Running an online business? Without the right software in place you could be blindside and missing key areas where you can gain a competitive advantage. The fact of the matter is that ecommerce business owners need to have a properly configured CRM in place if they want to acquire market share. The initial step is to familiarize yourself with the various features that a customer management app provides so you can make an informed decision. Get a head start with the information here, and then conduct some research on your own to make up your mind.

How a CRM Works

A CRM is a piece of software that gives you the ability to effectively manage your relationship with the customer. This is why it is referred to as CRM (Customer relationship management) software. What makes this customer management app effective is the degree of customization you have available to you.

Benefits of Customizing Your CRM

There are numerous benefits associated with customizing your CRM.

• Identifying and exploiting opportunities: By installing special tracking software, the CRM is able to monitor what areas of your website individuals are visiting. While reviewing this data, you will be able to identify trends. By identifying these trends in real-time, you will be able to refine your marketing materials to leverage them.
• Customer support: This feature gives you the ability to address your customer needs from inside the CRM. Prior to the development of this technology you would be required to invest in a third party customer support application. This added cost and additional work which has a negative impact on your earning potential.

By having the customer service managed from within the CRM, you are less likely to overlook a customer support request. You could also leverage the opportunity to inform your customer about the latest promotion your organization currently has in place. This type of “soft selling” is very effective when trying to boost your revenue.

• Inventory control: With this feature, you will be able to effectively monitor your inventory and avoid product shortages. The inventory control application can be configured to send notifications to your suppliers once the inventory reaches a certain threshold.
• Accounting app: Integrating this feature into the CRM gives you the ability to track the revenue coming into the company and what is being expensed out in real-time. With a simple click of your mouse, you can find out whether your online business is turning a profit or suffering a loss.

We have touched on some of the features you can customize on your CRM. The sooner you make these modifications the sooner you can start gaining additional market share. Finding the right CRM system for your online business can be a simple as a Google search. Knowing what benefits CRM has for online retailers first, though, can go a long way in you deciding to take this leap. During your research, make sure you consider pricing, pros and cons, and always take advantage of trial usage offers so you can determine and find the best solution for your online store.