Capture more customers with CRM software

Understand customer relationship management software and its benefits for your business.

Businesses spend a lot of time, effort and money on marketing to find new customers, improve brand awareness and increase sales. But the most successful companies are those that don’t forget about existing customers and go above and beyond to keep them. Could you do this too?

One way you can do this is by bringing in customer relationship management (CRM) software. Thought of as one of the most important parts of a business' toolbox, it might be the answer you’re looking for. But what exactly is it, how does it work and why should you invest? Read on to find out.

What is CRM software?

As the name suggests, CRM software acts like a customer and prospect database, and can be used to manage relationships to improve customer loyalty. How can this help your business? By storing all customer details in one central, secure place and keeping track of your interactions with them. This lets you easily streamline processes and look back at important information – all to help improve the service your business offers.

How does it work?

There are six key features CRM tools offer that can help your business:

Storing customer information

All the latest information about customers is stored centrally, securely and in compliance with GDPR. You and your team can access and update it at any time.

Handling customer interactions

A CRM system doesn’t only collect information. It helps you make use of all these insights to personalise your approach. It can also inform your follow-ups, based on the information saved in the database.

Email tracking

Some CRM systems can be integrated with email providers – such as Outlook and Gmail – so you can sync client emails and get a complete view of your customer comms.

Making team collaboration easier

A CRM platform can create a single up-to-date database that all team members can access. So, if customers regularly interact with multiple people from your company, having a CRM system allows you to easily keep track of all conversations.

Marketing automation

Some CRM platforms let you automate simple tasks, which can save you valuable time. For example, it can automatically send emails or publish social media posts, at times set by you.

Manage your sales team

A CRM system can be a handy tool to help you track productivity across your sales team, if you have one.

Why you may want to invest?

Every time you speak to a customer, or follow up with a lead, you learn something new and valuable. By digitising this information, you can easily access this vital data, and protect your business against data protection laws - which jotting down information on paper, or an unsecure computer document won’t protect against.

CRM software makes this a problem of the past. Plus, it consolidates all communications – from calls and texts to emails and meetings – letting you easily update and share records and get instant access to the latest information. As a result, you can create experiences designed entirely around customer insight. And this personalised approach will naturally encourage them to keep coming back, giving you a growing base of repeat customers.

While CRM software usually requires some form of investment, it’s an essential resource if you’re looking to turn customer data into collectable and actionable insights. And this is a powerful asset for any business looking to make the most of interactions with customers to help make decisions that will attract new customers, while increasing loyalty.

If you think you need some extra support on deciding whether CRM software is right for your business, or if you’re looking for more tips on increasing your online sales through your website and customer relationship management, our expert V-Hub Business Advisers are ready and waiting to help.