CRM software tools have usually been marketed towards, and used by, large businesses, corporations, and enterprises. In recent years, we’ve noticed that is changing. Now, there are some exciting new tools out there that are marketed towards and designed specifically for small businesses and their needs. However, you might not be sure exactly how to choose a CRM software tool. There are, after all, many options to choose from. We wanted to outline a few of the best CRM tools and how small businesses can take advantage of them. But before we get to our rankings, we’ll quickly recap what a CRM software tool is and how you can use one.
What is a CRM Tool and What Are Their Benefits?
A CRM software tool is a customer relationship management tool. So, a CRM tool will help you with developing marketing strategies, communicating with clients, and other customer service functions. A CRM tool will help you organize, analyze, and utilize customer data to help you design and implement effective marketing strategies.
So why should you use a CRM software tool? As we just mentioned, a CRM tool can greatly organize all of the work that you need to do and your communication lines with your clients. However, it is important to note that not all CRM tools can offer you the same services as others. So, it is important to understand the differences between CRM tools. With that, let’s move to our rankings, where we will look at the top five best CRM tools for small businesses.
- Ella Interactive
Ella Interactive is a new, exciting, and all-in-one CRM software tool. Ella Interactive has some powerful and innovative marketing tools. What makes Ella so unique is that it can be used by a wide variety of businesses – which of course includes small businesses. If you choose to sign up for Ella, there are many different payment options that you can choose from, all of which are determined by the size of your business and its specific needs.
Some of Ella’s exciting features include website development and analytics, integration with Google Business Profile, and Facebook ads. Also, on Ella’s intuitive dashboard, you can easily toggle between different social media marketing campaigns and see how they are performing. By using Ella, you will have access to indispensable data. In today’s environment, with so much data available, you need the right tools to access, organize, and analyze it. For that and many other reasons, Ella was the clear choice for the #1 spot in our top five.
- Hubspot
Hubspot is another very popular CRM software tool. The features and tools that Hubspot can offer you can help you drive leads, increase sales, streamline customer service, and create your website. An added appeal of Hubspot is that they offer businesses a free version of its CRM software tool. However, it is important to note that Hubspot’s free version of their CRM software tool does not include all of the features that their paying customers will enjoy.
On Hubspot, you can easily manage your workflow, marketing, and operation efforts. You can also assign tasks and track all customer interactions. Importantly, Hubspot integrates with the Google Workplace Suite, Office 365, social media accounts, and Zapier.
- Salesforce
Salesforce is an interesting CRM tool that can offer a wide variety of advanced features. Despite the advanced features, you do not need to be a large enterprise to take advantage of Salesforce’s features. Salesforce has robust marketing automation, eCommerce, and reporting tools. On Salesforce, clients will be managed by cases, which will then allow you to organize your communication lines with your clients.
Salesforce is integrated with DocuSign, Dropbox, and other applications. Like Ella and Hubspot, Salesforce also has a convenient dashboard to organize all of your assignments and data points. Salesforce even has an app. Despite the flexibility of Salesforce, learning how to use this CRM software tool has a bit steeper of a learning curve than Ella and Hubspot.
- Zoho
Zoho, our fourth spot on the top five list, is an intuitive, easy-to-use CRM software tool. The remote work features and the easy-to-understand dashboard make Zoho a dynamic and appealing CRM tool. With Zoho, sales meetings and presentations can be conducted from any location. Zoho’s mobile app will keep you updated and well-informed – no matter where you might be.
Zoho also does a great job of leveraging social media platforms and integrating them into its interface. Zoho’s social media management features can help you monitor customer feedback on networking sites, import leads, and manage your posts from Zoho’s dashboard. An additional appeal of Zoho is that they offer a free version of their tool – which can be used by up to three users. If you find that you want to see what paying customers are receiving, then you can sign up for a modest $12 per month per user.
- Freshsales
Freshsales is great for anyone who is new to the world of CRM tools and is a bit overwhelmed by the breadth and scope of some other, more ambitious CRM tools. Freshsales is owned by the company Freshworks, and the tool offers a variety of customer support tools. With Freshsales, you can organize and centralize all of your administrative tasks. Freshsales will make those centralization efforts simple by limiting the number of customizable options to choose from.
By connecting your phone and your email, Freshsale’s management features can automatically grab leads based on your scoring criteria. Freshsale’s phone management feature can also auto-dial, record, and route your calls – helping you organize and optimize your communications with clients. Freshsales can also offer you SMS integration, API access, tracking and insights, workflow automation and management, integration with Freshworks tools and other business applications, and collaboration tools. Freshsales is an exciting CRM software tool that can offer your business many solutions and opportunities for growth. For the simplicity and elegance of Freshsales, it is a great option for those who are new to CRM software tools.