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Q: I am looking for costumer relationship management (CRM) software. All I need is something to stay in touch with customers. Can you recommend the simplest loyalty software?

May 22 2009

Answered by: Chris Lindsay Ask a question

CRM is no longer just an option for businesses. It is becoming a fundamental component for any enterprise, especially during the current economic period when customer retention is vital. The use of CRM enables a business to attract more prospects, manage customers, close more sales and retain clientele for longer.

There are a number of CRM applications and software packages available for small businesses. These include web-based or hosted CRM software, conventional Windows-based software, such as Microsoft Outlook, and open source CRM applications.

Online CRM solutions have a number of benefits, including rapid implementation, ongoing accessibility, lower cost of entry and total ownership and, importantly for small businesses, automatic upgrades to a CRM solution.

Comments [1]

Comment by Mark Kemp

Friday 22nd May 2009

Hi there Chris. You hit the nail on the head with your description of what CRM can do for a business but I think you missed a trick by suggesting an open source CRM application. Yes there are a few open source solutions that are good and they don't cost much but what would benefit the business more is an ongoing support partnership with a software vendor who has experience in implementing CRM, understands the clients needs and can recommend the right solution based on their business objectives. A vendor can also offer a ton of advice on maximising the CRM solution and all good vendors should be able to support a client 24/7. To answer the question about recommending the simplest loyalty software then you cant go wrong with ACT by Sage, GoldMine by FrontRange or if you simply want the best, then Microsoft Dynamics CRM Hosted is available for a little as £35 per user per month.

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