Act vs. Zoho Integration: Which CRM Builds Your Business?

The software was clunky, the system was clunky. We had enough.

Marcus Gregory​, Bluestar Leasing

This is a direct quote from Marcus Gregory, the director of Bluestar Leasing, a company we consulted on Zoho integration.

Bluestar had a stable marriage with Act! CRM since the 1990s. But 30-odd years later, this business relationship ran its course. The system had no intention of improving. It was restricting its access, overpricing its product, and refusing to customise and improve.

Here’s the rub: Act! was still stuck in the 90s and decided to stay there. But Bluestar had no taste for nostalgia. They were looking to expand their horizons and revolutionise their sales CRM software with AI-driven analytics and advanced automation.

How could they do this with Act!? A company that failed to scale with its most loyal customers?

Bluestar’s not the first to jump ship. At Caldere, we’ve orchestrated many CRM migrations from Act! to Zoho CRM software – all of which were seamless like a well-choreographed dance. Not one bit of data was lost in the migration.

Decades of loyalty with a CRM gone like that! Quite the nasty breakup, isn’t it?

But before you give up on Act! entirely, hold the thought. We don’t want to consult you on Zoho integration…just yet. 

Here’s the disclaimer: We are consultants first, Zoho consultants second. This means we’re committed to giving you the full spectrum of insights and options.

The truth is…we have a fondness for vintage typewriters instead of sleek laptops; they offer some benefits that can go under the radar.

With that said, shall we give Act! one final chance in the ring?

Let it put on the boxing gloves and see if there’s a right hook hiding that Zoho CRM software might not know about.

Ding! 🥊

Table of Contents

Dictionary

A tool that helps businesses track and manage their interactions with customers, like a super-organised digital notebook for sales and support.

A small or mid-sized business, not a big corporation, usually with fewer than 250 employees.

Zoho Integration or The Act! of Nostalgia?

Act! CRM has been around since the 1990s, a time when grunge was the music of choice, and the internet looked like something done on Microsoft Paint.

Zoho’s integration into the CRM ecosphere came much later, and the reason for this is because Act! was the most popular kid on the block, with a user base of over 2.8 million (Act Today)

It provided ease of access, it was straightforward, and it had a user-friendly interface. Naturally, everyone fell in love with the damn thing. It was an effective CRM, helping businesses scale and generate considerable wealth.

But when these businesses eventually scaled and improved, the system didn’t scale and improve with them.

They faced system lags as their database grew, and customer support simply did not have the expertise to deal with it.

And yet, many businesses stayed loyal and never integrated into Zoho, even when Zoho became an affordable and worthy contender.

By the mid-2000s, Zoho CRM came along with its right hook. 🥊

The Key Benefits of Zoho Integration

Many businesses, big and small, integrated Zoho into their daily operations. Unlike Act! CRM, Zoho was determined to revolutionise its software as times changed.

Today, it offers a suite of features that outshine Act! in several ways. As a result, Zoho has 4.0/5 rating from over 6,500 reviews on G2, with high marks for ease of use and integration (G2).

Let’s examine the main points:

1. User-Friendly Interface

Zoho CRM is designed with user-friendliness in mind, even with its initial integration. Its intuitive interface makes it easy for teams to adopt and use effectively without extensive Zoho training.

Here’s what one of our clients had to say:

“We found Zoho to be quite simple to navigate. It’s invaluable to be able to see all our data at the press of a button.”

Stuart Challacombe, Pings Group.

2. Integration and Automation

Zoho CRM software integrates with your favourite business tools like Gmail and Slack as effortlessly as a well-mixed cocktail–this being a level of CRM integration that adds value from day one.

Also, by automating the tedious, repetitive tasks, Zoho CRM software frees up your team’s time to focus on what really matters: creative problem-solving and building relationships. 

This, in turn, removes the drudgery and lets you unleash human potential within your business; the kind of CRM implementation that drives actual business growth.

It’s a classic case of ‘sweating the small stuff’ so your people can shine at the big stuff.

3. Customisation and Scalability

When you integrate Zoho, you’re rewarded with unparalleled customisation that lets you tailor the system exactly to your needs. Custom fields, modules, and layouts mean the CRM moulds itself to your business, not the other way around.

It’s unfortunate, but Act! simply does not compete with this level of customisation. As a result, many business are migrating their data to Zoho, reducing Act!’s market share by 0.29% 😬 (6sense).

(For comparison, Zoho is in the top five globally. And Zoho is among the top four CRM vendors by number of installations, alongside Salesforce, HubSpot, and Microsoft — according to HG Insight.

In terms of scalability, Zoho CRM’s modular design allows you to add or remove features as needed. You can start with a basic setup at first. Then, as your business grows, Zoho’s CRM software grows with you.

Eventually, the functionalities become more advanced – unlike Act! which tries to box you into their way of thinking.

As your business flourishes, enlisting the help of a consultant for your CRM migration could be a game-changer. We can tailor and fine-tune Zoho CRM software to fit your needs, streamline your operations, and ensure everything integrates smoothly with your current systems.

4. Cost-Effective Solution

Integrating Zoho is great for small businesses with big ambitions but limited budgets.

It offers a cost-effective solution packed with robust features, allowing you to scale up without scaling up your expenses, nor spending too much time on Zoho training.

It’s proof that you don’t need to break the bank to get top-tier sales CRM software.

Read This Before You Integrate Zoho

At Caldere, we’re Zoho consultants who, naturally, hedge our money on their software. So it’s no surprise we’ve highlighted the importance of Zoho integration.

The evidence is overwhelming, but the fight’s not over yet:

Here are some jab-like benefits when using Act!’s CRM software:

🥊 Act! integrates and syncs well with Microsoft Office Suite – so it’s using tools you already know and trust.

🥊 Act! offers a full-featured desktop version that can be used entirely offline. This is great if you need data without an internet connection, kind of like a trusty old map that never fails you, no matter where you are.

Blimey, has Act! just won the match?

Or Should You Integrate Zoho?

Here at Caldere, we’re Zoho consultants that respect transparency and honesty on your data migration. That’s why I’m going to provide you with a table that lists ALL the features between the two.

In turn, this will help you decide on whether to stick with Act or integrate Zoho.

Do You Need Help with Zoho Integration?

As your business scales, Zoho integration can feel like a learning curve because of the CRM’s extensive features.

But here’s where we help with that: many businesses we’ve consulted have found great value in our professional CRM services, particularly our Zoho training.

At Caldere, we don’t just shuffle your data from one system to another i.e. a basic data migration. We make sure the recipe matches the taste buds of the business.

And this is exactly how it should be done. Why can’t CRM be a reflection of your workflow and organisational processes? What’s the point of this technology if it doesn’t make your life easier?

Technology is supposed to be your ally, not something that creates more stress.

If you simplify and streamline your CRM migration, your team can focus on what truly matters: innovation, creativity, and job satisfaction.

And that’s our philosophy at Caldere. We are grounded in the belief that well-implemented sales CRM software should be turning the gears with not a screwdriver in sight.

This is why I’m giving away a free CRM transition checklist that can actually start turning those gears today.

And if you have even the mildest of headaches with your CRM, I insist you comment the word “CRM” and take this free checklist to start your Zoho CRM implementation.

It has been a game-changer for several of our clients who migrated from Act to Zoho, using our CRM services.

With boundless enthusiasm,

– Vivek Gargav