CRM solution for small-business supports online activity

September 15, 2015 Ken Jacobsen

CRM solution for small-business supports online activity

How can businesses coordinate all of their online materials?

Even the smallest company is now online. A business can’t function well in the modern world without a website providing information to consumers. Multiple online platforms allow companies to be seen in competitive industries, and marketers have to create content for an ever-growing number of social channels. In this way, advertising and customer support are reliant on omnichannel communication.

No matter how a company interacts with customers or business partners, the tools that facilitate communication have to work together. A centralized data system ensures all customer service representatives, marketers and managers distribute the same information to an online audience. Microsoft Dynamics CRM is a CRM solution for small-business that use email, social media and many other digital platforms and programs.

Cross-platform marketing
A small-business marketing team must use all available platforms to reach every possible consumer. Wired Innovation Insights said customers appreciate diverse promotional materials. A company may reach a possible client through images, humorous messages or informative videos, among many other approaches.

Diversity can lead to confusion if the materials are not based on specific business goals or deliver different information, however. Marketers use content management systems to coordinate messaging and create uniform communications. Marketing Advisor recommended companies link their CMS and CRM solutions.

Microsoft Dynamics CRM tracks performance of current clients to create standards for optimum care. Client performance presents an image of company success that should be communicated to possible leads through all channels. CRM software demonstrates which methods of conversion were most successful so they can be redeployed, as well as which tactics did not generate the best results so they can be redesigned.

Comparing client conversions and marketing campaigns is important to measuring the success of online content. CMS Critic suggested click counts and other online visitor tracking metrics should be fed into CRM software to gauge the success of various campaigns. Visibility of operations is one of the primary benefits Microsoft Dynamics CRM provides.

Tracking data from cross-channel promotions creates a clear picture for future decisions and content generation. Websites, emails, banner ads, online videos and infographics all speak to a small business’s goals and brand.

Omnichannel customer support
Customers turn to Twitter and Facebook for business communications. If consumers want to log a complaint or offer some praise, they visit a company’s social media page before they attempt to make a phone call.

Recently, the Aberdeen Group performed a survey that found omnichannel communication is essential for modern customer care and most companies are falling behind in the eyes of consumers. Businesses offering customer support through phone, email, social media and text achieve 91 percent greater year-over-year growth in client retention rates compared to those with limited contact options. They also see substantial increases in profit margins per customer and customer lifetime values.

While more companies offer multiple options for support, most customers are unhappy with current omnichannel consumer care performance. Sixty-one percent of respondents said they can’t easily switch from one channel to another when communicating with a company. Having to start over every time they contact a business is one of the primary concerns, as 89 percent stated they had to repeat themselves and it caused stress.

Microsoft Dynamics CRM-supported customer service ensures every business representative has access to a client’s full data history. Every time the customer makes a phone call, sends an email or posts a message to a social site, the software is updated to reflect the customer’s issues or preferences. A centralized information source prevents key interactions from going unnoticed and facilitates a growing relationship. When customers contact a company, they can pick up right where they left off, no matter what platform they use.

Consistency is essential to a company as it stretches out across the Internet. All operations built on a CRM data platform branch out from the same source. When a small business sends out messaging or receives contacts, it has the tools needed to deliver uniform, quality communications.

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