Basics: -

CRM stands for Customer Relationship Management. This refers to a process in which business or other organizations maintain their relationships with their customers, generally, using data analysis to interpret large amounts of data and information. Customer Relationship Management compiles data from different sources like telephone calls, emails, the internet, social media, live chats, marketing materials, etc., and then makes a database of customers in the form of blockchains or typical table databases. Businesses and firms use this information and database for understanding their customers and catering to their needs much better. They learn about their target audience and make use of data to raise their sales and retain customers and grow their customer base. They work with past, present, or potential target audiences. They use the data to attract the target audience and make their target audience bigger and increase their customers.

History: - 

Business firms introduced CRM in the early 1970s to understand their target audience. At those times, annual surveys and front-line asking were used to know about the target audience and then, they kept records of customers and launched products. They had to rely on a standalone mainframe system (which means, large mainframe computers used by organizations for heavy computations like data processing and management), for sales. 

But then soon, with a revolution in software technology, they made COTC (commercial off-the-shelf software) and CSD (custom software development). Now, soon they started using spreadsheets for managing information about customers and clients. And then, in the 1980s, Kate and Robert D. Kestenbaum introduced Database management systems for marketing called Database Marketing. Then 1986 saw the rise of ACT! (a customer evaluation system by Pat Sullivan and Mike Muhney) based on digital Rolodex. This offered a contact management system for the first time. And then, businesses followed this trend for ages by many business firms. 

And soon, then software like Microsoft office was in use and many businesses started developing their custom software. 

Types of CRM: - 

Strategic: - under this, businesses concentrate on customer-centric business culture. 

·   Operational: - there are mainly 3 operations related to a customer, which include sales, marketing, and customer support. These operations have their dashboard which gives an overview of the customer. And then, firms use this overview for increasing the impact on the target audiences.

· Analytical: - The role of analytical CRM systems is to analyze customer data collected through multiple sources and present it so that business managers can make more informed decisions.

· Collaborative: - under this, firms focus on their third party aim of incorporating external stakeholders and then, having feedback from them to incorporate their target audience.

·   Customer Data Platform: - CDP or customer data platform is one in which we draw all the information about the customer together through different sources so that information can be interacted at once. And then this information is used to integrate their target audience.

Why is CRM important? Or Why use Customer Relationship Management? 

It is important for many reasons, some of those reasons listed below: - 

Creating a bond with existing customers makes them feel good that they like to return to your brand again and again. When you know what your customers want, you know pretty well the products and services which can take over the market.

When you show care to your customers then, they show respect for your brand.

When you give what customers need, they start feeling some loyalty towards your brand.

Also, customers get serviced properly, then they trust your brand. And for all these, you need to know your target audience well. And this comes through Customer Relationship Management. Every MNC (Multi-national Corporation) knows the importance of CRM. If you want to get successful on a national or global level you need to know about the target audience you are working for and for this, you need CRM tools. 

Thus, a CRM offers you: -

·   Fast-paced development

· Automatic updates

· Cost-stability and worthy

· Increased sales

· Increased audience

· Increased collaboration

·   Increased integrity

Customer Relationship Management Software

Customer Relationship Management Software is software dedicated to keeping records of your customer. For any business, the customer is the most important person. The success of a business needs to keep your customer happy and then only your firm can succeed. And for keeping your target audience happy, you need to know about them and for this, you need to keep a record of your customer and for this CRM software helps. So, a CRM software helps you: - 

Record and organize your target audience information

Include notes when staff interact with the customers

Manages calls and appointments

Send emails and manages responses

Manage sales of the firm

These are important for establishing good relationships with your customers and so CRM software is important for a business firm. 

But what is all CRM software available and how to choose the best?

So, there are many options available to you for Customer Relationship Management software. All software out-performs and offers different functioning and so that you can choose the best for you. 

·   Freshworks CRM: - best CRM software for small businesses. Freshworks CRM software offers highly efficient communications and so helps companies grow faster and better and more effectively.

· Oracle NetSuite CRM: - it is cloud-based CRM software that pushes your company so highly effective. It's the top 2nd best CRM software. 

· Teleduce: - integrated CRM software that helps businesses. It helps capture and make the company grow better.

· Kapture CRM: - user-friendly, mobile suited, and customizable CRM software which helps you get your business on run easily.

· Zoho CRM tools: - ZOHO CRM gives a 360-degree view of your complete business from sales to reviews and all. It is independently great at just 720 rupees/month.

· Cratio CRM: - Cratio Offers risk-free CRM system deals with specific business and has dedicated support and customization with 100% success guarantee and at just rupees 399/month. It suits mobile and has API support for full.

·   ezeeCRM: - One of the best online CRM systems is ezeeCRM, you can access it from any device anywhere since it is an online CRM.

Many more options are available for CRM software.

But how to select the best for you!!

·   See your cost of the company: - monetization and budget matters a lot for a company and so first check the affordability.

· Check out possible options in that price range

· See the workflow and user-experience

· Select as desired and check for accessibility

· Explore the success of your company in the CRM software

· Check out for customization

· Check its efficiency and worth buy.

· Don’t forget about dedicated support in the CRM software

·   Check for security and you are good to go with the software.

But if you want your custom CRM then how and what?

Here you go to Custom CRM Development.

Although creating a custom CRM can be tricky. You need to go through all the pre-designing goals that you require for your custom CRM, like - commercial goals, legal restrictions, software requirements, and you will have to define other such strategies.

As soon as you define the pre-required strategies, first, you will design the workflow and the UI/UX part. In CRM software UI is not a bigger issue but UX leads a greater part in it. You should develop The functional concept at a prior step and then comes the step to build the UI and UX part. Above all steps will include the way your business works and what type of business you have. 

Whenever you’re ready with your workflow and UI/UX part you will approach your development team which will make your design come real. In the starting, your team will decide the framework to make your design come into reality. Since you got a prototype version of your custom CRM, you will go through the testing process, and make necessary changes as per testing experience. 

Once you complete all the prototyping-testing cycle, your team will work in real custom CRM software that will fulfill all requirements and thus increase your customer services to a greater extent.

Thus, you can use any software for creating your own custom CRM or simply you can use COTC software dedicated to database management and can have your business run.