5 CRM trends for 2019

2018 represented an exciting year for the development of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems.

Advancements in AI, machine learning and large scale automation are transforming the way businesses interact and engage with their customers – significant developments, which look set to continue in 2019.

In this article, we take a look at the top 5 trends that we see driving CRM development, and the wider CRM landscape, forward in 2019.

Getting Personal

Ensuring CRMs are personalised and user-friendly is a key trend in 2019.

To improve customer experience, CRMs are becoming increasingly personalised, resulting in custom-built systems which can be tailored to individuals.

Features such as instant messaging, email and personalised diaries are also becoming increasingly prevalent within CRMs, with the aim of providing a comprehensive tool for managing the day-to-day operations of individuals and organisations.

The Rise of the Social CRM

“Social” CRMs are increasingly important for sales and marketing teams, who are utilising CRMs as comprehensive customer engagement tools.

Integration of multiple platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, offer a broad spectrum across social media channels.

The ability to capture customer data provides insight on how the client uses social media, thus giving marketeers the edge in campaign creation.

CRMs On-the-Go

According to recent research*, 48% of users access CRMs through their smartphones – this trend looks set to increase in 2019, with accessibility and availability being key to the continued development of CRMs.

Mobile CRMs provide real-time access for users on almost any device that can connect to a network, and, as mobile usage increases worldwide in developing markets, increased mobile CRM usage looks set to continue in 2019.

Intelligent Development

Whilst Artificial Intelligence doesn’t represent a new development in the CRM landscape, the benefits of AI could become increasingly apparent in 2019.

Smart searches, sales forecasting, customer interactions – the automation of traditionally “manual” tasks could revolutionise the way businesses operate, and significantly improve efficiency across a range of sectors.

In the Cloud

The last ten years have seen the majority of businesses move to cloud-hosted CRMs, a trend that looks set to continue in 2019.

Cloud-based CRMs are accessible for virtually all device users, whilst boasting high security levels – the cloud has become the number one choice for security-conscious businesses, particularly following the introduction of GDPR in 2018.

In Conclusion

The CRM sector has grown exponentially in recent years – 2018 represented an exciting year in its development, and 2019 looks set to continue this trend.

The refinement of existing technology, and the development of exciting new innovations, will see the wider CRM landscape go from strength-to-strength in 2019.

6B provides bespoke Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems to over 200 customers across the UK. If you are interested in finding about more about 6B’s very own bespoke CRM, contact us today to see how we can help improve your business.

* SuperOffice.com 2019

Ready to accelerate your technology project?

Chat to our team of experts and let's see how we can help you.