Discovering The Basics Of Web Based CRM

Web based CRM can be a mysterious beast, even to tech savvy business owners.

Let’s start with the basics, what exactly is a CRM method? Put fundamentally CRM stands for customer relationship management. So it is program engineered to help you better manage client relationships. This is a simple explanation, as you'll discover lots of Web Based CRM packages offer much more.

So moving onto the next point. What are the differences between Web Based CRM & more traditional CRM options?

Lots of Web based CRM systems include additional features such as web integration, business forecasting & document management. You may even get 'total solution' systems which have CRM capabilities, stock management & accounting all rolled up in to a neat small package. These systems are arguably the most efficient choice as they let you manage all of your business affairs of your business from the method, preventing duplicate knowledge, lost records & enhancing communication.

In the early days of CRM development the most often used solutions were desktop systems. Desktop CRM are systems that installed on an individual method (such as a desktop or laptop computer computer) to store & manage your client knowledge. Those systems worked fine in case you had a person sales team but anything over that & things would start to get messy. These systems were (& are) like any other application you store on your local computer, there was no way to share knowledge between team members & keeping the knowledge up to date became a constant struggle.

As a result lots of organizations made the switch to internally hosted CRM systems. This is CRM application hosted on an internal server. This made it simpler for companies to be positive all sales team members were kept in the loop, as they could access the same knowledge from the centralized method from their own computers. This eliminated a lion’s share of the communication issues & duplicate knowledge although raised a whole host of other issues.

Internal servers are often expensive to set up & maintain. They are often more unreliable, leading to down time (when the method & knowledge is unavailable crippling you are workforce) & potential for knowledge loss. Additional issues can arise depending on the particular application package you use & how regularly it is updated. Regrettably lots of internally hosted CRM providers do not include updates in their yearly licensing fees, leaving companies paying top dollar for outdated application.

Due to improving net speed & the trend towards mobile (or outsourced) workforces a fresh type of CRM method began to emerge, Web based CRM. These are systems that are hosted online by your CRM provider. With a Web Based CRM you can access your knowledge from anywhere in the world, all you need is a web connection & your secure user name & password.

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

In addition most Web Based CRM systems include updates in their every month fees. This means that you will always have the most up to date application at no additional cost. This is important as CRM functionality is moving ahead in leaps & bounds. Fundamentally having a CRM is not to stay competitive. You need to have the right CRM.