Businesses that invest in customer relationship management (CRM) software can reap the rewards of the solutions it offers. These sales and marketing platforms provide a way for you to centralize your daily tasks, making it easier for teams to maximize lead generation and conversion rates. CRM can be especially useful for small businesses, as many have affordable pricing, which works for you if you have a smaller budget.
However, finding a CRM solution tailored to your growing business needs may be challenging. With multiple options available in the market, you want to be sure you are using the right one that aligns with your business goals. To ensure you find the right solution, consider some of the best CRM software below. Each one has something to offer for small businesses, and this list makes it easier to compare your options.
The Importance of a Tailored CRM Solution for Growth
Standard CRM solutions may be effective for your startup or small business. However, more may be needed to address the growing needs of your company. As your business expands, you want to be sure your CRM can handle the increasing volume and complexity of the customer base.
You will also need a solution that can make workflows streamlined so you can keep track of sales and maintain high customer satisfaction levels. Therefore, the right CRM platform will accommodate your current business needs while adapting to future growth.
1. Nutshell
Nutshell is an easy-to-use platform designed to enhance customer interactions, automate tasks and simplify sales processes. It offers detailed custom reporting, allowing teams to keep track of all their sales in one place. You can get an overview of all the activities so you can see what is next for tasks, meetings and sales calls. This CRM platform also comes with various other sets of features, including:
- Email marketing
- Pipeline management
- Team collaboration
- Contact management
Additionally, Nutshell has seamless integration with different platforms such as Mailchimp, Zendesk, Slack, Gmail and more. This CRM platform also has a mobile application for when your salespeople are on the go, making it a well-rounded solution for small businesses.
For growing businesses, Nutshell provides an affordable and scalable CRM solution at only $20 per user per month. Its flexibility also allows you to adapt to various sales models, allowing it to grow alongside your business. Furthermore, this CRM ensures that as your team grows, new members can easily understand and use it. Therefore, you can properly maintain business continuity and consistency in building customer relationships.
2. Bigin by Zoho
Bigin is Zoho’s CRM solution created specifically for small businesses and entrepreneurs at only $7 per user per month. It features:
- A streamlined interface
- Contact and lead management
- Workflow automation
- Customizable pipelines
- Insightful analytics
This platform also offers seamless integration with Google Workspace, Mailchimp, Zapier, Microsoft Office 365 and other Zoho products. Plus, it provides a mobile-friendly app available to download on iOS and Android, alongside macOS for desktops.
Bigin provides your team an efficient, user-friendly CRM that grows with the business. Its customization options allow companies to modify pipelines and workflows as they evolve.
Workflow automation will save time on routine tasks, especially as your operations scale. The analytics features help keep track of performance so you can make data-led growth decisions.
Plus, it being part of Zoho’s system allows for easy expansion of business tools when needed.
3. Freshworks
Freshworks is a cloud-based CRM solution that helps businesses of all sizes manage their customer relations. Some of its key features include:
- A 360-degree customer view
- AI-based lead scoring
- Customizable sales pipelines
- Detailed analytics
- Multi-channel customer engagement
It also integrates smoothly with other Freshworks products and popular external platforms, such as Google apps, Zapier, Mailchimp, Facebook and Slack. This will allow you to streamline your workflow and save time in your business. However, Freshworks’ power lies within its scalability and flexibility — vital for growing businesses. Its AI capabilities prioritize leads as the customer base grows, optimizing your sales efforts.
The customizable sales pipelines feature gives your business the chance to adapt to changing business strategies. Its analytics will aid you in decision-making, and the AI-powered chatbot will provide you with details about your audience’s behavior and engagement. That way, you can determine where you should focus your efforts and what campaigns to get started.
4. Less Annoying CRM
Less Annoying CRM is a simple-to-use CRM solution for small businesses. It has numerous features for all your growing business needs, including:
- Contact management
- Task and event tracking
- Lead reports
- Email logging
- Calendar synchronization
Its interface is incredibly user-friendly, with a minimal learning curve for your sales team. It even offers free daily backups to keep your data safe and secure.
Less Annoying CRM, as the name suggests, aims to provide a hassle-free experience, which is perfect for small businesses with growing needs. Its intuitive design enables teams to stay organized without getting overwhelmed, especially as your customer base expands.
This CRM tool also offers unlimited users and contact, meaning scalability is built into its pricing model, which is only $15 per user per month. Therefore, it ensures costs remain predictable as your business grows. It also has excellent customer support, making it beneficial to you when you are ready to adapt to new operational scales.
5. Capsule
Capsule is a CRM platform that allows you to take all your customer and business relationships to the next level, giving you the opportunity to improve your productivity and increase sales. Its core features include:
- Contact and task management
- Sales pipeline tracking
- Customizable sales processes
- Detailed analytics
Capsule also integrates smoothly with other popular business apps like G Suite, Mailchimp, Outlook and Xero. With its user-friendly design and comprehensive features, you get an all-around excellent tool for your small business.
Its customizable sales pipelines and processes allow businesses to adapt the tool when switching to different strategies. Its integration capabilities also mean you maintain a centralized information hub and reduce data inaccuracies.
Capsule is able to scale with you as your customer base and sales team grow — the platform can handle the increased demand, ensuring you maintain efficiency and customer satisfaction. This CRM software is available for a 30-day free trial and is available for startups and growing teams.
Choose the Right CRM for Your Small Business
Finding a CRM solution tailored to your business’s growing needs is critical for sustaining expansion and maintaining positive customer relationships. While it may require you to conduct comparisons while shopping, you will be sure to stumble upon the one that meets your unique requirements.
Remember to make careful assessments of each CRM, take advantage of free trials and stay informed of the pros and cons. Doing so will future-proof your business and set you up for long-term success.
Eleanor is editor of Designerly Magazine. Eleanor was the creative director and occasional blog writer at a prominent digital marketing agency before becoming her own boss in 2018. She lives in Philadelphia with her husband and dog, Bear.
