Thanks to our technology and advanced communication systems, we’re now in a world in which we no longer have to adhere to the one-size-fits-all model. We can customize better than ever, which means we have complete control over what we consume, how we consume it, and how we go about enhancing as we go. The same should go for your business and how you choose to internally operate your processes. There are tremendous options in the marketplace right now for software systems that will help streamline your processes, and it can be difficult and even overwhelming when considering all of your options. But because customization is our new world, we examined two popular CRM models and how customizable they are so you can determine what you need for your business currently and how you envision your business to look in the future.
Zoho has been a leader in the market for some time now, and all for good reasons. Sage has presented considerable competitive challenges to this model, but in comparison of the two, you’ll be able to determine which one may be the best option for your business.
Competitive pricing model
This is a huge advantage for Zoho. While both Zoho and Sage use a pricing model that is flexible by the month and dependent on the number of users, Zoho still offers the lower range. Granted, each pricing model varies depending on the package and your growth plan over time, but as you adjust to the software and what your business needs, you’ll be able to appreciate the lower price tag, and as you customize and get used to all of the offerings, you’ll be able to adjust as you go.
Can cater to over a thousand users
Both Zoho and Sage cater to small and medium-sized businesses, but Zoho can take it one step further and support larger companies at the enterprise level, which means it can support a user base of over 1,000 individuals. While your company may not be at the level either just starting out or if you’re considering migrating your data to Zoho, it’s still beneficial to approach your business plan as if one day you’d reach that level of required support. Knowing that Zoho can support that many employees should help you make your decision.
Ease of use
This is a huge detail to consider when looking at these two platforms. At the end of the day, your employees are the ones that will be utilizing this software system on a daily basis, so you want to ensure that the user experience is easy and intuitive. In addition to that, think about all the different personality types that will be using this system. Your accountants will need a clean and simple set-up, and your sales team will require a quick and seamless system while they’re in between sales calls. All of your team members were hired because of their skills and talented mindsets, and keep in mind that they all operate differently. With that said, ease of use also refers to catering to all of those different ways of thinking and work ethic. Across the board, Zoho ranks high when it comes to user-friendliness and intuitive nature, while Sage falls short with even the most basic operations.
Mobile capability
Zoho is available on both iOS and Android. For your teams that spend a lot of time in the field or need to commit to work after-hours or over the weekend, this is a huge benefit to have this feature on all major devices. Sage does not offer either. Because this is available on Zoho, you can rest assured that none of your processes are delayed or slips through the cracks when it comes to movement.
Round-the-clock support systems
You will set up your software system however you see best fit for your company. As you continue to grow acclimated with your system, you’ll likely have questions along the way that maybe your coworkers can’t assist with. Zoho offers a wide range of support options to help with these inquiries or troubleshooting from 24/7 live phone contact to full web support to help you get back up and running, no matter the time of day. Sage simply cannot match this, as the support availability is only offered during operating business hours. This can prove tricky if your business extends to different time zones or even internationally.
Features and capabilities
This is the biggest thing to consider when looking at different models to help you manage your business operations, as this will determine what exactly your business will need to help it succeed and grow over time. There are certain features that will be necessary for you, like a calendar and reminding system, which both platforms offer, as this is a pretty standard feature to house. There are other options, however, that Zoho offers that Sage cannot. When looking at marketing capabilities, it’s imperative to consider that we live in a digital age, and this is how most people are consuming their information now. So noticing that Sage doesn’t offer marketing automation or social media integration seemed like a huge miss. All of this of course completely depends on your business and the industry in which you operate, but no matter what, knowing what you get with each platform is a good tool going into the decision-making process.
You know your business best and what it needs in order to succeed and eventually grow. You have your unique goals as it relates to your business, and you know what you need to do in order to reach those goals. When examining the Zoho and Sage platforms in comparison, however, it seems that Zoho is more in touch with how each business needs to customize its software to fulfill these goals. By understanding that your business is not one-size-fits-all, you are hopefully now more knowledgeable when it comes to what your options are for your business and what you’ll need.
