As businesses strive to better serve the needs of their customers and stay competitive, it's important to evaluate whether their CRM (Customer Relationship Management) system is up to par with the latest technology and trends. With the rapid pace of change in the past decade, many CRMs built with outdated SaaS 1.0 technology are struggling to keep up. In order to ensure that your company can move at the pace of the customer, it's crucial to assess whether your current CRM system is meeting your needs. You may need to upgrade to a modern CRM system and leverage the technology gains of the past decade. In this article, we will explore the five must-have features that your CRM for SaaS should have in 2023.
Cloud-based and SaaS 2.0#
"Cloud-based?" That's so last decade! Simply being on the cloud is not enough for CRMs in 2023. Many SaaS platforms built in the past are now trying to retrofit the latest technologies, such as collaboration, analytics, and AI. However, this is simply not enough. You need a new CRM that is natively built for AI and collaboration and outperforms outdated technologies like Oracle, Java, and VMs. We will continue to see a shift towards cloud-based CRM. According to a report by Gartner, cloud-based CRM will account for 75% of all CRM software.
AI and Automation#
Artificial intelligence (AI) and automation will continue to be important features in CRM software in 2023. By automating repetitive tasks and providing personalized customer experiences, AI and automation can improve the efficiency and effectiveness of CRM. In the past 6 months, Generative AI and LLMs have transformed all functions, including CRM. Rule-based chatbots that required constant configuration and took hundreds of wasted engineering hours are now a thing of the past. With the ability to scrape a company's website, documentation, and knowledge base, you can now create a natural language bot that provides a delightful customer experience.
The use of AI and automation in CRM software is expected to increase in 2023 as businesses seek to improve their customer engagement and retention. In fact, a report by Salesforce found that 80% of business buyers expect vendors to use AI to improve their experiences.
Mobile accessibility#
Mobile accessibility is becoming increasingly important in CRM for SaaS. It is crucial for businesses to ensure that their CRM software is accessible on mobile devices, especially as more people use their mobile devices to browse the internet. By doing so, businesses can significantly improve the customer experience and make it more convenient to manage customer interactions on the go.
In 2023, mobile accessibility is expected to be a key feature of CRM for SaaS. A report by Accenture found that 90% of consumers use their smartphones to engage with businesses, highlighting the importance of mobile accessibility in CRM software.
Integration with other SaaS tools#
Integration with other SaaS tools is an important feature of CRM for SaaS in 2023. On average, a company uses more than 100 SaaS apps, and this number has only been increasing over the years. Therefore, your CRM should be able to seamlessly integrate with your existing workflows and tools. According to a report by Forrester, 70% of businesses are investing in integration technology to improve their customer experiences.
While integrations have been happening for over a decade, in 2023 and beyond, they should be driven by modern APIs and webhooks that do not require weeks of implementation and ongoing maintenance. In the modern world, pre-built integrations should be offered by your CRM software to integrate with your core front office functions such as sales, marketing, support, and customer success, as well as product functions such as engineering and product management.
Security and Privacy#
In 2023, security and privacy will be critical features of CRM for SaaS. Customer data brings a great sense of responsibility for SaaS businesses. It not only has a significant impact on the business but its influence and reach are also much higher. Today's consumers place trust in companies based on how they treat their data. Therefore, every SaaS company and CRM system must implement strong authentication, and encryption, and ensure that the risk of data breaches is minimized.
As more businesses collect and store sensitive customer data, the importance of security and privacy in CRM software is expected to increase in 2023. Strong measures must be taken without a doubt.
Bonus feature: Customization#
Customization is an important feature of CRM for SaaS in 2023. While out-of-the-box experiences are great, there’s always a need to customize and flex to user and company needs. Why not customize the data model, automation, reporting, and user experience?
If your CRM is used for growing and scaling a company, the chances of needing customization are close to 100%!
Choosing the right CRM for your SaaS business#
As we have outlined, when choosing a CRM for your SaaS business, several factors need to be considered. The top features include being cloud-based, having AI and automation, being mobile accessible, integrating with other SaaS tools, providing security and privacy, and allowing for customization. However, other factors such as cost, ease of use, and quality of customer support may also be important. Choosing a CRM without adequate customer support can lead to frustration and wasted time.
Conclusion#
In 2023, CRM for SaaS will continue to play an important role in helping businesses manage their customer interactions and improve customer engagement and retention. The five must-have features of CRM for SaaS in 2023 include cloud-based, AI and automation, mobile accessibility, integration with other SaaS tools, security and privacy, and customization. By choosing the right CRM for their SaaS business, businesses can improve their customer relationships and streamline their operations.
