With the market chockfull of lots of CRM vendors, how would you choose the right one for your business? What makes the vendor you select for developing the CRM system stand out from others? Here are four areas you should delve deep into while choosing or developing a custom CRM for business.
Making a decision on the type of CRM deployment
Primarily there are two types of solutions for custom CRM for business, namely a cloud-based and on-premise, and each of them has its own share of pros and cons.
When you use a cloud-based SaaS solution the need for you to have a server or technical expertise becomes optional. Such cloud-based CRMs can be simply logged in through your web browser and take where you want to go. The entire arsenal of information is supported by a server provided by the CRM vendor. But, the need to be online always is mandatory and if your internet connectivity is disrupted you’ll fail to access any data.
When you opt for an on-premise solution, the software apart from being owned by you is physically hosted at your office location. So, you’ll gain direct server access given that the software needs to be integrated with several other already existing customer applications. Besides, there won’t be any recurring subscription charges that you’ll be made to pay.
But, on the flip side, you need to hire in-house IT professionals, buy the basic hardware and software, and last but not the least come in for a high upfront cost outlay.
Bear in mind, needing one particular deployment option of custom CRM for business doesn’t allude to a likelihood of not needing the other in the long term. So, pick the CRM that has enough pliability and scalability to gradually evolve with business growth.
Having knowledge of the features and functionalities you require
When it comes to processes, growth dynamics, and customer base every business has its own unique credentials. So opting for a basic, “one-size-fits-all” type of solution for your CRM isn’t a wise decision. What you’re in need of is a highly scalable custom CRM for a business whose needs will grow alongside your business and one that can be effortlessly upgraded to the higher more sophisticated version.
Also, every so often, you’ll find CRMs coming up with plenty of features and functions appealing to the entire broad-based prism of businesses. Does your company need all the bells and whistles that come along with a CRM? Why would you pay for those specific functions which your business doesn’t require or utilize?
Nonetheless, different teams in business need different plans. So, you may come across the sales team needing a CRM with advanced sales features and mobile compatibility. On the contrary, your communication team may use only marketing-specific functionalities. Thus choose a custom CRM for a business that has the capability of adapting to your needs.
Ensuring smooth, hitch-free integration with other applications
This factor stands out when it comes to selecting a CRM system. After all, you’re developing and putting it into practice so as to make your business operations smoother. it’s because of this reason ensuring your custom CRM for business to easily consolidate other existing business applications is imperative.
Well, it’s not just about Google G-Suite or Office 365 integration. In addition, your custom CRM software seamlessly fits in with applications as follows.
An ERP
Other accounting software
HR software
Websites
Web forms for importing fresh leads
Billing framework
E-commerce platforms for registering transactions
Other marketing solutions
By the same token see to it the migration of your current contact data into the newly introduced CRM system takes place easily. Nearly all solutions to custom CRM for business will enable the ingress of data from different sources. What’s more, it needs to be checked if the transfer of data from your CRM can happen at the same level of ease.
Paying attention to user experience
When you go for developing a custom CRM for business it’s crucial to understand how you’d feel or what experience you’d have when you use the system. Is the system going to be intuitive as per your expectations? Will it show a propensity to slow down at times? How effective or entertaining would be the UX? Will the buttons there be clearly labeled? Will the workflow have any logical coherence?
All these questions constitute what’s called UX. Therefore, when you’re testing a CRM out or having a look at its demo, make certain you gauge the UI and the ease of use.
Research shows that 86 percent of prospects refer to the aspect of user-friendliness as having the most significant bearing on the choice for a new customized CRM system.
