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29 Essential CRM Features For Business Success

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A comprehensive guide crafted to empower you with the knowledge and tools to elevate your business operations. As a seasoned CRM expert, I'm excited to share insights into the 29 essential features that can drive efficiency, productivity, and success for your business. Throughout this guide, we'll explore each feature in detail, highlighting its benefits and providing real-world examples to inspire and educate.

Section 1: Communication Enhancement

Effective communication is the cornerstone of business success. In this section, we'll explore six powerful features that will elevate your communication strategies and enhance your relationships with clients.

2-Way Text & Email Conversation: Seamlessly communicate with clients through text and email within a single platform.

Benefit: Real-time conversations facilitate prompt responses, leading to enhanced customer satisfaction and loyalty. For example, an estate agent can instantly respond to client enquiries about property listings, improving customer experience and closing deals faster.

GMB Messaging: Integrate Google My Business messaging to manage customer enquiries directly.

Benefit: By responding to inquiries promptly, businesses can build trust and credibility with potential customers, ultimately increasing conversion rates and revenue. For instance, a restaurant can quickly address customer queries about menu options and reservations, leading to more bookings and positive reviews.

Web Chat: Embed a chat tool on your website for instant communication with visitors.

Benefit: Provide immediate assistance to website visitors, leading to higher engagement and conversion rates. For example, an e-commerce store can offer live chat support to help customers with product enquiries or checkout issues, reducing cart abandonment and increasing sales.

Facebook Messenger Integration: Manage messages from your Facebook page directly within your CRM.

Benefit: Centralise communication channels and streamline customer interactions, leading to improved efficiency and responsiveness. For instance, an online retailer can easily respond to customer messages and enquiries on Facebook, strengthening brand loyalty and driving repeat business.

Missed Call Text Back: Automatically send text messages to missed callers.

Benefit: Capture missed opportunities and follow up with potential leads, increasing conversion rates and revenue. For example; Ever experienced the frustration of missing a call from a potential patient seeking dental care? Imagine a bustling dental practice, where appointments fill the schedule and patients seek relief from toothaches and treatments. In the midst of this activity, one missed call could mean the difference between gaining a loyal patient and losing them to a competitor.

Learn more about our missed-call text-back service

Text To Pay: Simplify the payment process by sending payment requests via text message.

Benefit: Offer convenient payment options to customers, leading to faster transactions and improved cash flow. For instance, a service-based business can send payment requests via text message for invoices or appointments, reducing friction in the payment process and enhancing customer satisfaction.

Section 2: Online Presence Management

Maintaining a strong online presence is essential in today's digital age. In this section, we'll explore five features that will help you manage your online reputation, engage with your audience, and drive traffic to your website.

Reputation Management: Monitor and manage online reviews to build trust and credibility with potential customers.

Benefit: By responding to reviews promptly and addressing customer feedback, businesses can improve their reputation and attract more customers. For example, a car dealership can respond to google reviews, automatically on CRM platforms like MyDigiVA, showcasing excellent customer service and encouraging future bookings.

GMB Call Tracking: Gain insights into calls made through Google My Business listings.

Benefit: Understand customer behaviour and preferences, allowing businesses to optimise their marketing efforts and increase ROI. For instance, a plumber can track calls from their GMB listing and identify which services are most in demand, enabling them to focus their marketing efforts on those areas.

Social Planner: Schedule and automate social media posts across platforms to maintain a consistent online presence.

Benefit: Save time and streamline social media management, allowing businesses to focus on creating engaging content and building relationships with their audience. For example, a fashion retailer can use a social planner to schedule posts showcasing new arrivals and promotions, keeping followers engaged and driving traffic to their website.

Blogs: Create and manage blog content to establish thought leadership and drive organic traffic to your website.

Benefit: Position your business as an industry expert and attract potential customers who are searching for relevant information online. For example, a marketing agency can publish blog posts offering tips and insights on digital marketing trends, showcasing their expertise, and attracting leads who are interested in their services.

Communities: Foster online communities to encourage customer interaction and brand loyalty.

Benefit: Create a sense of belonging and community among your customers, leading to increased engagement and loyalty. For example, a business coach can create a private group, within a CRM for members to connect, share accountability tips, and support each other on their business journey, ensuring a strong sense of community and loyalty to the brand.

Section 3: Sales and Marketing Support

Driving sales and marketing efforts requires strategic planning and execution. In this section, we'll explore six features that will help you generate leads, nurture prospects, and close more deals.

Opportunities: Track and manage sales opportunities to prioritise leads and optimise conversion efforts.

Benefit: Identify high-potential leads and focus your sales efforts on closing deals with the greatest ROI. For example, a software company can track opportunities in their CRM and assign them to sales reps based on factors like lead score and buying intent, increasing efficiency and effectiveness in the sales process.

Email Marketing: Create and distribute targeted email campaigns to nurture leads and drive sales.

Benefit: Stay top-of-mind with prospects and customers, increasing brand awareness and engagement. For example, an e-commerce store can send personalised email campaigns to customers based on their purchase history and browsing behaviour, promoting relevant products and increasing repeat purchases.

Funnels: Develop and manage sales and marketing funnels to guide prospects through the buying journey.

Benefit: Utilising funnels within your CRM offers a focused and streamlined user experience, guiding potential customers towards conversion with clear calls-to-action at each stage. Unlike traditional website pages with distractions, funnels keep visitors on track, reducing friction in the decision-making process. For instance, a digital marketing agency can use a funnel within a CRM, to lead website visitors through a step-by-step process, from signing up for a free consultation to eventually becoming a client. This targeted approach increases engagement and conversions by providing personalised messaging and optimised paths to conversion.

Triggers: Set up automated triggers for various actions within the platform.

Benefit: Streamline processes and reduce manual effort, allowing businesses to focus on high-value activities and strategic initiatives. For example, a car dealership can set up triggers to automatically assign leads to sales reps based on predefined criteria like geographic location or depending on vehicle type, like new or used, increasing efficiency and ensuring timely follow-up with prospects.

Campaigns: Create, manage, and track multi-channel marketing campaigns to reach and engage your target audience effectively.

Benefit: Drive brand awareness and lead generation across multiple touchpoints, increasing visibility and engagement with your target audience. For example, a retail store can launch a multi-channel campaign promoting a new product launch, using email, social media, and paid advertising (all within their CRM) to reach customers at different stages of the buying journey and drive conversions.

Affiliate Manager: Manage affiliate marketing programs to expand your reach and drive sales through strategic partnerships.

Benefit: Leverage the power of affiliate marketing to reach new audiences and generate revenue without the upfront costs of traditional advertising. For example, an e-commerce store can partner with influencers or bloggers to promote their products to their followers, increasing brand exposure and driving sales through affiliate commissions - All within their CRM.

Section 4: Administrative Efficiency

Efficient administrative processes are essential for business productivity. In this section, we'll explore seven features that will help you streamline your operations and improve efficiency.

Invoice Management: Generate and manage invoices within the CRM platform.

Benefit: Streamline the billing process and improve cash flow management, leading to faster payments and improved financial stability. For example, a freelance graphic designer can create and send invoices directly from their CRM, ensuring accuracy and timeliness in billing their clients for services rendered.

Calendar: Utilise an integrated calendar system for scheduling appointments, taking payments, meetings, and reminders.

Benefit: Improve time management and organisation, ensuring that important tasks and deadlines are not overlooked. For example, a plumber can use the calendar feature to schedule client appointments, set reminders for project milestones, and allocate time for business development activities, increasing productivity and efficiency in managing their schedule.

CRM: Implement a comprehensive CRM system to track interactions, manage leads, and nurture customer relationships.

Benefit: Centralise customer data and streamline communication, enabling businesses to deliver personalised experiences and drive customer loyalty. For example, an accountant can use the CRM to track client VAT deadlines, schedule account reviews, and follow up with account submissions, leading to faster deadline closures and increased customer satisfaction.

Further CRM Reading: Click on the text title below.

·         What is a CRM

·         Downside of using cheap CRMS

Forms: Create custom forms for lead generation, surveys, and feedback collection.

Benefit: Gather valuable insights and data from customers and prospects, informing business decisions and improving the customer experience. For example, a marketing agency can use forms to collect information from website visitors interested in their services, allowing them to tailor their marketing efforts and follow up with qualified leads more effectively.

Surveys: Collect valuable feedback and insights from customers through survey tools.

Benefit: Gain a deeper understanding of customer needs and preferences, enabling businesses to make data-driven decisions and improve their products and services. For example, a restaurant can use surveys to gather feedback from diners about their dining experience, identifying areas for improvement and ensuring that customer expectations are met or exceeded.

Trigger Links: Use special links to trigger specific actions or automations.

Benefit: Automate repetitive tasks and streamline processes, saving time and resources for more strategic initiatives. For example, a marketing agency can use trigger links in email campaigns to automatically add subscribers to segmented lists based on their interests or behaviour, ensuring that they receive relevant content and offers tailored to their needs.

SMS & Email Templates: Utilise pre-designed templates for SMS and emails, with a CRM, to save time and ensure consistency in communication.

Benefit: Streamline communication workflows and maintain brand consistency across all customer touchpoints. For example, a dentist can use email templates to send appointment confirmations, prescription notifications, and promotional offers to customers, ensuring a seamless and professional communication experience throughout the customer journey.

Section 5: Web Development Tools

A professional and functional website is essential for establishing credibility and attracting customers online. In this section, we'll explore one feature that will help you create and manage your online presence seamlessly.

Websites: Create and manage professional websites within the CRM platform.

Benefit: Build a strong online presence and showcase your products or services to potential customers, driving traffic and conversions. For example, a small business owner can use the website builder feature to create a mobile-responsive website with an intuitive drag-and-drop interface, eliminating the need for technical expertise and costly web development services.

Section 6: Workflow Automation

Automating repetitive tasks and processes is key to improving operational efficiency. In this section, we'll explore one feature that will help you automate workflows and streamline your business operations.

Workflows: Automate repetitive tasks and processes to increase efficiency and productivity.

Benefit: Reduce manual effort and human error, allowing businesses to focus on high-value activities and strategic initiatives. For example, an automotive company can use workflows to automate MOT reminders, maintenance requests, and vehicle renewals, ensuring that critical tasks are completed on time and customers receive timely assistance. This will also result in dealership efficiency, by reducing service technicians downtime, and ensuring maximum uptime.

Did you know?

Most businesses that come to us, say that they WASTE around two hours a day on repetitive tasks, winning new clients, and retaining existing customers.

This may not sound much, but that's around 500-hours a year! If we look at this closer, and imagine we have an administrator or salesperson doing these tasks, on an average of £20 per-hour, that's around £10,000 of unproductive resource.

If you'd like to learn more on how we can save you some time, book a FREE discovery call

Section 7: Membership and Engagement

Building a loyal customer base is essential for long-term success. In this section, we'll explore one feature that will help you nurture customer relationships and foster brand loyalty.

Memberships: Manage membership programs to provide exclusive benefits and content to members.

Benefit: Encourage repeat business and customer loyalty, driving revenue and advocacy. For example, a fitness studio can offer membership perks such as discounted classes, exclusive events, and personalised 1:1 workout plans, incentivising members to stay engaged and committed to their fitness goals.

Section 8: Analytics and Reporting

Data-driven decision-making is critical for business success. In this section, we'll explore one feature that will help you gain valuable insights into your business performance and make informed decisions.

All Reporting: Access comprehensive reporting tools to analyse business performance across various metrics.

Benefit: Gain valuable insights into customer behaviour, sales trends, and marketing effectiveness, enabling data-driven decision-making and continuous improvement. For example, a retail store can use reporting tools to track sales by product category, identify top-selling items, and optimise inventory management and pricing strategies accordingly.

A reporting suite from within a CRM can pull data from Google Ads, Facebook, third-party integrations, webpages, forms, and calls that give you a complete 30,000ft overview of your business.

Section 9: Proposal and Quote Management

Efficiently managing proposals and quotes is essential for closing deals and securing new business. In this section, we'll explore one feature that will help you streamline your sales process and increase conversion rates.

Proposals & Estimates: Generate professional proposals and estimates within the CRM platform.

Benefit: Impress prospects with personalised proposals and accurate estimates, increasing credibility and trust. For example, a construction company can use proposal templates to create detailed project proposals with cost breakdowns and timelines, showcasing their expertise and professionalism and increasing their chances of winning lucrative contracts.

Conclusion:

With these 29 essential CRM features from , you can transform your business operations and drive sustainable growth. Each feature offers unique benefits and capabilities that, when utilised effectively, can propel your business to success. This can save around 500-hours a year (costing around £10,000).

Whether you're looking to improve communication, streamline administrative tasks, or enhance sales and marketing efforts, our CRM is a powerful tool that can help you achieve your goals. 

If you'd like to learn more on how we can save you some time, book a FREE discovery call

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