Regardless of the industry, present-day companies are inconceivable without CRM software. It is one of the most effective tools for organizing customer data, communicating with potential clients, and managing sales and marketing activities. By merging and combining data coming from different sources, the CRM platform allows companies to increase customer loyalty, improve conversions and boost income.
The modern market offers a great variety of CRM solutions that come with various features and at different prices. While all CRMs have their own pros and cons, open-source CRM platforms have gained more popularity in recent years due to their cost-effectiveness and customization flexibility.
In this article, we’ll explore what an open-source CRM is, discuss its advantages, and determine which businesses can benefit from these solutions.
What is open-source CRM?
Open-source CRM software is a type of software whose source code is freely available for public use. In other words, it is a customer relationship management system that is free to download, free to use, and its source code can be modified by the company that uses it to completely suit their business needs.
As a rule, open-source systems have a huge community of experienced developers that work together to fix bugs and issues, add new features and build extensions. In this way, the application is constantly getting better, more useful, and more error-free over time.
What are the advantages of open-source CRM software?
Here are some of the advantages offered by open-source CRMs from which you can benefit:
- Cost-effectiveness. In most cases, open-source solutions are either free or affordably priced. Your company won’t have to invest high upfront costs in the software or sign any long-term commitments. If you have enough time and skills to modify the source code, you will get an efficient business tool at your disposal without having to pay for expensive and sometimes restrictive software licenses.
- Customizability. Open-source CRM software allows you to adjust and modify its source code to turn the platform into what you want it to be. You can add new features and change the way the existing ones function to make the platform fully meet the needs of your business.
- Improvements & Bug fixes. Another great advantage of open-source solutions is faster issue solving and bug fixing. The community of developers and active users that stands behind the software represent a non-exhaustive source of collective experience. As a result, bugs are fixed quickly and the system is continuously improved.
Who can benefit from open-source CRMs?
Any company, irrespective of its size, can reap benefits from implementing an open-source platform. Small companies and startups with limited budgets gain the ability to kick-start their business using software that keeps data organized from the very beginning.
At the same time, large enterprises that can afford in-house development teams can take advantage of the flexibility and customizability of open-source solutions. This software offers almost an unlimited ability to adjust its features, and create bespoke solutions that perfectly suit any industry requirements.
To make a long story short, CRMs are crucial for any company’s success. The right CRM can help you save time, money and resources while improving the overall effectiveness of your business. If implemented properly, an open-source CRM solution may become a reliable tool that will boost your business growth.