Customer Relationship Management, or CRM software, has become crucial for any business. However, small businesses need customizable and flexible CRM software for their specific needs. Startups need cost-effective CRM software that comes with a minimal learning curve, has automation tools for identifying potential customers, and can aid in growth planning.
Before identifying and discussing the best CRM software for startups in 2022, let us understand what CRM is as well as its main purpose.
CRM and its Purpose
CRM, or Customer Relationship Management software, is software that helps in managing your business’s communication with your existing and potential customer base. CRM software can increase the efficiency of your business by storing data and automation tools. It can streamline your business process and maximize profit in the process.
How to choose CRM solutions for your startup?
Consider your needs first before looking for the best CRM system for you. Next, consider what your priorities are. Of course, don’t forget to consider the cost. It can be tempting for companies with limited resources to go with the cheapest choice, but this isn’t necessarily the wisest course of action. The golden guideline is to select a CRM that can keep up with your company’s expansion.
7 best CRM software for Startups in 2022
Now that you know what CRM software is and what it can do, let’s take a look at some of the best CRM software for startup businesses.
#1. Zoho CRM
Zoho Bigin, a Zoho CRM add-on, is a great CRM software for small businesses and startups, especially startups that want to utilize social media for marketing. It is cost-effective as it has a free plan for up to three users and a relatively lower cost per person in the business. So, startups with budget constraints do not need to worry about CRM being too costly. It has sales forecasting tools and social media management tools. It also allows businesses to manage leads and collaborate with the help of direct messaging and syncing of team calendars.
#2. HubSpot
HubSpot CRM is your go-to CRM if your startup is looking to invest in a CRM for the first time. It is easy to learn and has a clean user interface. So, it is easy for users to navigate through its many features such as email tracking, workflow automation, e-signature, and the like. The best feature about HubSpot CRM is that its basic plan can be used for free by an unlimited number of users. However, the sales forecasting tool is available only on Professional or Enterprise plans.
#3. Agile CRM
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With a free plan for up to ten users, Agile CRM helps in lead scoring and appointment scheduling. This CRM software stands out from the rest because of the many sales and marketing features included in its free plan. For marketing automation tools and email integration, users can upgrade to the Starter plan. The Regular plan provides built-in, two-way telephone or VoIP integration services. Agile also provides mobile marketing functions with SMS campaign facilities.
#4. Streak
If your startup is looking for a solution that can integrate Google Workspace features like Gmail, Drive, Sheets, and Calendar, Streak is ideal. Streak helps you to monitor deal pipelines, projects, and tasks with the help of Gmail. Moreover, the different teams in your business can collaborate on sales activities by sharing pipelines with each other. Streak allows pipeline linking which helps you to easily navigate between related items in a pipeline. The auto-boxing features automatically categorize and adjust pipelines. You can even customize your pipelines with Google apps and send a limited number of emails every day.
#5. Pipedrive
It is a sales-focused CRM platform that allows users to manage and customize sales pipelines, deals, and sales. Although it doesn’t have a free version, the lowest-priced plan comes with a wide range of services, including artificial intelligence (AI) sales assistants.
In their Advanced Plan, PipeDrive offers built-in tools for scheduling and managing appointments with sales contacts and making a great first impression, something your startup definitely needs. It can be integrated with platforms like Google Meet, Zoom, and Microsoft Teams for sales communications. One can also use LeadBooster as an add-on. LeadBooster helps your business to find and engage with inbound leads via live chat, chatbots, online web forms, and the like. The Website Visitors add-on can be used to track who is visiting your websites and which pages they viewed as well.
#6. Insightly
Too many projects before launching your product in the market? Insightly is one of the top CRMs for startups, small enterprises, and industries like real estate agents. Insightly allows you to effectively manage marketing initiatives, implementation technology, and other such activities. Insightly provides features like contact and lead management, project management features like calendar syncing, mass emailing, file sharing, and lead capturing through web forms. It also helps in contact organization and provides a comprehensive record including prior communications and links to other deals.
#7. Salesforce
Salesforce is one of the most popular CRM tools globally. It is the software that people have the most experience with. So, onboarding becomes easier for startups. While Salesforce is quite costly, Salesforce Essentials is perfect for startups working on a shoestring budget. Salesforce Essentials can assist you with keeping track of sales, managing customer support requests, and organizing client data all from a centralized dashboard. Additionally, you may combine it with other components of your workflow, such as ActiveCampaign, Zapier, and Docusign.
Every new business requires a CRM solution to manage their customer connections, save their contacts, and consolidate their procedures. However, startups have their own set of special needs and finding a CRM software that suits you the best is crucial. Before opting for CRM software, make sure to take a demo or trial version of the same to better understand if it can benefit your business the way you envision. Startups are taking over the world and so, choosing the right CRM software can make or break your brand.
