Published on: November 17, 2016Category: Zoho CRMLast Updated: September 21, 2023 Comments: 0
Lately, we’ve been getting a good number of questions about moving from Salesforce to Zoho CRM: namely, questions about migrating data between the two platforms.
I’m talking about things like:
Does it all transfer from system to system the right way, or do things get lost in translation?
Does it take a long time to do?
Is it expensive?
First things first: it’s absolutely feasible to migrate data from Salesforce to Zoho, and to get your whole team on the platform. But, the three concerns listed above are clearly important to address, and far be it from me to leave you hanging.
#1. What actually comes over in a data migration?
Something that can really hamper you when migrating data is when information simply will not transfer from one system to another – that is, things get lost in translation. At best, this leads to loads of manual entry after the big move; at worst, you’ll permanently lose valuable information about your clients and the overall health and history of your business.
This factor alone can sometimes keep people on a CRM that no longer suits them – and, in the case of staying on Salesforce, this can mean keeping a system that’s too complicated and has low user adoption, a system that’s too expensive to be a wise choice for your business.
Thankfully, there’s one important point to consider: Zoho CRM’s data import tool is able to read the metadata of records exported from Salesforce. That means you’re able to keep all your notes and other auxiliary data attached to individual records, and that you don’t lose a bit of your past history. (It’s important not to use the API data migration tool if you want to keep your metadata.)
#2. How long does it take to go from Salesforce to Zoho?
It goes without saying that time is of the essence in the business world. Projects taking too long – even data migration or CRM platform migration projects – can be relegated to the back burner if the project manager knows they will take too long for the company to carry out and not be totally messed up for days on end. Sometimes, these projects are simply never completed, and the business isn’t able to move on from a system that’s outlived its usefulness – even if it’s something robust like Salesforce.
Zoho Corporation offers a data migration service of their own but with one caveat: it can take up to several weeks to complete. Even for the price point ($100), not many companies can afford to be in limbo between systems for that long – and, for those in a hurry, it won’t do at all.
Fortunately, Zoho CRM’s built-in tool for migrating data helps immensely with this with its ultra-quick migration time. Even for many modules and thousands of records, as long as your Zoho consultant knows how to map your fields correctly, data migration only takes two days at most. That means that portion of the project can be completed over a regular weekend.
#3. What will a Salesforce to Zoho migration cost?
Cost is yet another factor that can put a data migration project on hold if it’s too much to bear; it’s unfortunate that halting a simple data migration project could ever come down to cost, but it does indeed happen. ZBrains’s team of consultants can spend a weekend, or even two solid weeknights, with your data to make sure it all flows from Salesforce to Zoho, but in return the service costs more than a flat $100 fee. (Let us know if you’d like a quote based on the number of modules you need to work with.)
If price is still an object, you might even choose to use a Zoho training session to get familiar with the ins and outs of data migration from Salesforce to Zoho CRM yourself at that point.
Still not sure how to approach migrating from Salesforce to Zoho?
If you still have questions about how this would work, don’t hesitate to contact us. Salesforce can be quite overwrought for businesses, and we’re happy to take a look at your existing configuration and tell you what it would take to replicate your current system on Zoho – or, even improve upon it. Contact us today and a certified Zoho consultant will get back to you within 24 hours.
With so many different CRMs available today, all with different specs, you’re bound to be a little bogged down if you try to absorb too much at once. With that in mind, we’re going to pit just two against each other today: Salesforce vs Zoho.
When comparing features of Salesforce vs Zoho, it’s important to keep in mind the different versions of the two products. Tags like “Professional Edition” and “Enterprise Edition” can be misleading, as standards obviously vary between companies. In this case, the closest thing to Salesforce’s Professional Edition isn’t Zoho’s own Professional Edition, but their Enterprise Edition.
Anyhow, without further ado, let’s dive right in and figure out who wins in Salesforce vs Zoho…
The Salesforce vs Zoho CRM Review
Round One: The Cost
This is a chief concern for many business owners when picking out any software programs. Let’s take a look by making the simplest calculation possible: price per user.
It costs $50 per month* to board a single user on Zoho CRM EE. *Pricing updated June 2021
It costs $100 per month to board a single user on Salesforce CRM PE*.
For companies only boarding a few users, this sort of cost won’t be a big deal, understandably. But, when considering boarding ten users – or twenty of them – the cost per user becomes a much more important factor.
Cost per year to board ten Zoho CRM EE users: $5000
Cost per year to board twenty Zoho CRM EE users: $10,000
Cost per year to board ten Salesforce CRM PE users: $10,000
Cost per year to board twenty Salesforce CRM PE users: $20,000
In this case, the trend is clear: it costs twice as much to board the equivalent number of Zoho CRM EE users on Salesforce CRM PE, making Zoho the winner of this round of Salesforce vs Zoho.
Logically, the next thing you’ll want to do after comparing prices is see exactly what features you’ll get for the prices. That process is a little more involved than just looking at a couple of numbers, so we’ll divide it into a few rounds by category.
Round Two: The Sales Automation
One of the big reasons you’re looking into buying a CRM in general is so the program will keep track of certain things for you. Like, for example, your different leads, contacts, opportunities, and the like. Both Salesforce CRM PE and Zoho CRM EE pack a similar list of features, including competitor tracking, catalogs, and sales forecasts.
One notable feature Zoho packs that Salesforce does not, however, is feeds.
Feeds allows users to keep track of updates to certain leads, opportunities, or other activities; users can even leave comments on those activities, much like one would on a social network. This aspect alone gives Zoho an edge, although the rest of the sales automation features in Zoho are quite similar to the ones in Salesforce.
By just a nudge, Zoho wins this round as well.
Round Three: The Social Aspect
Being able to interact with customers on social media is very important, especially in today’s business environment. Both Salesforce PE and Zoho EE come into this round prepared for social battle, sporting Twitter and Facebook integrations, and Salesforce adding a LinkedIn plugin. Zoho makes up for its lack of LinkedIn with a social tab (to more easily monitor Facebook and Twitter entries) and a way to monitor social mentions, but, with LinkedIn as a big a player as it is in the business space, this round belongs to Salesforce.
Round 3A: Integrated chat options
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that both Salesforce and Zoho have integrated website chat options. In both Live Agent (Salesforce’s platform) and SalesIQ (Zoho’s), users can wait for visitor questions to roll in, or engage visitors directly via chat box. (This feature works particularly well for members of a Sales team or a Customer Support team.) Since Live Agent and SalesIQ are very similar, however, their inclusion doesn’t factor into the final decision.
Round Four: The Inventory Management
Another great quality of many CRMs is their ability to track inventory. That said, not all inventory management systems are created equally… Inventory management is where Zoho CRM EE really shines against Salesforce CRM PE; while Salesforce can track Sales Quotes, Products, and Price Books, Zoho can track those three categories of items plus Sales Orders, Invoices, Vendors, and Purchase Orders. In addition, Zoho has an integrated order procurement and fulfillment option. In this case, the unquestionable winner is Zoho.
Salesforce vs Zoho CRM BONUS ROUND: Integration
The ability to integrate is another absolutely vital part of modern businesses, as integrated systems can save time and money. Even if an integrated program doesn’t end up lowering costs, the potential for time savings can make up for that.
This round is no contest, though. Zoho was built with integration in mind; users of the program can also access MS Office, MS Outlook, Gmail, Google Apps, QuickBooks Desktop – and, they can access Zoho CRM and modify records entirely from mobile devices. Salesforce packs a few of those options – notably, integrations for QuickBooks, Gmail, Google Apps, and MS Office; however, some of the integrations are only offered for a higher cost.
On the subject of integrations, it bears mentioning that, like Salesforce, Zoho comes with a whole suite of apps and add-ons that can integrate with the CRM. Zoho’s offering, called Zoho One, is a suite of over 40 programs – and the number grows nearly every month. The entire suite, which includes CRM, Zoho Books, Zoho Desk, and a project management app, is just $45/user/mo, a far cry from similar offerings from Salesforce. With Zoho already coming up with a lower total cost without the extra charges for certain integrations, Zohowins this round as well, far and away.
Zoho CRM vs. Salesforce: Similarities & Differences
Zoho CRM and Salesforce are two well-known customer relationship management (CRM) software packages that provide a variety of capabilities to assist organizations in managing their customer connections, sales processes, and marketing initiatives. They have certain similarities but also significant differences. To better understand the similarities and differences between Zoho CRM and Salesforce, let us compare and contrast them:
1.Editions and pricing:
Zoho CRM: Zoho CRM offers a variety of editions, including a free edition for up to three users, as well as paid editions with additional features and functionality, such as Zoho CRM Plus. The pricing is generally more affordable, making it suitable for small and medium-sized businesses.
Salesforce is well-known for its extensive customizability. It offers a strong foundation for developing custom apps, processes, and integrations using Apex, its own programming language, and declarative tools such as Process Builder and Lightning App Builder. Salesforce is thus highly scalable and well-suited to organizations with complicated business processes.
2.Specifications and functionality:
Zoho CRM: Contact management, lead tracking, email integration, sales forecasting, social media integration, and analytics are just a few of the capabilities available with Zoho CRM. It also includes modules for email marketing and customer assistance, such as Zoho Campaigns.
Salesforce: Salesforce provides a variety of capabilities that span CRM, sales, marketing, and customer service. Through its care Cloud, it provides lead management, opportunity tracking, email automation, reporting and dashboards, workflow automation, marketing automation, and customer care functionality.
3.User Interface and Usability:
Zoho CRM: Zoho CRM offers an easy-to-use user interface. It provides a consolidated view of client data, allowing users to easily access contact information, activity history, and associated records.
Salesforce: Salesforce’s user interface is highly flexible and can be adjusted to meet unique user requirements. However, the interface, particularly for beginning users, can be confusing and daunting. The latest user interface, Salesforce Lightning, offers a more modern and streamlined experience.
4. Ecosystem and Integration:
Zoho CRM: Zoho CRM interfaces with a wide range of third-party apps and services, such as email marketing platforms, accounting software, and productivity tools. It also offers its own set of business applications, such as Zoho Books and Zoho Projects, that can be combined for complete business management.
Salesforce: Salesforce has a large ecosystem of third-party integrations as well as a dedicated AppExchange marketplace. It has a large developer community and may be integrated with a variety of popular programs such as marketing automation tools, collaboration platforms, and ERP systems.
Unparalleled Performance: Unveiling the Value of Zoho CRM
When evaluating the ideal CRM solution, Zoho CRM emerges as a strong contender, offering a suite of features that seamlessly align with your organizational goals. From robust lead management and streamlined workflow automation to comprehensive analytics that yield actionable insights, Zoho CRM is customized to enhance your business operations holistically.
Why Zoho CRM Prevails: A Closer Look
Tailored Solutions: Zoho CRM recognizes the diversity of business requirements, hence offering customizable interfaces and adaptable modules. This ensures that your CRM experience is a reflection of your unique needs.
Seamless User Interface: Navigating intricate functionalities becomes a breeze with Zoho CRM’s intuitive dashboard. The user-friendly design empowers teams, enhancing their efficiency and overall productivity.
Affordability, No Compromises: Zoho CRM stands out for its affordability without compromising on capabilities. Experience the full spectrum of CRM tools without stretching your budget, setting it apart in the market.
AI-Powered Insights: Gain a competitive edge with AI-driven analytics from Zoho CRM. Unearth patterns, predict trends, and make well-informed decisions propelling your business towards exponential growth.
Harmonious Ecosystem Integration: Zoho CRM seamlessly integrates with a suite of Zoho applications, establishing a unified ecosystem that streamlines operations across your organization. This synergy fosters collaboration and maximizes efficiency.
In the compelling face-off between Salesforce and Zoho CRM, the latter emerges triumphant in addressing the multifaceted needs of modern businesses. With its tailored approach, intuitive interface, budget-friendliness, AI-infused insights, and ecosystem integration, Zoho CRM emerges as the definitive choice for enterprises poised to achieve unparalleled success.
Conclusion?
Of course, this report doesn’t extract every single detail from both Zoho CRM Enterprise Edition and Salesforce CRM Professional Edition. However, the overview of the few features outlined gives prospective users an idea of what to expect.
What this report does not do is detail the exact look and feel of each UI, nor does it mention the methods of online or phone support plans or CRM consulting services offered, since those tend to be judged more subjectively.
The real object is to get you to make your own decision between Salesforce vs Zoho. While Zoho may be a cheaper option with more features, you may be looking into something more, still. You might prefer something lighter than Zoho CRM Enterprise Edition–or lighter than Salesforce Professional Edition. In any event, hopefully this post helps in your search for the CRM that’s most appropriate for your own business.
