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Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and Content Management Systems (CMS) serve two different purposes in the business software landscape:
CRM is all about managing customers and clients, and CMS is about managing your website.
Most businesses start with a CMS, especially those that need an online portal to showcase or sell their product or service. If your business has a website, you’re already using a CMS of some sort, even if really lightweight.
A CRM will come later in the process, as you build your client base and need to keep better track of your sales pipeline and your customer interactions (think Salesforce). A CRM is especially useful for B2B businesses that need to record lots of client interactions and to follow up on leads.
If you’re wondering whether your small business needs a CRM or a CMS, the answer is it probably needs both, but when you need to adopt each one may vary.
You’ll need a CMS from the outset to build your website and get your business up and running, but you won’t need a CRM until you’re ready to start building up your client base.
A CMS, or content management system, is the central hub where you’re able to manage all of the content you publish on your website.
CRM, or customer relationship management, is an entirely different beast. CRM solutions organize and manage information about customers, and so are one of the most important tools sales and marketing teams can utilize to keep track of their leads and make sure they’re communicating with their customers at the most opportune times.
If you're looking to a digital partner with an award-winning team to help with your CMS, CRM, or business content strategy, then:
We are both a Sitecore and Episerver Partner, but our creative technology team also has significant experience with platforms such as Hubspot, Kentico, Umbraco, and WordPress platforms.