When it comes to choosing a CRM software for your business, you have no end of options. All kinds of businesses in all industries use CRMs to improve. There are so many different CRMs on the market. When considering which CRM to buy, there are 3 main factors to consider: cloud based? Integration? Price?
Keep reading to find out how to decide on those 3 important factors.
Table of Contents
Cloud or server based?
A server CRM system is hosted on your own servers. You’ll need to download and install the CRM on separate servers. Those servers stay in your building and will be linked up to one (or multiple) computers that can access the CRM. This has some benefits: people won’t leave the CRM logged on in public spaces like libraries and it allows you to alter the CRM in the coding, as you own it and have it stored on the servers.
Server based CRMs do have disadvantages: you need space for a server and it’s not great for growing businesses and adding new users in far off locations. A cloud based CRM isn’t hosted yourself, you usually pay for the CRM service and store all your data on the cloud where it can be accessed from anywhere. This saves space and time, plus it’s more efficient.
Integration
Your CRM needs to integrate with your company. For example, some CRM systems don’t offer 24/7 support in case things go wrong, so if you have employees working different hours throughout the night you will want to make customer support a priority.
If your employees use the CRM from on the road, you’ll want a cloud CRM system that works on mobiles, tablets, laptops and notebooks as well as computers.
Make a note of everything the CRM needs to be able to do for your business BEFORE you begin searching the market for a CRM. That way you won’t forget the essentials and end up with a fancy CRM that’s actually useless.
Price
I’ve tried many different CRMs in my time. I’ve found that the best CRMs in terms of pricing offer you different levels, so you can choose to buy a CRM that suits your business needs at the right price. Many of the leading CRMs offer this including Zoho and www.webcrm.com/uk, a great new CRM software.
Consider the price of the features and how often you’ll use them – don’t pay for something you won’t use. Choose a package that has all you need, plus room for your business to grow. You can always opt for the next package up if you outgrow the CRM!
Consider those 3 factors and you can’t go wrong.
