A Review of Zoho CRM for iPhone & Desktop
I’ve been keeping a close eye on a cloud computing CRM program called Zoho CRM for a year or so now.Zoho CRM is a lot like SalesForce but is a lot cheaper and has less features. However, it may not be long before Zoho because a possible threat to the expensive Salesforce giant.
Benefits of Zoho
If you are looking to go to the clouds for your business (online applications as opposed to software installed on your desktop) and you do not need a lot of bells and whistles, Zoho CRM will pretty much do the job. It is free for up to 3 users. I’d recommend the enterprise version, which is around $25 a month and gives you four unique users. You can access your data from anywhere around the world in real time. It also has a good email add on, integration to Quickbooks and syncs with Outlook. Zoho CRM also syncs with a Google Apps account. By the way, I’d highly recommend Google Apps for your business, IF you are trying to get away from Microsoft Exchange and a dedicated server.
The New iPhone and Android Version
For over a year, Zoho has promised Zoho CRM on an iPhone, Blackberry and other mobile phones. They have finally pulled through and created a Beta version. It is not an “App” but a mobile-browser version: m.zoho.com/crm#
The application, as I expected it to be is quite buggy. However, it is also awesome! It does not work well with Google Calendar at the moment and some of the functions are a little “sticky” or don’t work well yet, but I expect in a few months, Zoho CRM for iPhones and Androids will be a great tool for small business users. I do not foresee a Zoho CRM iPhone App in the near future, as that would be very expensive and this company is slow at developing.
The Bottom-line
I really wish I could fully recommend Zoho CRM for my customers both for mobile and online usage. If you happen to be tech-savvy and don’t mind overlooking a few minor bugs, then you should try this program out. It is an excellent start. I’ve already submitted a few of my request to Zoho, so we’ll see if they begin to fix those bugs. Give it a try, and let me know what you think.
I agree with your assessment, I was a former Salseforce user and converted my database over to Zoho and have been quite pleased. I do wish it had some of the features of Salesforce but you can not beat the price and function you get for that price. If Zoho can continue to develop and grow while maintaining its current pricing model it will be a serious threat to Salesforce.
@Eric
Thanks, Eric for your comment. I check on Zoho weekly to see if they make any progress. They just released their first iPhone App for Zoho Docs, but I wish they’d do Zoho CRM first! Have you used the Mobile Version of Zoho CRM? If so, do you like it?
I started using Zoho CRM after my business split and my partner got to keep our MS CRM server. Although I am happy with Zoho for the price, I really like the customizable features on MS CRM a little bit more. I find myself wanting more when using Zoho. My business is taking care of my clients and not moving product. If I could customize the entities further or create my own that would be great. I think they have to make the app. I almost didn’t use it because of no app. Maybe I hope they will still make one. I need to have access to my data whenever and where ever. A browser doesn’t offer that if your data connection is slow or missing. About it being expensive I say charge people for it. I would pay $50 for the App.
I do agree that Zoho should charge for their App…especially if it is really good. Have you tried their mobile version? it isn’t bad. It works. I just don’t like web versions and would prefer a native App. Salesforce CRM has already created a pretty darn good native app already, so Zoho is now playing catchup. They now cannot charge $50 for this App because Salesforce’s App is better, way better. Zoho’s problem I’ve found, as of recently, is sort of a bait and switch technique. They have been known as an affordable CRM solution, but they charge a lot of money for data/file storage. If you do the Apple to Apple comparison, Zoho is now not very inexpensive anymore. A lot of other CRM programs are popping up that can easily compete against Zoho.
So what are you using now? MS CRM? What is that? is that Microsoft as in Dynamic?
Hi,
I am evaluating CRM systems right now and would LOVE to know what other CRM Apps you feel might be worthy of consideration. For my 10 users, the MAIN things we needs are:
1. Central SHARED database of contacts and contact info
2. Able to send and receive e-mails to/from the contacts and have those messages “linked” to the respective contact records such that we can all see them
3. Ability to use Web Forms to collect new contact data and have that data go into the CRM system
4. Track notes from Call and Appts and have those notes “linked” to the respective contact record.
5. Schedule follow up calls and tasks that relate to the contacts and manage them.
6. Access to basis contact data via Blackberry/Droid.
thanks !
Ted:
Salesforce CRM is pricey but can do all the things you’d like.
Otherwise, I’d recommend Pipeline Deals. It can’t send emails bit it links to Google Apps, which I’d also recommend. You can auto BCC so that your emails are attached to contacts. If you need more clarification let me know. Pipeline has “free” tech support and weekly Webinars. I wrote an article the other day about cloud computing. Check out my recent post for more info.
I am just now investing a little money to evaluate Zoho. I feel like some of the issues that I am running into are user interface 101 design mistakes. I had guessed that Zoho was in its infancy as a CRM. After reading your thread and others I now see that these have probably been there since the first release. One would be that to edit a field you have to first click EDIT, then change the field, then click SAVE.
I can’t afford the $12K/year for salesforce so hopefully others that are using Zoho might tell me that it won’t be quite as much of a struggle as it looks. And tech support seems a little slow and confusing – which is probably more me than Zoho.
Neil
This was written awhile ago. Zoho has made some nice UI changes in recent months. I think it is a great program. The only problem is the price. It is not much cheaper than Salesforce when you add on some important features, like file storage and integration. I’d prefer Salesforce, which is pretty much bug free. Zoho’s UI design is a lot better though. What will you be using the CRM for? Have you looked into Pipeline Deals or KarmaCRM?
Wow David – thanks for the quick reply. We have been on ACT! for 20 years and the version we are running is probably 7 years old. Since we are moving to Windows7 and so many, many cloud applications I thought I would upgrade my sales management past the use of VPN-CRM, emails and powerpoints.
I looked at Salesforce and the Zoho caught my eye. I decided to throw $150 at it and try it with a few of my sales reps. The reps love the fact we are moving this way but I for one am not real happy with the software.
I just now started looing for others and ran across Prophet.
I need 12 users now and will add 3 more by the end of the year.
I will look into Pipeline Deals and KarmaCRM.
@Neil
Neil, I used Prophet for about a year. I did not like it. I don’t like the MS Dynamics either. I like Salesforce and Zoho for a full CRM in the cloud. Cost is steep though. For most of my clients, small business contractors, Pipeline and Karma CRM do a good job at $10-15 a user per month for what a salesperson needs. Hope it helps.
David – Thanks for the great advice! I will try both of them out and get back to you with my experiences.
Neil, just wrote a review on Base CRM. Check that out. It is less complicated than some of the other CRMs on the market. Read the review (latest post) and let me know what you think.