So, your business is growing, leads are coming in thick and fast, but you’re still not converting the way you hoped? CRMs are a simple tool that improves efficiency, productivity and helps you convert more leads. With a range of functions such as leads scoring, automated customer communications and collaboration tools, your sales team can go from zeroes to heroes with a quality CRM.
But how do you know which one is right for you? There are plenty on the market, and all of them have their pros and cons. No CRM can do everything perfectly, so it’s about identifying the right one for your business needs.
What matters most to you?
The key is figuring out what matters most in your business. CRMs are great for sales automation, improving workflows and keeping all your customer information in one place. But depending on your business model, some things may be more important than others. For example, in eCommerce, you might love a system with easy workflows and automation, so your marketing and sales processes take care of themselves. If you’re a small business, the ability to scale your system might be more important.
Here are some of the key considerations when choosing your CRM.
CRMs that are easy to use
Most people want a system that’s easy to use. However, sometimes the easiest to use systems are also the least functional. To get all the bells and whistles, you probably need a little bit of complexity. That doesn’t mean the CRM has to be a nightmare to navigate though.
For ease of use, Zoho One is very user-friendly, and Keap also features an incredibly simple dashboard and interface.
Customisation options
If you want to customise your CRM, you usually need a good team of developers on your side. All CRMs are customisable to a point, but for best results you’ll want an expert programming the more complex actions.
That being said, for customisation it’s hard to go past Salesforce CRM. It’s one of Australia’s most popular systems and you can really make it work for you. SuiteCRM is another good option for customisation, as it integrates well with other third-party software.
Scalability
If you’re a small to medium business planning a period of growth, you need systems that can evolve with you. Whether that means you can easily add features to them, or simply add users with little fuss, it’s important to choose wisely here.
Once again, we need to mention Zoho One as a terrific choice. The affordable pricing plans make it easy to add features, users and more functionality as you grow.
Best CRMs for automation
Ultimately, one of the most popular features of any CRM is sales automation. Well, automation in general. From creating smart workflows through to automating your remarketing efforts, most CRMs perform well. HubSpot, Salesforce and Zoho One are probably the three big players in this field, with HubSpot being particularly popular for sales and marketing tasks.
At the end of the day, it’s a matter of matching functions and features to your business needs. If you need help with this, contact a CRM consultant who works with all the big names, and they should be able to point you in the right direction.