Today, processed data is new fuel, and its optimum utilization for growth is the new success. But to make it happen swiftly, the journey is quite a deal for many.

One of the recent studies by Forrester revealed that 74% of firms claim themselves to be “data-driven,” but only 29% are successful at connecting analytics to action.

Why is this so?

Well, the problem lies in not using the CRM tools efficiently. More precisely, the reasons are majorly related to not utilising reports effectively or not leveraging right analytics like Zoho Analytics correctly to make informed decisions from the data. As a result, businesses are missing vital insights that could otherwise help them grow.

So, how can you deal with these challenges?

By enabling detailed reports, utilizing powerful analytics, and customizing homepage components in Zoho CRM, businesses can transform their CRM experience. In this blog, we will help you understand how to do the same.

Enabling Reports in Zoho CRM

Understanding Reports in Zoho CRM

Zoho Analytics was previously called Zoho Reports. It helps businesses extract crucial insights from their vast volumes of data. You can gather data from all your sources, be it files, applications, or databases, and leverage this data to create powerful reports and dashboards.

Zoho Analytics is your perfect ally in creating impactful reports because of the following features:

1. Different types of reports

Depending on your type of data, you can create the relevant type of report- be it charts, tables, dashboards, or a summary view.

2. Pre-built reports

It has pre-built reports for marketing, project management, social media, etc. You can also easily create custom reports.

3. Intuitive interface

It is incredibly easy to build reports with Zoho’s drag-and-drop interface.

4. Easily customisable

You can extensively customize the reports easily like configuring the axis, the legend positions, and color palettes, etc.

5. Advanced Analytics

You can use advanced techniques like predictive analysis or cluster analysis, etc., to analyse your data.

6. Collaborate seamlessly

You can easily share the files in different formats, embed reports in blogs, etc., to effectively communicate your data.

Step-by-Step Guide to Creating Reports

1. Go to the Reports module

After logging into your Zoho CRM business account, go to the “Reports” tab on the main menu.

2. Select the type of report

Depending on the purpose of your report, you can choose the type of report you want to create, such as sales report, pipeline report, etc.

3. Customise report criteria and filters

You can define various criteria and filters for your report, e.g. specific date ranges, etc.

Tips for Effective Reporting

As powerful as Zoho Analytics features are, how do you make the most of it without getting overwhelmed?

Here are some tips that will help you create compelling reports:

1. Know the purpose

What is that you are exactly seeking from this report? Are you looking at sales trends over the last quarter? Then, your visualisation should focus on highlighting those patterns.

2. Polish your data

For an accurate analysis, data should be of high quality. No duplicate records, no irrelevant information, and no structural errors. So, before you use the data for preparing reports, make sure you prepare the data using advanced transformation functions.

3. Pick the perfect type of report

After knowing the purpose of your report, choose the right type of report. If you want to compare some data, choose charts like lines, bars, etc. If you are looking at understanding relationships between data, scatter plots, bubble plots, and heat maps can be the best choice. Want to understand how individual components of data contribute to the whole? Use pie charts, tree maps, etc.

4. Keep it simple

Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication, and this perfectly applies to your reports too. Avoid adding too much information. Keep the objective of your report in mind and stay laser-focused.

Leveraging Analytics in Zoho CRM

Understanding Zoho Analytics

Zoho Analytics is a cutting edge data analysis tool for all sizes of businesses. It helps them to create most sorted reports and amazing dashboards by analysing CRM data. You can create advanced data visualisation in Zoho analytics and discover key insights regarding your business. You can easily track your key business metrics, like conversions, traffic, etc.

Setting Up Zoho Analytics

1. Connecting Zoho CRM with Zoho Analytics

● Log into your Zoho CRM. You should be logging in with the administrator profile.

● Next, go to “Setup” and then choose “Marketplace”. Then choose “Zoho” and then “Advanced Analytics for CRM”.

● Click “Configure”. On the configuration page, select the fields and set up the synchronisation time. Click on save.

● When the CRM data is imported into Zoho Analytics, you will receive an email.

2. Enabling Zoho Analytics Add-on

● Select the “Reports” tab. On the reports home page choose the “Advanced Analytics for CRM” link.

● You will be taken to Zoho Analytics. Click on “Subscription” and select “Upgrade”. Now you can choose the plan as per your requirements.

Creating and Customizing Dashboards

1. Creating Dashboards

Direct yourself to the "Dashboards" section in Zoho Analytics and click "Create Dashboard."

2. Customizing Charts, Graphs, and Visualizations

Use the drag-and-drop interface to add and arrange various data visualizations. Customize these elements to reflect the data points that matter most to your business.

3. Tips for Making Dashboards Insightful and Actionable

Ensure your dashboards are easy to interpret and focus on critical business metrics.

Advanced Data Visualization in Zoho Analytics

Advanced data visualization in Zoho Analytics enables organizations to easily convert even the most complicated data into intelligent visuals. There is an impressive suite of tools that can help you visualise data using completely dynamic dashboards, interactive charts, and in-depth reports, way beyond the basic bar and line graphs.

Pivot tables, custom formulas, and conditional formatting provide a way to analyze data more deeply or present graphic reports as per your requirements. Zoho Analytics can connect the dots in your data, revealing patterns, trends, and correlations with support for more than a dozen chart types, including geo maps and heatmaps (both of which set Zoho apart from most of the competition) as well as funnel charts.

Imagine how much more useful it is for businesses of any size that can see data in a way that highlights key performance indicators and reveals actionable insights. This level of “interactivity” helps them make the most out of their data and leads to better business decision-making.

Customizing Home Page Components in Zoho CRM

Importance of Homepage Customization

The home tab in Zoho CRM provides an overview of your CRM’s progress. It also organises your and your team’s day-to-day work. A quick glance at it and you will know how things are going. The better you organise the homepage, the better its productivity.

The Home tab of Zoho CRM has 3 views:

1. Classic view

This view is unique to each CRM user and shows 3 standard components: Pipelines, tasks, and events. It cannot be customized.

2. User’s Home Page

This is the home tab for the user’s own account. Individual users can customize it and add components relevant to them.

3. Customised Home Page

This page can be customized and shared across roles. You can add the components you want and customize the home page. You can customize it depending on what you want them to see when they log into their CRM.

Customized Homepage Creation: Step-by-Step Guide

1. 1. Go to the "Setup" menu and select "Customize Home Page" under the "Customization" section. Now click on “New Home Page”.

      2. Click on “Dashboard” and select a dashboard. Choose the components that you want to add to it.

      3. Select “Custom Views” and then click on the module from the drop-down menu. Select the relevant components that you want to add.

      4. After choosing the relevant components click on “Save and Share”. An “Edit properties” window will show up. Add the name and the roles of the users who want to share. Add a relevant Description and save.

Tips for Effective HomePage Design

1. Arrange logically

Arrange widgets in a logical order that supports your daily activities and decision-making processes.

2. Prioritise key widgets

Prioritize widgets that provide key metrics and actionable insights relevant to your business.

Conclusion

We hope this blog has helped you in understanding the tips and tricks for enabling reports, analytics, and home page components in Zoho CRM. Having an effective analytics tool is great but knowing how to make the best use of it is the real deal. Being a real time problem solver we can confidently say that by following these strategies and steps, you will definitely make the best use of CRM data and eventually help your business grow exponentially.

Ready to take your Zoho CRM to the next level? Connect with your zoho implementation partner now!