Most organizations treat their website and Constituent Relationship Management (CRM) systems like two completely separate technologies. They hire one agency for a website redesign, and another for CRM system development (read donor management, volunteer management, or client management systems).
Often the website and CRM systems don’t even talk to each other in a sort of counter-productive parallel. To further complicate operations, some organizations run their email marketing on yet another different platform.
Why an Integrated CRM is Superior
Every nonprofit organization needs a CRM system, no matter how large or small that organization is. There are thousands of options out there, designed to meet different needs. There are also powerful and highly customizeable options that can be tailored to fit your nonprofit’s specific needs.
By now your org probably already has at least one CRM system. But a non-integrated system hits some kinks if you’re spending time:
- Cross-walking between online donations and event registration on your website and trying to measure engagement in your donor management system
- Matching your advocacy records with your donor records
- De-duplicating between your volunteer management system, email marketing tool and donor management platforms
Having one consolidated CRM system that integrates with your website and email marketing tool can save a tremendous amount of staff time and significantly improve your data quality.
Nine Benefits of Integrating Your CRM & Website
- Better User Experience – Users are not disoriented by having to move between different interfaces to donate or register for an event, which often decreases completion rates. An integrated configuration means users always stay within the website.
- Automation – Automated responses, reminders and confirmations save staff time
- Consolidation – All organizational contacts and interactions are stored in one place, reducing time required to assemble a mailing list or find someone’s contact information. All inquiries, donations, or other interactions through the website are automatically recorded in the CRM system.
- Real-Time Data Accuracy – De-duplication rules in the database avoid duplicate records and ensure accurate counts of donors, participants, event attendees, partners, media contacts or other relevant groups. Because any website inquiries or interactions immediately update the CRM system, your contact info is always up-to-date, in real time.
- Communication – Any group of contacts can be messaged quickly by email. Phone calls can be documented and scheduled. Print mailing labels or a list of phone numbers are generated at the click of a button.
- Continuity – When staff moves on, their contacts and history of interaction remains with the organization and new staff can easily pick up where old staff left off.
- Ease of use – Staff only needs to log in to one system to manage both the website and the CRM system.
- Efficiency – Staff efficiency is boosted by automating procedures, eliminating the duplication of effort that comes with maintaining multiple platforms, keeping various contact lists up-to-date, and matching reporting between different systems.
The possibilities are endless when you have the right system at your fingertips.