There is a lot of confusion on whether you should use a CRM or a CMS. But the fact of the matter is, they are two software solutions that couldn’t be more different from each other.

The short answer is, you should use both, which means you already have a daunting task on your hands about which ones on the market you should choose. Making the wrong choice can set back your business and make you waste money, so you need to take time to find out what your business needs are.

First, we’re gonna explain what these two types of software platforms are used for, how you can benefit from implementing them, and which products you should consider.

What is a CRM?

At its core, a CRM (Customer Relationship Management) is a platform that stores and sorts client data. However, that’s just a part of its functionality. A modern CRM system is an extensive solution for managing all interactions with customers and is one of the best ways to keep track of clients.

It’s not only used to improve the relationships with current customers. A CRM solution is also used by marketing and sales departments to get a better understanding of where the leads are in their buyer journey. 

Additionally, a CRM helps your business monitor interactions you had with your prospects. As such, it provides you with a way to keep track of sales opportunities, forecast sales, and even make predictions on future revenue.

It is an all-in-one platform you need to use if you want to accelerate an entire sales cycle in your business. To qualify as capable, a CRM solution must offer these features:

  • contact management
  • lead management
  • interaction tracking
  • email management
  • pipeline management
  • reports and analytics

What is a CMS?

A CMS (Content Management System), on the other hand, is an extensive solution for website management. 

You can use a CMS to manage all the processes related to your website, from design to updating, editing, and publishing content. The biggest benefit of implementing this software is the intuitive user-friendly interface that allows everyone to make updates, regardless of their experience with web design or coding.

There are two types of CMS platforms: traditional and headless.

In a headless CMS, the frontend and the backend are separate, thus, stored content is available only through APIs. With a traditional CMS, the opposite is true and the frontend and backend are tightly coupled.

If you want to get the most out of a CMS, you should choose one that provides features such as:

  • a visual content editor
  • SEO tools
  • integration with social media platforms
  • multi-platform capabilities
  • content templates
  • detailed analytics

How can these systems benefit your business?

Both solutions can provide all businesses with major benefits, regardless of the size of the organization. A CRM, in particular, can benefit any business willing to improve customer and lead management. It can also benefit companies that want to keep track of clients, as well as find and capitalize on new sales opportunities.

These are just a few advantages of implementing CRM in your organization:

  • More sales: A CRM tool can streamline all the processes related to sales. You can use it to build a sales pipeline and analyze all the data, which in turn helps you increase sales.
  • Better customer retention: You can use the information provided by CRM to address any potential problems and to promote customer retention.
  • Better customer service: It allows you to provide better customer service because you have all the necessary insight into the needs of your customers.
  • Improved customer segmentation: With a CRM, you can automatically segment your contacts using different criteria, such as gender, buyer stage, location, etc.

The same goes for CMS – any type of business that needs to manage a website can benefit from using a CMS. These are only some of the ways using a CMS for your website can benefit your business:

  • Easy collaboration: It allows multiple users to collaborate on the content of the website. This process is also easy to set up as you’ll be able to define the permissions and roles of your employees.
  • Content scheduling: With CMS, you can schedule content for later publishing. 
  • Mobile-friendly: It ensures your website runs and looks good on mobile devices.
  • Accessibility: A cloud-based CMS ensures you can edit your website from anywhere, thus, you can also support a remote workforce.
  • User-friendly: Editing is easy and no coding is required.

If you implement both CRM and CMS software solutions into your organization, you can experience all of these benefits at the same time. Do note, however, that this can only happen if you choose products that can be integrated with each other.

Choosing the best option

Today, there are many CRM and CMS options to choose from. However, one of the most popular (and for a good reason) is vcita.

vcita is a client management software that lets you manage all of your customers in one app. All of the robust features we outlined above are contained in a single comprehensive platform. This means you can save time as you nurture and grow the relationships with your customers. 

It also integrates well with popular CMSs such as WordPress and offers multiple plans that can benefit small and medium businesses. 

On the other hand, if you’re looking for a CRM geared specifically towards larger enterprises, you can try an alternative option – Salesforce.

When it comes to a CMS, you can’t go wrong with WordPress because over 455 million websites built on WordPress can’t be wrong.

Two’s a company

It’s easy to become confused by all sorts of different business software that exist out there, especially if you’re a new business owner or manager. But oftentimes the question should be ‘which ones do I need?’ instead of ‘how can I make two different solutions work in tandem?’.

The same sentiment applies to the question of differences between CRM and CMS and the purpose they serve.

CMS is a must when building your online presence, while CRM is a tool that’s going to help convert those website visitors into loyal customers. To optimize your workflows and, ultimately, grow your business, you’re going to need both and use them in conjunction.