CRM software

[cardiaccomputers]

I have built a Customer relationship management (CRM)which I developed as an application that sits on a server, I currently sell it for £49.99, but I am now thinking of doing a web version which I will host on my server and charge £2.99 per month for it.

Would people go for the online version over the standalone?

 

[leemason]

Given the low cost anyway I would go for the standalone version. Which OS does it run on?

 

[cardiaccomputers]

Currently windows

 

[Rags]

I've had occasion to use several CRM's over the years and the question of web-based or locally-based depended on the needs of the business at the time.

With remote users (laptops, work from home etc) then a web-based CRM made syncing easier.

With 'everyone in the office' then a local installation was preferable as it was faster and more secure.

 

[DuaneJackson]

There is certainly a demand for web-based CRM.

 

[computerservices]

Do you have a demo we can see? Just to be nosey ;-)

Cheers

 

[Digger1]

Would people go for the online version over the standalone?

The demand for Software as a Service (SaaS) is rapidly growing and I would be inclined to offer both versions. Let your customers choose.

 

[garyk]

There is certainly a demand for web-based CRM.

About 600 vendors with offerings!

 

[cardiaccomputers]

I get a demo of the web based one up tomorrow as I been converting it for a while and almost finished.

Thank you for your advise, if £2.99 a fair price?

 

[DuaneJackson]

About 600 vendors with offerings!

I didn't say there's no supply!

Thank you for your advise, if £2.99 a fair price?

I'd say it's too cheap. How did you come up with that price?

Your customers are going to want support, they're going to want to 100% uptime, they're going to want to know their data is going to be backed up. Plus you're going to have a cost per acquisition for each new client.

Can you provide all that for £2.99/mo? I doubt it. If I was a potential customer I wouldn't think "That's cheap, I'll have some of that!". I'd think "That's cheap - they wont be in business for long. I'd better look eleshwere"

We charge £15.99 a month for our SaaS accounting product. It's about half of what our competitors charge. Even £15.99 is too low IMO - we priced it that low so as to grab a majority share of the market - and it's worked.

Out of interest, what language is your CRM written in?

 

[Peter Bowen]

I'm not dissing the idea but suggest that you look at sugarcrm and highrise (these are what we use but I know there are others around)

They are fairly mature products - one is free and I can't remember what we pay for the other but it's not a huge amount

 

[R1chard]

Out of interest, what language is your CRM written in?

Just FYI we use Delphi 2007 for all our work including web DLLs to work with/replace CRM applications.

Works really well, you dont have the vB issues and the coders know what their doing (vs everyone and his dog doing C--)

 

[cardiaccomputers]

Thank you for the advise I will look at the pricing.

 

[Rags]

FYI we currently use Zoho CRM:

crm.zoho (dot) com

 

[garyk]

Just FYI we use Delphi 2007 for all our work including web DLLs to work with/replace CRM applications.

Works really well, you dont have the vB issues and the coders know what their doing (vs everyone and his dog doing C--)

Wow a fellow and rare Delphi coder, I still use D7 when I do dev. work and does everything I need, including working with REST and SOAP APIs.

In fact I still use it because I can create UIs with better controls (grids for example) which are better than what you get with .net 2.0 unless you shell out an arm and leg for component set.

Gary

 

[Paul Kelly ICHYB]

Duane,

do I smell a new direction or bolt on for KF?????

 

[sm1]

Duane,

do I smell a new direction or bolt on for KF?????

I doubt it, but it would be nice - would consider it even more if that was the case

 

[DuaneJackson]

Duane,

do I smell a new direction or bolt on for KF?????

'fraid not. There's enough to do on the accounting side of things.

W will however be integrated with a some well known CRM soon.

 

[maxine]

Also with Zoho. Love the oodles of custom fields and easy import/export.

Pricing starts at free for first 3 users then about $12 per month per user which is quite clever as get hooked on features and comfortable with the system then end up paying a bit more than planned

 

[R1chard]

Wow a fellow and rare Delphi coder, I still use D7 when I do dev. work and does everything I need, including working with REST and SOAP APIs.

In fact I still use it because I can create UIs with better controls (grids for example) which are better than what you get with .net 2.0 unless you shell out an arm and leg for component set.

Gary

Yeah .NET is way to slow.... if only people understood that .NET makes your apps go slower they wouldnt be in such a rush to get it.

 

[liams7]

depends how good the CRM is.