The use of effective customer relationship management (CRM) software is essential for businesses today. This software enables businesses to efficiently manage and monitor customer information and interactions, thus streamlining sales and marketing operations. By utilizing the best CRM system designed for small businesses, business owners can leverage various tools and capabilities to optimize sales and remain competitive in their respective industries.
When selecting the best CRM software for small businesses in 2023, it is crucial to consider various factors such as remote teamwork, project management, and affordability. The foremost consideration should be the small business’s individual needs and business processes to ensure the software chosen is the most suitable.
Zoho CRM is the best option overall.
There are options for pricing, including a free version and four paid plans. One can choose between monthly payments or getting a discount by opting for annual billing.
- Free version with limited features.
- Standard: $20/user/month.
- Professional: $35/user/month.
- Enterprise: $50/user/month.
- Ultimate: $65/user/month.
In their paid plans, Zoho CRM provides the following features:
- Collection, filtering, and management of lead data.
- Email template library.
- Email notifications on opens, clicks, and replies.
- Sales forecasting, activity scheduling, and lead scoring.
- Ability to segment contact lists (Enterprise and Ultimate plans).
- Marketing attribution to measure the impact of campaigns (Enterprise and Ultimate plans).
- Reports and analytics.
- Integrates with over 800 apps including social media platforms.
All paid plans include basic support, but the length and frequency of sessions are restricted. Premium support is available for an additional fee. Furthermore, there are supplementary resources such as tutorials, guides, videos, webinars, training programs, and a community forum. Zoho also provides Bigin, an inexpensive CRM platform designed with fundamental capabilities for small businesses.
Salesforce CRM is the most suitable choice for small businesses that are looking to expand.
There are four pricing plans specifically designed for small businesses, and all of these plans require annual billing.
- Starter: $25/user/month (billed annually).
- Sales Professional: $75/user/month (billed annually).
- Service Professional: $75/user/month (billed annually).
- Marketing Cloud Account Engagement: $1,250/month for up to 10,000 contacts (billed annually).
Feature overview: Sales Professional and Service Professional are priced equally, but they have different focuses. Sales Professional prioritizes automation, whereas Service Professional provides opportunities for engaging and managing customer cases. Salesforce CRM plans are equipped with the following prominent features:
- Lead tracking and customer management.
- Segmentation of contact lists.
- Email templates.
- Pipeline and forecast management (Professional plan and up).
- Customizable reports and dashboard.
- Mobile app for Android and Apple devices.
- More than 7,000 integrations.
Customers can reach customer support via phone, chat, or a callback form. There is round-the-clock assistance provided at the Marketing Cloud plan level. Furthermore, other resources such as guided journeys, workshops, training modules, videos, and an online community are also available.
Freshsales by Freshworks is the top choice for a low-cost option.
The pricing includes a free version and three paid options, with discounted plans available for annual payments.
- Free version with limited features.
- Growth: $18/user/month (billed monthly).
- Pro: $47/user/month (billed monthly).
- Enterprise: $83/user/month (billed monthly).
An overview of the features and tools included in all plans is as follows
- Contact management and engagement tracking.
- Sales dashboard with custom sales activities.
- Phone, email, and customer chat capabilities.
- AI chatbot for customer communication.
- Two-way email sync.
- Website integrations for forms and contact tracking.
- Pre-built and custom reports.
- More than 160 app integrations.
Customer support is available all week, 24 hours a day. The Enterprise plan provides a dedicated account manager. Moreover, there are additional resources such as blogs, videos, courses, certifications, and an online community.
The CRM system for Monday Sales is ideal for customization.
The pricing for Monday Sales CRM plans is based on a per user basis, however, a minimum of three seats must be purchased for paid plans. You can avail a discount if you choose to pay annually.
- Free version for qualifying students and nonprofits.
- Basic: Starting at $37.50/month (billed monthly).
- Standard: Starting at $51/month (billed monthly).
- Pro: Starting at $90/month (billed monthly).
- Enterprise: Quote-based pricing.
Overview of features: The paid plans of Monday Sales CRM offer some features.
- Website forms to capture leads.
- Customizable notifications.
- Email templates (Pro plan and up).
- Shared collaborative whiteboard for idea generation.
- Lead management (Standard plan and up).
- Email tracking and automations (Pro plan and up).
- A variety of integrations, including marketing, software development, and project management.
Customer support can be accessed through live chat, email, and callbacks. Regularly available for Monday account holders are small-group training sessions on a range of topics. Additional resources comprise tutorials, guides, blogs, and an online community.
Pipedrive is known for its flexibility.
The pricing options consist of five plans, and you are eligible for a discount if you choose to make an annual payment.
- Essential: $21.90/user/month (billed monthly).
- Advanced: $37.90/user/month (billed monthly).
- Professional: $59.90/user/month (billed monthly).
- Power: $74.90/user/month (billed monthly).
- Enterprise: $119/user/month (billed monthly).
The following features are offered by Pipedrive plans:
- Lead and pipeline management.
- Customizable email templates (Advanced plan and up).
- Automated sales assistant performance suggestions.
- Group emailing and email scheduling (Advanced plan and up).
- Mobile app that is compatible with Android and iOS devices.
- Deal and activity reports at all plan levels; forecasting starting at the Professional level.
- Over 400 integrations.
Optional extras such as increasing leads, recognizing website visitors, and generating email campaigns can be acquired for an extra monthly charge. Assistance is accessible 24/7 via live chat or email. Supplementary materials encompass video tutorials, setup guides, webinars, courses, and an online community.
Insightly CRM is the best option when it comes to core features.
The pricing options include a free version with three paid plans, all of which require annual billing.
- Free version with limited features.
- Plus: $29/user/month (billed annually).
- Professional: $49/user/month (billed annually).
- Enterprise: $99/user/month (billed annually).
Insightly provides a feature overview that includes a free plan with limitations on users, records, and features. Additionally, it offers paid plans that expand on these limitations.
- Lead management.
- Email templates.
- Contact list targeting.
- Website lead information capture.
- Mobile app.
- Customizable reports.
- Over 2,000 integrations.
Email and phone support are available for paid plans. Blogs, videos, e-books, demos, and webinars are some additional resources offered.
Other Companies We Considered
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Advantages
- Best for solopreneurs and micro businesses
- Easy to set up and use
- Automated workflow, templates, and invoicing
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- Limited third-party integrations
- Not suitable for entrepreneurs intending to scale
HoneyBook CRM is renowned for its charming aesthetics and specialized attention to freelancers, predominantly targeting creative professionals and service-oriented enterprises. Though it presents as an excellent foundational CRM for solopreneurs and small businesses operating in those sectors, it has certain constraints when it comes to accommodating businesses centered around product sales.
On the other hand, Bigin by Zoho CRM provides a broader solution that caters to various small businesses. It includes features such as sales pipeline management, contact and lead management, and integration capabilities. Additionally, Bigin is more cost-effective than HoneyBook, making it a preferable choice for small businesses with limited funds. Although we strongly recommend HoneyBook for freelancers and small businesses in the service industry, primarily because of its convenient invoice, contract, and email templates, Bigin by Zoho CRM offers a more superior and affordable solution suitable for businesses of any kind.
CRM Software for Small Business Guide
Before choosing a CRM, it can be challenging to find the best software for your small business due to the abundance of options available. Therefore, it is crucial to have all the necessary information in order to make an informed decision.
Main things to know before choosing CRM software
To choose the appropriate CRM system for your business, assess your business’s requirements and determine how CRM software can meet those requirements. Before investing in a CRM, evaluate the following aspects of your business:
- Budget: Choosing a CRM system also means making space in your business’s budget for it. What are your profits? How many team members do you have who will need access to the CRM? How much can your business afford to pay toward a CRM for the best ROI?
- Business goals: What primary needs must you address in your business? The best CRM software for small businesses can significantly improve lead management, client relationships, contacts, communication, organization, customer support, marketing and sales automation, and more. However, each CRM is different and does some things better than others. Choose a CRM based on what you want to focus on.
- Ease of use: Depending on the size of your business, the industry you’re in, and how tech-savvy you and your team are, ease of use can be a huge factor in deciding which CRM software is best for you. A long learning curve can be time-consuming and take up company resources, but it may be worthwhile depending on what you strive to accomplish with your CRM. We recommend checking different CRM providers to see whether they have a strong support team. This way, you can more easily navigate any situations that crop up.
- Ability to scale: Do you hope to keep your business small, or do you want to scale large? Some CRM platforms are designed solely for self-employed individuals and micro businesses, while some are designed to scale with your business.
What is the average cost of CRM software?
CRM services for small businesses are usually priced on a monthly or annual basis, depending on the number of users. The price per user per month can vary greatly depending on the features provided by the CRM software in various levels of plans.
The cost of CRM software can vary depending on your small business’s needs and the plan you choose to invest in. Basic plans for CRM software can start at as little as $7–$25 per user per month, while the most premium plans can cost several hundred dollars per user per month.
There are CRM software options that are available for free, which can be a good choice for self-employed individuals or those who are new to business. Nevertheless, it will be beneficial to invest in CRM software that offers more features and capabilities as your small business expands.
How does CRM software work?
CRM systems assist businesses in tracking and arranging information related to clients, leads, and sales. With the aid of CRM software, businesses have the ability to automate their marketing and sales procedures, along with their customer service, resulting in improved effectiveness and better monitoring of the overall customer experience. Some commonly found features in CRM systems include:
- Project management functions
- Email service and templates
- Contact management
- Lead management and segmentation
- Marketing, including email marketing
- File sharing capabilities
- A messaging system
CRM software is beneficial for businesses as it enables them to enhance their relationships with clients. By keeping track of communications and understanding clients’ needs and habits, it aids in the improvement of sales teams’ understanding of successful tactics, the sources of sales, and the optimization of client relationships.
Although CRM software is beneficial for enhancing sales and handling client relationships, it is not designed to be utilized for financial, accounting, or backend operations.
What are the benefits of CRM software for small businesses?
By following a step-by-step approach, you can rephrase the given text while retaining the same meaning: One can enhance business growth through various avenues by utilizing the finest CRM software designed specifically for small businesses.
- Improving workflow automation
- Better managing your client relationships and leads
- Figuring out what sales tactics are working
By automating workflow, CRM systems increase efficiency, enabling small businesses operated by an individual or a small team to eliminate tedious tasks and concentrate on maximizing their productivity. Through a single CRM software, marketing, customer service, sales, and data collection processes can all be streamlined, thereby reducing workload and saving time.
CRM software can also be integrated with other software, such as top recruiting software or well-known applications.
When is the right time for a small business to use CRM software?
Determining when to invest in a CRM does not have a universal answer. The implementation of CRM software can be advantageous for businesses in different stages of expansion and within varying industries. Nevertheless, certain indications suggest that your small business might be prepared for a CRM system.
- Your small business is ready to scale: If your small business has expanded its customer base significantly, you’re bringing on new team members and sales are increasing faster than you can manage, it may be time for CRM software to take over. This can ease the process of scaling and keep your leads, team members, and clients organized.
- Your small business needs to improve customer support: As your customer base grows, your customer support requests will grow too. CRM software streamlines the customer service process and prevents an overflow of unanswered requests and unhappy customers.
- Your team has grown: As your business scales and the need to hire more employees appears, collaborating on a spreadsheet may not be the best way to do things anymore. CRM software can keep your team organized, tasks assigned and your sales pipeline clear.
- Your business is ready for a more data-driven approach: CRM software can provide comprehensive customer data that helps your business make data-driven decisions to boost profits.
Investing in the best CRM software for your small business can help you smoothly continue business and progress to the next level if any of these situations apply to your business.
CRM Software for Small Business FAQs
What kinds of businesses would benefit from utilizing CRM software?
CRM software can be used by any business, including e-commerce, B2B, and service-based businesses. It is important to identify the areas in your business that need improvement and evaluate whether implementing a CRM system would be beneficial. Whether you operate in the real estate or photography industry, utilizing this software could assist you in achieving your objectives.
Is it possible to integrate CRM with accounting software?
Depending on the software you choose, it is possible to integrate CRM software with accounting software for small businesses. When selecting your CRM solution, make sure to assess the available third-party integrations and the ease of transferring data between the software.
What are the steps involved in setting up CRM software?
To begin setting up a CRM software, typically, you will define your business objectives within the CRM and enter relevant data pertaining to your business. This data encompasses details about your business, contacts for clients and leads, information about team members, and other relevant information. It is necessary to configure access for all individuals within the business who require usage of the CRM.
After you input the basic information into your CRM software, you can proceed with customizing the software and incorporating beneficial integrations for your business. Lastly, schedule training sessions for yourself and your team members to familiarize them with the new CRM software and address any queries.
