Magento is a popular choice for merchants due to its flexibility, great customization and ability in product management. This also means that Magento stores a lot of customer data.

Magento is a platform that can handle large stores but it doesn’t focus on marketing. To do next-level marketing, a Magento CRM platform plays an indispensable role. Integrating a CRM system in an online store is a great way to get countless benefits.

• Automate sections of your sales funnels to maintain strong customer relationships

• Increase data sharing between members of the sales and marketing departments

• You can also organize client data efficiently to improve sales performance

It can be difficult to choose the right CRM platform for your business. We have compiled the most important factors and detailed guidance to help you choose the right CRM platform.

What is Magento’s CRM system?

What is CRM?

CRM stands for customer relation management. is a CRM software that acts as a data center. It stores customer information, contacts customers and shares it with other team members.

CRM software does more than just serve as a customer data center. It helps store owners or marketers manage their business relationships with customers in a systematic way that promotes sustainable growth.

The core functionality of CRM software is focused on two areas.

• You can manage all customer data, organize it and make it more relevant to your needs. This will allow you to be more productive at work.

• Track and analyze customer interactions through many touch points, such as email, social media and search engines.

A CRM system can help you identify leads, follow up on potential customers, and nurture them through your sales pipeline.

Distinguish CRM vs. CMS

Many people are confused when trying to distinguish between the two definitions of CRM and CMS. Let’s take a look at the main differences between them before we move on to the next section.

The CMS, or Contact Management System, is basically a contact list that includes additional features that allow you to effectively manage all content on your site.

• Merchants can use a CMS solution to manage their online store settings, publish content and create new sites.

• A CRM platform offers advanced features that allow you to monitor and track a large number of stores’ contacts, follow up with leads, calculate forecast sales, and provide detailed statistics.

CMS functions more like an online hub if CRM is your customer management center.

Magento CRM Integration and its benefits

Segmentation and better understanding of customers

It’s not difficult as it sounds, but it makes it much easier to build and nurture a strong relationship with your customers when all the information is stored in one place.

A solid CRM system will help you identify exactly who your customers are, and who is still in the dark. Your customers are more likely to engage with you and stay in touch.

Increased supply chain through anticipation of need

The eCommerce CRM platform assists merchants in predicting demand-driven capabilities. This allows enterprises to procure goods based upon customer demand, as reflected in statistics. 

E-retailers can always use sales data to forecast the availability of products based on demand.

It’s easier and more efficient for store owners to project their budget and identify potential areas within the large market.

Competitive advantage

The accuracy and prompt delivery of goods is made possible by automated and coordinated information.

To make your business more profitable, you can streamline all orders to facilitate the distribution of goods. You can also effectively manage prospects and recruit new customers.

Increase sales performance and retention

CRM systems are great because they can reflect the buying habits of customers in detail via:

• Each contact’s purchase history and orders

• Different customer groups’ buying patterns

• They become customers at which touchpoints

These reports will allow you to generate great marketing ideas that can be used to build customer loyalty and increase customer satisfaction. These reports are critical to maximizing sales performance.

What features can you expect from a CRM platform?

A CRM solution should be able to increase growth and improve customer communication, as mentioned previously. Businesses that want to retain customers well-informed and productively use CRM are usually the best choice.

These features will help you decide if a CRM platform is right for your business.

• Contact management tools: This tool is responsible for maintaining all customer information such as name, email address, and phone number. Sales teams are able to segment customers into groups and tailor sales strategies to each customer.

• Automated interaction tracking: A CRM system that is well-built will automatically log all interactions you and your sales team had with customers. This includes phone calls, requests, purchase history, emails, and so on.

• Analytics and Reporting: This system aggregates all of your performance data into easily understood reports that allow you to extract insights and make sales forecasts for the future.

• Deal management: Think about whether your CRM platform will automatically track each customer’s sales process at every stage. This will make it easier for sales staff to keep an eye on each order.

• Automation of workflow: These tools will help you streamline mundane tasks and make your work process more efficient.

How do you choose the best Magento CRM platform?

Step 1: Define your goals

Define your goals

Nobody buys a CRM software system out of sheer panic. Without a financial plan or goals, investing is nothing but throwing money away.

Ask yourself 2 questions:

• Are you looking for a CRM solution?
• If yes, then which problems does a CRM system solve?

In order of importance, list the following goals. These goals will help to determine the best CRM platforms for you.

There are several reasons why a CRM system is important:

• To track leads and lead activity.

• Track and manage the customer base of your business

• For better sales performance, anticipate the needs of targeted customer groups

• Data hubs improve the communication between marketing and sales teams

• Create a custom reporting system that accurately reflects the quantitative data associated with your sales efforts

• Increase profitability and productivity of the business

You will be able to give your money a purpose by setting a clear goal from the beginning. This will reduce your risk and increase the potential for success with your investment.

Step 2: List your requirements in priority order

In priority order, list all of your requirements

Once you have a clear understanding of what you want from a CRM platform it is time to list all the requirements in priority order.

It should be as detailed as possible. This list will save you time and help you estimate your final cost. You can easily and efficiently complete the next steps by defining your requirements.

Here are some things you should do

• Spend some time with your team to create a list.

• You will need to organize all features into two groups, based on their priority: The Must-have Group and the Nice-to-have Group

You might want a feature that records all calls between customers and sales staff. You can now decide whether you want to add it to your must-have list or to remove it based on its cost and necessity.

Step 3: Evaluate the options through compatibility and demo tests

All options available should be considered

It’s easy to create a list of potential CRM platforms if you do your research. Problem is choosing from among the thousands of candidates on your list.

You have many options to help you narrow down your choices and choose the best one.

• Be sure to review the pricing plans and feature list of each CRM platform. Next, request demos from your top three prioritized platforms

• Check that your referable CRM platform is compatible with any other applications. Get in touch with the vendor to ensure that all your contact information can be transferred into the new software.

• Ask your team members to give their opinion on the CRM vendors you have on your short list. These are the people who work directly on CRM systems. It is important to make this clear and allow them to participate in selecting the right vendor.

• It is important to know the strengths and weaknesses of each option.

This step will also help you answer the earlier questions: Which CRM platforms provide features that can help you achieve your final goals?

Step 4: Request customization and training

Ask about customization and training services

Let’s now move on to the next step. Now, ask the software company for information about onboarding and training options.

This is a crucial step as it directly affects the software’s performance. If,

• Your staff doesn’t have the necessary training to use the CRM platform in its entirety.

• Or, the additional cost of training your employees and customizing the entire system is too high

This option should be seriously considered. Although a CRM platform can increase your team’s productivity and efficiency, they are often too complex, especially for novice users.

CRM training is essential. Before you work with a software vendor, make sure you ask about the cost of customization and training.

Additionally, every business has different target customers at different stages in the buying process. This means that customization is possible for you.

Step 5: Take your final decision, and plan the next steps

With the information you have collected and your self-experience, it is easy to choose a CRM platform that suits all of your needs.

It can take time to find the right CRM solution for your business. This is not the end of your journey.

Once you’ve decided which CRM platform you want to use, take down the next steps and a time frame so that the CRM integration process goes smoothly.

What is the cost of a CRM system?

A CRM system can be a smart investment for any business. However, companies must consider the cost when making purchasing decisions.

We have compiled some criteria to help you determine the cost of a CRM System.

• Functionality refers to the number of features you need (for example, forms, emails and integrations, reporting or analytics) in order to solve specific business problems.

• Licenses: A CRM system typically charges you a one-time fee or a temporary subscription depending on the pricing plan that you have chosen.

• Data parsing is the process of integrating your Magento store with your CRM system. This service might be charged by some CRM vendors.

• Training support: All resources provided by the vendor for training employees in this system (managers and accountants).

• Technical support: The refinement of CRM functionality to meet the specific needs of a company (for example, the calculation of tariff plans, accounting control, etc. ).

Cost of CRM solutions varies depending on many factors. For instance, what features you require, how many users you need, which plan tiers you choose, and who your vendor is.

The best Magento CRM solutions: Beyond the basics

• Ask for details about hidden fees – Some providers may offer pricing modules that seem affordable, but in reality charge additional fees. Before you make an investment in a CRM platform, ensure that you have covered all costs.

• You can learn about the different types of CRM. There are no one-size-fits all CRM software. To choose the best CRM software for you, it is important to know your goals. This can be analytical CRM, collaborative CRM or operational CRM.

• Learn more about the vendor. We recommend that you consider top CRM systems by trusted vendors like HubSpot, Salesforce or Zoho. You can be more confident in your investment because the CRM system’s efficiency has been tested by many users.

• Analytical features are worth looking into – A CRM system should not only store customer data but also provide valuable insight into your activities. These features should be requested of software vendors in advance.

• Magento Extension can speed up the CRM implementation. For example, our Zoho CMS Integration can sync all of your store data to Zoho CRM directly from the store backend. These extensions ensure seamless integration between your store system and the CRM system.

• Use GDPR to support your data regulations All backend actions are easier to automate. A free Magento 2 GDPR can be used if your CRM system does not support this feature.

Continue reading: 5 The best CRM software on the market

CRMs in the future

A CRM is a tool that helps you organize the data and places the contacts in a place where salespeople don’t have to search for the contact’s number again.

It helps users manage their sales, marketing, and other operational data in one place.

A CRM system can be a major decision. Making the wrong choice could result in a loss of time and money. To choose the best CRM system for your company, there are many questions that you should answer. This post should help you make an informed decision.

Thank you for reading!