Last editedJun 20212 min read
Staying on top of customer relations is important for every business, but it’s not always easy. CRM software can keep track of your customers, ensuring better results for everyone.
What is CRM?
Every business should consider CRM software, i.e., customer relationship management software. Customer relations are key to a successful company and they can be checked and tracked in a number of ways. Knowing if your relationships are solid is one thing, but digging deeper into the data can empower your business to get the most out of your relationships, and that’s where the best CRM software can help. From customer segmentation analysis to engaging with customers through live chats, CRM can give your customer-facing communications a real edge.
What can CRM software for small business brands do?
The best CRM software can give you a whole new level of visibility regarding customer engagement, helping you shape the way you operate in everything from your marketing to your customer service. The best CRM software can help keep your brand top of mind for customers, sending out marketing emails and tracking customer contacts. These are just some of the basic benefits of CRM software:
Improved sales opportunities
Task tracking
Company insights
What are the top CRM software options?
HubSpot CRM
Consistently mentioned as the best CRM software, HubSpot is definitely worth considering. You can get started for free, and if you have under 1 million contracts, you don’t have to pay a user fee at all. With HubSpot you can:
Track leads
Create customer interaction timelines
Use live chat
Integrate with Outlook or Gmail accounts
Integrate with a large variety of third-party apps
HubSpot is very user friendly and you can add additional service hubs to the CRM to create a total business solution. Further hub options include service hub and sales hub.
Drip
Drip is an ECRM, which means that it’s specialized for e-commerce companies. If e-commerce is your thing, you’ll almost certainly want a CRM to help you nurture those all-important customer relations. Drip allows you to:
Build visual workflows
Use A/B testing to see which customer content has fared the best
Send SMS messages
Sync to email campaigns
Use landing page integrations
Drip isn’t a free option, but it does offer a free trial, and given it’s capabilities, it’s not a huge expense per month at $49.
Zoho
You may already be using Zoho books for your accounting, so the Zoho CRM could be a seamless addition to your digital toolset. Zoho is based on the cloud and has been designed with small businesses in mind.
Manage sales
Organize leads
Run customer support through live chat
Zoho is free for up to three users, making it the ideal CRM software for small business staff.
Open source CRM software
You can also consider open source options for CRM software, meaning software that allows for integration and edits. Open source CRM software allows your tech team to take it and make it tailored to your needs, so if you have this capability, it may be worth considering. Open source options include:
Odoo
Odoo is compatible with a wide range of operating systems. Odoo has a range of modules that you can pick and choose from, including accounting, warehouse management, and project management. Send customized emails and set up loyalty plans to stay connected with your customers.
SuiteCRM
SuiteCRM can be operated locally or through the cloud and is highly customizable. It holds its own against the top CRM software, able to be tailored to fit the needs of a range of industries. If you don’t have a tech team to hand ready to make SuiteCRM work the way you want it, you might prefer a box-ready version above.
We can help
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