Web Based CRM Simplified

To many people web based CRM is not a familiar term, this article provides an introductory guide to CRM systems and the unique benefits offered by Web Based CRM programs.

Lets start with the basics, what exactly is a CRM system? Put simply CRM stands for customer relationship management. So software designed to help you better manage customer relationships. This is quite a simplistic explanation, as you’ll learn many Web Based CRM packages offer so much more.

Many Web based CRM systems include features such as web integration, forecasting and document management. There are even a select few Web based CRMs that also incorporate inventory management and accounting together into the one solution. These systems are arguably the number 1 choice as they allow you to manage all your business affairs of your business from the one system,preventing duplicate data, lost records and enhancing communication.

This brings us to the next point. What is the difference between a web based CRM and more traditional CRM options?

In the early days of customer relationship management software people mostly used desktop solutions. So a system that was installed in an individual computer to store and manage your client data. Those systems worked just fine if you had a one person sales team but anything more than that and things got tricky. Due to the individual nature of desktop solutions sharing data between team members became problematic and keeping the data up to date was a continuous struggle.

As a result many companies made the switch to internally hosted CRM systems. Internally hosted CRM systems are exactly that, customer relationship management systems that are hosted on an internal company server. This gave sales teams the means to access the central system from their individual computers. This removed many of the communication issues and duplicate data but raised a host of other issues.

Internal servers are often very costly to set up and maintain. Internal Servers are often more unreliable, leading to down time (when the system and data is unavailable crippling you’re workforce) and potential for data loss. Additional problems can arise depending on the particular software involved and how regularly it is updated. Unfortunately many internally hosted CRM providers do not include updates in their yearly licensing fees, so many businesses end up paying top dollar for software that is years out of date.

As a result of improving internet service and the trend towards mobile (or outsourced) workforces a new type of CRM system began to emerge, known as Web based CRM. web based CRM systems are hosted online by your CRM provider. With a Web Based CRM you can access your data from anywhere in the world, all you need is an internet connection and your secure user name and password.

Your web based CRM provider takes care of the hosting and it forms part of your monthly fee, so there is no need for expensive server equipment and maintenance. Web based CRM systems are also more reliable as they host your data at state of the art data centers. Which include peerless security, strict back up procedures and climate control to prevent server downtime.

One of the greatest advantages is that most web based CRM providers include updates in their monthly fees. So you will always have the most up to date software. Giving your business the opportunity to take advantage of the advancements in CRM software without having to pay any extra. This is important as CRM systems are moving ahead at lighting pace. Simply having a CRM isn’t enough to stay competitive. You need to have the right CRM.

Tags: crm systems, Customer Relationship Management, hosted crm, internally hosted crm, web based crm

This entry was posted on Sunday, July 10th, 2011 at 7:47 pm and is filed under CRM Software. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.