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In today’s digital-first world, businesses must balance customer relationships and content management.
Should you invest in a customer relationship management (CRM) software to build better customer connections or a content management system (CMS) to streamline content creation?
This guide breaks down the key differences between CRM vs. CMS to help you choose the right tool.
What is a CRM?
CRM software manages a company’s data and customer contacts. It brings together customer data, shows the journey, and automates sales, marketing, and customer service tasks.
A CRM boosts revenue, enhances team collaboration, and improves customer satisfaction.
According to Statista, revenue from CRMs is expected to reach $98.84 bn in 2025. With an annual growth rate of over 10%, CRM will remain a critical aspect of any business, reaching a market volume of over $145 by 2029.
Some available CRM platforms are Azure, Salesforce, HubSpot, and Zoho CRM.
Types of CRMs
Just like many other software tools, CRMs can be placed in categories. Some are general and encompass many functions, while others specialize or excel in only one area. There are three major types:
1. Operational CRM
Top operational CRMs can streamline and automate sales, marketing, and service processes. They provide lead generation, email campaigns, and service ticket handling. This helps people do their jobs more effectively.
Businesses with operational CRMs can automate follow-ups. This way, no lead is left unattended. It also means a more personalized customer experience.
2. Analytical CRM
CRMs interpret data and translate it into actionable insights. They also analyze customer data from various channels and forecast trends so businesses can tailor their strategies.
3. Collaborative CRM
CRMs help interdepartmental coordination. Sales, marketing, and support teams can use the same language when talking to each other and customers because they have access to the same customer data.
Most modern CRMs—like Salesforce or HubSpot—have features from all three categories or can integrate all three types of features.
Benefits of CRMs
CRM can transform how businesses engage customers, sell to them, or analyze their data.
Some key benefits include:
1. Centralized data management
One unified system for all customer-related data—contact information, purchase history, and past interactions. It helps keep redundancies away and makes it easy for team members to access everything.
2. Improved customer relationships
When you have customer data at hand, personalizing interactions becomes easy.
A report by McKinsey suggests personalization could increase revenue by 10-15% across all industries. A CRM will help automate all of your follow-ups. In addition, CRMs are an excellent way to personally communicate with your clients in a systematic, automated, and effective way.
3. Improved sales performance
Today, sales teams track their leads at their corresponding pipeline phase. In addition to reminders and follow-up email messages, the same tools can increase conversion rates.
4. Data-driven insights
Data analytics can be very valuable in CRMs, and businesses today can better position themselves to make sound decisions by using tracking tools. By tracking trends and customer behavior, companies can project their future movements.
5. Team collaboration
This is a perfect situation for team members. CRMs help to fortify a direct connection between all players. Sales, marketing, and customer service teams can all benefit from operating out of the same collaborative dashboard.
What is a CMS?
A CMS is a software that makes creating, editing, modifying, and managing digital content more manageable.
This is the core part of websites, blogs, and e-commerce platforms, where businesses can dedicate all their time to their content and not worry about the technical aspect.
According to Statista, CMS software is projected to generate revenue of $23.17 bn by 2025 and is predicted to reach $28.10 bn by 2030. The data shows that these platforms are significant for many modern businesses.
Developers commonly leverage frameworks such as Laravel when developing CMS platforms. They provide the simplest way to customize and then scale. This flexibility is essential for companies that have unique or evolving requirements.
Working with Laravel development services providers, companies can deliver a scalable CMS tailored to their business needs.
Examples of CMS Platforms are WordPress, Joomla, and Magento.
Types of CMS
CMS platforms are designed for different use cases and can be generally classified as follows:
1. Traditional CMS
Conventional CMS platforms like WordPress are considered all-in-one solutions. They allow for web content creation and web experience management. Through built-in templates and plugins, conventional CMS platforms make it easy for nontechnical users to build web content.
2. Headless CMS
A Headless CMS separates the backend (content repository) from the frontend (user interface). The architecture is decoupled, so developers can create their own custom user experience using frameworks like React.js.
One potential reason that firms would want to communicate with a React JS development services team to leverage a headless CMS is that headless CMS is versatile for content delivery on multiple platforms.
3. eCommerce CMS
CMS platforms for e-commerce, like Shopify and Magento, exist solely for online stores. These systems will work on inventory, integrate your payment gateway, and assist you in optimizing product listings.
Advantages of CMS
The benefits of CMS are as follows.
- Ease of use: Nontechnical users can easily create, update, and manage content. A CMS is easy for nontechnical users because of pre-designed templates and drag-and-drop builders. Ready-made layouts and drag-and-drop allow users to arrange content without coding. This makes creating and managing a website fast and straightforward.
- SEO optimization: Many CMS platforms already have built-in SEO tools to help your site get more visibility in the search results. SEMrush, Ahrefs, Surfer SEO, Clearscope, etc., are some examples of SEO tools.
- Customization: It meets additional needs by adding plugins (e.g., Yoast SEO), themes (e.g., Astra), and integrations (to connect with services like Mailchimp).
- Collaboration: Multiple users can streamline work by collaborating on content simultaneously.
- Scalability: Flexible for small blogs and big companies.
When to use a CMS
A CMS is the go-to platform if your business prioritizes:
Seamless content management
A CMS allows for content management for nontechnical users, such as creating blog posts and product pages or simply updating the website layout.
A scalable digital presence
A CMS (like WordPress, Shopify, and Magento) can help you grow. A CMS will evolve with your changing needs, whether you aim to write a blog or launch an e-commerce site.
WordPress lets users publish web pages or blogs using various plugins and themes. Shopify is a hosted, platform-based provider enabling you to select from multiple plans. Magento is a modular framework that allows for a high degree of customization and flexibility concerning complex e-commerce sites and heavy traffic.
Optimized online platforms
A CMS is essential for a strong web presence. It’s a must-have tool for SEO, design flexibility, and integrations.
What do you need to know when choosing between CRM vs. CMS?
Before diving into the CRM vs CMS components of your new cloud software stack, consider what your business needs. Here are the foundational things to think about:
1. Business goals
Take into account your needs and business objectives. You may need a CRM if you’re looking to improve customer relationships and sales (CRMs are a critical aspect of automating marketing teams). Still, you may not need to pay for a CRM when the primary component is managing, publishing, and optimizing web content; in this instance, you require a CMS.
2. Budget
Pricing for CRMs and CMS can vary widely. Many CMS platforms, such as WordPress, are free, which allows small businesses to set up their website easily. However, they generally require plugins or add-ons to perform additional functionality, and software updates can be costly.
In the case of CRMs, applications such as Salesforce or HubSpot typically require a higher investment upfront but will afford you advanced analytics, even automation, as part of the features. You should also consider additional downstream costs, including licensing, maintenance, or ongoing staff training.
3. Scalability
Scalability allows your system to keep pace with your business. Your system will need to function with more traffic, users, and greater functionality. Many technologies are efficient for building scalable systems, including Node.js. Because Node.js is event-driven, it can handle many concurrent connections at once. Consulting with a Node.js development firm can ensure you have future-proof and reliable solutions for your venture.
4. Integration
Check that it easily integrates with the software you already use. For example, companies using Google Analytics or Mailchimp want to ensure they can access that software quickly. This is going to save them time and money in the long run.
5. Ease of use
Your platform’s adoption will depend on your team’s technical skills. Wix and Squarespace are easy for non-tech users. Robust CRM tools may need training to use them fully.
Pro Tip: Always take free trials and demos of any solution for a test drive. Ensure they fit your workflows.
CRM vs. CMS: Understanding the differences
So, what’s the difference between CRM vs. CMS? Let’s have a look below:
1. Purpose
The main difference between CRM and CMS is their primary function. CRM is more focused on customer relationship management, sales, and marketing, while a CMS is centered on developing, managing, and publishing digital content.
For example, a CRM lets a business keep track of interactions, understand customer behavior, and personalize communication. In contrast, a CMS makes a company’s website or blog user-friendly and still looks pretty.
2. Users
The sales, marketing, and support teams rely on a CRM system. In short, these systems are pivotal in managing customer data and engagement.
Still, a CMS will be a platform that the content creator, marketer, and web administrator will use to remove the steps of dealing with technical implementation and to have teams ready to focus on the strategy and execution of their content.
3. Functionality
CRM is designed primarily to improve customer interactions, such as lead tracking, sales forecasting, and marketing automation. CRM platforms often place analytical tools directly into the platform, providing actionable insights they can use to guide business decisions around the data.
CMS platforms typically provide tools to create and manage websites and blogs or host e-commerce stores. You can customize the digital experience using themes and plugins that are made available.
4. Integration capabilities
CRMs integrate with CMS platforms to measure user behavior and develop customer journeys. A sale is made after a lead who reads blog posts has been tracked to ensure sales teams have items to tailor their pitch.
Businesses can use CMS platforms and CRMs to leverage CMS platforms to streamline content personalization. For example, a CMS could show personalized recommendations on a website, leveraging the CRM to help tailor the recommendations.
Examples and use cases of the industry
Both are scalable systems, but they have different uses. If you work for a company in a sector that relies on customer relationships for its success (finances, healthcare, retail, etc.), you can’t afford to go without a CRM. Media companies, e-commerce brands, and content-heavy websites rely on CMS platforms as a must-have.
Which one should you choose?
Don’t just glance over the buzzwords when selecting a CRM or a CMS. The real question is: What is the main engine that drives your business? Customers or content delivery?
Let’s explore:
CRM: The relationship-building ally
If you want to prioritize better connections with your audience, you’ll rely on a CRM. In a way, the digital handshake converts one-time buyers into lifetime advocates.
Why CRM fits the bill:
CRMs centralize customer information. So your sales team and end users know what information they need for support.
For example, the user signs up for a trial, and the sales team notes their interest in reporting features in the CRM. Later, when they contact support, the support team quickly accesses this info and helps her set it up.
Benefit: Centralized data enables smooth and efficient service for the user.
- Automation: Forget manual follow-ups. Automate reminders, emails, and customer journeys to save time and allow you to do more significant, more strategic things.
- Insights that drive success: Predictive analytics can help you refine your sales strategies, better target campaigns with less waste, and ultimately improve your return on investment (ROI).
CMS: It’s your foundation for content and creativity
CMS plays a central role in your digital strategy if you concentrate on getting and keeping a vibrant, engaging presence on the web. A CMS makes managing, publishing, and optimizing content easy, even for the most ambitious sites.
Why CMS fits the bill:
- Effortless content control: A CMS lets teams do what they need quickly, such as updating product pages or launching a blog post, without technical know-how.
- Scale with ease: Whether you run a small business website or an eCommerce store on a global scale, a CMS such as WordPress, Shopify, or Magento grows along with you.
- SEO and engagement tools built-in: Leverage platform tools to help bring more visibility and drive traffic and conversions.
The best of both worlds: Why not combine CRM and CMS?
A CRM and a CMS combination is the most productive and rapidly growing combination in the business world. With the tools blended here, you can link the dots between customer interactions and content strategy.
CRM and CMS integration benefits:
- Review your CRM to understand which blogs or landing pages users visit to send personalized follow-ups.
- Use your CMS to serve up customer-centric content, such as targeted blog posts, product recommendations, or curated landing pages, based on CRM data for both segments, as well as the right content to the correct tradeshow at the right time, e.g., Tweet, lead generation, and registration sync services.
- Put sales and content teams on the same page by improving your workflow.
Pro Tip: With integration-friendly platforms like HubSpot or Salesforce, you get the best of both worlds, integrating CRM and CMS functionality within a single dashboard.
Wrapping up
Finally, CRM systems are management tools aimed at helping businesses manage customers through interactions, socialization, sales, service/support, etc. Examples of CRM are Salesforce, Hubspot, Zoho CRM, etc. CMS systems are content management systems that help businesses manage content and can be used for blogging, site management, search engine optimization, and website analytics or tracking. Popular examples of CMS are WordPress, Joomla, Magento, etc.
While both CRM and CMS have their advantages, a combination of the two will give you the maximum result. If you’re getting started, CMS will help you get established, and then you can use a CRM to track and analyze data to grow your business.
Good luck on your journey.Want more expert tips and tricks for publishing and optimizing content? Check our blog page for detailed guides, tips, and industry best practices!