as well as all their history with the company is now able to integrate with the online customer. It allows for instant interaction between consumer and system. It also allows for automated emails, instant messages, voice mail, and live help. It’s a powerful tool that should not be ignored.
eCRM allows your company marketing department to first identify and then target your customer. You will be able to set goals, objectives, improve sales, manage sales, manage customer data, create and manage marketing campaigns, create instant accounting records, and a host of other thing.
Basically expect the same performance from your eCRM system as you do from your CRM system. Thanks to the internet markets are more competitive than ever so it’s important you keep your edge and a quality eCRM system is a great way to do just that.
Check Out The Impressive Microsoft CRM Software
Microsoft CRM was originally created so that company’s had proper management of their budgets as well as assist with some other basic requirements. Well we’ve come a long way so you should check out the newest impressive Microsoft CRM software.
Although Microsoft’s CRM main functionality is to provide customer service that is superior it also allows you to analyze what the competitions performance looks like and to evaluate market trends using the superior reporting tools.
One very distinct advantage of Microsoft CRM over other CRM programs is its ability to let you work offline using Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Business Solutions, as well as several other Microsoft programs.
3.0 is the latest version and it offers several new features as well as improving some of the existing features. It has a new service oriented architecture and it also has a new description language web service that’s a core function. It’s really an industry work horse.
The interconnectivity between Microsoft CRM 3.0 and Microsoft Outlook is very impressive offering some sophisticated features and you can even access it right from Outlook’s menu. Now that’s convenient.
The also has a marketing module that’s filled with new features. You get list building tools that allow you to create target groups. You can plan and monitor campaigns with just a click of the mouse.
Microsoft CRM is a tool that is guaranteed to bring your company success. You’ll see better use of staffs time, happier customers, and increased profits. You can implement data in no time and you can’t put a price on all that valuable information you collect.
The modern business needs modern tools to stay competitive. Customer service seems to be falling by the way side but consumers are looking to deal with company’s that have excellent customer service and your CRM software can help meet that demand.
But there are many benefits for the company too. Suddenly you know exactly what’s selling, when, and where. You also know what not selling. Your marketing division can put together ad campaigns that are going to work, and accounting can easily put together forecasts. It just doesn’t get better than this. And all of this is going to result in increased profits which is the bottom line for any business.
There are many excellent CRM software packages on the market so if you find that Microsoft CRM isn’t right for you a little more research and you’ll find the software package that’s right for your business. But be warned it’s going to be hard to top what Microsoft CRM has to offer.
Another element to consider when purchasing CRM software is the learning curve. Some programs can be easily learned while other may require trainers to assist with both setup and learning the software.
Once you have your CRM software system installed and up and running you’ll wonder how you ever lived without it. And once you know all the impressive things Microsoft CRM Software has to offer you’ll wonder why you didn’t buy it earlier.
Pros And Cons Of Remote CRM Software
Smart businesses are turning to Customer Relationship Management software for their business and many are choosing Remote CRM Software because it’s so convenient.
Like the many other ecommerce products on the market there are also several different CRM software packages available to choose from. The key is finding the right one for your business.
Prices range from as little as $0 – yes that right zero dollars to thousands of dollars – it all depends on how complex and which system you are looking at.
There are two main categories of Customer Relationship Management software - Remotely hosted where the service is run on the CRM companies' server, or locally hosted where all the software is installed on your server. Remote hosted software is great choice for many companies. Let’s have a look at the advantages and disadvantages of remotely hosted CRM software.
Advantages:
With remotely hosted software it is the CRM provider who is responsible for ensuring that the system runs smooth and without any hiccups. It is also there responsibility to ensure the application is secure.
The CRM provide is responsible for having to keep things up to date whenever upgrades become available. The troubleshooting is also the provider’s responsibility. All of these things help you save plenty of money.
CRM software is very complex so by choosing to use a remotely hosted service you are able to benefit by the increased buying power determined by the number of users. This buying power means you are much more likely to be able to have access to the best CRM software on the market. Building your custom CRM application from scratch can be a very expensive for any one company and this method removes that cost.
Disadvantages:
Of course there are always disadvantages too. If the CRM remote hosting company goes out of business you records and everything related to your customers may disappear not only leaving you without the valuable information but also risking a hit to your reputation. That’s why choosing a reputable company is so important. The host you choose should also allow you to backup or export your data as desired.
Here are things to look for:
- Consider the type of reports you need and the type of reports the CRM software can produce.
- Make sure that it integrates with current applications such as Outlook.
- Check the import and export features.
- Are you able to upgrade if needed?
- How long has the CRM company been in business?
- Is the CRM software capable of talking with handheld devices such as the blackberry, cell phone, or PDA? Can your sales team connect remotely?
- What are the costs of ongoing support from the company?
- How easy is the software to use?
Now that you are loaded with information you will be able to find the best remotely hosted CRM software for your business.
