According to a recent report by Deltek, a Virginia-based software company, information technology spending on customer relationship management in the government sector is increasing dramatically this year.
The report is the result of a survey of 638 contractors working in the government IT market. It found that 26 percent of respondents are investing in CRM-based applications. CRM was second only to security and authentication applications.
Choosing the right CRM application can have a major impact on your company. A review of CRM implementation by the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania found a savings of $20,000 annually. And the private sector has long understood the value of CRM.
But knowing which CRM application is right for you can be difficult. And for those organizations already using CRM technology, knowing when to switch to a new service can be tricky.
For years, Act! CRM solutions have been the leader in the industry since Act! essentially invented contact management software back in the 1980s. But today, a number of companies are seeing positive results by migrating to Zoho an award-winning web-based CRM. Zoho CRM lets users manage sales, marketing and support efforts from a single system. Here are three benefits of migrating to this innovative software.
Cloud-Based
Zoho CRM is completely cloud based. It integrates with several other cloud-based applications including the suite of Google Apps and syncs with QuickBooks and Outlook. Since it is cloud-based, it offers a number of mobile features which means users don’t have to be chained to their desks or even a laptop. The CRM application can be accessed on the go from mobile devices like tablets and even smartphones.
Up-to-date Technology
Act! is outdated in a number of ways when compared to Zoho, which offers several more modern features. These include competitor tracking, sales quotas and feeds. The feeds feature turns your CRM into a kind of social network, allowing users to follow certain activities or records and add comments. This kind of social format is more intuitive for users as it mirrors the kind of interface most people working with newer technology are accustomed to. And, it allows for easier communication because comments can be traced back to specific events or records easily. Internal and external communications no longer need to be conducted through separate email or messenger channels and can be done directly through the software.
Marketing Functionality
While it’s true that many CRMs are equipped with marketing automation tools, these solutions don’t all offer the same options and quality. Zoho offers a number of marketing automation tools, which include email templates, mass emailing ability, an email campaign manager, and the ability to transfer web leads directly into your Zoho CRM. And they offer increased connectivity with features that streamline the marketing to sales process. With the email campaign functions, users can invite prospects to visit trade show booths and schedule follow-up emails. Users can keep track of email open rates, clicks, and bounces. After events are over, users can move new leads to sales teams using drip campaigns. Zoho CRM helps marketing teams manage campaigns more efficiently and pass on quality leads to sales teams. And the marketing automation tools ensure that each marketing campaign delivers better results. Zoho CRM lets users set budgets, assign ownership to tasks, and measure the success of each campaign conducted.
These benefits exemplify why many companies are switching to Zoho. In its first year on the market, more than 12,000 business worldwide adopted the CRM solution. The company reports their average customer enables 16 applications for their business, using Zoho to replace tools from other vendors. And last month, Zoho announced a series of new updates, promising the CRM solution will be better than ever.
Treehouse Technology Group is helping companies embrace new and improved technologies. We’ve worked with several companies to migrate their data to the latest software applications, ensuring they’re always taking advantage of the most innovative solutions. If you’re interested in utilizing these new tools and want to work with a company with a successful track record, contact TTG for a free consultation. We specialize in helping companies develop robust solutions best suited for their specific business needs.