True customer relationship management (CRM) software helps you understand your customers and engage with them throughout their lifecycle.
This is done by collecting and analyzing a large amount of data. From prospecting to marketing to customer service, collecting and analyzing customer data can help uncover problems and reveal hidden opportunities.
How to Choose the Best WordPress CRM Extension
A WordPress CRM extension is one of those tools that every company ends up getting. However, some companies need only the bare minimum, while others need advanced customizations and powerful integrations.
There are a number of CRM extensions available, but we would like to highlight the features that are essential while complementing your CRM search. Here’s what you need to look for:
- A complete system for capturing contacts with form builders and options for placing these forms on your website. This should be as simple as possible. Items to look for include drag-and-drop form builders, widgets and short codes.
- Multiple databases for storing your customer information and the use of custom fields so that the database can be tailored to the specific needs of your business.
- A report module with graphs and printable reports. We like to see items that can be shared and printed, because usually you won’t be the only one looking at the reports.
- A visual pipeline management to bring your customers into the customer lifecycle and see exactly how to convert them again and again.
- Messaging tools for sending notifications to administrators and customers. These tools could be integrated with planning software or even live discussions.
- A clean interface for administrators and customers. We like to see profiles as simple as those on social networks. It’s also nice that customers can communicate with administrators through their profiles and upload documents.
- It’s great to see WooCommerce integrations. The links to many other extensions, such as contact form extensions, are also useful.
- Billing tools to collect money from your customers and potentially create a recurring revenue stream.
- Task planners to help your workers stay on track and to organize meetings with your customers.
- Activity logs and notes so you can go back and see what was discussed with your clients.
- Marking, filtering and search bars make it easy to locate the customers and groups you need.
- Applications and extensions, or some kind of integration tool to link to other CRMs, extensions and website platforms.
The best WordPress extensions for CRM in 2020
To help you review all the options available, here are the main WordPress CRM extensions that are worth looking at (in no particular order).
1. WP ERP
WP ERP is a free extension that combines both small and large companies with a CRM, HRM and accounting solution. It currently has more than 10,000 active installations with a good rating.
This WordPress CRM extension consists of different modules, one for CRM functionality and one for HRM and accounting solutions. They have no limits, so you can create as many entries as you want in all modules.
2. WordPress CRM Plugin
WordPress CRM Plugin offers a complete CRM that installs directly into your dashboard. It is free to download and use on your site, with the possibility to add paid extensions such as Zapier, WooCommerce and Invoicing. A premium version is also available for $99 per year, which allows you to benefit from premium support and a set of extensions. It all depends on the features you need, so you might have to pay for something.
With the standard extension, you can store an unlimited number of contacts in your database. The extension has tools to manage projects, monitor your marketing and define individual tasks for your employees. It is also nice to be able to export or import your records at any time.
3. WP Fusion
WP Fusion is a high-end WordPress extension that links what happens on your website to your CRM. You can use WP Fusion to create a membership site, synchronize your customers’ information, capture new prospects, record e-commerce transactions. There is a Lite version available for free download. This version synchronizes your contacts and user management elements between your WordPress site and the third-party CRM of your choice.
So it’s not exactly a complete CRM system, but rather a link between your WordPress site and the CRM you want to use. However, the extension does provide some basic CRM features, such as automatic contact creation and restricted access to your site and database.
4. Presspoint
Formerly PauPress and relaunched as Presspoint CRM in October 2014, Presspoint is a high-end WordPress extension sold on its own website. That said, it is a 100% WordPress native and robust CRM solution. Presspoint allows you to do much more than just enter and store customer data. It also integrates with e-commerce, memberships, email marketing, and much more, all within WordPress administration. Not only is the extension feature-rich, but it also allows for complex queries and reports.
You can use the reports to simply mine the data or to perform mass actions such as editing or sending. The interface integrates seamlessly with WordPress, so its use and navigation should be intuitive.
5. WooCommerce Customer Relationship Manager
If you use WooCommerce to sell anything from your WordPress site, you’ll want to take a look at the WooCommerce CRM (customer relationship manager) premium extension. In addition to having a place for the usual contact management information, this extension allows you to track orders, add customer notes, send emails and even make calls from the WordPress administrator.
Yes, you read that correctly. You can retrieve a contact, add a new call task to its file, and make the call from the contact’s record. It even has a call timer if you want to analyze your call data.
