Over 30 percent of small businesses see no need for CRMs, GetApp Research Finds
Barcelona, Spain (PRWEB) February 24, 2016 -- New research published by GetApp, the largest cloud-based business apps marketplace, has shown that while a large percentage of small and medium-sized businesses feel their company is too small for a CRM solution, over 20 percent of businesses still don’t know what a CRM actually is — highlighting the need for increased awareness of these valuable productivity tools in the small business sector.
The new survey forms part of GetApp’s ongoing research program, GetData, which canvases multiple choice responses from over 500 business professionals working at small and medium sized companies across the US.
According to the survey, which asked businesses about the obstacles of choosing and implementing CRMs, a sizeable 31 percent of respondents said their business is too small to add one, 16 percent stated that CRMs are too expensive, 13 percent could not find one that suited them, and 13 percent believe CRMs will not add any value to their company.
Additionally, 9 percent did not have the time to look for a solution, 6 percent of respondents can’t convince their team or boss to implement a CRM, 4 percent found the solutions too hard to use, and 2 percent of respondents don’t want to train employees in a new system. A remaining 22 percent stated that none of the answers were relevant obstacles in their choice of a CRM.
However, it was the 21 percent of respondents who answered “What’s a CRM?” that indicates a concerning knowledge gap between large and small businesses.
Christophe Primault, co-founder of GetApp, says, “The information disparity between large corporations and smaller businesses on these type of solutions remains, and we sometimes lose sight of that in the tech sphere. That’s why GetData research is so important, we can gather valuable on the ground information that providers can directly utilize. Beyond the 21.88% figure, our analysis of the data shows that many small businesses still believe that CRMs are not adequate, too cumbersome and expensive to implement.”
With CRMs shown to improve both a business’ productivity and overall sales, effectively integrating these types of solutions — regardless of a company’s size or industry — are becoming increasingly important.
Loretta Jones, VP Marketing of small business-focused CRM solution, Insightly, says, “The fact that nearly 32 percent of respondents thought their business was too small indicates a perception among many companies that CRMs are only beneficial for larger businesses, which is far from the truth. CRMs can help even the smallest team increase productivity and build stronger relationships with customers. Providers realize that small businesses have the same needs on a different scale, and that is why CRMs are now incredibly dynamic and affordable.”
GetApp’s independently-conducted research program, GetData, looks to inform our understanding of SaaS and cloud-based solutions’ impact on small and medium-sized companies. The analyzed data collected via the ongoing research helps show real, current interaction between SaaS customers and products and services.
Full survey details:
Answers to the question “What are the obstacles to you choosing and implementing a CRM in your organization?”
Answers to the question:
#1 — My business is too small for a CRM (31.86%)
#2 — None of these (22.88%)
#3 — What's a CRM? (21.88%)
#4 — I think CRMs are too expensive (16.99%)
#5 — I couldn't find one that fits my business (13.91%)
#6 — A CRM won't add any value to my company (13.01%)
#7 — I don't have time (9.71%)
#8 — I can't convince my team/boss to try a CRM (6.42%)
#9 — CRMs are too hard to use (4.68%)
#10 — I don't want to train my employees (2.96%)
Demographics: 517 US-based respondents from a panel of SMBs (Small and Medium-sized Businesses).
More about GetApp: GetApp, a Gartner company, is an online marketplace for cloud-based business apps, specializing in helping small and medium-sized businesses find, research, and get in touch with business app providers from over 100 software categories. GetApp's Europe office is based in Barcelona, Spain.
Karen McCandless, GetApp, https://www.getapp.com, +1 (415) 800-3080, [email protected]
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