It is important for any business to ensure the stability of work processes and organize high-quality communication with customers. This allows you to remain competitive and guarantee the high quality of your services. To effectively solve these issues, entrepreneurs choose CRM systems that offer a wide range of tools for automating business processes and optimizing sales.
CRM for an online store is a particularly useful tool, as this type of web resource often contains hundreds or even thousands of product categories that need to be structured and regularly updated. CRM helps improve customer focus by ensuring fast order processing and timely feedback. It can also control inventory, keep accounting, track deliveries, analyze metrics, and support other important processes, which we will discuss in detail below.
A CRM system for an online store is designed to optimize business management. However, each platform has its own characteristics, so they require an individual approach to choosing a software solution. In this article, we will take a detailed look at which CRMs best meet the needs of an online business, and provide a selection of tips and criteria for choosing the optimal solution for you.
What functions does a CRM system perform for an online store?
A CRM system is software that automates business processes. For an online store, CRM is an effective tool for interacting with customers and optimizing the work of all elements of the business. Let's take a closer look at what features this system helps improve e-commerce:
- Customer base management. Such a platform is able to store customer contact details and history of interactions with them. This helps to create a personalized approach to customers based on their preferences.
- Electronic document management. CPM automates the creation of invoices, receipts, checks, and other documents necessary for the operation of an online store. Thanks to this, you can spend less time on bookkeeping and be sure not to miss important details.
- Sales Control. The program provides tools for tracking sales analytics: from the first interaction with the customer to the moment of order completion. You can independently manage the sales funnel and adapt your sales offer to the interests of customers.
- Email integration. Email marketing plays an important role in communicating with customers. Thanks to email integration, you can create personalized emails, inform about promotions, and send other useful information directly in the platform.
- Warehouse management. After implementing the system, warehouse management takes to a new level, as it automates all calculations. CRM tracks the assortment of goods, their balances, prices and additional attributes.
- API and telephony integration. CRM can integrate with other platforms and systems, including payment services, accounting programs, call centers, and support services.
- Analytics storage. The owner of an online store needs to monitor a number of analytical data, and thanks to the software, these volumes can be structured. CRM can store information about customers, sales, advertising campaigns, and is also able to visualize them.
Online store CRMs may also have other useful tools and integrations that make e-commerce easier. All of these features can be customized to suit your store’s needs, ensuring that you effectively achieve your business goals.
Benefits of using a CRM system in your business
A customer relationship management platform keeps your business processes organized and running smoothly. Integrating such a tool not only helps you communicate with your leads, but also improves other aspects of e-commerce, thanks to the following features:
- Target audience segmentation is the process of tailoring communication to the needs, interests, and stage of the sales funnel that customers are at.
- Tracking the popularity of product categories, which is useful for building future advertising campaigns.
- Creation of a sales funnel, which leads customers from the stage of familiarization with the product to its purchase.
- Improved customer focus through efficient order processing.
- Reducing costs by automating sales stages and optimizing customer interactions.
- Creating individual offers for each client, taking into account their previous orders and favorite products.
- Generating reports on previous interactions, which facilitates the process of familiarizing new employees with work stages.
- Complete analytics of the quality of production processes: volume of completed orders, customer service time, number of applications on the website, etc.
With the help of the listed CPM capabilities for an online store, you will be able to achieve effective optimization of business processes, expand your customer base, and increase sales.
Criteria for choosing a CRM for an online store
Simply integrating a CRM system into your workflow is not enough, because before that, you need to clearly define the tasks you want to outsource to this software. Most CRMs are paid, so to avoid unnecessary expenses, you should carefully research the functionality of each program and choose the one that best meets your needs.
The number of available software is growing rapidly, and manufacturers are able to offer ready-made solutions for various fields of activity, including CRM for educational institutions, the service sector, retail, online stores, etc. It is important to take into account the focus of the CRM, because if you choose a program with a different specialization, you are unlikely to achieve the desired success.
We recommend paying attention to other aspects, including:
- User-friendly interface and settings. A customer data management program should have a clear structure so that company employees who do not have high technical skills can quickly master it.
- System adaptability. It is important that the program can be customized to suit the needs of the company. You may need to edit documentation or sales funnel stages, so find out in advance if the platform provides such capabilities.
- Useful integrations. An online store requires constant interaction with customers, so CRM should ensure the smoothness of this process through its integrations. Integrations with email, telephony, and various messengers can be useful for this.
- Quality of technical support. In case of difficulties in using the system, it is important that customers can contact technical support who will promptly respond to their requests. Support should solve a variety of problems, including helping with interface configuration and troubleshooting system failures.
Algorithm for testing a CPM system for an online store
If you have decided on a management system for your online store, we recommend that you first test its functionality and interface. Use the following algorithm to ensure you don't miss a single detail when selecting a CPM system:
- Learn the common facts about your chosen software: research documentation, customer reviews, and video reviews.
- Take advantage of the trial period and test the system. During the testing process, try to cover all the features to understand whether they fit your business needs.
- Involve several users and employees in testing. Then conduct a survey to determine the level of convenience and clarity of using the platform.
- Analyze your own experience and collected employee feedback and draw conclusions.
How to understand that it's time to transfer your business to CRM
A study by Khoroshop showed that 83.7% of surveyed entrepreneurs use a CRM system in their business. And this is quite understandable, because it helps to automate a number of business processes and thereby improves the user experience. Since when using an online store, users mostly complain about problems with service and order fulfillment, the implementation of this system is especially useful, because it fully controls all stages of customer service.
A CRM system for online stores is a useful tool for building trusting relationships with customers and optimizing workflows. To ensure the smooth running of these processes, it is important to properly configure the program so that each stage of selling a product is efficient and convenient.
At the beginning of your business development, you can do with manual accounting and keep statistics in a notebook or Excel spreadsheets. However, as your customer base and order volume increase, it becomes difficult to simultaneously ensure the efficiency of processing applications and conduct all the analytics, so you should consider using a CRM system. If you want to take your business to the next level, automate sales, increase profits, and build a loyal customer base, you should choose to implement CRM for your online store.
Top 5 CRMs from a Ukrainian manufacturer
Let's consider a selection of the most popular Ukrainian CRM systems to optimize your business:
Sales Drive
CRM from Sales Drive is a high-quality software for automating the work of online stores. It helps to effectively manage all stages of sales, from communication with customers to accounting. Other features of Sales Drive include:
- Automatic processing of applications;
- Useful integrations, including telephony, email, and instant messaging;
- Document management;
- Cost accounting;
- Warehouse management;
- Generating reports;
- Full access to interface customization;
- Creating advertising campaigns.
Cost. Sales Drive offers a single pricing plan starting at UAH 677/month, which can increase depending on the number of users in the system. A trial period of use is also provided for the first 14 days.
KeyCRM
A multi-industry CRM system from a Ukrainian manufacturer that guarantees increased sales, automatic order processing, analytics collection, streamlined communication with customers, and a number of other benefits. It helps online store owners achieve business goals with the following tools:
- Automated order processing;
- Messenger integration;
- Order status tracking;
- Inventory management;
- Complete data security;
- Warehouse accounting;
- Generating analytics and reports.
Cost. Customers are offered a single basic tariff costing $19/month, with the option to upgrade for an additional fee of $9. Additional integrations, as well as the volume of orders, applications, and notifications, are paid separately.
KeepinCRM
KeepinCRM is a software for automating the work of small and medium-sized businesses. It offers a wide range of options for customizing the interface to suit the needs of each entrepreneur. Among the main features that help optimize the work of e-commerce, customers receive:
- Complete information about customers and previous interactions with them;
- Document management;
- A cash register that combines online and offline sales;
- Warehouse management;
- Tracking financial transactions;
- Useful integrations;
- Collaboration with suppliers directly in the platform;
- Fully established channels of communication with customers.
Cost. A free online store CRM is offered to users, but it only offers basic functionality. To expand the possibilities, you need to purchase an extended tariff for UAH 349/month.
NetHunt
A software solution for large and small businesses in the field of e-commerce. Entrepreneurs are offered a wide range of tools for organizing and automating sales. By cooperating with NetHunt, you will receive:
- A large set of useful integrations;
- Customer base management;
- Reporting;
- Sales funnel management;
- Data security guarantees;
- Possibility of team collaboration.
Cost. The client is offered five tariff plans, with a minimum cost of €10/month. A 14-day trial version is available for preliminary familiarization with the platform before purchase.
Asteril CRM
Ukrainian customer base management system focused on optimizing the work of online stores. Thanks to its many years of experience, it provides proven tools for sales automation, including:
- Full order management;
- Automated work with client data;
- Warehouse management;
- Integration of postal services, messengers and other systems;
- Conducting analytics and reporting;
- Accounting.
Cost. Asteril offers four tariffs, with a starting price of 299 UAH/month, as well as the ability to create your own tariff with all the features necessary for your enterprise.
Let's summarize
CRM for an online store is an effective tool that helps increase the customer base, optimize sales, and automate a number of business processes. Proper configuration of this system ensures high-quality customer service, so you should make sure that the CRM you choose has all the necessary functionality for the needs of the enterprise.
But you shouldn't pin all your hopes on a CRM system, as other factors that influence the success of an online business are also important:
- Quality of site operation;
- Efficiency and responsibility of managers in working with clients;
- Effectiveness of technical support;
- Content of banners, SMS and mailings;
- Timely formation and dispatch of orders;
- Quality of search engine optimization;
- Clarity of interface and design.
