1. Use a CRM and manage your databases more easily
When looking for success in a business or a company, efficient management is the most important element, and CRMs are, nowadays, one of the best ways to achieve it.
Every business needs to have a database to be able to control the relationships it has with its customers, but it is not always easy to manage them correctly because they can contain a lot of data. To avoid chaos, it is best to know what a CRM is, what it is for and how it can benefit your company.
2. What is a CRM and what is it for?
In a nutshell, a CRM is a customer management software, whose name comes from the acronym for Customer Relationship Management.
With these digital tools you can easily manage the databases you have with the basic information of your customers in order to avoid mistakes and to be able to give each one a much more personalized and better quality treatment.
3. Why my company needs a CRM
In general, every company that has a customer database needs a CRM, because otherwise the task of managing it would become impossible. The businesses that have been using this software for the longest time are those that handle a higher volume of customers, such as hotels and companies in the tourism sector, but in general any type of business can benefit from using a CRM.
Using a CRM for customer relationship management is an ideal way to make work much more efficient, getting more benefits for much less effort.
4. The functions of a CRM for companies
A software designed for customer management in a company has several utilities that are worth knowing. Each software will allow for different features, although all marketing CRMs have several features in common in terms of their operation:
4.1 Easy access to information
By using a CRM, the first thing that is facilitated is access to user information. This is especially useful if you have a large volume of customers, since locating them one by one would be an impossible task, especially if they are not permanent, but rather temporary.
4.2 Better internal communication
Another of the immediate improvements that your company will suffer if you start using a CRM will be in internal departments. Most CRM software for companies can be installed on different devices and register different types of users, thus creating a useful and intuitive infrastructure.
4.3 Develop better marketing strategies
One of the biggest advantages of using a CRM as a business strategy is the ability to query and analyze customer purchase data to understand customer trends and anticipate customer decisions.
With a marketing automation CRM you can turn complex market analysis into simple calculations derived from the data automatically extracted from the tables you have. This functionality will not only save you a lot of time, but will also allow you to improve your next marketing strategies, increasing your sales and profits in the future.
5. CRM examples
There is no point in talking about theory without going into practice. There is a large number of software programs designed to help companies, but only a few of them are really useful.
First of all, it is necessary to talk about the different types of CRM that exist, since each one is designed for a specific type of business:
5.1 Collaborative CRM
In this type of software, communication between departments and interaction with the customer is enhanced, especially useful for companies that want to offer a more personalized treatment and a much more flexible internal work dynamic.
5.2 Analytical CRM
This type of CRM is more focused on marketing and the design of advertising campaigns. Its main functions are mainly aimed at data analysis, which also allows to offer a personalized treatment to the customer, but at the same time indicates all the data on purchasing trends that can be useful for launching new offers, products or services.
5.3 Operational CRM
Halfway between the two previous ones is the operational model. With this type of CRM you can establish direct contact with the customer, although less interactive than the collaborative one. On the other hand, you have the ability to analyze data, but with less depth than the analytical one.
Within these categories there are several real examples of CRM solutions for companies.
The best known operational CRMs are Sugar CRM, Sales Force or V Tiger. Among the collaborative CRMs you can find brands such as Zoho or Nelis, and among the analytical ones, No CRM and Pipedrive stand out, among many others.
However, there are also more customizable solutions, which can also be used free of charge and online. This type of CRM is generally the most recommendable, as it is very flexible and adapts perfectly to different business models.
NothingAD recommends Hubspot CRM because it has proven to deliver fast, secure and effective results. Hubspot is a software designed to fulfill different Digital Marketing tasks, so it is the perfect tool if you are looking for a simple way to improve the efficiency of your business through greater control of your customer database.
6. How to choose the right CRM
Choosing a CRM is not always an easy task, because there are many options available and many details to pay attention to.
What is clear is that your company needs a CRM, because without this type of software you will not be able to manage large databases and you will lose a lot of efficiency. The main question is which one to choose. To find out you can take into account the following tips, which will help you make the smartest choice.
6.1 Be clear about your objectives
The first step in knowing how to choose the right CRM is to know what you are trying to accomplish with the software.
A hospitality company will not need the same type of functions as a local business selling products of any kind, so you will need to explore what advantages the different programs available can offer you to find out which one suits you best.
6.2 Evaluate your customer relationships
Another fundamental question to ask yourself before choosing a CRM is how it can help you improve your business in its current state.
Are you having trouble managing your database? Are you looking for a more personalized relationship with your customers? Do you want to improve internal dynamics and communication between departments? Each software is different, and you will have to know what aspects you need to improve in order to make the best choice.
6.3 Consider your budget
Some CRMs are paid, or have paid functionalities, so another aspect you will have to take into account is money.
The profitability of a CRM software can be measured by the ratio of what you spend to the money you earn from using it, which is not always easy to calculate. If it helps you earn enough to cover expenses and make more profit, it's a good choice. If not, you are better off with free software.
6.4 Listen to other users' reviews
The opinions of other business owners who have used these CRMs before are very useful. Usually these reviews give you a rough idea of what disadvantages you can find in some software and what are its main benefits. Remember that customer feedback is where you can really see if a CRM works or not.
6.5 Analyze your results and change if you need to
Software does not have to be a lifelong decision. It is clear that some involve a somewhat higher initial investment, especially if they are very specific software that requires an expensive installation.
The cheaper ones, or free CRMs, allow you a bit more flexibility. You can test, analyze your results during the first few months and change software over time in case you don't like the one you are using or you consider that there are other more profitable options.
6.6 Choose the CRM based on your expertise
There are many different types of CRM, and while many of them are general and suitable for use by any type of business owner, there are also others that require a little more expertise.
Similarly, while some customer management programs are easy to install, others require a more expensive installation by professionals. You can even find CRM in the cloud, so that you don't have to install anything and use the online servers provided by the program itself.
All these aspects you will have to take into account when choosing the software you are going to use, as it radically changes its ease of use and the results you will get, both in your relationship with customers and in all marketing automation processes.
If you are thinking of managing your database with a CRM like Hubspot you can contact nothingAD Digital Marketing Agency. We will perform an analysis of your business, recommend the CRM that best suits you and use it to significantly improve your interaction with customers, your database management and the effectiveness of your next marketing campaigns.
When looking for success in a business or a company, efficient management is the most important element, and CRMs are, nowadays, one of the best ways to achieve it.
Every business needs to have a database to be able to control the relationships it has with its customers, but it is not always easy to manage them correctly because they can contain a lot of data. To avoid chaos, it is best to know what a CRM is, what it is for and how it can benefit your company.
2. What is a CRM and what is it for?
In a nutshell, a CRM is a customer management software, whose name comes from the acronym for Customer Relationship Management.
With these digital tools you can easily manage the databases you have with the basic information of your customers in order to avoid mistakes and to be able to give each one a much more personalized and better quality treatment.
3. Why my company needs a CRM
In general, every company that has a customer database needs a CRM, because otherwise the task of managing it would become impossible. The businesses that have been using this software for the longest time are those that handle a higher volume of customers, such as hotels and companies in the tourism sector, but in general any type of business can benefit from using a CRM.
Using a CRM for customer relationship management is an ideal way to make work much more efficient, getting more benefits for much less effort.
4. The functions of a CRM for companies
A software designed for customer management in a company has several utilities that are worth knowing. Each software will allow for different features, although all marketing CRMs have several features in common in terms of their operation:
4.1 Easy access to information
By using a CRM, the first thing that is facilitated is access to user information. This is especially useful if you have a large volume of customers, since locating them one by one would be an impossible task, especially if they are not permanent, but rather temporary.
4.2 Better internal communication
Another of the immediate improvements that your company will suffer if you start using a CRM will be in internal departments. Most CRM software for companies can be installed on different devices and register different types of users, thus creating a useful and intuitive infrastructure.
4.3 Develop better marketing strategies
One of the biggest advantages of using a CRM as a business strategy is the ability to query and analyze customer purchase data to understand customer trends and anticipate customer decisions.
With a marketing automation CRM you can turn complex market analysis into simple calculations derived from the data automatically extracted from the tables you have. This functionality will not only save you a lot of time, but will also allow you to improve your next marketing strategies, increasing your sales and profits in the future.
5. CRM examples
There is no point in talking about theory without going into practice. There is a large number of software programs designed to help companies, but only a few of them are really useful.
First of all, it is necessary to talk about the different types of CRM that exist, since each one is designed for a specific type of business:
5.1 Collaborative CRM
In this type of software, communication between departments and interaction with the customer is enhanced, especially useful for companies that want to offer a more personalized treatment and a much more flexible internal work dynamic.
5.2 Analytical CRM
This type of CRM is more focused on marketing and the design of advertising campaigns. Its main functions are mainly aimed at data analysis, which also allows to offer a personalized treatment to the customer, but at the same time indicates all the data on purchasing trends that can be useful for launching new offers, products or services.
5.3 Operational CRM
Halfway between the two previous ones is the operational model. With this type of CRM you can establish direct contact with the customer, although less interactive than the collaborative one. On the other hand, you have the ability to analyze data, but with less depth than the analytical one.
Within these categories there are several real examples of CRM solutions for companies.
The best known operational CRMs are Sugar CRM, Sales Force or V Tiger. Among the collaborative CRMs you can find brands such as Zoho or Nelis, and among the analytical ones, No CRM and Pipedrive stand out, among many others.
However, there are also more customizable solutions, which can also be used free of charge and online. This type of CRM is generally the most recommendable, as it is very flexible and adapts perfectly to different business models.
NothingAD recommends Hubspot CRM because it has proven to deliver fast, secure and effective results. Hubspot is a software designed to fulfill different Digital Marketing tasks, so it is the perfect tool if you are looking for a simple way to improve the efficiency of your business through greater control of your customer database.
6. How to choose the right CRM
Choosing a CRM is not always an easy task, because there are many options available and many details to pay attention to.
What is clear is that your company needs a CRM, because without this type of software you will not be able to manage large databases and you will lose a lot of efficiency. The main question is which one to choose. To find out you can take into account the following tips, which will help you make the smartest choice.
6.1 Be clear about your objectives
The first step in knowing how to choose the right CRM is to know what you are trying to accomplish with the software.
A hospitality company will not need the same type of functions as a local business selling products of any kind, so you will need to explore what advantages the different programs available can offer you to find out which one suits you best.
6.2 Evaluate your customer relationships
Another fundamental question to ask yourself before choosing a CRM is how it can help you improve your business in its current state.
Are you having trouble managing your database? Are you looking for a more personalized relationship with your customers? Do you want to improve internal dynamics and communication between departments? Each software is different, and you will have to know what aspects you need to improve in order to make the best choice.
6.3 Consider your budget
Some CRMs are paid, or have paid functionalities, so another aspect you will have to take into account is money.
The profitability of a CRM software can be measured by the ratio of what you spend to the money you earn from using it, which is not always easy to calculate. If it helps you earn enough to cover expenses and make more profit, it's a good choice. If not, you are better off with free software.
6.4 Listen to other users' reviews
The opinions of other business owners who have used these CRMs before are very useful. Usually these reviews give you a rough idea of what disadvantages you can find in some software and what are its main benefits. Remember that customer feedback is where you can really see if a CRM works or not.
6.5 Analyze your results and change if you need to
Software does not have to be a lifelong decision. It is clear that some involve a somewhat higher initial investment, especially if they are very specific software that requires an expensive installation.
The cheaper ones, or free CRMs, allow you a bit more flexibility. You can test, analyze your results during the first few months and change software over time in case you don't like the one you are using or you consider that there are other more profitable options.
6.6 Choose the CRM based on your expertise
There are many different types of CRM, and while many of them are general and suitable for use by any type of business owner, there are also others that require a little more expertise.
Similarly, while some customer management programs are easy to install, others require a more expensive installation by professionals. You can even find CRM in the cloud, so that you don't have to install anything and use the online servers provided by the program itself.
All these aspects you will have to take into account when choosing the software you are going to use, as it radically changes its ease of use and the results you will get, both in your relationship with customers and in all marketing automation processes.
If you are thinking of managing your database with a CRM like Hubspot you can contact nothingAD Digital Marketing Agency. We will perform an analysis of your business, recommend the CRM that best suits you and use it to significantly improve your interaction with customers, your database management and the effectiveness of your next marketing campaigns.