Integrating Dynamics CRM with eCommerce Benefits Customers, Business Stakeholders, and IT Harness the Power of Your CRM to Get the Most Out of eCommerce To provide the quality of service that B2B customers are looking for, companies need a fully integrated CRM solution. Complete integration creates connectivity between departments and allows customer data to be tracked in real time. These functions provide a variety of benefits that solve eCommerce challenges and drive long-term success. 1. Robust Functionality CRM platforms are designed to bring all critical business functions together so that they can be accessed from a centralized dashboard, and employees in every department are granted unique login credentials. Customer data, account information, leads, orders, marketing analytics, and all other important information flows freely from one area of the company to another to ensure accuracy and maximize productivity. 2. Lead Capturing Web forms created with CRM software automatically transfer contact information from new prospects into the system. The resulting database of potential customers can be used to build email lists and create custom marketing campaigns. Information transfers easily to sales and advertising departments to be analyzed for quality. Follow-up contacts can then be made on an individual basis to begin the critical process of relationship building. 3. Multiple Marketing Channels, One View Competing in the modern B2B market requires a multi-channel approach that incorporates SEO, paid advertising campaigns, social media, and other powerful platforms to bring brand awareness to potential customers. CRM software aggregates data from every channel so that it can be tracked and analyzed in one place. Instead of having to jump between applications and attempt to compare multiple data sets to determine which channels are the most profitable, marketing executives get a single comprehensive picture of consumer behavior. These insights help determine the allocation of marketing budgets to create effective and lucrative campaigns. 4. Monitoring Account Activity Knowing the frequency of user logins and what users do while accessing their accounts is valuable when it comes to creating targeted marketing efforts. By monitoring how long it’s been since customers last placed an order, it’s possible to reach out with special offers or limited-time discounts designed to re-establish critical business relationships. Data can be sent back and forth between marketing departments and executives as a plan is developed to bring back these inactive customers. 5. Post Transaction Support The work of sales teams and customer service departments don’t stop once an order is placed. Customers may have additional questions or require help, and that means keeping the lines of communication open through multiple channels. Quality customer service depends on having quick access to order data, and an integrated eCommerce CRM solution ensures that the correct information is always available regardless of which department is providing the support. 6. Customer Accessibility CRM integrations allow companies to provide self-service portals to customers, giving them the ability to log in and check orders on their own time. This frees up the customer service department to deal with more complex issues and provides a feeling of empowerment for customers. The “always on” functionality eliminates the frustration of waiting for an available representative by letting customers modify, update, and track orders themselves as needed. 7. User Authentication With multiple departments and customers accessing the same platform at any given time, a CRM solution needs to provide a way for administrators to control who has access to what types of data. Sensitive information relating to customer accounts, credit cards, and business finances must be kept secure while retaining the freedom to be transferred as necessary. By creating a unique token for each user, CRM platforms can validate each login for authenticity. This not only controls data access but also allows businesses to monitor individual behaviors throughout the system. 8. Sales Insights Automating tasks with an integrated eCommerce platform eliminates many of the delays commonly CRM platforms track the entire sales process to provide insight into every stage. From basic operations and inventory management to order fulfillment and account balancing, data is always up-to-date and accurate. Potential problems can be found and corrected quickly to maintain the smooth flow of processes throughout the company. 9. Invoice Management A fast and efficient B2B invoicing process means less time between when invoices are issued and when companies receive payment. CRM platforms either include invoice functionality or integrate with other B2B invoice apps to pull order data from sales and send it to the billing department. Automatic invoice generation minimizes the risk of errors, and the ability to track aging invoices and send timely reminders prevents assets from being tied up in delinquent accounts. 10. Process Automation Creating customized automatic workflows for common business tasks reduces the resources necessary to maintain routine operations. Administrators set specific parameters for processes within the CRM platform that dictate how the system should respond to various inputs. Tasks such as generating invoices, following up on orders, and sending marketing messages can all be automated to increase efficiency and streamline the flow of information between companies and customers. 11. Automated Data Capture Duplicate data entries and data errors slow productivity as departments become tied up in correcting inconsistencies within the system. Automated capture functionality in CRM integrations verifies all data that comes into the system for uniqueness to prevent the storage of multiple copies of the same records. The result is a clean data set and a system that functions free from human error that can occur when information is entered manually. 12. Federated Data Management In a federated database system, multiple databases are connected so that they work as if they were a single unit. Data and functionality remain independent within each separate database, but when an employee or customer enters a query, the input is sent to all databases simultaneously. This makes it possible to store and access large amounts of information without putting too much of a load on any one part of the system. Clarity Can Help The developers at Clarity have the experience necessary to help any B2B company maximize sales results with an integrated CRM solution. Using a highly customizable eCommerce platform, Clarity can link your chosen CRM software to other functions and applications within your business to create the perfect platform for all of your business needs. Get in touch with Clarity today for a free quote or to find out more about how Clarity eCommerce can serve your business now and into the future.