Need a new angle? read this

[lastprotocol]

We all know the benefits of Content Management Systems, and some of you will have heard of Customer Resource Management (turning visitors into clients) well, if anyone is interested in CMS and CRM - be it as a web designer needing to offer their clients or potential clients a new angle on site use I may have the answer (or as a web host looking to convert visitors into sales).

I have integrated Joomla 1.0.8 and SugarCRM 4.2 so that the following occurs:

User registers on the CMS site (http://testcms.desk2web.co.uk) – additional information required on registration plus an acceptance check box etc (this is only additional due to a need I have at present)
There is no need to activate the account – many visitors to sites register but for any number of reasons never actually register, so this alleviates that problem

User is automatically added to SugarCRM as a lead (have a look at http://testcrm.desk2web.co.uk admin/demo) and you will see the new user added!

I know that there are more advanced CRM solutions out there, but considered both of these applications are Open Source based I am very excited by the potential for my clients in our area – I already have one confirmed meeting for this afternoon having phoned them this morning, and another planned for Thursday next week!

Create a nice template for Joomla, create a theme for Sugar and the package is complete (and at a reasonable price too).

[lastprotocol]

Or how about this one instead ......

Simple exe to collect client/customer/whatever details from a mySQL database and integrate them straight into Outlook's Contacts.

I use if on a CRM application, and also from 2 seperate osCommerce sites.

Works a treat! Sold it to a few of my clients as well, one has a telephone/computer system set up that opens the Outlook Contact for a customer when they ring into the office (not created by me I stress!) so its great for him to keep uptodate.

Need more info, give me a shout

[gdwoods]

Hey Allan

Please keep us posted about your SugarCRM efforts. I looked at Sugar a while back, but at the time it didn't have good email integration. Has that improved? How would you compare it to Act!2006 for a small shop running 5000 contacts?

[lastprotocol]

Hiya!

OK, there were issues I know with previous versions of SugarCRM, but 4.2 certainly seems very stable regarding email support.

As for Act!2006 I can't comment, I've never used it.

I'm currently integrating SugarCRM to be the focus of 5 sites within a multi-national finance group, they have well over 5000 records on there already and thats with only 2 of the sites active!