Tips on Selecting the Right Communication & Engagement Platform for your Small Business
Digital Transformation for Small Business
Every entrepreneur wants to grow their business and attract more customers. Your business needs to digitally evolve just as quickly as technology is evolving. This process of transforming operations within your business is called digital transformation.
According to MIT Sloan and Capgemini, “90% of CEOs believe the digital economy will impact their industry, but less than 15% are executing a digital strategy.”¹ A CRM, or customer relationship management system, adds an essential layer of personalized human interaction that many modern-day digital strategies lack. A CRM or customer relationship management system works to automate processes, drive customer retention & engagement, and grow a business.
This fundamental layer of personalized human interaction is even more critical for small businesses that have fewer staff members and typically fewer resources than large corporations. In today’s world, customers have the luxury of shopping around and weighing factors like cost, customer service, convenience, time, and reputation when making their purchase decision. Investing in CRM software is the key to fighting the competition and delivering a better customer experience.
What is a CRM for Small Business & Is It Worth it?
Every growing business should have a CRM or similar software at the heart of it. If you’re running a small business and are looking to grow, you might wonder what is the best CRM for small businesses and if it is a worthwhile investment.
One of the unique challenges of a small business is the limited number of team members who work in the office and manage day-to-day tasks. A small business usually functions with one or two team members handling front office tasks and the approach is more hands-on and personal.
The large variety of day-to-day operations could include accounting, billing, appointment reminders, scheduling, answering phones and checking voicemails and emails, greeting walk-ins, marketing, reputation management, employee relations, and filing papers. Task automation is at the core of a CRM system and investing in one can cover many of these daily responsibilities.
Is a Customer Relationship Management Solution a Better Fit for Your Needs?
Investing in a CRM that can automate day-to-day tasks will save time, and money while also freeing up staff schedules. This automation will bring fewer headaches and improved working conditions.
As mentioned in episode two of Weave’s Podcast, The Happy Practice Playbook, happy employees are 12% more productive. If you think about that percentage over 4 quarters, you can start to see how beneficial it is to invest in software that will keep your employees happy so your customers can have a better experience.
To determine if CRM software is a better fit for your needs or if your business needs something different, examine these eight factors. Keep in mind the needs of your specific business and what exact features you would benefit from.
8 Factors when Choosing the Best CRM for Small Business
1. Runs on all of your electronic devices
The best small business CRM will be cloud-based and able to run on your devices no matter where you are. Your CRM software should also update automatically so your team can remain on the same page even if you are out of the office. If you have multiple offices, ensure your CRM system can manage multi-locations.
Provides payments reports and speeds up collections
With the right CRM, your small business can get paid faster. Payment reports can help with accounting, forecasting, marketing, sales pipeline, and keeping track of which customers might need additional reminders. This tool also creates cost transparency for customers when they can get a digital bill right after their visit and pay it with ease.
2. Delivers customer insight reports automatically
Generating customer insight is at the core of what CRM software is designed to do. From the first touchpoint with a customer, a CRM system will begin managing and organizing all of the data about the customer. This creates deeper insight into customer behavior and helps your team have more effective interactions with them.
One important thing to keep in mind is the process of integrating a CRM with your existing software. Look for a reliable software system that can integrate seamlessly and organize your customer details in one central spot. Doing so will dodge data loss so you don’t have to ask loyal customers for information they have already provided.
3. Makes your small business more customer-centric
Making your small business more customer-centric means that your operations are centered on improving customer relationships and driving customer retention. At every stage in the customer lifecycle, your business should seek to improve that journey and a CRM system is a critical tool for doing so.
Weave Helps Streamline Business Communication
" We have been using Weave as our office phone system for about 3 years now and we love it! It integrates seamlessly with our software and constantly updates. We use the text feature all day long. {Clients} love being able to text back and not have to answer a phone call. I highly recommend this system "-Barb Paz.
Schedule Demo4. Provides easy-to-use capabilities
There’s no point in investing in software that your team can’t navigate. To be an effective CRM for small businesses, the navigation and usability should be simple and stress-free. If CRM software isn’t simple to navigate, your staff will have to spend more time on the phone with customer service and support.
5. Turns manual tasks into automated processes
Automated processes equal crucial time-saving for your team. Many of the manual and repetitive processes that are involved with running a business don’t necessarily require employee involvement. Task automation improves productivity and streamlines your team’s workload.
6. Schedules more clients in less time
With scheduling automation, your team isn’t limited by the number of phone calls they can answer throughout the day. With packed schedules, your office can stay busy and generate more revenue. Customers are also happier when they can be taken care of promptly and don’t have to wait on front desk workers who are tied up with phone calls.
7. Increases profitability
The decision to invest in CRM software isn’t always an easy one. For many small businesses, cost and ROI are the main hesitations when investing in a CRM. Like any digital strategy, there will be a cost involved in implementing the technology. However, the selling point is that the proper CRM tool will increase profitability and bring in more business, thus covering the extra cost of the software.
8. Assists with marketing automation
Many small businesses want to invest in mass marketing communication but don’t have the tools or insight to start. A CRM tool will usually provide tools to automate marketing tasks such as emails, texts, newsletters, review generation, and more. On average, every $1 spent on email marketing, can generate $38 of new business. If your business is pushing marketing to the side, now is the time to invest in software that can automate these tasks.
FAQ’s
1. When should small businesses implement a CRM?
Deciding to invest in a CRM is a tough decision and there isn’t a black-and-white timeline. However, the longer you implement a CRM, the more effectively it can work to generate customer insight, organize data and grow your business.
2. Do I need to find a CRM that will work with existing software?
Yes. CRM integration is key to not only picking the right CRM software but having it work effectively. Before choosing a CRM, look at the integration process and ensure essential software that houses customer information can integrate with the software to create one central hub.
3. How much is a small business CRM?
The cost of a CRM solution will vary depending on which one you invest in and what the billing cycle looks like. While many popular CRM systems bill on an annual cycle, the most convenient and affordable option for small businesses is to pay on a monthly basis. A month-to-month contract means there are no long-term commitments and you can feel comfortable knowing you can cancel anytime, hassle-free.
4. How many small businesses use a CRM?
According to Fit Small Business website, 91% of companies with 10+ employees use a CRM. In the next few years, this number will continue to increase as more and more small businesses are leveraging the power behind task automation.
Running Your Small Business with Ease
To begin integrating with a CRM system, ask yourself what tools you need to attract more customers and make daily tasks more manageable. Although Weave has many of the components of a traditional CRM, it is not a CRM.
Weave’s unique product offering is the ideal tool for many small businesses that need a single, unified platform for every customer interaction. Weave is more accurately described as a patient engagement system or PES. A PES empowers small businesses to attract, engage and retain customers and offers a communication and collaboration platform that can integrate with most patient management systems.
Weave gives your small business the most beneficial tools of a CRM with specific features designed for a small office and the unique challenges they face. To see how Weave can transform your small business and improve customer service and engagement, click here and schedule a demo.
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