If your team has been using Salesforce for a while, you probably already know that Lightning is the future of the platform. But that alone might not be a great incentive for your team to switch from Classic. You know you’ll need to change eventually, but why do it now?
Well, the answer is that Lightning isn’t just the future of Salesforce — it currently offers many advantages over Classic. From enhanced functionality to a sleeker UI, the move to Lightning will help your business (and even your bottom line) in numerous ways. Here are our top 4 Salesforce Lightning benefits, guaranteed to convince you that now is the time to make the switch:
4 Salesforce Lightning Benefits to Take Advantage of Today
1. Improved Functionality & Productivity
One common misconception is that Salesforce Lightning is merely a change in look and feel. The Lightning platform was actually redesigned from the ground up, meaning that it offers deep-seated enhancements over Classic. A great example is the flexibility of Lightning pages. Each page you create in Lightning is built on a customizable canvas, providing you full control over which elements appear where.
And the Lightning experience offers numerous productivity features that can speed the work of any user. Utility bar components, global actions, your favorites list — users can access many of their favorite tools on the same screen in Lightning, while page-specific tools like the kanban view and homepage reminders give you a command center in which you can better plan out your work. All of these features result in saved time for your employees, allowing them to get more done with less. That directly translates to an improved bottom line.
If you’d like to read on, here’s more information on Salesforce Lightning features your team can use to boost their daily productivity.
2. A Better UI to Increase Adoption
According to one study, users can form an opinion of a webpage in 50 milliseconds. Another one found that users can judge a website’s credibility in under 4 seconds. Both of those rates are much faster than you can explain the intent behind a page’s design or cool functionality that’s hidden under the surface.
The greater point here is that users will judge any CRM laid in front of them. Quickly. And (subconsciously) the functionality of the system may even come second to them when deciding whether they like it. So, the sleeker UI of Salesforce Lightning could have a much larger impact on user adoption than you might think. And user adoption ties directly to the ROI of any cloud platform. So if you want to get the most out of Salesforce, Lightning is your best bet.
Check out the link below for more information on these studies and other research showing how the looks of a CRM may be more important than you think.
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3. Enhanced Reports and Dashboards
And what’s one specific aspect of a CRM where its "look and feel" matters a great deal? Reporting. Unsurprisingly, the switch to Lightning brings with it numerous upgrades to both reports and dashboards. For example, in this list of Salesforce reporting tips & tricks, you’ll notice that the ability to filter reports on the fly is only available in Lightning. What’s more, in the Winter ‘19 release, Salesforce offered a new enhanced run page in Lightning only. This new reporting feature allows users to drill down, regroup and refilter their report results on the fly, all with improved performance.
The trend is the same for dashboards. Enhanced dashboard filters, custom coloring, enhanced tables — Lightning dashboards provide many features that Classic ones don’t. So, to find the perfect view of your data, we recommend starting in the newer UI. It gives executives, managers and end users alike the best grasp of actionable insights, allowing all levels of a business to drive improvements and respond to market changes.
Here’s a more in-depth look at Salesforce Lightning dashboard features, if you're in search of sleeker reporting.
4. A Proven Increase in ROI
This part may not represent a separate advantage of its own, but more of an overarching point that results from the Salesforce Lightning benefits above. A poll of 500 Salesforce customers revealed that the switch to Lightning resulted in various performance improvements:
- A 41% boost to productivity
- A 21% increase in win rate
- A 23% faster time to close
- A 44% higher conversion rate
- A 40% uptick in collaboration
So you shouldn’t just think of Lightning as a bundle of visual improvements. These stats show the concrete impact the newer experience can have on your overall business health and bottom line. It begs the question: What can Salesforce Lightning do for your business?
To learn more about the ROI of Salesforce Lightning, read on here.
Switching to Lightning
So if you’re still using Classic, or even feel like you’re not getting the most out of Lightning, it’s time to take action -- action to switch, or action to optimize your Lightning experience. Again, it’s not that Lightning is the future of Salesforce; it should be the now of your business technology. Otherwise, your team could be missing out on all of these Salesforce Lightning benefits and leaving money on the table each day.
Ready to take action? Check out this video on how to get your team to love Lightning in 7 steps. The path to higher team performance is just a couple of clicks away.
