Forums: Discussions for entrepreneurs and small business.

I recently had a web designer do an objective evaluation of our website and he made a very interesting comment which I would like to vet here in the forum.

The comment was to the effect: "You do not explain what CRM or Customer Relationship Management is on your web site. Most small business people have heard of the term but don`t really know what it means."

What are your thoughts; should we put a lot effort into modifying our web site to explain in general, or in detail, what CRM is and why a small business should be interested in it?

I look forward to your feedback.

Kregg

Kregg
If your target is small business, then it`s what most of your site should be about. I think you need to spell out exactly how a real business benefitted from this, with a before and after example.

How are people trained? Imagine an office of 14 people where none of them have ever experienced enterprise software before.  How would this be introduced? The software might be simple, but how do you change people`s work patterns?

also... i think you need to address the cultural issues of a small business  compared to a large business. Small business employes will rebel against being boxed into a `system`. That`s why they work at a small business. How has this issues been overcome by your customers.

It certainly can be added as a subsection within the forums.  However, there are more issues than mastering CRM.  StartupNation is just that.....starting and growing....not seminars on how to sell and develop relationships with customers.  CRM is important, but CRM is an acronym.  What was once computers became information management became information systems, and now information technology.  It`s all the same.

Stick with what you got.  It`s just fine.

-------------------------

Anyone heared about infustionsoft CRM manager pro?

Hi Meny,

I had not heard of Infusion before you mentioned them but I`ve done a quick analysis of the product based only on what I can extract from their web site, which is pretty comprehensive. Here is my report.

It seems like an extremely good product if you are looking for an all-in-one CRM, ecommerce, and high volume outbound marketing campaign management solution. They have a very impressive list of customer testimonials. They offer both an inhouse and hosted solution. They have a vertical solution for mortgage brokers as well as a more horizontal solution for general business.

They have just about every feature under the Sun for CRM including an auto-responder for automated email campaigns, support for direct mail, and even voice broadcasts. You can capture leads directly from your web site, and they have a built-in shopping cart, quotation and invoicing system. They even have support for multi-level affiliate programs and commission calculators. They have built in web mail and you can track clicks through your web site to report on who is clicking where. Of course they cover all the basics as well, contact managment, lead distribution, sales opportunity tracking, activity mangement etc. It is quite impressive.

On the other hand, learning to use all these features and all the integration required to make them work together will probably take some concerted effort on your part. I see that they offer lots of training including webinars, videos, and even a dedicated account manager. This indicates that extensive implementation assistance, self guided, and vendor guided training is required for you to become proficient and productive with the product. I doubt it is the kind of product you just sign up for and start using right away.

From a price perspective, it looks like the hosted solution is in the mid-range. About $300 per month isn`t bad if you have 30 users. If you have only 5 users, it is pretty close to salesforce.com pricing. If you have less than 5 it is a lot more expensive than the entry point of salesforce which is still around $65 per user per month. Probably too high for most small businesses.

Based on what I have learned about your business from your web site, and your earlier comments that you are looking for an entry level system, and find both salesforce.com and Infusion to be expensive, my objective view is that Infusion is probably much more than you need right now. I would suggst you look for something in the $9 - $10 per user price range that is simple, straightforward, easy-to-use and doesn`t require a lot of training or implementation time. You should look for something that will allow you and your team to be productive quickly. There are systems that cover all of the basics, and some of the more advanced aspects that Infusion covers, albeit perhaps not in as much depth, that are in the $9 - $10 per uer per month price range. Let me know if you need help locating one.

I hope this helps.
Kregg

CRM is the abbreviation for customer relationship management. CRM entails all aspects of interaction a company has with its customers, whether sales or services. CRM is often seen as a business strategy that enables businessesto.

-------------------------

Pet Supplies