Unlock the true potential of your business with powerful cloud based CRM software from the world’s leading CRM vendors.
So What Is This Cloud Thing Anyway?
Since the beginning of the internet revolution three decades ago, server-based software played an integral role in shaping the software industry as we know it today. Services that we practically grew up with such as Hotmail, AOL and ICQ were all early implementations of software that does not need to live on our physical machines in order for us to use it.
Such implementations slowly evolved out of the realm of consumer services and into the fertile fields of the enterprise. And in order for these business-oriented software services to sell, it needed a catchy name, a buzz word that would stick. That is when the “cloud” came to be. No one is sure how the term came to exist, but the most plausible explanation is that the internet is generally illustrated as a cloud in network diagrams. And since these business implementations of remote software tend to live in the internet, well you get the idea.
So in short, software that lives in remote servers and is offered as a service to users is what is collectively known as cloud-based software, or software that lives in the cloud. In today’s world, every conceivable software solution from simple accounting solutions to massive enterprise resource management platforms are available as cloud-based services.
Cloud Based CRM Software
The software cloud for businesses actually has its roots in customer relationship management. The earliest wide scale implementation of cloud-based software for businesses came to life as a response to the growing need for agility and speed in sales and marketing management. It offered several crucial advantages to businesses who went with cloud based solutions, particularly to small and medium businesses. Many of these advantages are what make cloud-based software so appealing in general, such as:
Reduced Costs: Deploying a cloud CRM solution is significantly simpler than a traditional on premise installation. Setup and support are significantly easier and thus take up far less time and resources, thus lowered costs. Additionally, the provider shoulders the overhead of maintaining the platform and its infrastructure, which is a significant cost saving for any business.
Centralized Management: Regardless of the size of the business deploying a cloud CRM, the entire feature set of the platform can be managed from a single online location. Whether it was a small business of a few employees to a multinational enterprise branching across the cities of several continents, management of such a platform is as easy as logging onto Facebook.
Mobility and Increased Productivity: Reduced learning curves and simple multi-device access mean that employees can quickly get up to speed with this new platform and become productive from anywhere that has an internet connection.
The Best Cloud CRM Software
Because of the myriad of cloud CRM solution available in the market today, choosing the right one for your business can be a daunting task. In the world of CRM, there isn’t a one size fits all. However, the solutions we have chosen for you below represent the best cloud based CRM software available in the market today and contain the core features that all businesses can benefit from.
Bpm’online: Bpm’online is the platform of choice for us on this list. We believe it to be the top contender in the world on cloud based CRM software and is one of the best cloud based CRM software platforms available in the market today. It boasts a rich and comprehensive feature set that is suitable for businesses of any size and industry. This diverse feature set is delivered to its users through an intelligent and very user friendly interface. One of the reasons it stands out is the way it achieves a perfect balance between user friendliness and complexity.
The user will feel that they are using a capable platform with ease and confidence. Its diverse feature set includes everything you would expect to see in a modern cloud CRM platform, including real time dashboards, personal and team KPIs, workflow management, process templates, standard and custom reports, visual reporting, process automation, advanced user management, business intelligence and sales forecasting. The platform is mobile ready and can be easily extended with its powerful integration capabilities and custom workflow designer, powered by an award winning process engine. In short, this solution is our go to solution for any business looking for a solid competitive advantage in today’s crowded marketplace.
ZohoCRM: Zoho CRM is a robust web based CRM platform that also offers more than what a traditional CRM platform offers. At its core, it focuses extensively on contact and lead management, but does not skimp on the rest of the functionalities you would expect to find in a modern CRM platform. It includes additional features such as an extensive social media module for businesses that rely on social media channels for lead generation and engagement. Other features include lead qualification templates, process automation, sales forecasting, order and account management. Like Bpm’online, it also boasts a powerful API for integrating with other platforms to enhance the desired functionality. The process engine is not as advanced as the one offered with Bpm’online, but it does pack enough power to meet any sales scenario desired by businesses of any size. Mobile readiness is one of the best we have seen for online CRM platforms.
Salesforce: Salesforce is one of the first vendors to offer a cloud based CRM solution in the market and as such is one of the more recognized names in the market. It offers a wide and diverse feature set that can be tailored to meet individual and unique business requirements through its Force platform. It includes features such as sales management, partner and channel relations management, marketing automation, process templates, real time dashboards, mobile readiness and many more powerful functionalities. It is one of the most customizable and integratabtle platforms on our list. However, it is worth noting that significant coding experience is required to customize this platform to maximize it to its full potential. It is also the priciest app on our list but it does offer significant return on investment, so you get what you pay for.
