Customer relationship management (CRM) has never been as popular, and early movers into the area can pat themselves on the back for their foresight. However, one thing many of those early adopters will need to address is the possibility that they may need to upgrade their on-premise CRM system to a cloud CRM system.
Access on the go
On-premise CRM certainly has its advantages. However, in a more mobile world where people need data and information on the go, cloud CRM is often the better option. Unlike traditional forms of CRM, cloud CRM allows real-time updating online, through any device connected to the web and your CRM system.
Targeting the right customers
Cloud CRM allows you to differentiate between your customers and sell particular products to those you feel may be interested in them. CRM takes all the information you have, from online sources to your sales ledger, and brings it together. It stores and compiles it, then slices and dices your data into lists of customers who meet certain criteria.
This significantly lowers labour costs, particularly for smaller businesses, and gives everyone across your business an idea of the situation with each client. Because cloud CRM is always up to date, people on the road can check up-to-the-minute information about a client on their iPad before going through the client's door. As you can imagine, this has numerous advantages.
A complete view of every contact
Cloud CRM lets you keep track of everyone in contact with your business, from the person who makes a 20-second customer services call to those you meet for a two-hour meeting. It integrates its own parts and your existing tools, and is essential for anyone looking to take CRM seriously and reap its benefits.
Lower cost and more flexibility
On-premise CRM often costs a lot of money to introduce and then to maintain. Cloud CRM is usually held on a remote cloud server, and all maintenance is performed by the hosting company. Businesses just pay a monthly fee for the service. They can add or remove services by simply contacting the host company. This flexibility saves money and ensures you only use the services you need.
On-premise CRM takes a lot of foresight, as businesses need to plan for growth and account for additional costs up front. With a cloud CRM system there is no need for this. You simply sign up for new services as and when they are required.
Insight from your data
The great thing about cloud CRM is that it lets you take into account a wide range of information, and it is great for working the sales or support cycle from prospect to finished product. Simple one-click actions give you all sorts of detailed information and unparalleled insight into your customer data.
Cloud CRM, online CRM and SaaS CRM
Cloud CRM, online CRM and web-based CRM all mean the same thing: CRM software you use through a web browser, hosted by your supplier rather than on your own servers. When it is sold as a monthly subscription it is also called Software as a Service, or SaaS CRM.
theCRM is available as cloud-based Software as a Service, hosted in a UK data centre accredited to ISO 27001. All customers get their own database instance and fully managed upgrades, so you can also have theCRM deployed on-premise on your own network and get updates scheduled with your team. See UK hosted cloud CRM or on-premise CRM to compare the two.