Everything you need to know about CRM integrations

Everything you need to know about CRM integrations to grow your business

Did you know winning a new customer can cost 5x more than retaining an existing one? Too many businesses focus on the harder (and pricier) task of attracting new customers rather than nurturing the audience they have. 

So, how do you go about converting existing contacts into paying customers? The answer is CRM integration.  

Read our latest blog to discover everything you need to know about what CRM integration is and how you can use it to get more business.

What is a CRM?

CRM stands for customer relationship management.

A CRM is a kind of software system that catalogues and manages all of the data you collect in one place.

It’s a tool to streamline how you work, keep track of every point of contact with existing, previous, and potential customers.

As it’s an online platform, multiple members of your team can use CRM software to make sure all the information you get about your target audience is recorded and used to grow your business and make sure it runs more efficiently.

The kind of data your CRM can collect might include:

• Names
• Email addresses
• Phone numbers
• Location
• Other demographic information e.g. gender, marital status, shopping habits
• Market research
• Notes on interactions

Used properly, your CRM improves working processes for small business owners and huge global chains alike.  After all, your CRM offers so many different ways to streamline and automate your business.

What CRM systems are there?

There are many different options out there when it comes to choosing the right customer relationship management system for your business.

Some of the most popular third-party CRM applications on the market right now include:

• Hubspot
• Salesforce
• Zoho
• Zendesk

What is a CRM integration?

So, what exactly do we mean by a CRM integration?

An integrated CRM happens when you connect your customer relationship management software with a third-party application. This may happen through API integration, or other methods.

CRM integration is the seamless connectivity between your CRM system and other technology you use to run your business and interact with existing or prospective clients.

Integration with CRM systems and other pieces of software can ensure all customer data is gathered and stored centrally, eliminate the time it would take to manually record data.

Plus, integrating your CRM tool with other applications can open the door to more sophisticated sales and marketing tools and strategies to make the most of your existing audience.

So, you can see how CRM integration offers you huge potential to boost your bottom line by making the most of the data you already hold. 

The importance of CRM integrations for your business: 10 reasons to connect your CRM to other software tools

Having all of your customer data in one central location within your CRM opens you up to more ways to reach and engage your existing audience.

Yet with so many different technologies at play within your business, you may have trouble getting data from one system to another and using it effectively.

Here are some benefits of CRM integration:

1. Streamline your business processes to save time and resources
2. Sync all the customer information you have to avoid duplication and complaints
3. Save your staff time going back and forth moving data between your CRM and other systems risking mistakes – integration strategies 
4. Apply more automation software to your business to help it run more smoothly
5. Help your sales team with lead generation and conversion using the data you already have within the CRM
6. Identify important customer information to send more relevant offers 
7. Allow you to segment data directly from the CRM so your email marketing software converts more contacts
8. Turn more potential leads into paying customers
9. Get a competitive edge by working more intuitively than your competitors
10. Boost customer experience and loyalty – CRM integration allows greater scope for loyalty schemes and smoother process for customers.

A CRM solution with the right CRM integration tools gives you everything you need to save time and elevate your efficiency.

Providing everyone on your team receives proper training on your CRM – from tech staff to your sales reps – integration provides CRM users with the chance to automate your processes, improve your customer experience, and amplify your success as an organisation. 

New vs existing customers

As we touched on at the top of this article, it’s far easier and cheaper to retain the customers you already have than find new ones.

Here’s what research has revealed about new vs existing customers:

• Existing customers are 50% more likely to try a new product and spend 31% more than new customers
• You have a 60% to 70% of selling to an existing customer, compared to a 5% to 20% chance of selling to a new one 
• Improving customer retention by 5% boosts profits by a minimum of 25% and a maximum of 95% 

What can you integrate your CRM with?

Now you’ve discovered the huge potential of engaging your existing audience, your brain may be racing with the possibilities of how CRM integrations could make it happen.

The good news is, there’s a multitude of software applications you can integrate your CRM, and many different types of CRM integrations, too.

So what are some CRM integration examples that could potentially apply to your business?

Here are just a few examples of applications you might want to integrate with your CRM to streamline how you work and get more business from existing customer data:

• Your website
• Your phone system
• Xero
• QuickBooks
• SeatGeek
• Mailchimp/Mailerlite/Flodesk (CRM email integration is very common and highly successful)
• Outlook
• Shopify
• WhatsApp
• Social media apps (e.g. CRM integration with social media tools like LinkedIn Sales Navigator)
• Sharepoint
• Microsoft Teams
• Business Central
• ERP systems

Are there any of these business management tools your company uses? Or maybe you have different software in your business that holds sales data? 

Whatever you’re currently using, integrated CRM systems will make your life easier and boost your bottom line. 

The first port of call is always to look at your CRM and the other platforms you use so we can identify the easiest way to automate your processes and connect the tools you use more seamlessly. 

How to implement a CRM integration

If you already have a CRM platform in place that’s working well for your business, the natural next step is to make your CRM work better for you through integration.

CRM data integration ensures you never miss a trick when it comes to reaching, engaging, and converting your audience. It gives you the business tools and processes you need to deliver a premium customer experience, inspiring higher levels of brand awareness and customer loyalty.

The easier you make it for your sales and marketing teams to nurture and engage with your audience, the more successful you are as a business (plus, your internal teams will thank you for making their life easier and freeing them up for what they’re best at).

Your fully integrated CRM implementation experts

Hopefully, this blog has helped you understand what CRM integration means and look at CRM options differently.

If it’s got you thinking about how to integrate a CRM you use in your business to work smarter and more successfully, we can help.

Hanley Digital unlocks the potential of leading brands to grow faster by connecting multiple systems to speak to each other through CRM system integration. 

We’ve worked with leading brands like Harvey Nichols to make sure CRM integrations connect effectively, leading to process automation that increases sales, reduces errors, and maximises customer experience and loyalty.

Working with us, your CRM integration ensures every potential lead goes to the top of your sales funnel so you quickly see significant improvements in your conversion rates. 

Do you need advice and support connecting a CRM with your website, marketing automation software, or other business tools?

Do you want to understand CRM integration better and find the best integration method for your business so you can use your CRM for sales success?

That’s what we’re here for, so don’t be shy – the best place to start is always with an informal chat.

Contact the team at Hanley Digital – email us on hello@hanleydigital.com or call/WhatsApp us on 0114 4055 330 and we’ll come up with an actionable plan to grow your business faster by tapping into the data you already have.