There are several types of software that companies can use to provide a great customer experience. These may include customer service software, CRM software, client portals, etc. Although they have different use cases, these software tools are meant to support one another. You can improve the efficiency of your customer service team by integrating these tools. In this article, we’ll discuss why you should connect a client portal with CRM software.
What is a Client/customer Portal?
A client portal is a personalized hub that customers can use to interact with your products or services, change or edit their information, and communicate with the company.
It connects all the self-service functions so customers can easily find them when they log in
to your website or app.
The features of a customer portal include secure access to personal and payment information, a ticketing system, knowledge base, community forum, feedback surveys, AI chatbots, etc. A client portal allows customers to update their information and resolve simple issues by themselves.
What is CRM (Customer Relationship Management) Software?
A CRM software allows you to manage lead and prospect information as well as track all interactions with them. It helps to store the contact details, demographic data, and the strategies associated with each customer. It’s mostly helpful for customer service, sales, and marketing teams.
With a CRM system, you don’t have to use spreadsheets or databases to store customer data anymore. It also allows you to identify and manage sales opportunities, simplify customer service processes, manage marketing campaigns, and use CRM analytics for better decisions.
The features of a CRM software typically include contact management, workflow automation, marketing automation, lead management, branding and customization, customer service, email management, sales forecasting, CRM analytics and reporting, and third-party integrations.
Can You Integrate a Client Portal With CRM Software?
CRM and customer portals can be separate standalone products. Many customer service teams often have to access them separately for their everyday operations. But you can integrate both software to boost efficiency and eliminate the need to toggle between these systems often.
Since a CRM software holds customer data, you should integrate it with your client portal for easier access to data. It also means that when customers update their details on the client portal, it will automatically reflect on the CRM. It will also make data available to customer-facing teams.
You can choose to integrate a client portal with your CRM software or business website. This is possible when your client portal software allows for third-party integrations. It’s also advisable to use a CRM with a client portal feature. You may even stick to one software vendor for your needs.
Some Reasons Why Having CRM Software That Includes a Client Portal Benefits an Organization
When you integrate a customer portal or customer service software with a CRM, you can enhance the quality of the customer experience. It allows your sales, marketing and support teams to quickly access the information they need to understand each customer better. Below are benefits of using CRM software that includes a customer portal.
1. Better Customer Experiences
You should use a CRM that includes a client portal software to provide faster service and more personalized experiences. It allows you to craft and schedule customer interactions better. Your team can also use the customer preferences to upsell and cross-sell products or services.
2. Improved Efficiency
Your customer-facing teams can refer to customer data when interacting with a customer and resolving tickets. It also ensures that there is uniform data across both apps. And when a customer updates their information on the client portal, it would also update in the CRM system. This helps to automate manual tasks on behalf of your team.
3. Data Accuracy
With CRM integration, your business and customer data is always accurate and up-to-date. You don’t have to worry about disparities in these platforms. The CRM and client portal can automatically sync data between each other. If you integrate with your website, you can also track each order, purchase and other things that a customer does.
4. Better Collaboration
A CRM software with a client portal feature allows the sales, marketing, and customer service teams to work together easily. They can collect information about their interaction with each customer and store it in the CRM. This helps your teams to collaborate and be up-to-date.
Conclusion
It’s necessary to store everything there is to know about the customer from prospecting to repeat purchases. You also have to log support tickets and other interactions. A CRM allows you to keep customer information for future reference and to keep other teams informed. It’s a great idea to integrate your CRM software with a client portal.