Zoho CRM & Customer Interaction

Photo drs. Caroline Raaijmaakers
Author: drs. Caroline Raaijmaakers
Business Partner
Table of Contents

In this contribution we show an abstract of our independent CRM & Customer Interaction survey of the software vendor Zoho and its product range (such as Zoho Creator, Zoho CRM Plus and Zoho Marketing Automation). Zoho CRM & Customer Interaction comes out on top in our research. Of all the categories in our study, Zoho has the best performance in automation platform and has the worst score in customer service management. We have been able to establish this objectively. Within the context of CRM & Customer Interaction, we have put together the main advantages and disadvantages of Zoho CRM, and arranged them by topic (customer relationship management). We also point out the distinguishing features of the most popular products such as Zoho Creator, Zoho CRM Plus and Zoho Marketing Automation et cetera.

How does Zoho CRM & Customer Interaction score on different parts?

In our study we also looked at the different products of Zoho software. More than 180 criteria were used in the process. The chart below illustrates the strengths and weaknesses of Zoho CRM, compared to key competitors. Please note that Passionned Group is 100% independent of the software vendors in the study. We are not a reseller, we do not make deals or have any legal ties to the vendor. Among other things, we help and advise companies in the proper selection of CRM systems.

Score of Zoho CRM software.Figure 1: Scorecard of the CRM provider Zoho. You can get a maximum score of 100 percent. Source: the CRM & Customer Interaction Guide 2024. Do you want to take a deep dive into our research? Click here to download this guide.

The Zoho analysis was conducted by collecting a lot of public big data and from there it was scrutinized in detail. More than 282 documents have been scanned from this software vendor in recent times. In this analysis both algorithms and the critical eye of a senior CRM expert played a distinguished role in performing the validation.Zoho in our CRM & Customer Interaction Guide 2024 Image of Zoho in our CRM & Customer Interaction Guide 2024In our 100% vendor-independent CRM & Customer Interaction Guide we have collected all the ins and outs of Zoho for you. You get access to hundreds of (shorter) trainings, tech talks, demos, lectures, tutorials, and so on and always have the latest CRM news. In addition, this guide helps you in strengthening your knowledge about CRM & Customer Interaction.view the CRM & Customer Interaction Guide

Zoho and their complete CRM & Customer Interaction product portfolio

The software company Zoho carries (a minimum of) 5 products in the realm of CRM & Customer Interaction. In order of relevance we rank and describe the products below:

What is Zoho CRM?

Other names by which this software product is known: Zoho Customer relationship management

In this part, we display the details of Zoho CRM, including some of its features and any related products. This product group consists of Zoho Creator, Zoho CRM Plus, Zoho Marketing Automation and Zoho Survey. This product can be best characterized by the following characteristics:

  • account
  • contact
  • customer service
  • helpdesk
  • lead management
  • log sales activities
  • reporting
  • sales pipeline
  • view deals
  • workflow automation

Do you want to know everything about all elements (100+) of Zoho CRM? Then order the CRM & Customer Interaction Guide™ 2024 here.

Lacking capacity and want to hire an experienced Zoho CRM consultant?

Do you want to hire an interim Zoho CRM consultant who knows the Zoho CRM software inside out and implement an Zoho CRM application? Our specialists are happy to assist you. Indeed, hiring Zoho CRM developers is sometimes unnecessary and costly. Leave a message here and we will explore the business opportunities for you.

Screen shot of Zoho CRM software.
Picture of Zoho CRM tools.
Zoho CRM in action
Figure 2, 3 and 4: Overlying images illustrate the functionality of Zoho CRM. Click on the image to enlarge it. Credits: Zoho & partners.

What is Zoho Creator?

In this part, we describe the key elements of Zoho Creator, including some of its features and any related products. Zoho Creator can be defined by the following functionalities:

  • account
  • customer relationship management
  • helpdesk
  • workflow automation

Do you want to know everything about all elements (100+) of Zoho Creator? Then download our CRM & Customer Interaction Guide™ 2024 here.

Screen shot of Zoho Creator software.
Picture of Zoho Creator tools.
Zoho Creator in action
Figure 5, 6 and 7: Overlying figures show the operation of Zoho Creator. Click on the image to enlarge it. Credits: Zoho & partners.

What is Zoho CRM Plus?

We do not display here all the features but, in this paragraph, we provide a description of Zoho CRM Plus, including some of its features and any related products. Zoho CRM Plus can be characterized by the following features:

  • account
  • close deals
  • contact
  • contact management
  • customer journeys
  • customer service
  • email campaigns
  • email clients
  • sales automation
  • workflow automation

Do you want to know the intricacies of all features (100+) of Zoho CRM Plus? Download directly our CRM & Customer Interaction Guide™ 2024 here.

Screen shot of Zoho CRM Plus software.
Picture of Zoho CRM Plus tools.
Zoho CRM Plus in action
Figure 8, 9 and 10: Several images show the operation of Zoho CRM Plus. Click on an image to enlarge it. Credits: Zoho & partners.

What is Zoho Marketing Automation?

In this paragraph, we describe the key elements of Zoho Marketing Automation, including some of its features and any related products. The Zoho Marketing Automation can be characterized by the following functionalities:

  • account
  • automation platform
  • email marketing
  • marketing automation
  • marketing automation platform

Are you curious about all the functionalities (100+) of Zoho Marketing Automation? Download the CRM & Customer Interaction Guide™ 2024 here.

Screen shot of Zoho Marketing Automation software.
Picture of Zoho Marketing Automation tools.
Zoho Marketing Automation in action
Figure 11, 12 and 13: Overlying figures show the operation of Zoho Marketing Automation. Click on the image to make it bigger. Credits: Zoho & partners.

What is Zoho Survey?

We do not display here all the features but, in this paragraph, we report the (main) characteristics of Zoho Survey, including some of its features and any related products. Zoho Survey can be best defined by the following characteristics:

  • account
  • mobile app
  • search

Are you curious about all characteristics (100+) of Zoho Survey? Then order the CRM & Customer Interaction Guide™ 2024 here.

Screen shot of Zoho Survey software.
Picture of Zoho Survey tools.
Zoho Survey in action
Figure 14, 15 and 16: Various figures show the operation of Zoho Survey. Click on an image to enlarge it. Credits: Zoho & partners.

Zoho CRM-tools and the version history

Over time, Zoho has seen a stable evolution in terms of CRM & Customer Interaction functionality and support for operating systems and connectivity.

We reviewed Zoho’s latest versions of the total product range. Below we give an overview of the various releases of all the ones known to us CRM & Customer Interaction products of Zoho:

  • Zoho Creator: 2023
  • Zoho CRM Plus: 2024 2023
  • Zoho Marketing Automation: 2024 2.0

Behind each product we notate the version numbers, the most recent versions are mentioned first.

What are the licensing costs of Zoho Creator, Zoho CRM Plus and Zoho Marketing Automation?

It is difficult to determine exactly what a license of Zoho Creator, Zoho CRM Plus and Zoho Marketing Automation costs because it depends on the country, the number of users (or the number of CPUs in the case of server software), the connectors to data sources, and at what point in the year you request a quote. And before the end of a fiscal quarter of Zoho, you may be able to look forward to a decent discount. In addition, it makes sense running the software in the cloud. Often you only pay for what you consume in resources. The purchase cost of Zoho Creator, Zoho CRM Plus and Zoho Marketing Automation may not be the most important costs, but maintenance and support do put a strain on your budget each year.

What makes Zoho CRM & Customer Interaction innovative

In our study, we see that Zoho in the field of CRM & Customer Interaction software has a number of specific features which are worth weighing in a tool selection. This makes Zoho CRM more or less unique: customizable layouts, log sales activities, cloud software, automating workflows and hot lead.

The advantages and disadvantages of Zoho CRM

Tag cloud of the Zoho CRM tools.Figure 17: Tag cloud of the pluses and minuses of Zoho CRM & Customer Interaction

Below we listed all the advantages and disadvantages of Zoho CRM & Customer Interaction, Zoho Creator, Zoho CRM Plus and Zoho Marketing Automation, et cetera. There is momentum, because: Zoho can currently work on developing new features at this time (such as support for infrastructure).

Your opinion matters

Report your experience with Zoho CRM & Customer Interaction here. Your observations may then be taken into account and contribute to a better, even more balanced assessment of Zoho CRM.

1. Zoho Automation Platform

100%

The company has an excellent rating in our study on the section ‘Automation Platform’ (for this section Zoho comes out as the absolute market leader in our research). The company scores 100% on this topic, relative to other vendors. We looked at the following criteria, among others: marketing automation, sales automation and process automation. In doing so, we analyzed the following products: Zoho Marketing Automation. In total, we examined 28 features within this discipline. Are you planning to specialize further in the topic ‘Automation Platform’? Then download here our CRM & Customer Interaction Study 2024.

2. Zoho Campaign Management

100%

Zoho has an excellent score in our current CRM & Customer Interaction survey on the section ‘Campaign Management’ (for this section Zoho comes out as the absolute market leader in our research) with a score of 100%, relative to other vendors. We considered the following factors: email marketing and email campaigns. In total, we examined 25 criteria within this section. Would you like to go into more depth with the topic ‘Campaign Management’? Then download here our CRM & Customer Interaction Study 2024.

3. Zoho Infrastructure

100%

The company has an excellent performance in our current CRM & Customer Interaction survey on the subject ‘Infrastructure’ (for this section Zoho comes out as the absolute market leader in our research), given that they score 100% on this, compared to other vendors. We looked at the following criteria, among others: on-premises, email integration and document management. In total, we examined 56 features within this discipline. Would you like to go into more depth with the topic ‘Infrastructure’? Then download here our CRM & Customer Interaction Study 2024.

4. Zoho Lead Management

100%

The company has an excellent score in our study on the section ‘Lead Management’ (for this section Zoho comes out as the absolute market leader in our research) with a score of 100%, relative to other vendors. We used the following selection criteria: manage leads and import leads. In total, we examined 12 features within this discipline. Would you like to learn more about the topic ‘Lead Management’? Then download here our CRM & Customer Interaction Guide. Or take a deep dive in the following content:

5. Zoho Sales Management

100%

The company has an excellent score in our objective CRM & Customer Interaction survey on the section ‘Sales Management’ (for this section Zoho comes out as the absolute market leader in our research). The company scores 100% on this topic, relative to other vendors. We looked at the following criteria, among others: ecommerce, opportunity management, customer journeys and customer lifetime value. In total, we examined 51 criteria in this category. Are you excited about the topic ‘Sales Management’? Then download here our CRM & Customer Interaction Guide 2024.

6. Zoho Customer Data

98%

Zoho has an excellent score in our objective CRM & Customer Interaction survey on the subject ‘Customer Data’ with a score of 98%, relative to other vendors. We considered the following factors: account, custom fields, appointment, customer data platform, data protection and customer information. In total, we examined 45 criteria within this section. Would you like to go into more depth with the topic ‘Customer Data’? Then download here our CRM & Customer Interaction Guide. Or take a deep dive in the following content:

7. Zoho Task Management

94%

The vendor Zoho has an excellent rating in our study on the section ‘Task Management’, given that they score 94% on this, compared to other vendors. We looked at the following criteria, among others: complete tasks and automate routine tasks. In total, we examined 13 features within this discipline. Are you excited about the topic ‘Task Management’? Then download here our CRM & Customer Interaction Guide 2024.

8. Zoho Customer Relationship Management

94%

Zoho has an excellent score in our objective CRM & Customer Interaction survey of the theme ‘Customer Relationship Management’ with a score of 94%, relative to other vendors. We considered the following factors: customer interactions, self-service portal, social CRM and custom activities. In total, we examined 25 criteria within this section. Would you like to learn more about the topic ‘Customer Relationship Management’? Then download here our CRM & Customer Interaction Guide 2024. Or take a deep dive in the following content:

9. Zoho Data Quality

89%

Zoho has an excellent performance in our independent CRM & Customer Interaction guide on the section ‘Data Quality’, given that they score 89% on this, compared to other vendors. We looked at the following criteria, among others: merge duplicate, data cleansing and duplicate search. In total, we examined 16 criteria in this category. Would you like to learn more about the topic ‘Data Quality’? Then download here our CRM & Customer Interaction Study 2024.

10. Zoho Reporting

85%

Zoho has an excellent performance in our objective CRM & Customer Interaction survey on the section ‘Reporting’ with a score of 85%, relative to other vendors. We considered the following factors: CRM analytics and custom reporting. In total, we examined 11 criteria in this category. Would you like to go into more depth with the topic ‘Reporting’? Then download here our CRM & Customer Interaction Guide 2024. Or take a deep dive in the following content:

11. Zoho Customer Service Management

82%

The company has an excellent performance in our current CRM & Customer Interaction survey on the section ‘Customer Service Management’, given that they score 82% on this, relative to other vendors. We looked at the following criteria, among others: customer service, helpdesk, case management and ticketing system. In total, we examined 9 features within this discipline. Would you like to learn more about the topic ‘Customer Service Management’? Then download here our CRM & Customer Interaction Guide.

Want to know more? Then order the CRM & Customer Interaction Guide™ 2024 here

In which sectors is Zoho CRM & Customer Interaction most active?

In our 100% vendor-independent CRM & Customer Interaction study, we also looked at which industries a supplier has a track record. These are the industries where Zoho has the largest footprint: automotive, banking, education, educational institutions, governments, healthcare, hospitality, insurance, manufacturing, real estate, restaurant, retail, telecom and universities.

Zoho software is most used by…

The CRM & Customer Interaction software from Zoho is most often mentioned in combination with the following functions: marketing teams, sales reps and support agents.

Hire an experienced Zoho programmer

Education and training course Zoho CRM & Customer Interaction

The teachers of Passionned Group give various classes in the field of CRM & Customer Interaction but can also provide specific Zoho training, for example as incompany. The following software solutions are addressed: Zoho Creator, Zoho CRM Plus and Zoho Marketing Automation. We make you completely familiar with the ideas of the intelligent, data-driven organization.

Final Verdict: Zoho CRM scores eminent

Zoho has a extensive product portfolio with which it scores eminent in our CRM & Customer Interaction survey. Zoho CRM & Customer Interaction innovates (approximately) at an average rate of less than 5 features per year, is active (for now) in lots of different sectors, and has developed best in automation platform.

About Passionned Group

logo of Passionned Group, the Zoho CRM & Customer Interaction specialistPassionned Group specializes in 100% independent CRM & Customer Interaction consulting and the implementation of CRM & Customer Interaction solutions. Our dedicated and passionate consultants help large and small governments and businesses to advance as intelligent, data-driven organizations.

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