CRMs have become something of a trendy addition to companies. The problem is it’s often the case that these systems are not adopted or used properly. In fact, in one study 25% of respondents said that they had high confidence in their CRM systems, which is an appallingly low number.
It’s partly because many companies don’t know how to take advantage of CRM, but it’s also because most CRM platforms just plain suck.
Let’s look at how you can find one you’ll actually love.
Is it Aimed at Your Industry?
CRM is very different depending on the industry. The average CRM adoption rate is around 47%, with severe fluctuations depending on the industry. The problem is most CRMs are totally generic and don’t come with the features necessary for dealing with your target market.
You should look into specialized CRMs that will adequately address your needs. For example, Ixact Contact is mainly aimed at the real estate market.
With a specialized real estate CRM platform, businesses in this sector can address the needs of their customers in a way more general CRM software options couldn’t.
What’s the Pricing Structure?
Buying CRM software can be so complicated because providers make it complicated. Many low-cost CRM platforms are not always what they seem. They come with an extremely basic dashboard that doesn’t cover everything you need.
Anything else? You have to pay extra for it.
Evaluate the needs of your business and examine whether everything is included in the same pricing structure. Many small businesses make the mistake of going through the implementation period without checking things like this.
How Easy Does It Integrate?
The chances are you already use various tools within your business to accomplish different functions. You need everything to integrate with your new CRM platform.
Sadly, this is rarely the case with many inferior quality CRM platforms. They don’t integrate and it can take a lot of time and effort to make things happen.
Examine compatibility before committing to anything.
Will Your CRM Platform Scale?
The number of small businesses in the US has grown by 49% since 1982, and many of these small businesses will become enterprises in the future.
You need a CRM platform that can scale with your business. Can your CRM platform handle more customers, more data, and larger teams? Believe it or not, many small business CRMs can’t handle this.
Unless you want a major headache later, you must look into the scalability and flexibility of your chosen CRM platform.
Last Word – Should You Take Price into Account?
Now that you know about the main aspects of choosing a CRM platform that’s right for you, you’re likely wondering where price comes into all this.
You should take it into account, but it shouldn’t be your main priority. There are lots of low-cost and high-cost CRM platforms that suck.
Focus on comparing the price to the value you’re getting out of the product.
What’s the main characteristic you look for in CRM software?
