In the currently evolving, digital, and competitive marketplace, customers anticipate that organizations will provide not only unified communication options, but also personalized experience, and swift responses. It can be uncomfortable to enforce these expectations on your own, be this within your personal life or as a small business. Enter CRM software. A specialized customer relationship management tool allows your organization to regulate leads, optimize communication, and foster efficient relationships with your clientele.
So, how do you know which CRM is the best for a small business, with so many to choose from? This guide will specify what to look for, compare the best choices, and explain how to align your final choice to your marketed goals.
What is CRM and Why is it Important?
CRM stands for customer relationship management software. Customer relationship management software is a type of software used to, simply put, manage your organization’s interactions with existing or potential customers. CRM can help your organization organize customer contact information, monitor interactions with the customer (tracked in activity and notes), automate follow-up tasks, and synthesize customer data into pitched reports to improve customer service and sales dramatically.
There are notable benefits to using a CRM, such as:
Stronger customer management.
You get organized and increase productivity through automation.
You have an organized central base for customer data.
You increase sales and your closing rates.
You improve communication between staff or departments.
For most small businesses, with the right CRM, it creates processes which allow your business to increase its operational efficiency, and therefore grow more quickly, without adding additional work for yourself.
CRM tools are just one piece of the puzzle when it comes to running an efficient business. Check out our guide on Must-Have Tools for Small Businesses in the Digital Age to discover more ways to boost productivity
Key Factors to Consider When Choosing a CRM
1.Business Size and Needs.
The best CRM for a small business is not necessarily the CRM with the most features, but rather the CRM that aligns to your particular goals, be they to increase your sales, improve customer experience, or automate marketing. Be specific with your objectives prior to comparing CRM platforms.For instance:
Freelancers and solo entrepreneurs might require basic contact management.
Startups may appreciate sales pipelines and lead tracking.
A growing team may need workflow automation and analytics.
2.User-Friendly
Your CRM should be easy to use. If it has a steep learning curve, it can create a barrier to adoption among team members. Keep an eye out for clean dashboards, drag and drop features, and customizable fields that allow users to get up and running quickly.
3.Scalability
Find a CRM that can grow with you. You’ll probably not need all the bells and whistles today, but as you grow your team or customer base, you’ll want to have access to enhanced features like automation, API integrations, and customer segmentation.
4.Integration with Other Tools
Does the CRM integrate with your email platform, marketing tools, e-commerce system, or accounting software? Being able to integrate with those options could ensure data consistency and an easier workflow.
The more common integrations are:
Gmail/Outlook
Mailchimp
Shopify or WooCommerce
Slack
QuickBooks
5.Mobile Accessibility
As we all live in an increasingly mobile world, your team should have the ability to access customer data and update records while out and about. A responsive mobile app is crucial for your sales reps or service agents working remotely or out in the field.
6.Security and Data Protection
CRM technology can contain sensitive customer information. Be sure to ask what your potential new CRM does to help protect this sensitive data. Features like data encryption, multi-factor authentication, and compliance with data protection laws like GDPR or CCPA should be expected.
7.Support and Training
Even with an easy-to-use CRM, you may need to ask for extra support from time to time. Choose a provider with great support, whether that’s 24/7 live chat, tutorials, onboarding tools, or ongoing support.
Optimal Customer Relationship Management Platforms for Smaller Enterprises
An overview of CRM for small business platforms ranked by features, pricing, and usability:
- HubSpot CRM
Best for: Beginners and businesses on a budget Features:
Free tier
Managing contacts and leads
Email tracking and templates
Integration with Gmail, Outlook, and more
HubSpot CRM is the best option for small businesses wanting a free software platform that can scale to paid marketing and sales hubs when the time is right.
- Zoho CRM
Best for: Customization and automation Features:
Lead scoring and workflow automation
Omnichannel communication
Advanced analytics
Inexpensive plans starting at $14/month
Zoho CRM supports customization for businesses with unique processes and is ideal for additional customization.
- Salesforce Essentials
Best for: Growing teams and planning for the longer term Features:
Sales automation tools
Case and contact management
Real-time reporting
Many third-party integrations
Salesforce is a leading company in customer management, and their Essentials plan is designed for small businesses.
- Freshsales by Freshworks
Best for: A sales focus Features:
Built-in phone and email
AI-based lead scoring
Visual sales pipeline
Affordable and expandable pricing
Freshsales provides ease of use combined with outstanding performance, making it the best sales-focused option for a small business.
5. Pipedrive
Ideal For: Visual-oriented learners and deal tracking
Strengths of Pipedrive
Visual focused sales pipelines
Built-in automation tools
Custom fields and filters
Mobile optimization built-in
Pipedrive is a great option for teams wanting to make their complex sales processes simple, while allowing them to track deals and close leads more quickly.
How to Implement Your Chosen CRM Successfully
Choosing the best possible CRM for small business is only half of the overall completion, as there is also a level of successful implementation and user adoption to consider when striving for overall success. Use the following steps and let these guide you in successfully implementing your CRM of choice.
Step 1. Define Your Goals
What do you want it to accomplish? Higher converting rates? Quicker follow-ups? Better communication? Define clear measurable goals, or KPIs. This will assist you in determining ROI later on.
Step 2. Migrate Existing Data
Get your existing contacts, leads, and communication logs migrated into the new CRM. Most platforms have built-in import/export tools, and even their own support to assist you with this step.
Step 3. Onboard Your Team
Give onboarding sessions, resources, and anything needed for your team to learn the new tools and get them to use it consistently. The more you can get your team to use your CRM, the better insights you are going to gain.
Step 4. Customize/Automation
Work with your CRM to match systems use with your daily workflows. Create custom fields, pipelines, and automation opportunities for things like email follow ups, or reminders.
Step 5. Monitor Everything
Utilize the built-in analytics tools take stock of sales performance. Then review what is working and what is not, at what point leads are losing interest, how quickly your team is responding to customer inquiries, etc.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Buying More Features Than You Need
Remember, core features are what to focus on, don’t get lost in the world of tools, and tool kits, that do not serve your actual goals. - Not Training Users
The best CRM does not help you, or better your business if your team does not leverage it. - Not Having Good Mobile Functionality
If your business requires access to emails, and your client and prospect data over the phone, always have an excellent mobile app if you require good access. - Not Updating Data Regularly
This can ruin great customer service, and great sales performance, by not having the most current and complete data on hand to provide the best service possible.
Final Thoughts
Choosing your best CRM is a strategy that can further transition a business relationship, conversion and growth. The best CRM for small business will fit your style, goals, sync with the tools you currently use and has to work well for your team’s experiences.
CRM is more than just software; it is a mindset. Prioritize customer management, and make it one of the first, or best things you can do, then it is just the engine behind powering and growing your customer engagement and ability to keep customers loyal.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1: Is CRM for sales teams only?
No! CRM ultimately just centralizes your contacts across marketing, sales, customer service teams, and any other team that requires customer data to provide effective outcomes.
Q2: Can I use a CRM as a solo entrepreneur?
Yes! Organizations just have more reliant contact information with the customer in mind, all while benefit and organizing contacts. There isn’t a small business that would not benefit from organizing contacts, email automation, or tracking clients relationships of communication.
Q3: How much does a CRM cost?
There are even free plans, (HubSpot offers a free plan), and there are also other software that start at $10-$25/month per user prospects to use. The best (and fit) CRM will fit your current budget and future planned budget.
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