CRM (or Customer Relationship Management) systems have been around for some time, and their popularity and functionality continues to grow. Companies have understood the importance of developing a customer oriented targeting and maintaining strong communication with your customers.
Now, you might think that a CRM system is only for large companies with a large number of customers. Or that a CRM system is simply too expensive for a small business to use and maintain.
The truth is that a CRM system can benefit and add value to businesses of all sizes. Read on to find out why CRM is a plus without thinking for your business.
What is Ecommerce CRM software?
Customer relationship management refers to the strategies, technologies and systems that companies use to manage and analyze customer interactions and data throughout their lifecycle.
A CRM system helps businesses track their interactions with customers across multiple channels, such as email, social media, phone calls, or personally meeting.
The ultimate goal of a CRM system is to improve business relationships with customers, assist in customer retention, and drive sales growth.
Ecommerce CRM software enables a company to accurately and intelligently manage customer relationships through the various stages of a business relationship. This means that CRMs essentially give you an overview of your relationship with a given customer at any given moment, as well as tools to help you manage that relationship.
How does Ecommerce CRM work?
E-commerce CRM systems work by collecting and organizing data from various customer touch points. This may include data from sales, marketing, customer service and social media interactions.
The system then uses this data to create a comprehensive profile of each individual customer, providing businesses with valuable insights into their preferences, behavior and needs.
The global CRM software market is expected to reach $57 billion by 2025 (Source: Statista)
Why you should use CRM for eCommerce
If you’re wondering, “Do I need an eCommerce CRM?” the answer is a resounding yes. Here are five reasons why adding a CRM to your small business can benefit your eCommerce success.
Improve customer retention
This is usually what is advertised as the first feature of a CRM. CRM systems help you collect and analyze customer data, making it easier to spot customers who might not stick around or leave early.
Instead of waiting for a customer to stop buying from you, a CRM can help your small business proactively reach out to those customers and provide them with solutions, thereby retaining customers.
Sales growth
Along with improving customer retention rates, implementing a CRM system can also increase your small business’s revenue.
With a CRM system, you can dig into customer purchase history to find happy customers and connect with them for leads cross- or upselling opportunities at the perfect moment.
Improve team communication
Nowadays, your employees can work remotely in different locations. Despite the popularity of video calling, it can be difficult to communicate important customer information across departments and keep your small business on top of everything that’s happening with your customers.
An effective CRM system helps support communication between your employees by tracking your company’s interactions with each customer. This allows each employee to get an accurate picture of the brand’s relationship with the customer and feel confident interacting with them.
Centralizing customer data helps the sales team get on the same page for smoother operations
Increase customer satisfaction
With the amount of competition in today’s market, consumers are paying more attention to what sets one company apart from the rest. For small businesses, this can often mean putting more emphasis on relationship management and keeping customers happy than simply providing a service or selling a product.
CRM systems collect data and information to give you an overview of the state of your relationship with a given customer. This can help you determine when to reach certain customers with a specific message. For example, you can send a customer satisfaction survey after a customer makes a large purchase.
When customers know you are paying attention to their needs, they are much more likely to be satisfied in their business relationship with your business.
Reduce waste
Coordinating and tracking customer data and information across departments within your business can be complex, leading to duplication of work and wasted resources. When you add telecommuting and online hosting of the most digitized customer information, simplifying work can become even more challenging.
A CRM system can reduce waste and increase efficiency by automating some processes and workflows, such as sending specific email templates to certain customers at different stages of the sales process.
CRM systems also reduce duplicate work and human error, giving your employees more time and resources to focus on work that cannot be automated or requires human contact.
Factors to consider when choosing a CRM for e-commerce businesses
When choosing a CRM system for your e-commerce business, there are several factors you should consider:
- Easy to use: Select the CRM that is user friendly and easy navigation for all employees, including those who may not be technically proficient.
- Integration with existing systems: Make sure the CRM can integrate with your current e-commerce platform and other software tools used in your business.
- Customization options: Look for a CRM that lets you customize fields, workflows, and reports to meet your specific needs.
- Scalability: Consider whether CRM can grow with your business as it grows and acquires more customers.
- Pricing plans: Compare different price plans and choose one that fits your budget and offers the features you need.
- Customer service and support: Look for a CRM provider that offers reliable customer service and technical support to help you with any issues or queries you may have.
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8 Best CRMs for Ecommerce Businesses
Here are some popular CRMs that are recommended for eCommerce businesses:
- Salesforce: Popular on the cloud A CRM known for its customizable features and integrations with various platforms.
- HubSpot: Offers a comprehensive set of tools for marketing, sales and customer service, all within one platform.
- Zoho CRM: HAS user friendly and an affordable option with a wide range of features and customization options.
- Pipe drive: Focused on sales pipelines and lead generation, making it ideal for small businesses.
- Freshworks CRM: Offers Powered by AI automation, advanced analytics and multi-channel communication capabilities.
- Pipeline CRM: Known for its visual interface and easy customization options, it is ideal for businesses with complex sales processes.
- EngageBay CRM: Offers a range of features including marketing, sales and support automation, all within one platform.
- CRM capsule: A simple yet powerful CRM tool that tracks the people and companies you do business with, your communications, upcoming opportunities and necessary tasks.
Create an automated workflow within EngageBay CRM to communicate with customers via email
Some CRM tools can connect with e-commerce platforms, allowing you to automatically sync customer data from your online store to your CRM system. This makes managing customer information a breeze, as you won’t need to transfer data between your online store and CRM manually.
For example, if you use Ecwid by Lightspeed as your e-commerce platform, you can sync your online store with Hubspot, Zoho CRM, Salesforce, EngageBay CRM, Capsule CRM and more.
Alternative options: E-commerce platforms with Built-in CRM
In addition to stand-alone CRMs, it now offers many e-commerce platforms built in A CRM feature that helps you manage customer data and relationships right within their platform. This option is incredibly convenient because you don’t have to switch between multiple systems and have access to all your store and customer data in one place.
Consider Lightspeed’s Ecwid, a powerful e-commerce platform. It not only allows you to create an online store, but also offers extensive features to grow your sales. One of them is the Customers dashboard, which acts as your CRM tool.
The Customers page offers a comprehensive overview of basic data
When customers make a purchase from your online store, Ecwid automatically sets up a personalized account for them. Later, you can easily group these accounts into categories and target them effectively.
The Customers panel consolidates all of your customer data, including their contact information, purchase history, and more.
Here are a few features you can explore with Ecwid’s built in Customer panel:
- Access and management of customer information: View customer data such as contact information, order history and notes in one place. You can also find, add and edit some customer information.
- Segment customers for targeted marketing: Use advanced filters to segment customers based on purchase history, location, customer group and more. Export your customer list and send targeted email campaigns using your preferred email platform.
- Manage all business tasks from one place: Manage your customers directly in the Ecwid administration, just like your online store. This optimizes your workflow, especially when your team members have access to your Ecwid admin.
For more information on customer relationship management with Ecwid by Lightspeed, see this article:
Building strong customer relationships is paramount to sales – here’s how to get started
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Get started with an eCommerce CRM strategy
With the right eCommerce CRM software, you can effectively manage customer data, personalize communications, and ultimately drive sales and growth for your business. Choose one of the recommended CRMs or explore built in options in your e-commerce platform and start building strong customer relationships that will benefit your company in the long run.
If you are already using Ecwid by Lightspeed as an eCommerce platform, please consider using it built in customer management tool to streamline your processes. Remember, happy customers lead to profitable business!
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