Find and compare some of the best CRM software of 2019 for small and medium businesses. Learn why you need a CRM system and how to choose the right one.
A good CRM software (or customer relationship management system) can easily build or break a business. CRM refers to business systems designed to manage customer interactions from lead to closed deals. In this article, we have reviewed the top 10 best CRM software for small and medium-sized startups. Here are some of the questions that we have tried to address through this article, in addition to reviewing the 10 best #CRM software for small and mid-sized businesses.
"We see our customers as invited guests to a party, and we are the hosts. It's our job every day to make every important aspect of the customer experience a little bit better." - Jeff Bezos
While customer relationship management is important for any business, it is even more essential for a growing business.
Here are 5 reasons why you should invest in a good CRM software if you are a small or mid-sized business.
If you are convinced about the reasons mentioned above to invest in a CRM software, the next step is to choose the right CRM software for your business. For example, some companies would need a simple lead management system while others would prefer something with powerful project management tools. No matter what your goals are, here are the 4 things that every growing business should keep in mind before finalizing a CRM software.
1. Intuitive
A small or mid-sized business may not have enough resources to invest in a system which requires in-depth training and support. In other words, pick a customizable software that is simple and easy to navigate and offers onboarding support.
2. Functional
Simple and intuitive does not mean picking a system that does not have all the functionalities a good CRM can offer. There are a lot of CRM systems that provide multiple business management functionalities that every business needs to run a business.
3. Scalable
A very important aspect to keep in mind is to look for software that is scalable. You don’t want to keep switching to new systems when your company expands or grows.
4. Affordable
Above all, if you are a small business, you know the financial constraints and limitations one has to overcome to run a business. You don’t want to invest in expensive software just because everyone else is. Pick something that's affordable and reliable.
TIP: We have prepared a summary of the tools and techniques that most of the companies have considered to choose the right CRM in a short free guide, and you can download the guide here:
Free Guide: Getting Started with CRM or ERP
An ideal CRM software would offer either one or a combination of different features such as a centralized system to access all accounts and contacts, simplified sales pipeline management, powerful project management tools, easy task management system, faster invoicing and expensing solutions, seamless collaboration functions, and cross-platform accessibility.
Here we have reviewed the 10 best CRM software (in no particular order) for small and medium-sized businesses keeping these features in mind.
The core CRM functionality of HubSpot CRM is free for everyone. You can integrate this with their paid marketing and sales software solutions to boost your sales and marketing productivity. The Free CRM tool offers contact management, deals, ticketing, tasks and activities, reports and a few other CRM functionalities. The marketing software and the sales software can be purchased at a monthly premium.
Pricing: The yearly subscription model includes, Free CRM - Free, Marketing Hub Starter/ Sales Hub Starter - starts at 46€ per month, Marketing Hub Professional - starts at 740€ per month, Sales Hub Professional - 368€ per month and few other plans.
Heeros offers an all-in-one business management platform that replaces more than 10+ tools with one. The customized solutions offer a centralized CRM, lead management system, resource scheduling Gantt, built-in time tracker, collaboration boards, invoicing and expensing features, integrations and more. The solutions offered by Heeros are tailored according to the business's needs, so one can easily choose what is ideal for them. For instance, the Heeros Small Business Plans (Free, Growth and Business) are good for small to medium-sized businesses and project owners.
Pricing: Heeros Free plan is free forever. With the annual subscription model, Growth plan is 9€ / Month / User, Business plan is 19€ / Month / User, and Enterprise plan is 39€ / Month / User.
Zoho comes with a streamlined, easy-to-use interface and a vast number of customization options. You don't have to be tech-savvy to figure your way out, therefore, it is a good option for those looking to manage their business with limited resources. They have a fast and easy migration system making the CRM platform readily available and easily deployable. Zoho's main features include sales pipeline management, sales automation, marketing automation, performance analytics among others.
*Pricing: The yearly subscription model includes four plans, Standard - 12€/user/month, Professional - 20€/user/month, Enterprise - 35€/user/month, Ultimate Edition - 100€/user/month
One of Insightly's unique features is the relationship linking capability. What this means is customers, emails, and other records can be linked to existing contacts in your database. This allows you to determine who knows whom and build a clear view of an organization's structure and informal networks. Other features include lead management, milestones with associated task tracking, built-in business intelligence dashboards, etc.
Pricing: The yearly subscription model includes three plans, Plus - 29$/user/month, Professional - 49$/user/month, Enterprise - 99$/user/month
This CRM software offers a comprehensive platform to manage the entire customer journey, from generating leads to closing deals and supporting your customers. The UI is simple and easy to use and offers features like contact management, lead management, task management, email marketing, and other integrations.
Pricing: The yearly subscription model includes four plans, Free - Free forever, Starter - 8.99$/user/month, Regular - 29.99$/user/month, Enterprise - 47.99$/user/month
Apptivo offers customizable apps that support enhanced collaboration and communication. They are designed to be intuitive and easy to use and can be easily integrated to form a seamless solution. All processes can be accessed from a single customizable dashboard. Apptivo features many integrated business apps including but not limited to CRM, project management, supply chain management, and finance management.
Pricing: The yearly subscription model includes four plans, Starter - Free, Premium - 8$/user/month, Ultimate - 20$/user/month, Enterprise - Contact Apptivo
Streak offers a system to manage your contacts and leads directly from your inbox. The CRM offers contact management, reporting, and lead management functionalities. You can customize your pipelines, track and view everything, for example, information about your pipelines, contacts, and tasks directly in your inbox. You can manage sales, projects, resumes, fundraising campaigns, business development, etc. with Streak.
Pricing: The yearly subscription model includes three plans, Free - Free CRM, Professional - 49$/user/month, Enterprise - 129$/user/month
FreshSales offers AI-based lead scoring technology, a built-in phone and email system, and a visual sales pipeline management system. The interface is clean and simple and they offer various native integrations, for example, Fresh Chat allows sales reps to chat directly with their leads. In addition, there are other popular business apps that can be easily integrated with, to boost sales and productivity.
Pricing: The yearly subscription model includes four plans, Blossom - 12€ / Month / User, Garden - 25€ / Month / User, Estate - 49€ / Month / User, Forest - 79€ / Month / User
Copper automates tasks and sales workflows and offers advanced customer relationship management solutions. It automatically captures email history, meetings, notes, docs, and calls for every customer and gives you a real-time view of every single interaction. Through seamless integration with GSuite, Copper effortlessly lets you track and manage your leads, deals, and tasks.
Pricing: The yearly subscription model includes three plans, Basic - 19$/user/month, Professional - 49$/user/month, Business - 119$/user/month
Pipedrive's CRM system has a clear visual pipeline management interface, activity reminders, sales forecasting and sales reporting functionalities. It notifies and reminds you to complete the next scheduled activity thereby letting you manage the entire sales pipeline effortlessly. The forecasting and reporting feature lets you identify opportunities and forecast results.
Pricing: The yearly subscription model includes three plans, Silver - 12.50$/user/month, Gold - 24.20$/user/month, Platinum - 49.17$/user/month
(*The plans and prices for all the solutions mentioned above may vary. It is recommended to visit the respective websites for the updated pricing and plans.)
No matter what features a CRM system claims to offer, it’s important to pick the one that is right for your business. It should be simple to use and deploy, easily scalable, multi-functional and affordable. Remember that customer relationship management is one of the pillars for a growing business and an efficient CRM system acts as a key to help you succeed.
Watch the following short video about Heeros Small Business and how it can help you:
Try Heeros for free so you can see how it works for your own business!
or watch the on-demand product demo
Do you have any questions that we did not cover in this blog post? What CRM systems have you used and which ones did you find to be the best? Also, do let us know which topics you would like us to write about in the comments section below! If you like our article, please share the love by giving your feedback and following us on Linkedin or Facebook, or Twitter. We would love to hear your thoughts.
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