Insights into What’s New in Act! v25.0

The evolution of Act! continues in v25 which builds out its small business CRM tool set with dynamic pipeline management, powerful new marketing automation capabilities and many subscriber-exclusive enhancements. All these capabilities allow your organization to take its sales and marketing to new heights.

Here at AspenTech, we often advise a bit of caution when moving to the latest and greatest versions as there often can be minor issues that need to be worked out.  As always, we continue to test out the new Act! versions. At this time, we do not have any reservations about recommending clients upgrade to v25.0.  However, with every release it is important for you to monitor if new patches/updates are released. Check for v25.0 updates here.

Richer Insights - Advanced Dashboard Builder

Act! v25 introduces an advanced dashboard builder to Act! Insight, which allows users to quickly create custom analytics dashboards to visualize more of their data, gain meaningful insights, and react quickly to changing business conditions.

Act! Insights has been around for many versions but had minimal settings or query options to make tracking KPI metrics custom to your specific needs. 

• Advanced querying allows for multiple sets of criteria
• Create new dashboards based on contact, opportunity, company and group data
• Pull in associated field data
• Configure grouping
• Add additional criteria as needed
• Quickly create new analytics dashboards
• Get granular by creating visualizations for previously unsupported data
• Gain more meaningful insights
• React quickly to changing business conditions

Check out this help article if you need help getting started with Act! Insights.

Integrated SMS Text Messaging

Text messaging is an affordable and efficient way to reach customers and prospects alike. With open rates 4x greater than traditional email (98% vs 22%), it's effective as well, allowing even the smallest businesses to compete with much larger competition.

While text messaging is currently available as part of Act! Marketing Automation (AMA) for US customers, SMS4Act! allows Act! users to send ad-hoc text messages globally without having to build a full-fledged marketing campaign.  All sends and replies are automatically tracked for reference and follow-up.

• Send ad-hoc text messages without the need to create marketing campaigns
• Send to individuals or groups
• Automatically track sends and replies in contact history records
• Create text message templates and personalize with individual contact information
• Send text messages for appointments, order updates, shipping status, event reminders, promotions, and more
• Affordable, efficient and effective
• High open rates
• Avoid designing labor intensive email campaigns

SMS4Act! Pricing:

• SMS4Act! Is powered by Message Media, a market leading global messaging provider
• Users create an account with Message Media and payment is handled directly through them
• Pricing is month-to-month and requires no annual contract
• An active Act! Premium subscription is required

Check out this help article to get started with SMS4Act!

Act! Marketing Automation (AMA) Enhancements

Enhanced Usability

• New "Properties" dropdown menu is now available with options to "Jump to Campaign, "Jump to Campaign Dashboard", and "Export all Email Campaigns."
• More tools to zero in on your ideal marketing audience.
• More filters to analyze your suppression list data (i.e. unsubscribes and excessive bounces)
• Mail merge date format options
• Email template sorting options

New to Act! Marketing Automation (AMA)? Learn more here.

Act! Companion Mobile App Enhancements

Companion is the official mobile app free with your Act! subscription. It is available for iPhone, iPad, and Android.  Use Companion to keep users connected to their Act! database from anywhere with an internet connection.

To improve the overall mobile app experience for all Act! users, Act! has made a number of updates including:

• Enhancements to the login experience
• Improvements to opportunity filtering
• Improved stability and performance for Act! proximity search to find contacts in a given range
• Prompt to choose phone number to dial
• Easy access to phone extensions
• Google Maps address completion
• View and manage "Hot Leads"
• Improved scrolling

At AspenTech CRM, we meet these challenges head-on. We address every issue you might have with your CRM – whether it involves selection, technology, training, or process – and create a manageable plan. We then work with you to implement that plan so you can use your CRM to its fullest potential, giving you a 360° view of your customers – and your business. Call 866-880-4228 to start a conversation with one of our CRM experts.