In the last two decades, we have seen a great rise in the whole idea of “understanding your customers.” This idea totally makes sense. If you understand what problems your customers are facing, you can provide the right solutions. With this idea, businesses understood the importance of building a deeper relationship with customers. Businesses give right solutions, customers can solve their problems, so it’s win-win for both parties! In the process of building a deeper relationship with your customers, CRM software. With endless insights on customer preferences and buying behavior, customer relationship management a.k.a. CRM has been accepted with open arms by all kinds of businesses.
Now, even startups and small businesses are using CRM to facilitate their marketing and sales processes.Well, my job is to show you the best CRM software available right now, especially for small businesses. After scrolling through almost every CRM tool and endless references, I have narrowed down 20 CRMs that small businesses can use. All these tools fall under the affordable range or have some kind of unique selling proposition (USP) that could make it perfect for your business.Before we jump into the list, let’s have a look at these statistics on the CRM industry. I bumped into these stats while doing research, and I think these numbers will clear the air if you’ve got any doubts on the importance of CRM for your small business.
Interesting statistics on CRM software. CRM software is one of the biggest software markets in the world, expected to grow in revenue by 2025. Retail, business services, and technology are the using CRM software. of North American firms, with more than 10 employees use a CRM system.
Lastly, a CRM system can increase sales by 29 percent, sales productivity by 34 percent, and sales forecast accuracy by 42 percent.We can all agree that CRM is a necessity for any modern business. So, let’s help you find the best CRM software for your small business.
We didn’t include pricing information here because the cost of the software has a tendency to change and some companies run occasional specials. Check the links to each CRM software for the latest pricing. Best CRM software for SMBs 1. SalesmateThe first CRM on the list is an ideal choice for small businesses & startups —. This CRM is an affordable choice for growing businesses with a lot of helpful features that can streamline your sales and marketing processes. Built-in calling is a USP of Salesmate that allows users to make calls without leaving the system. You can get toll-free and and start making calls.
Here are some other features you’ll find in Salesmate:Salesmate features. Sync with Google apps (G Suite). Workflow automation. 360-degree customer view with smart contact management system. Email automation.
Deal management. Shared team inbox. Product and services management. Mobile CRM for Android and iOS. Integrations with Gmail, Drive, ClearBit, Zapier, RingCentral, PieSync, Slack, Wufoo, and many more. Activity management. Visual sales reports, sales analytics, revenue reports, goal tracking.
Sales forecasting.2. Pipedrive features. Pipeline management. Email integration. Activity and goal tracking. Sales reporting and sales forecasting.
CRM apps for Android and iOS. Integrations with Plecto, Pipechimp, GetAccept, Toky, and many more. Workflow automation. Multilingual and multicurrency system.3. Insightlyis an intuitive CRM for multilevel organizations with a lot of exciting features. This CRM comes with built-in project management and delivery system that can help you manage your projects and tasks better.
Let’s have a look at some of the important features offered by Insightly.Insightly features. Lead tracking and routing. Workflow automation.
Email tracking. Project management and delivery.
Build and deploy custom apps. Mobile app for Android and iOS. Integrations with more than 25 tools.4. Zohois designed for every kind of business. It is one of the most popular CRM among Indian businesses. The CRM is designed in India to generate more leads, get more conversions, and grow your business. Zoho can be a great option for your business.
Check out some of its features.Zoho features. Bring all your channels in one place and create an organized environment. Connect social media accounts and generate leads. Connect with website visitors through live chat. Zia AI from Zoho offers insights on trends, conversions, and deal closings. Smart analytics and forecasting.
Customization capabilities to work with the CRM the way you want.5. FreshsalesJust like Salesmate, also has built-in telephony (freshcaller) to connect with customers directly.
Freshsales offers lead scoring, activity tracking, sales pipeline, and other exciting features. Despite having limited integrations, Freshsales can be a great option for small businesses and startups. Let’s have a look at some of the features of Freshsales.Freshsales features:.
Built-in calling and texting (through Freshcaller). Lead scoring and lead assignment. Contact management with tasks, notes, and files. Visuals sales pipeline and deal management. Real-time tracking of visitors. Email sync and tracking.
Smart analytics and forecasting.6. HubSpotis one of the oldest CRM software for small business. Although, some of the HubSpot plans may seem overpriced for small businesses. But HubSpot’s idea is this: Pay according to your needs. Let’s check out some of its features.HubSpot Features.
Marketing automation. Team email. Email tracking. Blog and content optimization. Social media and SEO strategy tools. Gmail and Outlook integrations. Email signature.
Predictive lead scoring. Recurring revenue tracking. Live chat. A/B testing.7. Closeis a sales focused CRM for inside sales teams.
The aim of Close CRM is to help sales teams close more deals by optimizing their sales process. Just like Salesmate, Close CRM is one of the first companies to provide a built-in calling feature.
Let’s have a look at some other features offered by Close CRM:Close features. Email syncing and tracking with insights. Bulk emailing with personalized templates. Sales goals tracking. Sales employee performance. Integrations with Zapier, Zendesk, Wufoo, and others.
Built-in calling with SMS. Predictive dialer to make multiple calls at once.8. Copperis dedicated to reducing human efforts in repetitive tasks like data entry. Inspired by G Suite apps, this CRM is designed in a way that lets users understand the system very quickly. Let’s have a quick look at its features.Copper features.
Auto data fetching that saves data entry. Lead management. Contact management system. Visual pipeline management. Task management & alerts. G Suite integrations. Sales forecasting reports and insights.
Workflow automation. Integrations with Zendesk, Xero, RingCentral, Slack, and many more.9. Zendesk Sellis a Sales automation software that helps sales teams get better visibility of their pipelines. Sell also focuses on lead prioritization, so teams can close more customers. Let’s have a look at some of the features and pricing plans of Zendesk Sell.Zendesk features.
Built-in calling and SMS. Email tracking.
Integrations with Slack, Dropbox, Google Suite, MailChimp, and more. Contact management system.10. Microsoft Dynamics 365Microsoft has dipped its hands in the CRM ocean also. Providing an all-in-one solution for sales and marketing teams, can help businesses with marketing automation, lead generation & tracking, streamlining sales processes.
Obviously, 365 allows users to connect with other Microsoft apps like Outlook, Lync, Word, Excel, and others.Let’s have a look at some of the important features by Dynamics 365.Microsoft Dynamics 365 features. Sales insights and forecasting.
AI-driven sales insights to improve sales. Integrations with LinkedIn Sales Navigator and other Microsoft apps. Sales productivity tools.11. Salesforceis the leader in the CRM game, although it is designed mostly for larger businesses and enterprises. This CRM has various modules like Sales, Service, Marketing, Commerce, and Engagement. Let’s take a look at some of the important feature of Salesforce.Salesforce features. Contact management system.
Opportunity management to close more deals. Lead management. Sales insights and forecasting. Email integrations.
Workflow automation. Create a customer journey and touchpoints. Data management platform. Google marketing platform.12. Capsuleis more focused on bringing all customer data to one place, so sales teams can close deals mindfully. This CRM is also focused on lead assignment and team management. Capsule offers a contact manager where you can check out all the details of your customers and also track the progress of deals.Let’s check out some of the features of Capsule CRM.Capsule CRM features.
Track history, documents, tasks, and details of contacts at one place. Search facility to gather results throughout the system. Task management. Sales pipeline management. Insightful reports.
Track sales performance. Sales forecasting. Track team performance.13.
AgileCRMIn the list of best CRM for small business, here we have a solid choice. Is an affordable CRM for small and medium-sized businesses with a lot of useful features. Agile has covered every tiny feature that a business can use starting from document signing to marketing automation. The main problem with Agile CRM is its overwhelming number of features.
Not all businesses need everything. When a small business goes with Agile, it has to pay for loads of unnecessary features. Plus, the extra features make the whole system messy to work with.Let’s take a look at Agile’s features.Agile features. 360-degree customer view. Contact management software.
Track deals and set milestones. Appointment scheduling. Project management tool. Built-in telephony. Workflow automation. Landing page builder. Connect with social channels.
Email marketing & Tracking.14. AmoCRMhas a different approach compared to the tools listed here.
Amo allows you to integrate all important channels to a single platform where you can manage all the messages. Amo’s approach makes it different from other CRM tools and makes it perfect for businesses with social inquiries. Let’s check out some other features of AmoCRM.AmoCRM features. Check sales progress. Lead tracking and nurturing. Display targeted ads. Task and notifications.
Smart sales analytics. VoIP integration for calling. Mobile CRM.15. SugarCRMhas two modules, one for SMBs and one for enterprises. SugarCRM offers a wide range of features that covers sales and marketing processes.
It’s an all-in-one solution. Let’s take a close look at some of the features of Sugar.SugarCRM features. Quotes management. Sales and marketing insights and analytics.
Sales forecasting. Workflow automation. Easy customization.
Mobile CRM apps. Create, execute, and track marketing campaigns. Project management.
Sales lead management. Connect social channels.16. PipelineDealsNext on the list of best CRM for small businesses is. This CRM is focused on streamlining sales pipelines for teams.
PipelineDeals comes with customization capabilities, so you can design the CRM the way you want. Looking at the pricing, this CRM can be a good option for small and medium-scale businesses.PipelineDeals features.
Insightly Small Business
Sales pipeline management. Real-time status updates on recent activities. Powerful reporting and analytics. Lead management and nurturing.
Lead sourcing. Contact management system.
Team management insights. Activity and goal tracking.17. Nimbleis an affordable CRM with only one pricing plan that covers most of the important features that a small business requires. Nimble CRM also offers artificial intelligence that helps you discover emails, phone numbers, and other details for your prospects.Nimble features. Personalized group messaging. Email templates.
Best Crm For Small Business 2018
Deal pipeline management. Unified message inbox. Sales forecasting and reporting. Contact management software.
Email sync and tracking. Activity and task management.18. Act CRMis designed to give marketing capabilities to small and midsize businesses. Though some of the plans of Act might be overwhelming for small businesses, most plans cover what is necessary. Act pricing plans start from $35/User/Month up to $399/Account/Month, offering various marketing automation features.Let’s take a look at some of the features of Act CRM.Act CRM features. Contact management.
Create, run, and track marketing campaigns with automation. Activity tracking and alerts. Lead management. Workflow automation. Pipeline management and automation.
Interactive dashboard with insights and reports. Mobile CRM.19. Streakwants you to manage leads, projects, support, and everything from Gmail.
The approach of Streak CRM is to keep you familiar with the environment, hence Gmail. Let’s take a look at some of the interesting features from Streak.Streak CRM features. Deal management from Gmail. Task management and reminders. Contact management.
Email tracking. Data with interactive visuals. Bulk emailing. Mobile CRM.20.
Bitrix24The last one on the list of best CRM software for small business in 2019 is a multipurpose tool that covers communication, task management, CRM, and support features with a superb interface.
The best customer relationship management (CRM) software is easy to use while giving you the insights you need to cultivate your customer base. These programs should allow you to parse through the data necessary to know your customers and improve their relationship with your business. We’re going to be honest: Reading this review is only going to be one step in your journey to find the best CRM software. There are hundreds to choose from, and it comes down to evaluating which has the right functionality to give your business the insights it needs to succeed. We test-drove seven of the most popular platforms to see for ourselves which are the most robust, easy to use, and highly rated. Then we looked to CRM superusers and consultants to tell us how to start gauging which one is the best for certain businesses. Our top picks cater to three different business sizes, and they’re excellent starting points as you begin your search.
How We Chose the Best CRM Software Programs Variety of business needsTo find the best customer relationship management (CRM) software, we homed in on the seven most popular, most widely available platforms — targeted at a variety of business sizes. Why seek out this range? Usually, larger businesses with greater resources will benefit from a program with a wealth of options, whereas small businesses don’t have the infrastructure to handle the more complex integrations. Salesforce, for example, was designed with enterprise businesses in mind; however, Zoho’s smaller feature kit may better suit a business with only a handful of users.Customer interaction is always evolving, and most businesses are hungry for ways to manage advertising, marketing, and social media strategies all in one place to efficiently drive sales.
The best programs are the most intuitive ones — but on the same token, the more intricate the program, the more resources and money you’ll expend to maintain it. We wanted to provide options for every business tier. FunctionalityThe best CRM software lets you operate a variety of functions at once: store customer information, make calls, monitor leads, schedule appointments, and streamline communication. However, CRM functionality doesn’t stop at simply tracking and storing data — it can also be used for marketing and customer service reports to help you better understand your business and its needs.
Having all of these resources in one place is key to taking the manual labor out of growing your business. We looked for software that provided robust functionality for all users.However, as with everything else, you should consider the amount of resources you have to set up and maintain the software. Some, like Salesforce, offer deep, intricate functions that might not be as easily navigated without the initial help of an IT team. In fact, to fully tap into Salesforce, most of the experts we spoke with suggested having dedicated IT and system admins to manage it. IntegrationsAdjacent to functionality is the option to add integrations to your package. These are applications designed by third parties and offered in addition to the features already present in your CRM software — think Outlook, Zendesk, and QuickBooks. We preferred software with plenty of available integrations, since these help customize and streamline your experience.
Ease of useThe main point of CRM software is to provide a hands-free way to manage sales leads and customer relations; if it’s as difficult to use as a spreadsheet, you probably shouldn’t be dealing with it. The more intuitive the software, the better. Streamlined menus, functional search features, and uncluttered layouts all caught our eye in the best software. ReliabilityWhile we analyzed each software and tested ease of use for ourselves, we also consulted third-party opinions to obtain a well-rounded view. We looked to CRM Magazine, CRM and marketing experts, and online reviews to gauge user-friendliness, reliability, and customer satisfaction. “The great thing about Salesforce is the app marketplace. Being the most popular CRM, there are a lot of companies that develop solutions to problems you may encounter while adapting Salesforce to your needs.” John Holloway Co-Founder at and Salesforce PoweruserSalesforce’s third-party app marketplace is one of the largest available, giving businesses access to over.
These are broken down into categories, like Sales and IT, and industry, like Education and Real Estate. It’s by far the most customizable CRM we investigated. And because Salesforce is in the cloud (more on that in our FAQ), you can add applications without going through costly infrastructure. Efficient for sales usersFor sales users in particular, Salesforce surpasses the competition by allowing users to interact more with the customer than with the computer. Steve Chipman, a partner at, agrees: “I’d say that sales users generally warm up more to Salesforce than Microsoft Dynamics.” It takes more clicks to get things done in Microsoft Dynamics than Salesforce, and this means less time with customers and tending to your business and more time working (manually) through the kinks in the software.
While Salesforce’s interface is occasionally complicated, Dynamics’ is even more so. ReliableDon’t take our word for it, though; Salesforce is steadily growing in popularity thanks to the depths of its functionality. In fact, CRM Magazine gave Salesforce the top spot for the second year in a row for its. This rating system is designed by analysts to evaluate customer satisfaction, depth of functionality, company direction, and cost, making it a solid choice for enterprises. While it was by Microsoft Dynamics, it still outperformed Dynamics in almost every category.
Points to consider Steep learning curveMastering a CRM suite as robust and flexible as Salesforce is not easy. One superuser we chatted with agreed: Salesforce is a “migration of steps,” requiring you to ease in employees slowly. And the leadership needs to be fully invested in migrating to the CRM, because it will likely take at least a couple of years. At our expert’s company, it took five.If you’re opting for a top-of-the-line enterprise CRM, expect to dedicate some staff to it. Training an employee to do nothing but manage Salesforce for the company was essential for our superuser — despite the extensive help and training available on the website, someone without a background in information technology would struggle to set up and maintain a CRM with so many capabilities and integrations.It felt a little like Google Analytics to one of our testers: She could tell it was an amazing tool, and she could figure out a few things on her own, but there was no way she could tap into its full functionality. Our superuser said that, after hiring consultants and an administrator, Salesforce was customized for the company so that each employee only saw the functionality they used in the system. Very cool — but definitely not what a small business or solopreneur might be interested in or likely capable of operating.
Why we chose it Variety of functionsoffers a vast array of functions and bridges the gap between small business and enterprise CRMs. It offers a modest 270-plus integrations (shy of Salesforce’s 4,000-plus), but that is more than enough if you’re running a mid-sized business. And those 270-plus integrations are diverse enough to customize your experience and take steps to grow your business: They enable you to monitor customer interactions, gauge data, and draw insights. Intuitive navigationSugar felt more accessible than our enterprise-suite experience, with intuitive drag-and-drop modules to customize the dashboard and navigation.
We were also impressed by its simple navigation bar across the top of the home screen; users are always one click away from accounts, contracts, opportunities, and leads. It didn’t take us long to learn how to get around. While having a consultant or systems admin set up a software like Sugar would make the process more seamless, its learning curve is much gentler than that of Salesforce. It also offers simple on-site deployment, so you can easily make the transition from any previous software. Flexible business needsSugarCRM was designed with small businesses in mind, but it can also expand into a full-fledged enterprise suite. SugarCRM remains a top contender in the, scoring particularly well in the price category.
Because it’s made its name in both small business and enterprise arenas, it’s a reputable option for many different business needs. Points to consider Too robust for extremely small businessesAlthough 270-plus applications may not seem like a lot in comparison to Salesforce’s 4,000-plus, there’s still a good chance that this is more than you need, especially if you’re running a very small business. Analysts from CRM Magazine agree: In a, Kate Leggett, vice president and a principal analyst at Forrester, commented that a full-featured CRM like Salesforce, Dynamics, and even Sugar “may offer a depth of capabilities that is more than what a small business requires.”That said, keep in mind that a ceiling on your CRM’s capabilities could be limiting if your small business becomes not-so-small — which could be the case with a true small-business CRM like Zoho. Fewer integrations than competitorsOn the flip side, if you do have an extremely large business, SugarCRM’s lack of integrations may hinder you. Its 270-plus integrations is suited for true mid-range businesses, but it can’t compete with Salesforce’s 4,000-plus for a business that has more extensive needs. Why we chose it Easy to usestood out in our testing as an excellent option for solopreneurs and very small businesses — those who want to dip their toes into CRM with a free or low-priced subscription but still grow over time.
This is thanks in no small part to the intuitive nature of the site.Zoho kicks off with a Getting Started landing page that links to tasks essential for setup: migration, inviting colleagues, personalizing the CRM, and workflow automation. You can access that page anytime through the navigation, and it’s a nice home base as you get more and more comfortable.Zoho even consolidates its operating system to give you an all-in-one option, known as. You can run your entire business in one place with more than 40 integrated applications. If you don’t like the all-in-one option and want to pick and choose,. Cost-effectiveZoho is undoubtedly one of the most affordable CRM software platforms out there. It was a strong contender in.
Brent Leary, co-founder and partner at CRM Essentials, stated in the 2018 report that “the value proposition of Zoho One is really hard to beat for budget-conscious small businesses.” For those looking for a free CRM, Zoho even offers an edition that lets three users have access to all of Zoho’s basics at no charge: accounts, leads, feeds, documents, mobile apps, and macros. The next tier ($12 per user per month if billed annually) adds functionality like sales forecasting, roles, and call center connectors. Even though there are fewer than on the Zoho Marketplace, it has some pretty important ones, like Google Drive and Microsoft Office. Points to consider Inconsistent user experienceZoho has a less-than-stellar report card among the public.
Technical and customer support issues, as well as the fact that workflow automation is only available to those who purchase the Professional (or most expensive) edition. That it’s difficult to customize the platform and add applications, and that in the process you might end up paying for a lot of applications that you’ll never use.Granted, the negative feedback could simply be the nature of the market itself. When it comes to customer reviews, either; like Zoho, a lot of the complaints deal with customer service.
We take online reviews with a grain of salt, but know that choosing a site as budget-friendly as Zoho may come with a few headaches. Guide to CRM Software How to find the right CRM software for you Identify your business needsMarie Hale, co-founder and marketing visionary of, told us that the best way to find a CRM software that works for you is to identify the insights your business needs.
“Do you need to track how long it takes a digital suspect to become a qualified prospect? Do you need to hyper-focus on the usage of your website by current clients?” We suggest speaking with customer service representatives to make sure that the service aligns with your current needs — while offering room to grow, if that’s in your future. Look at the featuresWhen it comes to finding the right CRM tools, efficiency and connectivity are key.
“It’s really hard to have a CRM tool that exists in its own environment,” explains, a CRM marketing consultant. “You end up copying data from tool to tool, which is inefficient and complicated. What makes a good CRM is when it’s all integrated and it’s connected to the other tools that make a business a success. That integration is really critical.” Double-check the apps you currently use against those offered by your potential software before buying. Consider the priceIt’s especially important to look at the fine print and investigate any hidden costs. You definitely don’t want to overpay for integrations that you never use — and if you do end up with unwanted apps, you should be able to easily switch them.
Again, the simpler the product, the less you’ll pay: More functionality usually means higher initial prices and maintenance resourcing (e.g., finding the IT support to help you set it up). The needs of a nonprofit organization are similar-yet-different to those of a business — a lot of the data and reporting will end up looking the same, but you’d have to hack a business-focused CRM to track and organize donation levels, fundraisers, and constituents.
There are a handful of CRMs focused specifically on nonprofits, and we looked at two of the biggest names. looks and feels just like Salesforce — just tweaked a bit. All our first impressions still apply: It’s an incredibly robust and powerful tool that’s likely too overwhelming for a nonprofit without a dedicated person to manage it. Nonprofits do get a break on pricing, though: Eligible organizations can receive 10 free subscriptions to the Enterprise Edition, its lowest tier. Costs range from $36 per user per month to $72 per user per month for the Unlimited Edition.
By comparison, Unlimited functionality for its sales-focused product is $300 per user per month., on the other hand, was built specifically for nonprofits: Its pricing is based on number of constituents as opposed to number of users, and its functionality natively extends to features such as solicitation methods, congressional districts, donation levels, wealth screening, membership levels, and more. We found it easy to set up and use, with on-demand training and live chat support. Subscriptions start at $50 per month, which covers up to 1,000 constituents.
In an ideal world, marketing and sales have a direct line of communication to current and future customers. Some CRMs, like, make it easy to integrate with a dedicated email service; others have add-on marketing tools within their suite of products. The Salesforce Marketing Cloud, for instance, includes Pardot, Salesforce’s robust B2B marketing automation software.Just like CRM, different marketing automation services have different levels of functionality and vastly different prices. If your CRM has a GetResponse integration, you can tap into its marketing automation for $15 to $1,200 per month (billed monthly), while a service like Pardot will add an extra $1,250 to $4,000 per month to your Salesforce bill. The cloud sounds efficient, but it can also cause security fears. If your information is in the cloud, make sure your CRM software company invests in top-notch security.
You can do this by researching the company’s history with security and browsing its service level agreement (SLA). This is where successful integration comes into play: Your CRM software should easily mesh with your existing IT security software. However, most reputable companies pour an into their products to make sure your information is secure within a SaaS-based system.
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