Gentsforum, a leading e-commerce website for men’s grooming and cosmetic essentials, faced numerous operational hurdles that affected its efficiency and growth. They approached us to leverage our expertise as a Zoho authorized partner to overcome operational challenges and improve efficiency. With us, they could streamline their processes, automate tasks, and learn to retrieve and utilize data-driven insights to drive business growth and improve customer engagement.
This case study aims to uncover some of the specific pain points they encountered and how their decision to collaborate with us as their Zoho implementation partner helped them address these issues. From struggles in generating meaningful leads from social media channels to dealing with dormant customers, improving follow-up communications, and simplifying sales order and invoice management, Zoho integration proved to be a great relief to the company’s overall performance.
This case study is presented in two parts. The first part closely examines the issues they faced, followed by the second part, which delves into the specific ways their operations were enhanced through the use of Zoho products, particularly Zoho CRM, Zoho Survey, Zoho Flow, Zoho Analytics, Zoho Books, and Zoho SalesIQ. These tools were instrumental in helping them tackle their challenges and transform their overall approach to the business. It becomes clear that Zoho integration was not just a solution to their problems but a comprehensive remedy that allowed them to tap into the untapped potential of their unique e-commerce brand in men’s cosmetics.
Main Challenges Reported by the Company and Our Findings
Their main concern was related to lead collection. It was quite challenging for their team to generate leads using their available sources. This was particularly concerning for the business, as they had a strong social media presence. Despite the potential of social media-based leads, this was not reflected in the results. There were no proper mechanisms in place to collect details about potential leads and leverage that information for sales. Traditional data collection methods, such as manual data entry and follow-ups, seemed too slow to make significant progress in the business.
For sales optimization and client retention, the company has been relying on the Shopify ecommerce platform. Despite the platform’s unique features, such as the ‘abandoned cart’ function, which would have allowed them to re-engage target clients who left without making a purchase, its potential was not fully used.
While there was some usage of the abandoned cart functionality in Shopify for collecting customer information, the company was not in a good position to utilize it for initiating follow-up communications. The reason was the lack of an automated way to collect and store lead data from such attempts so that the designated staff could initiate follow-ups.
The company found it extremely labor-intensive and inefficient to create sales orders and invoices for every individual customer transaction. It was clear from their case that a more modern and automated solution was necessary to manage sales documents and ensure a seamless, error-free experience for their clients.
The company also performed below average in generating actionable reports on important transactions, such as leads and the performance of exclusive deals. Without these essential metrics, the sales and marketing teams lacked a clear understanding of their direction and how to achieve their predetermined targets.
They faced significant challenges in implementing targeted and timely automated email campaigns. Such campaigns were neither done for the new leads nor for those who had already received follow-ups. Additionally, the company struggled to organize and maintain accurate records of customer information.
Another major area where the company struggled was customer feedback collection. As a company specializing in men's cosmetic items, gathering customer feedback was essential for ensuring their offerings aligned with market demand. Without understanding customer reception, they couldn't make necessary adjustments to their product presentations.
In addition to the reports, the lack of actionable dashboards to present collected data and metrics further complicated matters. For a company that relied on its workforce, with varying levels of knowledge of product terminologies and marketing metrics, the absence of such a dashboard was a major hindrance as an e-commerce website.
The Strategic Solutions We Implemented
1. Getting Started with Zoho CRM
As Zoho CRM implementation partners, we began by helping the company get started with the platform. The implementation and integration of Zoho made it possible for them to manage their leads more effectively. Lead data gathering and management from diverse sources, particularly social media platforms, became an automated process without the need for a specially designated person to handle it. Zoho CRM also facilitated smooth automated email campaigns targeting sales and promotions. By reviewing previous customer interactions and personalizing future transactions, the company was able to get closer to its customers, win their trust, and build a strong client base with a long-term commitment to the company. They also began utilizing Zoho CRM’s unique functionalities in reporting, telecalling integration, and activity monitoring. In our capacity as a Zoho integration partner, we supported them with training to use the platform's dashboard features to review sales performance, quickly identify areas needing more focus, understand evolving business dynamics, and address many other aspects.
2. Utilizing ZOHO Flow to Automate Tasks and Workflow
Following the successful implementation of Zoho CRM, we moved to Zoho Flow integration. With the advanced functionalities of Zoho Flow, they could easily start integrating Zoho CRM with their preferred e-commerce channel, Shopify. The integration was a great success, as it made it much easier to consolidate data from both platforms and use it for lead generation, especially in addressing abandoned carts on Shopify.
3. Incorporating Zoho Books and Inventory to Simplify Financial Processes
As an e-commerce website, bookkeeping was a major requirement for the company to ensure proper compliance and obtain accurate financial performance insights. Therefore, we helped them incorporate Zoho Books and Inventory into their operations. To align the process with their data, we ensured that the platform was configured to integrate with Zoho CRM. This allowed for a direct synchronization of data between customer engagement and bookkeeping.
4. Introducing Zoho SalesIQ for Targeted Lead Conversion
One of the most tangible ways we could assist them was by introducing Zoho SalesIQ for targeted lead generation and conversation. This was achieved by using the platform’s unique functionality to add a chatbot to their e-commerce website. By doing so, the sales team could easily follow up on leads by interacting directly with customers. For the customers, finding the chat option was straightforward, as it was represented by a distinctive icon. The sales team, by collecting important customer information like contact numbers and email addresses, could initiate conversion-focused campaigns or engagements with the customers.
5. Collecting Feedback Using Zoho Survey
Given the need for timely feedback from customers regarding products—especially concerning their quality, availability, and pricing—the company required deeper insights. We introduced them to the Zoho Survey. Within a few weeks of starting to use it, they gained instant knowledge about their customers' experiences. The data collected was quickly interpreted and used to improve their services on a priority basis.
To Conclude
By starting to use Zoho’s comprehensive suite of applications, the company made significant improvements in their overall operations. From basic areas like collecting customer data to enhancing engagement and using analytics for informed business decisions, the multifaceted approach initiated by Zoho integration played a key role in the company’s growth, revenue increase, and overall reputation as a leading men’s cosmetic e-commerce service. As their trusted Zoho implementation partner, we tailored the solutions to meet their unique needs and ensured that they were able to make a smooth transition while maximizing the benefits of Zoho's ecosystem.
Inspired by this case study and interested in discovering how Zoho’s advanced business applications can enhance your operations through automation and insightful data? Consult with our experts today. As a trusted Zoho authorized partner, Techtron has helped hundreds of businesses like yours start using Zoho products and services. Whether you're a startup or an established business in any industry, we are equipped to assess your needs and provide customized Zoho solutions to boost your performance. For more details and personalized guidance, contact our team for a free consultation at +91-702-530-0051 or email us at support@techtronserv.com.