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This article will explain in detail what the benefits of cloud-based CRM system are. The content of the article is of high quality, so the editor will share it with you for reference. I hope you will have some understanding of the relevant knowledge after reading this article.

A high-quality CRM system can not only help you easily save all the information you interact with your business, but also enable everyone on the team to access the latest information, help solve specific problems in the customer or customer relationship cycle, focus on customer retention and drive sales growth.

Today we will focus on the new trend of CRM systems, cloud-based CRM systems. Talk about whether the cloud CRM system is a gimmick or a real value for enterprises.

What is a cloud-based CRM system?

The CRM system, which dates back to the mid-1980s and 1990s, originated from the contact Management system (CMS), a software used to store and retrieve contact information. As the focus of enterprises begins to shift from simple contact list to managing and improving the relationship with contacts, contact management has gradually evolved into customer relationship management.

There are two main types of CRM systems available to enterprises:

The on-premises CRM software is a CRM system hosted on the company's own server, which requires the purchase of hardware, software, and software licenses to install and must be regularly updated by the onsite IT team to ensure that the system is secure and up-to-date. Internally deployed CRM software is highly customizable, but maintenance is costly and time-consuming.

A cloud-based CRM system stores all the data it contains on a remote server (that is, the cloud) operated by the hosting company. The provider of the CRM system is responsible for software installation and updates, as well as backup, hardware maintenance and security.

The first cloud-based CRM system in history is Force.com, which was launched by Salesforce in 2007. Since then, cloud CRM system has received more and more attention because of its flexibility and convenience. If your company is still using traditional on-premises CRM systems and is considering switching to the cloud, take a look at the following.

Cloud-based CRM systems have seven benefits:

1) anytime, anywhere access

Because the server is cloud-based and not limited to a specific office or location, you can access cloud-based CRM systems anytime, anywhere, using any device. This kind of access is also more compatible with modern ways of working, because a large part of modern people's work is done on the road or outside the office. Accordingly, it also means that in order for international teams from different countries and different time zones to access CRM systems anytime, anywhere, all data should be centrally stored and updated in real time.

Cloud-based CRM systems allow employees from multiple departments to easily manage their customer relationships in a central location. If the team member is not in the office, you can also use the mobile device to access the CRM system and follow up the key leads in a timely manner.

2) affordable-especially for small businesses

Internally deployed CRM systems incur a large number of related costs, such as initial software and hardware purchases, subsequent upgrades and maintenance, and so on. These costs are difficult for small businesses to bear. As a result, cloud IT systems that do not require large threaded CRM teams are ideal for enterprises with small budgets or limited resources.

The main cost of cloud-based CRM systems is subscription fees. The cost of most subscriptions depends on the number of users who need to access the system, but it does not rule out the possibility that some vendors will charge a uniform fee, usually on a monthly basis. It is worth noting that cloud CRM vendors also provide system maintenance and upgrades free of charge.

3) Rapid deployment

Investing in new marketing technologies is often a long process, which requires weighing the pros and cons of different solutions, building business cases, contacting all interested parties, and finally getting superior approval. After doing all this work, you must want to start and run the software as soon as possible.

Cloud-based CRM systems can be set up easily and quickly, even for large enterprises. Because it doesn't need to interrupt the existing infrastructure or take the time to install complex hardware, it just needs a valid Internet connection and login, and sometimes it may have only one APP.

It certainly takes time to train employees to use the new software, but cloud-based CRM systems give priority to ease of use and accessibility because they are designed for enterprises, out of the box, and adapted to their specific needs.

4) easy to upgrade

As mentioned earlier, an internally deployed CRM system requires a dedicated IT team to work on site to perform security upgrades or other fixes, which is expensive and time-consuming. Cloud-based CRM, by contrast, is much simpler and can be updated or upgraded by downloading from the cloud.

5) easy to expand or shrink

If the scope of operation of the company changes and the previously suitable CRM system suddenly becomes unsuitable, the enterprise can expand its CRM system up or down to meet the demand. Internally deployed CRM systems are limited by the hardware that enterprises can purchase and install, but cloud-based CRM systems do not, and they can pay for enough capacity in the cloud to accommodate data input growth.

6) ability to integrate data from other sources

Cloud-based CRM systems can integrate information from other sources, whether it's customer information on other systems, or discussions and events on social media. This is exactly what enterprises need, and they want to be able to integrate customer service information into their CRM systems to avoid understanding gaps when interacting with customers across multiple contact points.

In addition, some surveys have found that it is very valuable to integrate ERP data into CRM systems, including day-to-day business activities such as accounting or project management. As more and more systems turn to the cloud, special cloud integration tools are used to share data among systems, so that customer relationship management can benefit from the information of the entire enterprise.

Social CRM refers to the integration of social media channels and CRM systems, allowing companies to build relationships with customers on certain social channels. Social CRM systems don't have to be cloud-based, but the real-time updates of cloud CRM complement social media.

7) reliable

If the hardware of the internally deployed CRM system fails, it may cause a large-scale interruption in the daily operation of the business, and even lead to the loss of critical data. But one of the main advantages of cloud CRM systems is that data can be automatically backed up to the cloud, so that it can be easily retrieved and recovered in the event of system failure.

Of course, the cloud CRM system itself may have problems, so the general cloud CRM system will implement a backup server to ensure the normal operation of its customer business. Enterprises can also sign SLA agreements with suppliers, and both parties agree on obligations and rights.

So much for sharing the benefits of cloud-based CRM systems. I hope the above can help you and learn more. If you think the article is good, you can share it for more people to see.

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