How you can manage your business more effectively with a cloud-based Customer Relationship Management application
A good customer relationship management system can reap rewards for both the business and its customers. Here, we list the Top 3 benefits of a cloud CRM system.
Customer relationship management (CRM) systems are vital to today’s businesses, both in terms of internal management and monitoring external relations with customers. They are not only important in bridging the gap between sales and marketing teams, they’re also crucial in improving relations with customers. Strengthening bonds client-side can help your business market its products and services more successfully, which in turn should lead to enhanced customer satisfaction and, ultimately, increased profits.
Many businesses will be used to old school, ‘on-premise’ systems and will be hesitant to upgrade to a newer, and arguably easier, way of doing things. If you’re thinking of taking the plunge and investing in a cloud-based CRM, it’s important that you understand the benefits the right system will offer your company.
Anywhere Accessibility
Staff often need to access customer information while they’re on the go. With most on-premise systems, the representative needs to be logged in to a company device to find what they’re looking for. Here, the benefits of a cloud CRM system come into play. A good cloud CRM system is extremely accessible across a multitude of devices and operating systems, regardless of where you’re working. If different offices need to share information, the Cloud can connect them easily.
Security
In terms of security, most cloud systems benefit from military-level encryption, which will keep valuable customer data safe. This isn’t always the case, though. As the decision maker, you need to read the vendor’s user agreement in full to see just how the cloud provider looks after your information. But if you choose not to invest in a cloud CRM, your system won’t automatically upgrade to tackle new security threats, or be scaled up or down in line with your business’ changing requirements. The shared responsibility of running a cloud system may well be more attractive to businesses that want to outsource much of the hard work that’s typically involved in setting up and maintaining customer management systems.
Cost Control
Subscription-based cloud services make managing costs much easier. Companies don’t necessarily want to spend lots of money on a CRM system so often prefer paying monthly, whether at a fixed flat rate or per user. This pricing model is flexible and requires much less commitment than a pricey on-site system.
By moving into the Cloud, IT overheads are reduced and upfront costs are much lower. Data is held virtually, so you don’t have to pay for the space that a large server would take up in your office. This is also a much more environmentally friendly and energy-efficient way of storing data, as it means you’re using less energy and paying next to nothing in terms of servicing and maintenance costs.
Finally, your business will benefit from the more rapid deployment of cloudware. As opposed to the lengthy development of new on-site premises, cloud hosted CRM implementations could take as little as a few days to set up. Many cloud vendors offer training services as well, so your staff can adapt to the new system in a matter of hours.
Conclusion
Customer relationship management systems in the Cloud offer a wide array of possibilities and allow you to reach out to your customers more effectively. In turn, this flexible and much more efficient way of handling customer data should translate to profits, certainly in the early days. If monitored correctly, it could go on to serve you and your business in a far more convenient way than any other system promises to.
