What is the best CRM software? What's the best web / cloud / saas CRM?

Keith,

A lot of people ask that question and it is not confined to just CRM applications. There are a lot of good software solutions both on premise and cloud based to choose from today. That is the good news. The bad news is that there are a lot of good software solutions to choose from. Henry Ford may have had it right when he said: “Any customer can have a car painted any colour that he wants so long as it is black.”

What is right for one organization does not necessarily mean it is good for another. While most businesses operate similarly, each has some unique needs that are met better by one solution or another.

What we have found consistently, is that the solution that is most tightly integrated or is actually built into your Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solution is best, even if it has less features. Minor tweaks to customize an integrated system are better than trying to fit a square peg in a round hole.

The efficiencies of having a unified database for suspect, prospect, customer conversion, reduced keying/rekeying, and reporting typically outweighs the latest bells and whistles. Real information presented in real time is an asset to decision makers.

The ability to aid customer service and marketing by post sales follow up enabled by an integrated system is a feature most stand alone CRM applications lack. Most will help on the front end of the sales process (marketing), but because of the lack of integration few can help you be proactive in post sales (customer service). For example, thank you for your recent order of… you may find these complementary items beneficial as our other customers have, here is a coupon for you next purchase, etc.

Automation and integration should be at the top of the list of core components when looking for a solution. You can have the most comprehensive system in the world, but if it takes too many steps, especially manual steps, then the software has missed the mark for your organization.

Feel free to contact me, if you would like to bounce some ideas back and forth. There is not a lot of detail in your message about what you want to accomplish other than configurability of the solution.

Regards,
Michael