Online CRM recommendations?

[EN-ES]

Anyone have any recommendations for a good online CRM tool? E.g. LongJump.com, SageCRM.com, SugarCRM.com? Anyone have experience with any of these? I need some Sales Force Automation and Campaign Management and probably add more funcationality as the business requires.

Thanks!

[roban]

I have used Sugar CRM for quite awhile and can recommend it.

[bob2063]

If you are using Linux, LongJump is good, if you are Microsoft and have at least office 2003, I would look at the MS Dynamics CRM. If you you don't have an Exchange Server and don't want the infrastructure costs and associated brain damage of doing yourself, look at the hosted version.

[pitstop]

I have several clients that use NetSuite Small Business Solutions. It's web based, powerful, and simple to use.

[BasicECommerce]

I am a fan of NetSuite as well. It is a simple all-in-one CRM. However, it is a little slower (but this also depends on the coding) and many people complain about the lack of customization options. There are plenty of work-arounds for the page customization but it all depends on your coding skills and how 'unique' you want your site to look.

-BEC

[pitstop]

The speed issues were addressed a few years ago. Control panel customization is not all that bad considering no other CRM system is as powerful as NetSuite with features to handle all your accounting, fulfillment, and ERP functions as well...don't you agree?

[BasicECommerce]

I'm completely on board that the NetSuite pros far outweigh the cons. My main point is that it is not for everyone. NetSuite's system is best suited for websites that make more than $2 million/year. If you make more than that, you can know how (or can afford someone who knows how) to do any work-arounds necessary.

-BEC

[TipPro]

I'm completely on board that the NetSuite pros far outweigh the cons. My main point is that it is not for everyone. NetSuite's system is best suited for websites that make more than $2 million/year. If you make more than that, you can know how (or can afford someone who knows how) to do any work-arounds necessary.

-BEC

It is absolutely false to try to infer that workarounds can make up for the lack of customization of NetSuite. I have worked with NetSuite and there are some areas that you cannot customize and workarounds will not work. A big problem is that you will not realize this until half way through implementation.

*A warning for users considering NetSuite: They may have relaunched their forums again since I have visited them (so they can flush away the tons of negative posts), but ask your NetSuite salesman for access to the private NetSuite forums (and do not take NO for an answer).

ALSO do not relaunch your eCommerce site using NetSuite, it will destroy any good stats you had with the search engines.

[BasicECommerce]

do not relaunch your eCommerce site using NetSuite, it will destroy any good stats you had with the search engines.

You run this risk whenever you make back-end changes. This is not something unique to NetSuite.

I have seen and worked for companies who have completely customized NetSuite. You just need to really know your coding to be able to do so. This is a limitation that any NetSuite enthusiast will admit to.

But, the all in one package of accounting, reporting, marketing, data exports, data feed automation, etc. make working with the system very easy. There is a lack of front-end customization, but the back-end is near limitless in its customization and reporting/insights.

[pitstop]

But, the all in one package of accounting, reporting, marketing, data exports, data feed automation, etc. make working with the system very easy. There is a lack of front-end customization, but the back-end is near limitless in its customization and reporting/insights.

Coming from a programmer, you're right on target BasicEComerce! Additionally, NetSuite's webstore system is the worst I've ever had the displeasure of working with, however the rest of their product, even with its shortcomings is simply put, the best option.

The alternative that most new resellers make the mistake with, is using Quickbooks for webstore accounting. What they don't understand by jumping on the Quickbooks Pro band wagon is that it has more limitations then any accounting software on the market. see QB's site)

The average ecom store will out grow QB's in just 2.5 to 3 years. Even sooner if their really successful.

[BasicECommerce]

Thank you. It is so refreshing to hear someone else recognize that the back-end features are what make NetSuite a great system.

[TipPro]

Do you all work for NetSuite? This is a joke. I am not even talking about the front end (which is a mess of code), the back end is a dead end. For example... you can add custom fields in most of their db tables but not all. If you come across this situation the best you can do is submit a request to NetSuite and cross your fingers. Your request will be added to a HUGE list of requests where only a very few popular requests are implemented a year. So what do you do when your business requires that custom field? Wait and hope that NetSuite accepts your request or change your business to work around NetSuite?

You run this risk whenever you make back-end changes. This is not something unique to NetSuite.

Yes, this can be a problem when ever making back-end changes but can almost always be avoided, but not with NetSuite. I hope by now they fixed redirects but when I was working with NetSuite, redirects did not work after about 40 redirect rules and they were not true 301 redirects. If you know anything about SEO, you would know how terrible that is.

Also, I did not even bring up the situation of how slow NetSuite is and the downtime. When your whole business is on NetSuite and you cannot connect, your business is at a stand still!

[marc77]

My personal experience with Sage is bad and therefore I wouldn't recommend their CRM solution (years ago we used one of their bookkeeping solutions). But this may be my personal opinion only.

Have you thought about running your own CRM on your server ? Especially for a small business, this could be a cost-saving alternative.

[RonnieGaylord]

I have used NetSuite Small Business Solutions. NetSuite's system is best suited for websites that make more than $2 million/year. And I also used Sugar CRM,Linux and Longjump which is good.

[Gromit]

Has anyone tried the CRM app that Zoho.com offers?