How To Choose The Best CRM For Your Small Business

What is a CRM?

CRM, which stands for customer relationship management, is a type of software that small businesses use to store and manage customer data so they can create better relationships with their current customers and identify potential leads.

For a business to be successful, you need to have a strong relationship with your customers, and using CRM software can help you get there. CRM solutions will consolidate your customers’ information all in one solution so that everyone on your team can access at the same time. This makes it easier to manage leads, track client data, organize customer data, and more.

Why does your small business need CRM software?

Every business should utilize CRM systems, but CRM software is especially beneficial for small businesses.

As a small business owner, you need to stay on top of your customers at all times and make sure that their needs are being met. But keeping track of all this information can be difficult, especially for a small business that might not have an established system when it comes to managing customer relationships and sales.

Fortunately, small business CRM solutions can streamline your sales processes, which can improve your time management and cut costs for your business. This gives you more time to focus on other aspects of your small business, like improving customer support and improving the sales pipeline.

Important features of a CRM small business

There are many benefits of CRM software in terms of collecting customer information and improving your relationships with your customers.

But, there are also various CRM features that you should look for the best CRM for your small business.

It's critical to choose a CRM platform that offers all the features you need to accomplish your business goals, but for the most part, these are the most important features of a CRM for a small business:

Lead management

A lead is essentially someone who you suspect will become a future customer for your business, and it's important that you stay on top of who your leads are, which you can do with lead management.

Lead management is a necessary CRM software feature because it allows you to not only determine who your leads are but manage your leads so you can have a higher chance of converting them into customers.

Most small business CRM solutions also allow you to do lead scoring, so you can make sure you're focusing on the right leads who have the highest potential of purchasing.

Workflow automation

One of the main benefits of CRM software is that it can automate your business functions. From marketing automation to sales force automation, a CRM can handle a lot of tasks that would otherwise be time-consuming to complete.

CRM software can automate various aspects of your sales process, like collecting data and sending out emails, so you can focus more on building stronger relationships with your customers.

Reporting and analytics

Gathering data is only part of the struggle when it comes to customer relationships. Once you've collected all the necessary customer data, you then need to analyze it, which is why it's so important to choose a CRM platform that offers reporting and analytics features.

When you can analyze your customer information, you can create more effective campaigns that are targeted specifically for your customers. A CRM platform can analyze data from social media, website, email, and more, so sales teams can understand patterns in your data and improve your customer experience.

Integrations

The best CRM software for small businesses will allow third-party integrations. Having third-party integrations in your CRM system allows you to connect other business software with your CRM.

This can be ecommerce software, payroll software, time-tracking software, or anything else you use for your small business on a daily basis.

When you can integrate other apps into your CRM system, you can manage all of your business processes from one place, which allows for better time management and more efficiency.

Tips for choosing the best CRM for a small business

So now that you know the important features to look for in a CRM system, you're probably wondering how to choose the best CRM for your small business. There are a few things you should keep in mind when looking for the best customer relationship management software for your small business, such as:

Identify your team’s needs

Every business has different needs, so it's important to identify your team's specific needs when looking for the best CRM for your small business. Maybe your sales team is trying to close more deals, or maybe your marketing team is trying to improve its email marketing strategy. Either way, it's important that your team understands how CRM software can help them accomplish their needs.

Determine the type of CRM needed

There are three types of CRM software that you can use: collaborative CRM systems, operational CRM systems, and analytical CRM systems.

Before you can decide what the best CRM software is for your small business, you need to determine what type of CRM you need. If your main goal is to track key performance indicators so that you can gain insights about your customers, you'll probably want to use an analytical CRM system.

But if you want to focus on improving your customer relationships, then an operational CRM system is a better choice. And if your goal is to connect all your different departments all in one solution, then go with a collaborative CRM system.

Differentiating these three small business CRMs is a necessary step so that you can choose the right one for your business needs.

Define your budget

The cost of CRM services depends on the platform that you choose, so it's important to define your budget before you choose a CRM software for your business. CRM software with more capabilities is naturally going to cost more, which is why you need to figure out your business's needs so you can determine what CRM is right for you and your budget.

Figure out must-have features

Not all CRMs will have the same features, so you need to figure out what your non-negotiables are when it comes to CRM features. Maybe you absolutely need a CRM that allows third-party integrations, or maybe email marketing automation is a must-have. When you determine all the necessary CRM features that you need, you can narrow down your choices and make a more informed decision of what the best CRM is for your business.

Make sure it's easy to learn

Figuring out how to use your small business CRM software can definitely be difficult, which is why it's important to choose a CRM that is easy to get the hang of so you don’t have to spend time teaching everyone on your team how to use it. You also don't want to spend a ton of time figuring out how to use your CRM tools yourself, so make sure that your CRM also offers good customer service that you can easily get in contact with if you come across any difficulties.

Consider Mailchimp for all your CRM solution needs

There are a lot of different CRMs for small businesses out there, but it's crucial to choose one that meets your business's unique needs. With the right CRM software, you can streamline your business processes, improve your sales pipelines, close more deals, and reach your business goals. If you're not sure what is the best CRM solution for your small business, consider Mailchimp.

Mailchimp is a marketing automation platform that offers various CRM solutions for small businesses, such as audience management, workflow automation, contact data organization, and so much more.

With Mailchimp's free CRM service, you can manage your customers' information and gain valuable insight into your customers so you can make better decisions for your company and accomplish your goals in a more timely and efficient manner.