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Author : Ryan Wood

How is Zoho CRM better than Salesforce for SMB?

Published on: February 13, 2015Category: Certified Zoho Consultants, Zoho CRMLast Updated: June 14, 2021 Comments: 0

zoho

How is Zoho CRM better than Salesforce for SMB?

salesforce

Zoho as your best CRM Choice

If you are a small or medium business searching for a cost-effective but powerful solution for CRM with an accounting integration feature, some automation, data security, and Google App integration, then you should consider implementing Zoho CRM. As a relatively new player in comparison to Salesforce, you may be skeptical until you read this article.

Affordability

The most important aspect for most small businesses is the bottom line cost. If two options exist that offer relatively similar features, the one that is 50% less in cost is the natural choice. This is the exact reason why Zoho has been gaining market share for their software, which is priced aggressively and includes much of the same features if not more than Salesforce at the same price points.

What’s even more important is the fact that Zoho offers a simple ‘pay-as-you-go’ model avoiding what most businesses fear; vendor lock-in. If you want to try out a solution, generally you do not want to be locked in for a year. Zoho’s monthly option allows you to give it a trial without wasting valuable cash flow over a longer period of time. Salesforce, however, ensures a lock-in period of at least one year. The fact that Zoho is 1/5th the cost of Salesforce, does not lock you in, provides similar features and is an easy- to-implement solution makes it the clear choice for small and medium businesses.

zoho salesforce

Leading Feature Set

At a fraction of the cost of Salesforce you may question the power of features that Zoho Online CRM can offer, yet you would be surprised that it still compares well to Salesforce. The pay-as-you-go model for Zoho also refers to the fact that you can choose only which plug-ins you need, paying only for what you use. Even with most of the plug-ins, the price is still generally less than a comparable package with Salesforce. The leading features that Zoho offers includes software updates as they are rolled out, Zoho support during implementation and deployment, mobile access, an intuitive web interface that is easy to use and implement, customizable interface to match your own company’s workflow, automation of key aspects of your business processes and the ability to export your data anytime.

These are on top of the standard features you have come to expect from a CRM with such a flexible and detailed customer relationship management. Included features are prioritizing your sales activities, automating your sales force, tracking sales, engaging clients through email and social CRM, all within Zoho CRM.

Easy Implementation

Requiring a week of setup and training is just not possible in some small and medium enterprises. Instead of hiring an IT expert to help you implement your new CRM, which is often the case needed with Salesforce, you can implement Zoho CRM into your software environment and start using it usually within the first day. Of course, full customization and implementation may take a few days but this process is simple and easy with Zoho CRM’s intuitive online interface. Also, our team of Zoho Certified consultants can help you integrate your CRM with other ERP software environments such as Sage quickly and efficiently as well, and even offer specialized CRM training sessions for you and your team.

As an SME you need to weigh your options for performance and automation against the bottom line cost. The best option is generally a program that meets most of your needs as well as your budget. Outgrowing Zoho for Salesforce three or five years later is a good problem to have.

Integrations Galore

Like Salesforce, Zoho comes with a wide variety of integrations – and not just 3rd-party ones. Zoho’s family of apps includes CRM, Zoho Books (for handling finances as well as orders and invoices for customers), Zoho Campaigns (for email marketing management), and many others.  Zoho even offers a whole suite of apps called Zoho One, which contains over 40 apps.  Zoho One is available for just $45/user/month*, a far less expensive choice than Salesforce.  Add in Zoho’s platform as a service, Zoho Creator (similar to

zoho salesforce

Force.com), and you have a myriad of integration options, including custom Zoho ERP software integrations. *Pricing updated June 2021

 

Still can’t decide?  We’ll talk you through it honestly

Looking for someone to help you make the decision between Zoho vs Salesforce? Feel free to drop us a line at (888) 207-4111 and one of our certified CRM experts would be happy to work with you to define the best solution for your business!

 

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10 Benefits of Quickbooks Zoho Integration for Financial and Customer Management

Published on: February 9, 2015Category: Zoho CRM, Zoho IntegrationsLast Updated: March 9, 2023 Comments: 0

Creating an atmosphere of cooperation between front and back offices can become strained even in the best companies, add to that the frustration of not having coordinated systems and the result can be disastrous. If you are a small or medium business looking to add a CRM component or integrate your CRM and accounting systems be sure to consider the dynamic duo, the Zoho Quickbooks integration.

Power of Integration

When everyone from the receptionist, bookkeeper, salesperson and service personnel all have access to the same information, wonderful things can happen. Imagine a situation where the salesperson collects an outstanding invoice from a client in arrears during a routine sales call because the information was available to them on their smartphone. Or a receptionist that sends a quick email direct to a sales rep that a client is looking for a quote and the information is posted to the clients account for the rep to see instantly. This way to integrate QuickBooks is possible and enhances all aspects of your business, front to back.

Data Transfer

Keep tabs on all your information with automatic or manual data transfer: integrate QuickBooks and Zoho. This allows for all information to be instantly updated automatically or at a time of your choosing. Keeping all systems up-to-date allows better work flow processes.

One Entry

With an integrated system, any information entered into Zoho CRM or QuickBooks is automatically transferred to the other. This one entry saves immense amount of time over traditional double entry systems. You could literally save an entire salary with this feature alone.

Remote Access

Let’s face it, ERP systems have not always been the easiest systems to access remotely. With the combination of Zoho and QuickBooks your data is available from any web browser on any device anywhere in the world at any time. This is the advent of cloud computing at its finest.

Always Updated

Tired of wasting time looking for the most recent and updated transaction record? With a synchronization of your records you can simply sync your programs and know that the information is up to date.

Easy Export

Implementation could not be easier than with these two software environments. Integrate QuickBooks and Zoho and simply export and import the records you need from one to the other to get started. This simple process allows instant implementation instead of weeks of manual entries.

Mapping

This export and syncing process gets even easier with field mapping capabilities between the two ensuring that all your information is deposited into the right places without deleting or overwriting important information.

Sync Tracking

Do you need access to tracking of your synchronization activities with the ability to delete the most recent transfer? With Zoho and QuickBooks this is easy and available allowing you the flexibility to ensure your data transfers are accurate.

Accounting Info on the Go

One of best parts of this combination is the ability of sales histories, invoice histories and estimates to be cross transferred into Zoho CRM allowing the information that truly empowers your sales reps. It also lowers your overall cost by reducing your number of QuickBooks user licenses needed.

Quotes to Orders

Being able to the convert Zoho Quotes into QuickBooks Orders or Invoices is a must-have for sales organizations. This feature makes the efficiency and workflow of order processing efficient.

Contact us today to learn just how we integrate QuickBooks with Zoho CRM. Hundreds of customers are using our integration, and we’re happy to report that dozens of customers are happy with their improved CRM/ERP workflows!

The Zoho / Quickbooks Integration

Published on: February 5, 2015Category: Uncategorized, Zoho CRM, Zoho IntegrationsLast Updated: November 17, 2020 Comments: 0

The Zoho Quickbooks Integration

quickbooks crm integration

The integration of Zoho CRM and QuickBooks is a match made in heaven. Unfortunately, too many businesses have had a failed integration of their CRM and ERP systems in the past causing wariness of CRMs that may miss the mark. It has been proven that the front office staff is less likely to adopt the CRM if it is not connected to the back office ERP accounting software in a way that empowers them. There are several questions and concerns you need to be aware before entering any CRM-ERP union.

Integration is Key

One of the most critical pieces of the equation is ensuring that your CRM module can be fully integrated into your ERP software, like Quickbooks. If your front line customer service agents and salespeople do not have access to important data such as sales history, complaint history, communication history and have to enter information twice, once into each system; your CRM adoption is doomed to fail from the start. Only consider options such as Zoho CRM Online and Quickbooks where complete integration of the two actually automates a number of processes and provides accurate and up-to-date information to everyone that needs it.

This integration is critical to the success of the system, not only from an adoption standpoint but also to ensure that the extra cost of a CRM system is made up for in workflow efficiencies. Enabling salespeople to make sales on the road be productive in the field with information available on their mobile devices with access to documents and reports ensures increased production.

quickbooks crm integration

Red Flags

If you experience any of the following issues in your company then your current solution may actually be doing more harm than good. It may be time to reconsider your options.

Is all your information available in a central way to all the stakeholders that need it? Can sales people access customer sales information? Can customer service access customer communication histories?

Have there been issues of miscommunication between your accounting team and the sales team?

Do your sales people consistently sell items that are not in inventory, sold out, back-ordered, or discontinued? If they do not have access to inventory it may worsen this situation.

Does the sales team over sell client’s credit limit increasing your businesses risk to bad dept? Are sales being held up because of the credit department?

Are the note systems of customer service, sales and accounting integrated? Or does each department keep separate notes?

Are your salespeople helping accounting by collecting on outstanding invoices during routine sales calls? Or are they missing the opportunity because they do not have access to this information?

Is too much time being spent researching answers across multiple departments causing customer service lags because the information is not readily available?

If you have had any of these issues actually cause a loss of business, missed sales opportunities, increased labor costs, missed month end sales targets, cash flow deficiencies then you may be suffering from an integration that ended in separation with your CRM and ERP systems. Contact us today and let us help you identify the right integration solution to get your business back on track – or, take advantage of our Zoho certified consulting for any other aspect of your business with Zoho CRM.

Create a Successful Zoho Email Campaign: A Step-by-Step Guide

Published on: January 26, 2015Category: Zoho Campaigns, Zoho CRMLast Updated: May 16, 2023 Comments: 0

Learn How to Create a Zoho Email Campaign

zoho email campaign

Mass email strategies w/ Zoho Campaigns

Sending out a mass Zoho email campaign with Zoho Campaigns looks like this in a 1-2-3 step process:

  1. Prepare the campaign
  2. Send the campaign
  3. Evaluate the results

Experience shows that a little bit of planning ahead can greatly improve the results of your campaign. Also, setting some time aside to evaluate the results (which is very easy with the flood of statistics Zoho Campaigns provides) can help you optimize your campaign strategy.

The following scenario will assume that you are using Zoho CRM integrated with Zoho Campaigns.

Zoho Campaigns Workflow

Preparing the campaign

Zoho Campaigns needs a one-time setup when you first sign up:

  • Verify the sender email addresses
  • Do you have access to DNS records? This is required to verify the domain ownership, and avoid being marked spam

To have the right account settings, you also need to consider:

  • How many recipients per month?
  • How many emails (=campaigns) per month?
  • How many email variations (=template)?

Then for each campaign consider the following pre-flight checklist:

  • Who will be the SENDER of the emails?
  • Which contacts/leads will be the RECIPIENTS?
  • Who will provide the copy and the design for the campaign?

For an email campaign you will need:

  • The CONTENT – which can be created as free format HTML -or- by using a reusable template. You may build your own templates or simply use one of Zoho’s preexisting templates (reference below) from a library provided by Zoho.Zoho Campaigns Templates
  • The list of RECIPIENTS – this data comes from your Zoho CRM through the data sync. The synchronization between Zoho CRM and Zoho Campaigns happens in the background, automatically (after the one-time setup) pulling all of your Leads and Contacts to generate a list of emails to market to.

Zoho CRM Integration with Zoho Campaigns

Sending the campaign

Once you have these ingredients, you then have to put on the finishing touches:

  • Designate the sender address (the person the Zoho email campaign will appear to be coming from)
  • The subject line – this is where brevity and relevance matters a lot and will have a significant impact on your open rates.
  • Have the content reviewed by Zoho – this is their security measure to prevent potentially objectionable content to be sent from their system.
  • Schedule your campaign to go off at the specified time.

A few tips for designing good a Zoho email campaign:

  • Have permission to send mass emails to your recipients or run the risk of being penalized for unwanted emails.
  • Be relevant – design your subject line and your content to speak to your audience, as they will open your email only if they find it interesting. Error on the side of simplicity, keep it short and to the point with your messaging.
  • Use a Call To Action – Your reader will think “I have read your email, now what?”… You want to explicitly tell them what action they should perform next after reading your email.

Evaluate the results

Zoho Campaigns offers a lot of statistical insights for your Zoho email campaign.

Zoho Campaign Results

The key metrics you definitely want to monitor are:

  • Bounce rate – this tells you about the quality of your recipient list
  • Open rate – which measures whether your subject line was successful to capture the attention of your recipients (the sender’s account also has an impact on this)
  • Click through rate – which measures the appeal of your Call To Action
  • Obviously, the Unsubscribe rates should stay at a minimum, but it’s another stat to keep an eye on.

To sum it up, executing a successful email campaign through Zoho Campaigns will take time, testing and persistence. No campaign is ever perfectly executed the first time, but if you follow the steps mentioned above, you’ll surely be on your way to building a profitable Zoho email campaign strategy.

Do even more with Zoho Email Campaigns: Use the Zoho CRM Campaigns Module

zoho crm email campaigns

Zoho Corporation has come out with a new update to the Zoho CRM Campaigns module that allows the user to do even more with email campaigns in Zoho.  If using the Zoho Campaigns app isn’t quite your speed, or you just want something a little more streamlined, Zoho’s Campaigns module makes setting an email campaign straight from the CRM fairly straightforward.  You can use related lists to send or exclude members from campaigns, check out fairly detailed analytics, and even set up something close to an autoresponder.  You can read about this in more detail in this Zoho CRM Campaigns module blog post.

Ready to see even more about what Zoho can do for your business?

As always, we’d love to hear your opinion of the strategies expressed in this article.  Please feel free to contact us if you’d like our team of  Certified Zoho Experts to come by your side and help you build your Zoho Campaigns strategy and then train your team. It is our pleasure to offer services and support that meet your everyday Zoho needs.

zoho vs sage act logo

Zoho CRM vs. ACT!

Published on: January 26, 2015Category: Zoho CRM, Zoho OneLast Updated: March 30, 2023 Comments: 0

zoho vs act

versus…

zoho vs act

Clash of the Titans: Zoho CRM vs ACT!

Zoho CRM vs ACT: Do you need a full CRM or a simpler Contact Manager?

One of the first issues that small businesses run into when they start to grow is the problem of dealing with the increased data flow.  This is especially apparent when dealing with multiple business apps and departments. One of the most damaging information overloads revolves around your customers.

Business gather customer information in many ways, and use it for product development, social media, sales, billing, and customer service. Making this kind of information available to the right people at all times can be challenging in our very diverse software environments. Your first order of business is to decide if you need a true Customer Relationship Management (CRM) suite or a simple Contact Manager program. Do you need Zoho CRM or ACT! by Sage?  Let’s see how Zoho CRM vs ACT stack up…

zoho vs act

Zoho’s CRM

Zoho CRM is a robust CRM module that can integrate with other platforms; it can also automate workflow. It provides full collaboration ability between multiple departments like accounting, sales, marketing, and customer service to ensure everyone has correct information. As a cloud service, you can access Zoho from anywhere with an internet connection.  This gives Zoho users much more flexibility than they would have while tied to their desktop computer.

Zoho even has email marketing functionality to keep you in contact with your leads automatically. Zoho also provides unparalleled security features, including industry-leading data encryption, field-level security, and security profiles. Zoho’s Google Apps integration also enables even better productivity and access to information for integration and automation. ACT does not have the security parameters of Zoho.  For that reason, we don’t recommend it for organizations with more than five users.

Zoho CRM may be a better fit if you need the following:

  1. Sales – billing and invoicing, mobile access, remote tracking, territory management, workflow rules and management.
  2. Marketing – email marketing, mailing list management, catalog integration of items.
  3. Help Desk – FAQ, forums, knowledge base, online self-serve, recorded demos.
  4. Customer Service – customer service integration and tracking, customization of user interface.
  5. Model and License – SaaS with monthly billing options – 3 user Free Edition – Professional & Enterprise Editions, the number of users that you can add is based on the user licenses purchased.
  6. Security – data encryption, field-level security, create roles and groups, and set up multiple administrative security profiles.
  7. Analytics – Executive dashboards, dashboard customization, forecasting and reporting.
  8. Extra Apps and Add-Ons – Google Apps, Zoho Apps, Microsoft Outlook integration, QuickBooks desktop integration, Zoho Books for light finance, and many other apps.

 zoho vs act

ACT! by Sage CRM

If you run a small business and need constant access to your customer data, ACT’s contact management attributes can save you money while keeping your team up-to-date. With internal memo templates and easy ways to communicate with all sorts of contacts, it makes things much quicker in general. Managers or administrators can pull reports on performance indicators and forecasts by their salespeople.  This, in turn, gives them a better idea of the health of the company in genersal.

ACT also provides another feature not available in most other contact management software; the ability to help manage customer tickets or technical support cases with specific tracking options. This keeps all issues up-to-date and ensures better customer service with accurate tracking. ACT also integrates with Sage products and provides online access but is not as versatile as Zoho. It is also not well suited for mobile device use as is Zoho.

ACT! contact management may be a better fit if you need the following:

  1. Sales – no billing and invoicing – otherwise no obvious differentiation – same available features as Zoho as mentioned above.
  2. Marketing – referral tracking where Zoho does not.
  3. Support – has email and phone capabilities and request forms that Zoho does not.
  4. Model and User License – on premise (not SaaS) with monthly billing option – Windows and MS SQL based database (no for Zoho) – limited to 10 users.
  5. Extra Apps – QuickBooks and Sage 100 integration available.

Why move to Zoho in the cloud?  There are two big reasons

zoho vs act cloud software

Especially as the 21st century moves along, businesses that once used on-premise CRM solutions like Sage ACT find themselves looking for alternatives.  The reasons for this, aside from those aforementioned, are the long-term scalability of a cloud-based solution, as well as security.  The fact that Sage ACT is installed on-premise accounts for both of these reasons.  Relying on a business’s own server to host a CRM and account for changes in users and login locations can (sometimes) render a system unstable.  As well, cloud-based systems are inherently more secure than their on-premise brethren.  They do this by providing an off-site entry point, which means business owners aren’t liable for data breaches, if they occur.

Zoho gives a big advantage with Zoho One

zoho vs act zoho one

In the past couple of years, Zoho has significantly widened their advantage over other CRM apps by providing not only a family of integrated business apps, but offering all of them (over 40 in total) in one software suite called Zoho One.  Zoho One, like all Zoho apps, is cloud-based, and features many integrations with the CRM.  By using Zoho One, you could theoretically run your entire business – as opposed to just your CRM – from Zoho.  This would give your staff and other users a more unified experience.

Ready for some more?

There are many more specific comparisons that can be made between Zoho CRM vs ACT, and these depend on your specific needs as a company, including CRM consulting, CRM training, or support plans. Contact us today and we’ll help you decide which of the two is right for your company.

Zoho CRM Integrations

Published on: January 26, 2015Category: Certified Zoho Consultants, Zoho CRM, Zoho IntegrationsLast Updated: March 30, 2023 Comments: 0

Zoho CRM Integrations: the way to run your business to its fullest potential

zoho crm integrations

Zoho CRM

If you are researching Zoho CRM integrations, you most likely noticed that there are a lot of options for integrating your CRM with your accounting or ERP system. As you evaluate those options, here are some points to consider while doing your research. It’s always recommended to work with a certified Zoho consultant who can help with your integration after a thorough needs assessment.

1.) Do Not Enter

Why enter customer records if others are willing to do it for you? The best part about CRM integration into company websites, surveys and other apps allows you to collect information from clients by allowing them to enter their own information. It can then be assessed and included into your database. This can save large amounts of time if done properly.

2.) Enter Only Once

If you ever have to enter information more than once, your CRM and ERP integration was done poorly. Moving information or copying it from one program to the next ultimately leads to mistakes through human error. Ensure all new customers and old customers are available to all the stakeholders that require the information, such as marketing, sales, and customer service without having to acquire the information separately.

3.) Let History Repeat

In business, letting your customers repeat their invoicing and sales histories enables sales departments to better understand their client’s sales cycles. Make sure any CRM integration includes these vital areas of information.

4.) Order Processing

Any quote offered to client should be easily transferrable into your ERP system for immediate conversion into an order without extra processing. A simple quote to order process can save billing and sales departments tons of time.

5.) Proper Inventory Numbers

To be effective in selling products, your sales team need inventory information that is accurate and up-to-date on a consistent basis. Quantity of items on hand and their location will help them ensure the quickest delivery from the nearest location, enabling more sales turnovers in the long run.

6.) It Should Save $

The bottom line of a Zoho CRM integration with an ERP is to be able to produce better efficiencies and in the end save the company money in lost productivity. Yet it can also save money by keeping ERP licensing fees to a minimum and allowing those that need information get it through the lesser cost of a CRM.

7.) Let Them Roam

Road service personnel or traveling sales reps often waste time by not being able to place an order on their mobile devices while at the client’s business. Enabling this simple solution can ensure maximum sales and better production by your sales team. CRM integration with mobile capabilities can even allow payment collection on the spot. Ensuring that executives or other employees can work offline and enable syncing when they are back online allows productivity even when traveling or flying.

8.) Easy Returns

Proper CRM integration can make returns management an easy process instead of the logistical nightmare most companies are used to dealing with. Make sure your Zoho CRM can handle return tracking with ease and integrate the process with your ERP.

There are lots of other issues that can arise when implementing and integrating a new CRM system alongside your ERP. Having the right consultant that understands your business processes, asks the rights questions and can guide you to the most effective solutions makes even the implementation easier.

Zoho One: The Ultimate in Zoho integrations

zoho crm integrations zoho one

If there’s one thing Zoho has been doing lately to up the ante, it’s add software to the Zoho “family” of apps.  In 2016, Zoho began to offer all 35 or so apps in one unified package called Zoho One.  Zoho One sets itself apart from most software bundles as it can be had for less than the cost of a Zoho CRM Enterprise license.  Many apps in Zoho One integrate directly with Zoho CRM – for example, Zoho Books for managing finances and light inventory, and Zoho Campaigns for email marketing and analytics.  For companies looking to use Zoho CRM for integrations, or perhaps looking to get all their software under one umbrella, Zoho One is a fine choice.

Want to know more about how Zoho CRM integrations can help you?

Zoho CRM integrations are key to nearly any well-run Zoho system, and it’s not always obvious which way to go with them at first.  But, it’s nothing a consulting session can’t help suss out!  Contact us today to learn how our team of Certified Zoho Consultants can take your Zoho integrations experience to the next level, or, reach out for any CRM training or support questions.  Just use the Contact Us button in the upper right corner of this screen and a ZBrains Zoho consultant will get back to you within 24 hours.

 

Zoho CRM vs Salesforce — 3 Reasons why Zoho Is The Better Choice

Published on: January 25, 2015Category: Zoho CRMLast Updated: August 19, 2021 Comments: 0

zoho crm vs salesforce

Are you looking into options for adding an online CRM solution for your business? If so, you are most likely looking at Salesforce, along with a few other options. Did you know that Zoho is another leading solution that is just as good (if not better) as Salesforce at a fraction of the cost? When you compare Zoho CRM vs Salesforce, we feel strongly that you will find there are 3 key benefits with Zoho that will help you avoid overpaying for an online CRM solution. Let’s look at these 3 differentiators that will help you decide the winner when it comes to Zoho vs. Salesforce. In our analysis, we will look at:

  1. Overall features
  2. The total cost of ownership
  3. The ability to integrate with your back-office accounting software

Zoho CRM Feature Comparison: Zoho CRM vs Salesforce

Zoho has superior inventory management functionality when compared to Salesforce. Zoho recognizes the importance of your sales team to have real-time access to open quotes, invoices, vendors and products. If you are in Sales, you know that if inventory isn’t available to sell when you need to sell it, then you can’t deliver the sale to the customer as promised. You are also at risk of missing your month end sales goals. The bottom line is: if your product isn’t available to ship then you can’t book it. Zoho CRM gives you instant access to your inventory quantity on-hand and what is available to ship from what warehouse. Visibility into your inventory availability is just one example of how Zoho helps your Sales team gain a competitive edge to meet or beat sales quotas.

Here are a few leading benefits of Zoho CRM:

  • Feature rich set with an intuitive web-based interface
  • Affordable CRM solution at a fraction of the cost
  • Available as an on-demand service accessible from anywhere – including your mobile device
  • Fully customizable user interface to match any organization’s CRM workflow process
  • Export your Zoho data anytime
  • Increase your business productivity by automating key aspects of the customer lifecycle
  • Continuous Zoho product updates without service disruptions and extra costs
  • Dedicated customer support during implementation and deployment
  • Local Zoho CRM certified consultants available for additional training and integration work

Please contact us for a more in-depth feature by feature comparison of Zoho vs. Salesforce.

Zoho Online CRM at a Fraction of the Cost: Zoho CRM vs Salesforce

Zoho Online CRM is 1/5th the cost of Salesforce and has similar features that you would expect from a leading online CRM solution. Salesforce has a big reputation for being one of the market leaders for leading online CRM solution. Did you also know that Salesforce is widely known to be expensive, costly and hard to manage and implement? Zoho’s business model is to provide customers with an affordable, easy to use solution that offers the flexibility to run your business the way you need to run it. Zoho is easily customizable to capture the data you need to help your Sales and Marketing teams increase sales and profitability.

Unlike Salesforce, Zoho’s “pay-as-you-go” model clearly gives customers the flexibility of shorter or longer-term commitments minimizing the risk of being forced to use a system also known as software “vendor lock-in.” This diagram below illustrates how a 5 year investment with Salesforce compares to Zoho CRM. Clearly, the Zoho versions in blue and red are at a fraction of the cost of an investment with Salesforce.

Zoho Online CRM and Accounting System Integration: Zoho CRM vs Salesforce

Are you using QuickBooks? Zoho offers Zoho QuickBooks integration. Our certified Zoho consultants are available to help integrate Zoho with your system. Zoho also integrates with a number of robust Zoho Business Apps and the Zoho Office Suite (Mail, Meeting, Sheet, Writer, etc.). Zoho is available on your mobile device so you can take your data on the road.

Would you like to have a more in-depth comparison of Zoho CRM vs Salesforce? Our experienced, certified Zoho consultants will be happy to help you with your Online CRM selection process. If you already own Zoho, take some time to learn more about our Zoho training options! Zoho Online CRM users can join our monthly classroom training sessions and request individual appointments both on-site and remote via webinar. If you’re just starting out, we suggest attending one of our free monthly webinars. We offer both basic user level and admin training so you can harness the full potential of the software. Remote training of our boot camp as a webinar is also available. Contact us today and let our team of support experts take your Zoho experience to the next level!

Optimizing Workflow: Zoho & Google Apps CRM Integration

Published on: January 21, 2015Category: Certified Zoho Consultants, Zoho CRM, Zoho IntegrationsLast Updated: May 8, 2024 Comments: 0

Zoho and Google Apps CRM – 6 Ways to Utilize Both Together

zoho google apps

 To Pair or Not to Pair?

Many people are moving to Google Apps for their personal and small businesses for online computing. If you are looking for an all-in-one system where you can sync with your mobile devices, Zoho CRM combined with Google Apps for Business is a great option. Zoho has been working to integrate its online CRM application with Google Apps for the last four years to become the leading online CRM collaboration tool. For instance, as a Zoho and Google user, you can now access Zoho CRM from your Gmail account. When you are logged into Zoho, you can access the integrated Google Apps and if you are in Google Apps, you can access Zoho online CRM functionality.

In this blog, we will cover 2 popular Zoho Google Apps for Gmail and Calendar along with 3 major benefits for Zoho customers using Google Apps. There are also additional Google Apps: Documents, Drive, Sites, and Vault which are described in further detail on our website covering Zoho Google Apps.

3 Powerful Google Apps that Help Zoho Users Save Time and Money:

1.)  Gmail Integrated with Zoho

This is one of our Customer’s favorite Zoho Google Apps and one we use heavily in our business. Our Customers find they save money when moving over to Gmail for their daily email correspondence. If you prefer to use Outlook, you can use Gmail for your backend mail exchange. All your emails are safe with Google’s secure online backup. If you need to access emails when you are out of the office or away from your computer, you can now access Outlook anywhere you have a web browser. Feeling bogged down with emails? Easily find what you are looking for with Google’s powerful built-in search functionality. Zoho and Google Apps will work with all Microsoft file types so you can open any documents while on the road.

2.)  Zoho Plugged into Google Calendar

Another favorite is the ability to coordinate your schedule with Google Calendar.  You can view all events and create multiple calendars from the same interface.  This integrates with Zoho CRM so all your events and reminders can be seen in Zoho.  Coworkers have visibility on your availability so they can easily work around your schedule.  Google Calendar allows you to set permissions so you can set the ability to view and modify your schedule.

3.) Google Drive integration for Zoho CRM

This special connection, developed by ZBrains, allows for CRM record file storage inside Google Drive.  The Google Drive integration works by creating and associating new Google Drive folders with Zoho CRM records based on a folder structure or hierarchy that you set.  When you create new CRM records – for example, for a client project – an equivalent folder and URL will be created in Google Drive, and that folder’s URL will be automatically linked to the appropriate CRM record.

zoho google apps

3 additional ways customers benefit from Zoho Google Apps:

1.)  Save money with consolidated technology

Save time and money by using Zoho and Google Apps, processing most data online in the cloud, without costly server maintenance. Integrating Zoho Google Apps also helps save time and money while traveling. Google Apps is an affordable solution to increase productivity for just $5 per user, per month, or $50 per user, per year. Sign up for a Google Apps FREE trial and see for yourself how easy it is to get started.

2.) Increase productivity with easy file storage

Google Apps’ cloud-based productivity suite lets you store files, documents, spreadsheets, and presentations in the cloud. Avoid emailing documents for revisions now that multiple users can access these documents and make edits in a central location.

3.) Secure your data with a cloud-based system

Google maintains your data securely in the cloud with world-class data centers. You don’t have to manage 2 separate passwords since with one point of access and one password to sign on. You simply log into Zoho with your GA login credentials.

Seamless Collaboration with Google Apps:


By integrating Google Apps with Zoho Online CRM, businesses can leverage the collaborative power of Google’s suite of productivity tools. This integration allows teams to seamlessly access and share CRM data, contacts, calendars, and documents stored in Google Drive. For example, sales representatives can easily schedule meetings using Google Calendar, access customer information from Zoho CRM within Gmail, and collaborate on documents in real time using Google Docs. This streamlined collaboration enhances team productivity and ensures everyone is on the same page when it comes to managing customer relationships.


Efficient Data Synchronization:


Integrating Google Apps with Zoho Online CRM enables automatic data synchronization between the two platforms. This means that any updates or changes made in one platform will reflect in the other, eliminating the need for manual data entry and reducing the risk of data discrepancies. For instance, when a sales representative updates a contact’s information in Zoho CRM, the changes will be instantly reflected in Google Contacts, ensuring accurate and up-to-date customer data across both platforms. This seamless data synchronization saves time and minimizes the chances of errors, allowing businesses to focus on nurturing customer relationships.


Enhanced Email Marketing Campaigns:


Effective email marketing is an essential aspect of CRM success.  strategies. Integrating Google Apps with Zoho Online CRM provides businesses with a powerful combination of tools for executing targeted email campaigns. With this integration, users can create personalized email templates in Zoho CRM and send them directly from their Gmail accounts. The integration also enables tracking and analytics, allowing businesses to monitor email opens, click-through rates, and conversions. This valuable data can be used to refine marketing strategies and improve customer engagement.


Streamlined Document Management:


Google Apps’ robust document management capabilities, combined with Zoho Online CRM, offer a streamlined approach to document storage and access. By integrating the two platforms, businesses can store and organize customer-related documents in Google Drive and link them directly to corresponding records in Zoho CRM. This integration ensures easy access to important files such as contracts, proposals, and invoices within the CRM system, enabling sales and support teams to quickly retrieve and share relevant documents during customer interactions.


Advanced Reporting and Analytics:


Integrating Google Apps with Zoho Online CRM provides businesses with advanced reporting and analytics capabilities. By combining the data from Zoho CRM with Google Sheets and Google Data Studio, users can create insightful reports and visualizations that offer valuable insights into customer behavior, sales performance, and overall business metrics. These analytics help businesses make data-driven decisions, identify trends, and optimize their CRM strategies to drive growth.


Conclusion:

In summary, Zoho Online CRM is the best cost-effective CRM solution that works with Google Apps for Business available in the market today. Contact us if you are interested in learning more about Zoho Google Apps working for your business. As ERP and Zoho CRM consultants, our team at ZBrains provides Zoho and Google Apps customers with migration services, customizations, support escalation, webinars, knowledge-base access, system integrations, and change management for your business.


Get in touch with us to learn how our team of certified Zoho experts will help you maximize your Zoho CRM solution. Our Zoho CRM training or comprehensive Zoho implementation packages will help get your team equipped and ready to take advantage of all the critical features of Zoho CRM that are essential to help you and your team better manage existing customers and new business opportunities.