Many marketers and sales teams have CRM systems which they rely upon for engaging with customers and prospects. Sitecore has recognised this and has made it possible to integrate its platform with a number of third-party CRM systems, including Salesforce and Microsoft Dynamics CRM.
At Lake Solutions we have worked with a number of clients on seamlessly integrating their CRM system with their Sitecore website, giving them the ability to share data and sales leads between the two platforms.
This integration offers organisations the opportunity to efficiently follow a customer’s journey from the beginning to the end – offering marketers a detailed knowledge of customer visits to their website, as well as building leads and personalising the experience.
Through integrating systems, such as Salesforce and Microsoft Dynamics CRM, marketers can deliver a personalised and targeted experience to customers, helping with campaign management, customer service and conversion rate. For example, Sitecore web and email campaigns can be assigned directly to accounts in the existing CRM system, meaning that customers can receive targeted or personalised messages.
We talk a lot about content in our blogs, but the combination of Sitecore and CRM systems can help to tailor the content which is delivered, thus improving a customer’s experience.
The integration of Sitecore with your CRM system can also be useful with customer surveys. You could utilise Sitecore’s Web Forms for Marketers to build a feedback survey for customers. The results achieved through this could then be seamlessly stored within your CRM system; while leads can be captured through Sitecore and stored on your CRM.
Integrating Sitecore with their CRM system also allows a marketer to pull web analytics into the CRM directly to build custom reports.
Achieving this integration is enabled though Sitecore Connectors, a prepacked integration product that delivers out-of-the-box functionality, so you benefit from the integration immediately. They also allow for customisation to fit your specific needs. Each connector is built on a framework that provides a blueprint for how to deliver data and functionality to Sitecore.
Sitecore's Microsoft Dynamics CRM connector puts the decision of 'who owns the data?’ in your hands, because Sitecore uses the data wherever it resides. Customer information in the CRM can influence the online experiences you manage from within Sitecore, and a customer’s online behaviour can influence their profiles in the CRM. Your customer segmentation will also co-exist in both systems.
Sitecore Connect for Salesforce lets you personalise the experience, allowing you to combine Sitecore with Salesforce CRM or with Salesforce Marketing Cloud, creating new opportunities to interact with customers.
The connector integrates Sitecore with Salesforce allowing the seamless exchange of information. With real-time two-direction communication, almost any object in either system can be made visible to the other. For example, website login credentials can be stored and controlled in Salesforce contact records, or Sitecore web forms can push form data, along with Sitecore Experience Analytics, to Salesforce allowing fast and easy qualification.
Integrating Sitecore with your CRM system will give you more control over the experience your users will enjoy. You will be able to leverage the data you collect with greater ease, and in new ways, to improve the effectiveness of your marketing campaigns, while simultaneously providing a more engaging experience for your prospects and customers.
At Lake Solutions we are experienced in integrating our clients’ websites with their CRM system – whether that’s Salesforce or Microsoft Dynamics CRM. To find out how we can help you, get in touch today.