Bigin by Zoho CRM - Detailed Review
Customer Service Tools
Bigin by Zoho CRM - Product Overview
Introduction to Bigin by Zoho CRM
Bigin by Zoho CRM is a user-friendly, pipeline-centric Customer Relationship Management (CRM) solution specifically crafted for small businesses. Here’s a breakdown of its primary function, target audience, and key features:Primary Function
Bigin is designed to streamline customer-centric operations by transforming day-to-day customer processes into actionable pipelines. It helps small businesses manage leads, close deals, and handle after-sales operations efficiently.Target Audience
Bigin is targeted at small businesses and startups that have straightforward CRM needs. It is ideal for businesses that require a simple, easy-to-use CRM solution without the need for advanced features.Key Features
Pipeline Management
Bigin offers comprehensive pipeline management tools that provide a centralized view of all business operations. You can create multiple pipelines to manage different business processes, use smart filters to find necessary data quickly, and manage tasks and activities directly within these pipelines.Customer Management
The CRM includes features to help you stay organized and automate processes. You can create customized forms to capture data from customers and prospects, import data from spreadsheets, and export or back up your data as needed. Real-time notifications, such as Bigin’s Signals feature, keep you updated on new emails, missed calls, and other activities.Multichannel Communication
Bigin supports communication across various channels, including email, phone calls, WhatsApp, and social media. This ensures you never miss an opportunity to engage with your customers. Incoming emails are automatically associated with relevant contacts, and you can analyze the effectiveness of your email campaigns.Automation
Bigin automates repetitive tasks through workflows, allowing you to set up email alerts, track deals, and trigger specific actions based on stage transitions in the pipeline. This helps reduce manual work and minimize the risk of human errors.Team Collaboration
The CRM facilitates effective team collaboration by providing comprehensive customer information and visibility into each team’s operations. You can integrate with Microsoft Teams and use @mentions to notify teammates, ensuring seamless coordination across your organization.Customization
Bigin allows you to customize fields and modules to reflect your business operations. You can set a home currency for international deals and personalize documents using the merge template feature via Zoho Writer.Integrations
Bigin integrates with popular third-party tools such as G Suite, Microsoft 365, Zapier, Zoho Desk, and other Zoho applications. This enables comprehensive business management from a single platform.Pricing and Accessibility
Bigin is highly affordable, with a starting price of $7 per user per month when billed annually. It also offers a free trial and a free version, making it accessible to small businesses with limited budgets. In summary, Bigin by Zoho CRM is an intuitive and affordable CRM solution that simplifies customer relationship management for small businesses, helping them streamline their operations and focus on building strong customer relationships. Bigin by Zoho CRM - User Interface and Experience
User Interface Overview
The user interface of Bigin by Zoho CRM is renowned for its simplicity and intuitiveness, making it an excellent choice for small businesses and users with no prior CRM experience.Ease of Use
Bigin’s interface is incredibly user-friendly, allowing anyone to quickly adopt and use the platform. The design is straightforward and easy to understand, even for those who are new to CRM software. This ease of use is a significant advantage, as it enables teams to start managing customer relationships effectively without a steep learning curve.User Experience
The overall user experience is highly positive, with users praising the platform’s ability to streamline business processes. Bigin’s interface is optimized for faster actions and frictionless user experiences across both web and mobile devices. This ensures that users can manage their customer relationships seamlessly, whether they are at their desks or on the go.Key Features
- Pipeline Management: Bigin offers effective pipeline management tools, allowing users to view all information about their deals at a glance. This includes the ability to manage individual deal pipelines for various processes in the sales cycle.
- Automation: The platform facilitates the automation of repetitive tasks and business processes, which helps in maintaining a clear overview of activities such as calls, tasks, and events.
- Integration: Bigin integrates seamlessly with other Zoho applications, such as Zoho Mail and Zoho Invoice, as well as with external tools like Google Workspace and Microsoft 365. This integration ensures that all customer interactions are consolidated into a single window, making it easier to manage every aspect from a centralized location.
Customization and Accessibility
Bigin allows for easy customization with features like custom roles and profiles, pre-built dashboards, and task workflows. The mobile optimization ensures that sales reps can close more deals even when they are away from their desks. The platform also provides real-time notifications and sales signals, keeping users informed and engaged.Feedback from Users
Users have consistently praised Bigin for its simplicity and user-friendly interface. Many appreciate the ability to set up the CRM quickly and start using it within a short period, often under 30 minutes. The affordable pricing and the availability of a free plan for testing also make it a favorable option for small businesses.Conclusion
In summary, Bigin by Zoho CRM offers a highly intuitive and easy-to-use interface that is specifically designed to meet the needs of small businesses. Its seamless integrations, automation features, and mobile optimization contribute to a positive and efficient user experience. Bigin by Zoho CRM - Key Features and Functionality
Bigin by Zoho CRM
Bigin by Zoho CRM is a comprehensive customer relationship management (CRM) tool that incorporates several key features and functionalities, particularly in the area of automation and AI integration, which are crucial for customer service and overall business efficiency.
Automation Features
Bigin’s automation capabilities are a significant aspect of its functionality. Here are some key automation features:
- Workflow Automation: This feature allows you to automate routine tasks, such as tracking deals, setting up email alerts, and more. This automation helps in reducing manual work and minimizing human errors.
- Integration with Zapier and Zoho Flow: Bigin integrates seamlessly with Zapier and Zoho Flow, enabling the automation of routine tasks and managing the flow of data between different work applications. This integration simplifies workflow automation without requiring any coding.
AI Integration
AI plays a crucial role in enhancing the capabilities of Bigin by Zoho CRM:
- Zia (Conversational AI Assistant): Although Zia is more prominently featured in Zoho CRM, Bigin users can benefit from similar AI-driven functionalities through integrations. Zia can predict the likelihood of success for leads and deals, detect anomalies, and automate tasks. However, for Bigin, this might require integration with other Zoho products.
- Custom AI Assistants: Through third-party services like Agenthost, you can build, customize, and integrate AI assistants with Bigin. These assistants can automate workflows, reduce manual data entry, and provide customized actions without requiring any coding. This integration is facilitated through Zapier.
Multichannel Communication
Bigin supports multichannel communication to ensure comprehensive customer engagement:
- Email: You can add your business email account to Bigin, automatically associating incoming emails with contacts. This feature also allows you to send mass emails and analyze campaign effectiveness.
- Twitter: Bigin lets you engage with your contacts on Twitter directly from the CRM. You can view their tweets, follow, like, and respond to them without leaving the system.
- Built-in Telephony: Bigin includes built-in telephony features, allowing you to make calls directly from the CRM and automatically update call records. This makes every call more personal and productive.
Customer Management and Pipeline View
- Pipeline Management: Bigin allows you to create and manage individual deal pipelines for different business processes. This feature helps in smoothly handling unique sales cycles.
- Customer Management: You can customize modules and fields to reflect your business’s unique operations. Features like tags and notes help in quickly identifying records and keeping team members informed.
Customization and Security
- Custom Fields and Modules: You can customize your CRM data by adding unique custom fields and changing the way you view your data through customizable list views and smart filters.
- Roles and Profiles: Bigin allows you to replicate your organizational structure with custom roles and profiles, controlling who sees what information using profile-based access permissions. This ensures data security and compliance.
- Audit Logs and GDPR Compliance: Bigin provides a chronological log of every action performed within the account, ensuring improved documentation and compliance. It also complies with the EU’s GDPR regulations, ensuring data security.
Additional Features
- Webforms: Bigin helps you capture leads from your website through customizable webforms, which can be quickly created and embedded on your site.
- Activity Management: You can maintain a clear overview of all important activities like tasks, calls, and events. Team members can be notified using @mentions, facilitating collaboration.
These features collectively make Bigin by Zoho CRM a powerful tool for managing customer relationships, automating repetitive tasks, and integrating AI to enhance business efficiency.
Bigin by Zoho CRM - Performance and Accuracy
Performance and Accuracy of Bigin by Zoho CRM
When evaluating the performance and accuracy of Bigin by Zoho CRM in the Customer Service Tools and AI-driven product category, several key points stand out:
User-Friendly Interface and Ease of Use
Bigin is praised for its intuitive and user-friendly interface, making it easy for users, especially those in small businesses, to manage customer relationships and sales pipelines without a steep learning curve.
Automation and Workflow
Bigin offers powerful automation features, including workflow rules for lead assignment, email alerts, and follow-ups. These automations help save time and boost productivity, which is a significant advantage in managing customer interactions.
Integration and Data Management
Bigin seamlessly integrates with other Zoho applications such as Zoho Mail and Zoho Invoice, providing a cohesive ecosystem that streamlines business processes. However, it has limitations in document management, as it lacks an integrated option to upload and store supporting documents like quotes, invoices, or contracts directly within the CRM.
Reporting and Analytics
While Bigin provides basic reporting features that are easy to use, these tools can feel limited for more advanced needs. For larger teams or those requiring deeper analytics, the customization options might seem constrained.
AI-Driven Features
Although Bigin itself does not heavily feature AI-driven tools like its more advanced counterpart, Zoho CRM, it benefits from being part of the Zoho ecosystem. Zoho CRM’s AI assistant, Zia, which is not explicitly mentioned as part of Bigin, offers features like data enrichment, sales predictions, and conversation intelligence. However, these advanced AI features are more aligned with Zoho CRM rather than Bigin.
Limitations
- Scalability: Bigin is well-suited for smaller businesses but may not scale well for larger operations or those with complex workflows. The limitations on records and the IMAP limitation to one per user can be significant issues for growing businesses.
- Custom Fields and Modules: Bigin has a limited number of custom fields (up to 25 per module) and does not support custom modules, which can be restrictive for businesses needing more detailed data management.
- Mobile App: The mobile app could be more robust, with some features lacking compared to the desktop version.
Areas for Improvement
- Document Management: Integrating a more comprehensive document management system would help streamline workflows by allowing users to upload and store supporting documents directly within the CRM.
- Advanced Reporting: Enhancing the reporting features to provide more depth and customization options would benefit larger teams or businesses with complex analytics needs.
- Scalability: Increasing the scalability of Bigin, particularly in terms of record limits and IMAP integrations, would make it more viable for growing businesses.
In summary, Bigin by Zoho CRM is an excellent choice for small businesses due to its ease of use, automation features, and integration with other Zoho tools. However, it has clear limitations in scalability, document management, and advanced reporting, which need to be considered when evaluating its performance and accuracy.
Bigin by Zoho CRM - Pricing and Plans
Bigin by Zoho CRM Pricing Plans
Bigin by Zoho CRM offers a clear and structured pricing plan that caters to the needs of small and micro-businesses. Here’s a breakdown of the different tiers and the features available in each:
Free Plan
- This plan is available at no cost ($0/month).
- It includes a single pipeline, 500 records, and instant workflows (3).
- Features such as telephony, integrations with Zapier, Zoho Desk, Zoho Campaigns, and Zoho Forms are included.
- Apps for iOS, iPadOS, Android, and macOS are available, along with developer APIs and a standard dashboard.
Express Plan
- Priced at $7/month per user.
- This plan offers team pipelines (3), 50,000 records, and instant workflows (10).
- Additional features include email integration, mass emails with email insights, no-code forms for contacts and pipelines, and 10 custom fields per module.
- Customizable dashboards with charts and KPIs, integrations with Zoho Books/Invoice, Zoho Meeting, Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, Zoom Meeting, Mailchimp, and Twitter are also included.
Premier Plan
- Priced at $12/month per user.
- This plan includes team pipelines (5), 100,000 records, and advanced workflows (30).
- Features like stage transition rules, the ability to sell globally with multiple currencies, additional field types (Lookup, user fields), and 25 custom fields per module are available.
- Other features include increased feature limits, cleanup duplicates, and more advanced capabilities.
Additional Notes
- Bigin by Zoho CRM also offers a free trial for its paid plans, and there is no requirement for a credit card to get started.
- For those looking for additional features, Bigin offers “Bigin Toppings” and “Bigin Add-ons” which can be added to the Express and Premier plans.
This structure allows businesses to choose a plan that fits their specific needs and scale as they grow.
Bigin by Zoho CRM - Integration and Compatibility
Integrating Bigin by Zoho CRM
Integrating Bigin by Zoho CRM with other tools and ensuring its compatibility across various platforms is a key aspect of its functionality, making it a versatile and user-friendly CRM solution.
Integration with Zoho CRM
Bigin is built on the Zoho CRM platform, which facilitates a seamless integration between the two. This integration allows for a two-way sync of data across modules such as Contacts, Companies, Accounts, Deals, Products, and Activities. This means any changes made in either Bigin or Zoho CRM are reflected in both applications, ensuring data consistency and reducing the need for manual updates.
Zapier Integration
Bigin can be integrated with Zoho CRM and other applications using Zapier, a platform that automates workflows without requiring any coding. With Zapier, you can set up triggers and actions to automate tasks such as creating new contacts, deals, or tasks between Bigin and Zoho CRM. For example, a new contact added in Bigin can automatically update the corresponding record in Zoho CRM, and vice versa.
APIs and Zoho Flow
Bigin offers comprehensive APIs, including REST, Bulk, and Notification APIs, which enable businesses to integrate Bigin’s data with Zoho CRM seamlessly. Zoho Flow, another integration tool, allows for the synchronization of data between Bigin and Zoho CRM, ensuring that all user groups have access to the necessary information.
Compatibility Across Devices
Bigin is fully mobile, with apps available for both iOS and Android. This mobile-first approach ensures that sales reps can manage their CRM tasks on the go, whether it’s closing deals, making calls, or updating records. The interface is optimized for both web and mobile devices, providing a frictionless user experience across all platforms.
Multichannel Communication
Bigin supports multiple communication channels, including email, phone calls, WhatsApp, social media, meetings, and forms. This multichannel support ensures that customer-facing teams can communicate seamlessly with customers, regardless of the device or platform they are using.
Integration with Third-Party Apps
In addition to Zoho CRM, Bigin can be integrated with over 5,000 third-party apps through Zapier and Zoho Flow. This extensive integration capability allows businesses to connect Bigin with their existing tools and workflows, enhancing overall efficiency and reducing manual data entry.
Developer Platform
Bigin’s developer platform is highly extensive, allowing businesses to connect Bigin with any external source. This flexibility is particularly useful for businesses that need customized integrations beyond what is offered by standard APIs and integration tools.
Conclusion
In summary, Bigin by Zoho CRM offers a wide range of integration options and is compatible across various devices and platforms, making it an excellent choice for small businesses looking to streamline their CRM operations.
Bigin by Zoho CRM - Customer Support and Resources
Bigin by Zoho CRM: Customer Support Options
Bigin by Zoho CRM offers a range of customer support options and additional resources that are designed to make managing customer relationships and support efficient and straightforward.Integrated Customer Support Tools
Bigin integrates seamlessly with Zoho Desk, a customer support application, allowing you to bring all customer support information into your CRM. This integration provides a 360º view of your customer lifecycle, ensuring that salespeople have access to customer support tickets and comments. This helps in making more informed selling decisions and prioritizing workload effectively through features like Handshake mode, which categorizes support data based on the customer’s position in your pipeline.Customer Support Templates
Bigin offers a Customer Support template that helps in tracking and resolving support tickets efficiently. This template includes modules that visualize the ticket resolution process into easily trackable stages, ensuring you have all the context needed to handle every ticket. You can customize these modules to fit your unique support process, adding fields that are specific to your needs.Multi-Channel Ticket Management
With Bigin, you can manage support tickets across various channels such as email, phone, forms, or social media. This multi-channel approach ensures that you can handle customer inquiries from any device, even on the go.Notifications and Signals
Bigin’s integration with Zoho Desk includes Signals, which notify you of all ticket updates. You can configure these notifications to include new tickets, comments, responses, overdue tickets, and ticket escalations, keeping you informed and up-to-date.Mobile Accessibility
Bigin has mobile apps for iOS and Android, allowing you to manage your CRM and customer support on the go. This ensures that you can close deals and resolve support issues even when you’re away from your desk.Additional Integrations
Bigin integrates with various other applications, such as Zoho Books, Google Workspace, and more, through Zapier. These integrations help in automating workflows, keeping your sales and accounting data in sync, and providing a seamless experience across different platforms.Customizable Fields and Pipelines
You can create custom fields to store all relevant information specific to your support process. Bigin’s pipelines are highly customizable, allowing you to visualize and track the key stages of your customer support operations effectively.Support and Resources
Bigin provides customer support to help you with any issues or questions you may have. You can find more information on their support page, which includes resources and guides to help you get the most out of the platform. By leveraging these features, Bigin by Zoho CRM ensures that you have the tools and resources needed to provide exceptional customer support and manage your customer relationships efficiently. Bigin by Zoho CRM - Pros and Cons
Advantages of Zoho Bigin
Cost-Effective
Bigin is highly affordable, with pricing plans that are competitive in the CRM market. It includes a free version, as well as Express and Premier plans starting at $7 and $12 per user per month, respectively, when paid annually.Intuitive Interface
The software boasts a simple and intuitive user interface, making it easy for users to get started and manage their customer relationships without a steep learning curve. There are numerous guides and pop-ups to help users navigate the system.Customization
Bigin allows for easy customization of features such as pipelines, fields, and forms to align with the specific needs of your business. This flexibility helps in managing customer-centric operations efficiently.Workflow Automation
The system includes powerful workflow automation tools that can automate repetitive tasks, such as email alerts and follow-ups. This helps in saving time and boosting productivity.Multichannel Communication
Bigin supports multiple communication channels, including email, phone calls, WhatsApp, social media, meetings, and forms. This ensures seamless communication with customers and enhances customer relationships.Integration Capabilities
Bigin integrates well with other Zoho tools, such as Zoho Desk, and third-party software. This integration enables a unified database and better coordination between sales and support teams, enhancing the overall customer experience.Mobile Accessibility
The software has mobile applications available on the AppStore and Google Play, allowing users to manage their tasks, pipelines, and customer interactions on the go.Analytics and Reporting
Bigin provides robust analytics and reporting features, including integration with Zoho Analytics, which offers practical insights based on customer data and over 100 visualizations.Disadvantages of Zoho Bigin
Limited Functionality
Bigin lacks some advanced features that might be necessary for larger enterprises. This makes it less suitable for businesses that are likely to experience rapid growth and need more complex CRM capabilities.No Offline Support
Since Bigin is entirely cloud-based, it requires a stable internet connection to function. This means users cannot work offline, which can be a drawback in areas with poor internet connectivity.Limited Free Version
The free version of Bigin is quite restrictive, allowing only 500 records, a single pipeline, and three workflows. While it’s a good starting point, it may not be sufficient for businesses with more extensive needs.No Special Discounts for Non-Profits
Unlike some other CRM solutions, Bigin does not offer special discounted plans for non-profit organizations. However, non-profits can contact Bigin agents to inquire about potential discounts. Overall, Zoho Bigin is an excellent choice for small businesses looking for a cost-effective, easy-to-use CRM solution with strong integration capabilities and automation features. However, it may not be the best fit for larger or more complex organizations. Bigin by Zoho CRM - Comparison with Competitors
Bigin by Zoho CRM
Integration with Zoho Desk
Pipeline-Centric CRM
Limited AI Features
Freshdesk
Freddy AI
User-Friendly Interface
Zoho CRM
Zia AI
Advanced Customization
Tidio
Lyro AI
24/7 Customer Service
Key Considerations
Business Size and Needs
Integration and Customization
AI Capabilities
In summary, while Bigin by Zoho CRM is a cost-effective and easy-to-use option for small businesses, it lacks the advanced AI features and customization options available in more comprehensive tools like Zoho CRM and Freshdesk. Depending on your business needs, one of these alternatives might offer the features and capabilities you require.
Bigin by Zoho CRM - Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions about Bigin by Zoho CRM
Q: What is Bigin by Zoho CRM?
Bigin by Zoho CRM is a customer relationship management (CRM) software specifically designed for small and micro-businesses. It helps manage customer relationships through a pipeline-centric approach, replacing inefficient spreadsheet-based systems. Bigin offers features like pipeline management, customer management, multichannel communication, automation, and team collaboration.
Q: Is Bigin by Zoho CRM cloud-based?
Yes, Bigin by Zoho CRM is a cloud-based software, which means it can be accessed from anywhere with an internet connection. This makes it highly convenient for remote work and collaborative teams.
Q: Does Bigin by Zoho CRM offer a free trial?
Yes, Bigin by Zoho CRM offers a free trial for 15 days. This allows users to try out the software before committing to a subscription.
Q: What are the pricing plans for Bigin by Zoho CRM?
Bigin by Zoho CRM offers several pricing plans:
- Free: $0/month, includes a single pipeline, 500 records, instant workflows, and basic integrations.
- Express: $7/month (or $9/month if billed monthly), includes team pipelines, 50,000 records, email integration, and more advanced features.
- Premier: $12/month (or $15/month if billed monthly), includes advanced workflows, stage transition rules, multiple currencies, and higher custom field limits.
- Bigin 360: $12/month (or $15/month if billed monthly), offers the highest limits for all features and additional advanced capabilities.
Q: Does Bigin by Zoho CRM offer mobile access?
Yes, Bigin by Zoho CRM offers mobile access through its mobile app, which is available for both iOS and Android devices. This allows users to manage their CRM on the go.
Q: What kind of integrations does Bigin by Zoho CRM support?
Bigin by Zoho CRM supports a wide range of integrations, including Zoho Mail, Google Workspace, Microsoft Office 365, Zapier, Zoho Desk, Zoho Campaigns, and many more. It also integrates with third-party telephony providers, social media platforms, and other popular applications.
Q: How does Bigin by Zoho CRM handle automation?
Bigin by Zoho CRM offers powerful automation features to simplify sales, marketing, and customer support processes. Users can automate routine tasks such as lead assignment, follow-up emails, and data entry. The software also supports advanced workflows based on specific triggers or events.
Q: Can Bigin by Zoho CRM manage multichannel communication?
Yes, Bigin by Zoho CRM supports multichannel communication, allowing businesses to communicate with customers through various channels such as email, phone calls, chat, and social media from a single platform. This includes email integration, phone call management, chatbots, and social media engagement.
Q: How secure is Bigin by Zoho CRM?
Bigin by Zoho CRM takes data security seriously and offers various security features, including SSL encryption, two-factor authentication, and regular backups. It also complies with data protection regulations such as GDPR and CCPA.
Q: Can I customize Bigin by Zoho CRM to suit my business needs?
Yes, Bigin by Zoho CRM allows extensive customization. You can customize modules and fields, add tags and notes, use multi-currency features, and create custom automation workflows. Additionally, the software offers features like merge templates and sheet views to organize data according to your business requirements.
Q: Does Bigin by Zoho CRM support team collaboration?
Yes, Bigin by Zoho CRM has strong team collaboration features. Team members can share customer information, track progress on projects, and collaborate more efficiently. The software also supports features like task and reminder management to ensure no customer interactions are missed.