Each business owner would love to see their firm grow and thrive. And to do so, they must take care of certain processes, collaborate with the right people, and select the most fitting tools. So, if your company is quite small but plan to expand its horizons, learning about the best CRM for startups and small businesses is crucial. That way, you will skip some of the hard work, outgrow tedious, manual procedures, and get the desired results pretty soon.
Granted, your skepticism is justified. Some tools can be too complex or expensive for you. However, if you learn how to pick one that suits you, you’ll find yourself living and breathing the hand and glove analogy.
What Is CRM Software and What Else You Should Know When Choosing One?
Nowadays, everything revolves around technology – and acronyms. Whether you run an e-commerce business or any other type of firm, odds are you will be bound to use a variety of tools to help you keep everything under control.
So, what is CRM – in simple words? Firstly, it is an abbreviation for Customer Relationship Management.
It represents an all-in-one tool that manages customer information, adds records, sends emails, encompasses customer experience and satisfaction – among other things. If you haven’t paid enough attention to the all-in-one phrase, it means that you can handle several tasks without having to leave the platform. Pretty neat, right?
Now, when it comes to the internal processes, utilizing a suitable CRM means keeping everyone aligned. From your marketing division, sales team to call center agents – everyone working by your side will be kept in the loop.
At this point, the question you should be asking is – How do I find the best CRM for my business?
- Know your precise needs and requirements,
- Explore the features of each tool thoroughly,
- Compare prices and find one that matches your range,
- Test it before making the final call.
Let’s see how each of these essential steps work.
Gather Your Facts: What Is the Best CRM Software for my Business?
Who uses CRM? The industries that can make the most of their businesses by using it include:
- Banking and finances,
- Insurance companies,
- Retail stores,
- Consulting agencies,
- Hotels and hospitality centers.
Still, these niches aren’t the sole users. Statistics show that 91% of firms with more than 11 employees use or contemplate using CRM software. And more than 60% of them stated that they have reached their sales goals.
So, let’s see about picking the right one:
- Knowing your needs: Learn about the pain points and what you should focus on. These requirements usually revolve around finding customer data, improving communication, attracting returning customers and enhancing loyalty, shortening sales cycles, and having clearer insight into the agents’ performance.
- Exploring the features: Make sure to understand how the system works. See what it can be integrated with, how complex it is, what are its main functionalities, how it can impact collaboration, and whether it can be customized.
- Compare prices: The price range usually depends on the subscription plan and deployment methods. However, many cloud-based CRM are now pretty inexpensive. While you’re at it, read all you can about the vendor. Check out similar companies and their choices. Be mindful of others’ experiences.
- Test the CRM: Most vendors offer a free trial. Don’t hesitate to use it and learn about the product. Be sure to know whether your aims primarily concern lead management or campaign management, process automation, or email tracking. Most of these tools can cover all, but see which area of interest is your prime aim when testing them and comparing performances.
What CRM is the best for your business in 2021? Keep these key points in mind when determining. And keep reading to get an idea or two from our list.
What Are the Top 5 CRM Systems?
We have said enough about picking a fitting CRM, and now’s the time to go over the list of the ultimate 5 solutions that you should explore:
- Zoho CRM,
- Agile CRM,
- Insightly,
- HubSpot,
- Streak.
These are some of the best CRM for startups, as well for more mature organizations.
- Zoho is customizable and offers online and on-site training programs, which is essential for early phased businesses. It also offers customer support through various channels like calls, emails, chat, and more.
- Agile CRM is excellent for email marketing, customized newsletters, and email tracking. Other important features you can count on entail training through webinars and tracking down customer payments and invoices.
- Insightly is packed with useful project management tools. It incorporates workflow automation and milestone trackers. And lastly, it is very easy to use and integrate. If you’re looking for a way to manage post-sale activities and promote them, this is software for you.
- Hubspot is one of the most popular platforms that includes a chatbot, boosts communication, speeds up processes, and, most importantly – it offers a substantial discount for some startups that qualify.
- Streak provides several tailored pipelines for sales, hiring, customer support, and partnerships. It also offers extensive tutorials which make it simple to navigate and utilize.
Is CRM Good for Small Businesses?
Using a CRM is more than beneficial for small companies and startups. First of all, it can influence each of their sales pipelines positively. By gathering and keeping tidy and easily accessible all customer interactions and data, this tool helps further advancement and planning. With dozens of valuable functions, there is no room for doubt when wondering – Is CRM useful for a small business?
It will pretty much speed all processes up, enhance communication, perform some tasks on your behalf, and enable you to have an insight into all of it.
What Is the Best CRM for Startups?
When talking about startups (and which solutions are the best for them to grow and scale), there is one key point that must be mentioned. Startups often struggle with their budget. And that is why when looking for the best CRM for startups, we must take the prices into account.
By all accounts, Zoho CRM turned out to be one of the most startup-friendly software. Firstly, its free plan supports three users. But more importantly, Zoho offers support tier options for a wide range of companies with different necessities.
Is Zoho Good for Small Businesses?
According to all the reviews out there, this particular CRM is excellent for small businesses. So why do they choose it, and what benefits did it bring?
Aside from affordability, it granted:
- A file management system that keeps teams aligned,
- Organized and easily accessible documents,
- Customized chat, online conferences, webinars, and online meetings,
- The shared inbox for the entire team,
- Learning opportunities and training tools.
If you are about to start collaborating with a BPO company, using a reliable and inexpensive CRM will undoubtedly help you. It will boost communication and enable everyone to be well informed at all times.
Put These Tips to Use and Select the Top CRM for Your Business
When looking for proven ways to boost teamwork and add a dash of innovation to other significant parts of your business, like obtaining excellent customer service, you should unquestionably look for a suitable CRM. The best choice for you will match your precise business needs, be simple to use, easy to integrate, and cost-effective. While looking for it, keep these criteria in mind. And also, be sure to give a once over to the comment sections and user reviews. That way, your final call will be based on solid grounds and valuable experiences.
But more importantly, to achieve steady growth and scale successfully, consider finding a reliable outsourcing company. That way, your desired results will be reached sooner, and the whole journey will be cost-friendly, uncomplicated, and efficient.
