Running a business is hard.
But the right tools make it easy. From lead generation to getting your first sale, you need to leverage software. The days of manual marketing are long gone.
An extensive study by Magestore in 2013 shows that up to 79% of entrepreneurs are already managing their marketing with the use of some kind of software.
When you’re armed with the right skill and software, it becomes easier to automate your marketing process – and in turn, build a successful business online.
Good customer relationship is the heart of every businesses. Econsultancy revealed in its recent post that it’s more difficult to acquire a new customer, than to retain existing ones.
Furthermore, the research team found that a 5% increase in retention rates generates up to 95% increase in profits.
Good customer relationship leads to high customer retention rate and revenue increase. Treating your new and existing customers with so much appreciation and value will inspire them to pay more.
According to GrooveHQ, 86% of customers, are liable to pay more for better customer experience.
Responding to all customers’ complaint is stressful, but with the use of automated marketing software, it’s been made easier and more efficient.
No matter the industry you belong, or your business model, you can leverage CRM software to build strong engagement with your customers.
Salesfusion revealed that 62% of 700 small to mid-size companies now make use of marketing automation from 40 different countries. Isn’t that wonderful?
Have you for once asked yourself, “why 8 out of 10 businesses fail within their first 18 months of operation?”
A post by Eric T. Wagner on Forbes, stated that the number #1 cause is “businesses don’t really in touch with customers through deep dialogue.”
In support of Eric T. Wagner’s fact, Larry Alton in a post on Entrepreneur said that lack of revolution contributes also to business failure.
If that’s shocking to you, here’s what you should know:
You’ll never get to satisfy your customer, if you continue to use old method of customer service; methods used way back in the early 90s. You’ve got to flow with the trend by using a CRM software to automate it.
Sprinklr also forecasts that “by 2020, customers will manage 85% of its relationship without interacting with a human.”
Isn’t it high time to embrace modern technology and turn your business around? The choice is yours to make.
A quick overview of CRM software
CRM software is a technology used by both large and small businesses to organize, automate, and synchronize every facet of customer interaction, as well as the marketing, sales, customer service and support.
Here’s a more in-depth definition from Webopedia:
Collecting data about your customer helps you identify their pain points. It also helps you speak the language they understand most.
Whether you are running a small or big business, use a marketing automation software to build a hassle-free business online. It’s possible!
Before choosing any CRM software, it’s wise to study it. Because, the moment you know the features and benefits of each automation software, picking the most appropriate one for your business is pretty easy.
For example, the CRM software for a real estate company will be different from the one an educational company will use.
To get you started on the right note, I’ve compiled the 23 best small business CRM software that you can select from.
Are you ready?
1. Oncontact.com
Oncontact is my number #1 customer relationship management software. It’s mostly suitable for small businesses that want to measure everything from lead generation, to customer segmentation, and getting repeat sales.
Have you used the software before? Do you know a business or marketer who has used it?
Growing a thriving business is all about documenting your strategy. When you do that, you make it easy to replicate your success. It doesn’t matter whether you’re inbound marketing, or traditional advertising, having a documented strategy is critical.
According to MarketingProfs, lack of an effective strategy is responsible for 46% of the obstacles experienced in inbound marketing.
Use Oncontact to collect useful customer behaviour data. This important user data will help you produce engaging content, which is actually what 60% of B2B content marketers struggle with.
Oncontact offers you the opportunity to communicate seamlessly with your customers, across various verticals – hence, you’re in a better position to resolve your customer’s complaints.
The Oncontact CRM solution allows you to access your customer’s vital information, even when you’re on a call using this same software.
Though it has a limited user space of 2Gb, but you can buy more if you’re dealing with thousands of customers.
With a lot of success stories recorded already, Oncontact has redefined customer relationship building and management. As a globally used software, it’s recognized and applauded by top retail brands.
Don’t hesitate to use Oncontact.com, if you’re serious about making lasting impression on your customers – and expanding your business via digital marketing.
Use it with confidence. After all, TopTen Reviews ranks Oncontact.com in the third position in the top ten CRM software reviews with 9.3 out of 10.
2. Sugarcrm.com
Truly, it’s a different kind of CRM software.
A lot of small businesses have increased conversion rate by up to 53% by automating their marketing activities with Sugarcrm.com.
If you’re tired of not addressing customers’ complaints as you’re expected to, and knowing fully well how answering your customer’s questions can help your business (both in the short and long-term), then you should give Sugarcrm a shot.
Interestingly, Sugarcrm is known to be the global largest open source CRM software. The company currently has more than 500 employees. Trust me, that’s big for a small business solutions company.
Use the CRM software to simplify customer service, inspire your sales personnels, manage customers’ contacts in one database, and deliver a great customer experience.
But that’s not all, another unique feature of Sugarcrm is the availability of the source code to both the user and the developer, so that users can configure the platform to suit their own business.
Security has always been of great concern to every IT personnel, most especially when it comes to multi-user software.
Sugarcrm uses a high security protocols to protect its users. Here’s how it looks like:
As a small business owner, Sugarcrm will save you time. Puente revealed how they succeeded in reducing time spent on targeted list creation by 80%, improved sales and customer service using Sugarcrm.
In like manner, our favorite and globally recognized beverage drink company Coca-Cola, testified of how they continually use the software to grow their business.
This is what one of the customers said: “The main goal was to get a global solution that combined e-commerce, CRM, and logistics into one package that everybody could standardize on. With SugarCRM and Synolia, we accomplished that and more.”
You can read more credible testimonials from their page.
3. Maximizer.com
Maximizer is all all-in-one CRM solution, combining sales management, marketing automation, customer service, and business productivity. It’s further spiced up with outlook, MS Word, Excel and Sharepoint.
Maximizer is a reliable and affordable CRM software, which can be installed both on premises and on cloud. It has over 120,000 active users.
The software allows the user to develop intimate relationship with their customers, by creating personalized customer experiences that get people responding to your offers.
If you’re into email marketing, you’ll agree with me that personalization is key to increasing click rate and open rate.
Recent data from MarketingSherpa shows that personalised emails are more active than non-personalised.
With Maximizer CRM, you’ve the opportunity to leverage personalized emails to communicate more effectively with your customers. The software is equipped with campaign planning, email campaign, and marketing analytics.
Using specific criteria, you can focus on your leads and nurture them into loyal customers. More so, you can segment your customers’ data using the list management feature.
Here’s what Better Labour Inc, one of the businesses that use Maximizer had to say:
“Maximizer has freed us up to do what we do best, which is helping clients solve their common labor and productivity issues. We are far more efficient now that we are using Maximizer to manage our applicant and client data and Maximizer is making a significant impact on our bottom line.”
– Anthony Spiros, Account Manager, Better Labour
4. Suffront.com
Soffront is a CRM software for both small, and mid-size businesses.
It helps companies to simplify and optimize most of the customer related issues – virtually in every aspect of their business, like marketing automation, customer communication, sales promotion, etc.
With this software you can enhance your customer service, and help improve productivity as you work with your sales team. Your marketing campaign can also be strengthened, using this software.
Suffront has a live chat feature that you can use to engage your customers. Trust me, live chat is a powerful tool for building trust with your customers.
In an exclusive study, Econsultancy found consumers prefer live chat in customer service. So with the live chat portal in this software, you’re more likely to satisfy your customers.
There’s a forum for users to ask questions and interact with other users. In all of these, the Suffront software helps you manage sales order and help desk requests more efficiently.
5. Commence.com
Commence small business CRM software enables you to customer customer experience from the top of the funnel (TOFU) to the bottom of the funnel (BOFU).
You can also nurture new leads and increase sales with this simple tool.
It features modules for marketing automation, lead management, help desk functionality, a customer portal, reporting and project management.
Can you beat that?
Do you know that customers will leave a company when they feel they’re no longer cared for? With the Commence CRM, taking care of your customers is pretty straightforward.
The dashboard displays up to date activities of your customers – which you can use to execute a more personalized campaign that yields dramatic sales results.
Several small and mid-size businesses that use Commence CRM software testified that it’s become an integral part of their business. Give it a shot, if you want to develop trust with your audience.
6. Infusionsoft.com
Have you use Infusionsoft?
Maybe not.
But I’m sure you have heard of the marketing software from blogs, at conferences, and media sites.
Infusionsoft is designed to help grow small businesses that want to see better results for their hard work. The testimonials keep pouring in. For one, TITIN grew its business by 400% via Infusionsoft.
With Infusionsoft, your daily business activities are automatically taken care of. It helps you to organize your customer’s contact, and resolve their problems smoothly.
Your customer’s data are organized serially for easy access whenever the need arises. You can as well tag and segment imported contacts.
And you know how much impact email list segmentation will bring to your business, don’t you?
Engaging your customers based on each customer’s profile is critical. That’s why you need some form of segmentation marketing.
You can read this Case Study on Performance Solutions Group, LLC, from the East Tennessee State University by Jordan Brian.
Use Infusionsoft to develop deep relationship with your customers, by collecting customers’ behaviors data and rate them based on their responses.
Iron Tribe Fitness has this to say “Since our business implemented the Infusionsoft platform, it has grown to over 18,000 members with additional locations slated to open throughout markets across the United States.”
There are still a lot of success stories from businesses that use this software. Even if you end up not using Infusionsoft, be sure to learn how other businesses used it to drive their content marketing campaigns.
7. Reallysimplesystems.com
Reallysimplesystem is a cloud CRM software, which is very easy to use.
This software will provide a huge source of leverage for sales marketing, customer service and support. It’s developed specifically for small and medium B2B organizations.
When you’re building your brand using the internet, one of the core steps to get quicker results is to respond to your customers on time.
According to Hubspot, you’re likely to generate 7x the conversions if you respond to customers within an hour. Whether you’re logged in on your mobile phone or desktop PC, you can easily attend to your customers and deliver happiness.
It will interest you to know that most internet users wish to receive a response from a brand within the same day.
This is really the core reason why you should try Really Simple Systems. It provides an interactive platform, and seamless sync with several third-party software. And security is guaranteed – since it’s a cloud software.
Similarly, since the software is compatible with any device; desktops, laptops, tablets and smartphones, you can login from any device, anywhere, any time, and attend to your customers as soon as possible.
The most exciting part of it all is the email marketing feature, which makes it easier to build your email list and send out useful newsletters.
Hello Scotland and several other businesses have benefitted from the less annoying customer relationship management software – ReallySimpleSystems.com
8. Insightly.com
With millions of active social media users, small and midsize businesses can’t ignore social media marketing.
“It’s clear that social media is an effective platform for customer conversion,” says Glen Williams.
You may be wondering why I’m talking about social media marketing in this section, right?
Okay, I’ll tell you…
Insightly, the marketing automation software under review is integrated with social media marketing capabilities, which makes it easier to market on social media platform.
Insightly is an easy to use effective CRM system for mostly small businesses. It’s integrated with Google Apps, Office 365, MailChimp, and major social media sites.
As an online CRM system, it has over 800,000 users in 100 different countries. The company uses strong server to avoid disruption. In addition to this, there are 247 engineers available for your optimum satisfaction.
It further ensures that your data are safely stored, using military grade AE-256, which are backed up daily. For high customer service, they provided monitoring units, in 14 different places in 4 different continents.
Brandtree recorded 20% increase in their business productivity using Insightly. Why not give it a try today?
9. Buildfire.com
Mobile usage has taken over the world.
You can’t imagine how much people of all ages cherish mobile phones.
According to dazeinfo.com, 83% of internet users are on mobile, and this number will continue to rise. Likewise, mobile application (or mobile apps) for short has revolutionized how business are done today.
The growth of mobile apps downloads is staggering. It’s estimated to surpass 200 billion by 2017. Hence you’re likely to get more customers, with mobile applications.
That said, are you going to embrace the new way of reaching your ideal customers and building loyalty?
If yes, then mobile apps is your surest bet.
Buildfire is a CRM software that will help you build your business app in under 5 minutes. You’re likely to increase your sales with phone applications, because it’s user friendly.
Trust me, mobile addiction is a good signal for small business. For one, when ideal customers spend more time on their phones, they’ll feel obliged or persuaded to purchase a product.
In fact, it’s now obvious that mobile purchase is on the increase. With Buildfire.com, all you’ve to do is select a template, fill in your details, click the button, and boom…
Your mobile app is ready for your customers to download and use. Go give it a try. Get started for free!
10. Batchbook.com
This software is perfect for small businesses that want to manage and improve on their customer relationship. Come on, who doesn’t want that?
With Batchbook, customer’s details are stored in one location for easy access by your management team, as long as they’re connected to the web.
This small business CRM software will perfectly track and manage your customers’ previous conversations, contacts, orders, segmenting and task managements.
Take a look at the Marketing Technology Strategy Survey, and you’ll notice that automation is now an integral aspect of running a successful business.
In essence, a good CRM tool should be able to handle all these marketing activities. With BatchBook, you can do it without going through trial and error mode. That sounds cool to me.
Irrespective of its simplicity and user friendly interface, Batchbook is very efficient in performance.
Armed with the tool, the management of customer services, sales and marketing will flow graciously.
Remember that one of the ways to get more customers and boost sales is by improving in customer relationship. Hey, this is Batchbook’s ideology.
A survey by HubSpot show that 70% of customers will tell others about your brand if you treat them well. More so, 70% of experiences are based on how the customer feels they’re been treated.
And one of the best ways to treat customers well is introducing CRM like Batchbook into the mix.
Batchbook is a small business social CRM that builds links between you and your customers. It bridges the gap that exist when you sign up new customers. It can handle unlimited number of users.
Automation isn’t a new idea to marketers. It’s now a welcome development. Therefore, I encourage you to welcome it also to your business.
Getbase confirmed that 15% of businesses have replaced manual with automated processing methods.
With Batchbook, you can easily motivate your customers to stay. The fear of losing customers will be eliminated in no time. BatchBook can assign ‘To Do’ lists to your team members for urgent follow up.
It’s very important that you follow up on your leads, else you’ll lose them.
You can query the database to get information on any customer of your choice within seconds. That’s BatchBook for you, very robust in performance.
Sure, we all agree that marketing hasn’t changed, but the technology to achieve significant result is seriously changing. Don’t you think so?
11. Smallbizcrm.com
Don’t get overwhelmed by the plethora of CRM software out there.
If you’ve to make up your mind today, and begin to maintain relationship with your clients – Smallbizcrm.com may just be your best shot.
It provides email marketing tools and customers database portal where information is stored.
Small Biz CRM is an online Manager that carries customers information. It’s a web-based CRM tool for small business’ needs.
With this tool, you don’t need any IT know-how – it’s very simple and user-friendly.
A click can send newsletters, emails, approve or reject requests, query customers information within seconds.
With a very creative user interface, a first timer can quickly fall in love with smallbizcrm.com.
12. Zohocrm.com
It’s not another small business CRM software. This is powerful!
Zoho CRM will help you link and manage your customers efficiently. This tool can handle customer service smoothly.
It can assign jobs and handle any overflow of incoming requests through workflow rules.
There is what is called web-to-case forms: It’s used to get each customer’s cases through website. Zoho CRM tool can also handle this perfectly.
Zoho CRM tools help a lot in delivering unfeigned customer satisfaction. It merges sales and post-sales support management which helps in resolving problems.
If you want 15% increase in productivity or more, use the Zoho CRM.
With web to case form, Zoho generates customer cases through email, phone or website.
Zoho is very perfect for a business looking for all-in-one functionality in CRM software.
Workflow automation, analysis, generating customers, managing customers information and social collaboration are the core features of Zoho.
It’s also perfect for a business that has multi users. This tool can handle your annual budgeting.
Zoho CRM is very good in Analysis. It measures employees performance and track sales with a robust reporting capability.
13. Salesforce.com
Marketing using Salesforce CRM software will change the face of your business. It’s a strong CRM tool used to convert leads into customers and motivate loyal customers.
Just a click with this software and every vital aspect of your marketing is automated. There’s no need of IT expertise here, because, there’s nothing to setup or manage.
The Design is simplified and user-friendly.
With the help of Salesforce, your customers may think they’re the only customers you have because of your regular communication via mailing.
The database of this Salesforce helps in solving problem faster because you can query the database and get results within seconds.
Its analytic ability can capture your VIP customers and store contact serially.
It does a lot of things at onces. For example, marketing automation, services, sales monitoring, easy to use mobile app builder, contact management, analysis, etc.
The Salesforce is truly a “force” behind top brands that understands how to make smart choices – which consequently results in 41% increase in results generated.
Salesforce will help you close more deals, increase customer’s loyalty and trust.
It helps treat customers individually, not as a group on social media. It can analyze using previous customer behaviours to know next line of action for the customers.
14. Onepagecrm.com
Onepagecrm is another powerful web-based tool for small business. You can execute several marketing tasks in just one page (i.e., dashboard) just as the name implies.
One Page CRM is a very simple CRM software that can manage your daily sales and convert casual visitors who entered your funnel into paying customers.
According to Tanya P. Roberts of Structured Chaos, LLC, “It has transformed my workflow and success. It is a tool I recommend to others every opportunity I have. The customer service is unparalleled.”
With this tool, you can sort customers contact and make necessary decisions on each contact. This is what I call “efficient organization.”
Email Monday confirmed that conversion rate is can be up to 70% if you automate marketing processes in your organization.
If you desire high conversion rate, you need CRM.
Do you want a 100% boost in sales and contact management, try OnePageCRM.
All contacts are stored in database. It filters out duplicates so that messages sent will not be repeated.
It works with other online applications easily to generate lead, email marketing, nurturing and control in your sales funnel.
If you want this tool, the success team (fancy name of customer service support) are ready to educate you on what you need to know through webinars.
15. Addresstwo.com
Most small business CRM software are difficult to use. For one, you’re required to download an application for your desktop or mobile.
But with AddressTwo, you don’t have to do that. There is no need for update, upgrade, installation CD, or downloading any third-party app.
AddressTwo has integrated email marketing potentials. Send postcards and letters to build relationship with customers.
AddressTwo offer all-in-one features. It’s used in contact management, sales forecasting, project management, email marketing, autoresponders, task management, and lots more.
This is simply amazing.
More so, 53% of marketers have not fully integrated their marketing technologies.
16. Capsulecrm.com
Capsule CRM is a good choice if you really want to capture customers contact, manage and analyze customers communication, track and process user data – and make them accessible to the management team members.
Capsule will also manage and track how your leads are converted to sales.
This software tool can contain and manage 50,000 contacts, classify the data with tags. From this, a contact list is created. It uses this contact list to send mails.
It combines Google apps in its features so that its functions will be diversified to a wide range.
It’s very easy to use and straightforward. The interface is user friendly and clean. Therefore, new users don’t need training to manipulate Capsule CRM automation solution.
Here are some of the merits of using Capsule CRM Software:
It’s affordable compared to other small business CRM online.
It’s user friendly.
It’s integration with Google App is an advantage.
Multiple contacts and email list can be created with ease.
The ease of use is the most valid feature Capsule has over other CRM tools.
17. Highrisehq.com
Highrisehq is a complete customer relationship and marketing automation software. It’s magical!
It provides the best means to keep track of your customers, tasks and conversations, which are the main ingredients of business relationship with customers.
With Highrisehq, you can track and view status of communication between you and your customers anytime.
During dialogue, it distributes tasks and related projects together. If you need certain information to be kept a secret for security purposes, it’ll be made private by Highrisehq.
A forecast was made and captured by Superoffice that by 2017, CRM with similar features like Highrisehq will generate $36,509 million.
Increase in ROI is geometrical with CRM tools.
It allows viewing and restricts viewing when necessary. When this tool tracks information, it sets reminders necessary to such information.
Highrisehq is great for assigning task to team members, send mails to contacts, and manage communication.
Get Highrisehq and you will rest your nerves.
18. Intouchcrm.com
Intouch CRM, is a great marketing tool for small business and managing feedback from customers.
Intouch CRM makes provision for updates and photos – it allows links with ease. It also incorporate email templates so that you can make a smart choice before mailing.
In our company, processes are delivered faster because of Intouch CRM.
Intouch CRM features includes: File storage, email marketing, task pad, social CRM, mail merge function, calendar, and lots more.
Ease of use is what 55% of users look out for in any CRM software. And guess what? That’s what Intouch CRM delivers on a platter.
The interface is user friendly. Your team members would master it in less than 5 minutes.
Your daily processes will be well managed by Intouch CRM if you make it your smart choice.
19. Tactilecrm.com
Tactile CRM is a powerful web-based contact and marketing automation software you can rely on. It’s very efficient in sales pipeline, contacts, notes, and email management.
Information sharing is made very easy to customers, team members, and employees alike from one spot.
Main features of Tactile CRM are:
Email tracking, phone calls, notes, activities and meeting records. Even when team members are not together, through online, they can view reports from Tactile CRM.
Online Address book, sales & pipeline management, activities and reminders, tagging, and file management are the various features of Tactile CRM.
These features will convert process to leads and make sales for you faster.
This tool is simple, user friendly and integrates third party services, such as Campaign Monitor, ZenDesk, etc.
20. Lessannoyingcrm.com
Lessannoying CRM is majorly for small business owners. With this tool, sales pipelines can be built within minutes.
Here’s what you should know:
Business software designed for big companies will not fit into small business. Because, most of the features will not be used in small business marketing.
You don’t just any tool to grow your business, but the right tool.
That’s why Lessannoying CRM is specifically built to support your small business marketing.
To use this CRM software, IT expertise isn’t required, installation and training of team members aren’t necessary, because Lessannoying CRM is interactive and has a user-friendly interface.
It’s affordable and simple to use, free and enjoyable customer support and low cost. Setup will be in few minutes, since it’s installed in a cloud-based platform.
The customer’s information with Lessannoying CRM is centralized to be accessible to the entire team anywhere in the world. Thus, you can expect to increase productivity through this medium.
Data from Superoffice confirmed that with CRM software, sales productivity are improved to 30% increase.
It has features like: task management, note taking, calendar, lead tracking, sales process monitoring, and lead conversions to sales.
What comes to mind as you read the awesome features of Less Annoying CRM?
21. Contactme.com
Do you know what the number #1 goal for content marketing is?
Your guess is as good as mine – lead generation.
Contactme is equally classified as a small business CRM software tool that’s used to capture and organize leads, and gather vital information from website and social media for lead generation.
Contactme consolidates contacts, manages and controls customers relationships, attracts leads, and so on. It’s fast in tracking specific tasks, deadlines, meetings and lots more.
It can handle and manage your appointments, promises, and correspondence. This tool will help you grow your business because of its efficiency and performance.
You can automatically create ContactMe button and web form. Add this web form or button anywhere (website, blog, facebook profile, forum, etc.), to start collecting visitor’s personal information.
With its workflow monitoring, reports are generated and distributed to team members.
It’s interesting to know that everything is in place while you rest and take care of other pressing issues.
22. Workbooks.com
Workbooks helps you to work with a team and become more productive and successful. It support sales leaders, marketers and salespeople with tools to generate customers and manages sales pipeline.
This software helps organizations automate processes in their business. It increases traffic and sales.
WorkBooks will unite your finance, marketing and sales team’s operations – in one place.
From your landing page, Workbooks will give you the privilege to manage existing leads, capture sales leads, using web-to-lead tools features.
This software adds form automatically to your sites to generate leads. The lead generated through this form will be assigned automatically to your team members for follow up.
A lot of marketers taught they do not need CRM. You’re doing your business a disservice if you continue to ignore it.
Nothing is worth deterring you from CRM. An automation tool that makes your presence felt by your customers and competitors isn’t what you should do away with.
It’s possible to see cases, track of activities, emails, opportunities and financial transactions made with clients previously.
This allows you to have complete knowle