Printable View
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!
I have used Sugar CRM for quite awhile and can recommend it.
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.
I have several clients that use NetSuite Small Business Solutions. It's web based, powerful, and simple to use.
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
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?
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.Quote:
Originally Posted by BasicECommerce
*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.
You run this risk whenever you make back-end changes. This is not something unique to NetSuite.Quote:
Originally Posted by TipPro
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.
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.Quote:
Originally Posted by BasicECommerce
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.
Thank you. It is so refreshing to hear someone else recognize that the back-end features are what make NetSuite a great system.
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?
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.Quote:
You run this risk whenever you make back-end changes. This is not something unique to NetSuite.
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!
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.
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.
Has anyone tried the CRM app that Zoho.com offers?
Oh yeah... maybe NetSuite is a good solution if you are making over 2 million by selling one or two extremely high priced items. NetSuite is a terrible solution if you have lots of sales.Quote:
Originally Posted by RonnieGaylord
Zoho is a really good product. In my view it is not worth than Salesforce in any respect (maybe iPhone integration could be a bit better, but as for me I don’t really care). Among its main advantages I would single out that it can be used free by three people, highly intuitive, possesses a heap of features (including integration with Outlook), moreover it comes with a lifetime free support services. The only thing I have doubts about is security. Free product is still free. Though the developers assure that Zoho fills the bill.
I have used various CRM software over the years, and there is a company that you can try for free for a year and intergrate if with your staff that is very low cost. Email me at jdupontandcompany.com and I will share it with you as I don't want to flood the company with free request. I guarantee that you will be very pleased. JPQuote:
Originally Posted by EN-ES
Try salespush.com, it is free / low cost with a great user interface - (url removed)
Perhaps I'm a bit biased because we're the number one Interprise reseller in North America, but I find that having a CRM tool that is truly integrated with the rest of the application is a huge benefit of Interprise Suite. Not to mention, Interprise Suite is incredibly easy to create UDFs (user defined fields), smart client allows you work from anywhere with an internet connection, and the plug-in architecture allows for customizations that don't mess up the upgrade path.
John Grande
DimeSoft Business Solutions
http://www.dimesoftinc.com/
@DimeSoftJohn:
Just a little bit I guess ;-)Quote:
Perhaps I'm a bit biased
But spoken generally I agree that an integrated CRM tool is a good choice for companies extensively using e-commerce. So shop<->CRM<->billing solution can play smoothly together.
At Information Strategies (“Infostrat”), our dedicated CRM Practice has skilled technical personnel who have experience building a wide range of mission critical applications on the Dynamics CRM platform. Our people are experts in .NET and Microsoft SQL Server and are highly experienced in customizing Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 to provide high quality custom solutions in a fraction of the time required for most traditional custom application development projects.
Infostrat’s Dynamics CRM Practice provides full lifecycle services from requirements analysis to customizations and development to installation and deployment. We also provide training classes and administration of successful deployments.
Infostrat has provided Microsoft CRM customized solutions in these geographies:
Washington, DC
Houston, TX
Arlington, VA
Kensington, MD
Los Angeles, CA
Fontana, CA
Macon, GA
Reston, VA
Use NetSuite, it's really good
You can use FreeCRM because it's really an easy to access repository, and you can really see a lot of good reviews about it.
Others use something called Zimbra an Open Source email/calendar application which is a great alternative to Microsoft Exchange. However it does cost money for a commercial licence but could definitely work out cheaper than a Microsoft Exchange solution depending on your business. You might wanna try this one.
Yes, NetSuite is a very good integrated CRM application. Especially if you're very comfortable working within a web browser.
John Grande
DimeSoft Business Solutions
http://www.dimesoftinc.com/
i have implemented sugar crm community edition, its free and gets the job done for a small sales office (10 sales guys and 2 customer service reps)
for a larger group, i dont know i havent used their pro or enterprise versions.
hi
Check this site for the good CRM
http://www.contacttracking.com/
Control panel custom-make is not everybody that bad considering no other CRM system is as brawny as NetSuite with features to handle entirely your accounting, fulfillment, as well as ERP functions as well.
If you you don't have an Exchange Server as well as don't deficiency the infrastructure costs and linked brain damage of doing yourself, await at the hosted version.
There are plenty of work-arounds for the page customization but it all depends on your coding skills as well as how 'unique' you want your site to look. It is a simple all-in-one CRM. Still, it is a little slower and many people complain about the lack of customization options.