Techblog
CRM for SMEs: How to generate leads online with CRM
By the myBusiness techblog team
Much like how a taxi company will immediately remember your previous pickup and drop off points, a well thought out Customer relationship management (CRM) solution / strategy can help your business deliver the personalised experience that leaves customers smiling. But how can a CRM work to help generate new leads?
By integrating a CRM solution with your existing database, it can help you identify opportunities by:
- Sifting through and segmenting leads based on customer preferences
- Helping you automate and find out the best leads to work on based on captured info
- Providing insights so you can distribute relevant information to a wide range of specific, potential customers at a very low cost
There is also another way that is fast becoming an important tool that businesses are leveraging on to generate leads - the company website. Once integrated with a CRM solution, businesses can make online lead generation much simpler and less daunting. Here is an example on how your business can utilise your website, together with a CRM solution, to help generate new leads.
Introducing the online lead form
A comprehensive CRM solution will provide a tool called the online lead form. This form is usually a landing page or a re-directed link from an email marketing blast, tied to a specific product or service offer. The customer needs to fill in personal contact information in exchange for the offer (for example, to download a whitepaper). The form then automatically captures and uploads this information into the CRM solution's database for easy tracking and retrieval.
Quick and easy for speedy lead generation
Online lead forms can make the lead generation process more efficient. Through a series of questions, customers can be pre-qualified, allowing businesses to assess if the individual is suitable for their products or services even before speaking with them. If the forms include enough information about the business’ product or service, it might even replace the sales cycle and end with a quick online sale. Online lead forms are also easily customisable to suit any customer demographic. And because the process is automated, significant time and resources can be saved.
Personalised and targeted marketing
Use the information you have gathered to create a personalised experience for the customer. Based on their details and browsing patterns, you can generate targeted views for your leads. You can classify prospective customers according to location or age group, for example, in order to create specific marketing campaigns that are more relevant, and provide more value to customers when you reach out to them.
Although using the online lead form does make capturing information easier, it isn’t enough. You still need to put all that information to good use. A good CRM solution can help you convert that information into a good platform to better engage your customers, enhancing their customer experience to generate opportunities for sales.
Why not give CRM a try? Singtel myBusiness is offering a 1-month free trial of Second CRM. Click here to learn more about the solution and sign up for the free trial.
This is part of a series of articles on Customer Relationship Management. Learn more about CRM in the following articles:
- The power to impress your customers with CRM
- Implementing CRM for your business - the Dos and Don’ts
- How to generate leads online with CRM
- Social CRM: Putting your best face forward