{"id":70057,"date":"2022-11-22T12:52:09","date_gmt":"2022-11-22T19:52:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.act.com\/how-small-businesses-are-using-crms-today-to-win-more-customers\/"},"modified":"2023-03-21T10:49:14","modified_gmt":"2023-03-21T17:49:14","slug":"how-small-businesses-are-using-crms-today-to-win-more-customers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/products.act.com\/en-gb\/how-small-businesses-are-using-crms-today-to-win-more-customers\/","title":{"rendered":"How Small Businesses are using CRMs today to win more customers"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"illustration<\/p>\n

Building relationships with customers is essential for small and midsize businesses (<\/span>SMBs<\/span>) today. Customer expectations have shifted from fair <\/span>pricing<\/span> and quality service to personalised interactions, proactive service, and a seamless experience across multiple channels.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Eighty percent of customers<\/span><\/a> say the experience a company provides is just as important as its services and products. This makes managing customer relationships and experiences vital for increasing revenue and brand loyalty.<\/span><\/p>\n

Customer relationship management<\/span> (CRM) software<\/span><\/a> helps <\/span>small businesses<\/span> manage interactions with potential and existing customers to provide a consistent, personalised experience. The beauty of a CRM is that it can be customised to fit perfectly within any business’s <\/span>workflow<\/span>. With its many features, it can do much more for your business than simple <\/span>spreadsheets<\/span>. Here’s a look at how <\/span>small businesses<\/span> use CRMs and why you should upgrade.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Eighty<\/p>\n

Why a CRM is important for small businesses<\/span><\/h2>\n

A CRM stores client and <\/span>customer information<\/span> like purchase history, specific contact information like birthdays and anniversaries, financial demographics, and purchasing preferences. It provides a comprehensive view of your customers so you can maintain engaging and consistent interactions.<\/span><\/p>\n

Your customer base is one of your biggest assets, so it deserves a lot of attention. When implemented correctly, the return on investment (ROI) of <\/span>CRM software<\/span> can be<\/span> more than 245 percent<\/span><\/a>. But, managing customer and client data can be challenging as businesses grow because increased revenue comes with more buyers to manage.<\/span><\/p>\n

Fortunately, a CRM can scale as your company grows, making it easier to manage data and engage with customers for a personalised touch that boosts brand loyalty and turns buyers into big fans. <\/span>CRM software<\/span> allows you to establish a long-term relationship with customers because you can learn everything about their behaviors and needs and offer a seamless <\/span>customer experience<\/span>. Engaged customers are also more likely to return and recommend your products and services to friends and family.<\/span><\/p>\n

What are the benefits of CRM for small businesses?<\/span><\/h2>\n

\"How<\/p>\n

Spoiler alert: You\u2019ll find that the right <\/span>CRM system<\/span> makes running a business much easier. Here\u2019s how it can help yours.<\/span><\/p>\n

Improve customer satisfaction<\/span><\/h3>\n

Because <\/span>CRM software<\/span> helps record all <\/span>customer interactions<\/span> and organise the data, you can customize their experience and provide more support. You\u2019ll learn their preferences, any issues they had, and past purchases they\u2019ve made.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Learning as much as you can about your customers can help you anticipate problems before they happen so you can fix any issues before they negatively impact the buyer\u2019s experience.<\/span><\/p>\n

Grow your business<\/span><\/h3>\n

CRM solutions<\/span> provide the tools <\/span>small business owners<\/span> and <\/span>sales reps<\/span> need to identify <\/span>potential customers<\/span>, increase revenue and grow. The right software helps you manage all communications in one place so you can manage more data, improve <\/span>sales productivity<\/span> and scale effectively.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Data organisation & management<\/span><\/h3>\n

To increase sales and revenue, you need to analyse <\/span>customer information<\/span>. That can be downright frustrating when the information you need is in multiple places. The <\/span>best CRM<\/span> for a <\/span>small business<\/span> integrates with software you’re already using like QuickBooks or Calendly, gathers data from these multiple touchpoints, and helps you store and analyse <\/span>customer information<\/span> all in one<\/span> place.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The right CRM helps you make informed decisions with customised dashboards and reports that provide accurate and meaningful data and insights. You don\u2019t need to worry about miscalculations or faulty data because the software does the analysis for you. Plus, you can personalise the dashboard to your needs and automate regular reports to gain more insights.<\/span><\/p>\n

Streamline team communication and collaboration<\/span><\/h3>\n

The COVID-19 pandemic forever changed the way we do business. Many <\/span>small businesses<\/span> now have employees that work remotely. <\/span>CRM features<\/span> help team members communicate and work together in one dashboard with the information they need in a centralised location.<\/span><\/p>\n

Optimise your marketing<\/span><\/h3>\n

The best CRM solutions integrate with <\/span>marketing automation<\/span><\/a>, a powerful <\/span>marketing tool<\/span> that helps you create cost-effective and aligned sales and marketing strategies so you or your <\/span>marketing team<\/span> can satisfy your customers’ needs. Marketing automation enables you to send automated messages to your leads and customers at prescheduled times and share online promotions, company announcements, new content, and helpful resources all of which improve brand recognition and <\/span>customer retention<\/span>. Plus, with <\/span>marketing automation<\/span>, you can easily <\/span>segment<\/span> clients so they only see the promotions they want and discover and you can easily gauge which ones bring in more money than others.<\/span><\/p>\n

How do small businesses use CRM?<\/span><\/h2>\n

\"how<\/p>\n

Fortunately, there are several <\/span>all-in-one<\/span>, cost-effective CRM and <\/span>email marketing<\/span> software platforms that meet numerous <\/span>small business needs<\/span>. Their combined powerful <\/span>functionality<\/span> makes <\/span>implementing<\/span> them a worthwhile investment for today\u2019s <\/span>small businesses<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But <\/span>small business CRM<\/span> is much more than a system to store data; it can help you qualify your leads for a more effective <\/span>sales process<\/span>. This software can also automatically prompt you to engage at the right time to ensure <\/span>marketing campaigns<\/span> are successful.<\/span><\/p>\n

Small business owners<\/span> are currently using <\/span>CRM software<\/span> to <\/span>streamline<\/span> their processes, customer engagement, and forecasting in numerous ways, including:<\/span><\/p>\n