When you’re managing a small, local business, chances are you have a lot on your plate. Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software can make your life easier. If you’re still keeping track of your customers with a tired spreadsheet, it’s time to upgrade. Here are our top three picks for the best in customer relations management.
Salesforce
Salesforce is one of the most popular CRM systems available. They offer a variety of packages for whatever your business needs. Pricing among their services usually starts at $25 for a starter package limited to five users. If you need to manage sales and customer service, Salesforce offers a robust bundle for $300 a month—that’s a good deal, considering their individual unlimited packages for sales and service cost about $250 each. The Salesforce sales and service bundle is worth over $600 and contains all the features of the unlimited packages, including Google Apps integration and deal trending.
Small business owners may be interested in Salesforce, but the feature-filled CRM service is best for growing or midsize businesses. Very small businesses may not need all of Salesforce’s functions and ought to look at more affordable options. This cloud-based service has so much to offer; you can build contact profiles, view sales forecasts, and collaborate with coworkers, to name a few. You’ll be impressed with its wholly customizable, user-friendly interface.
Zoho CRM
Unlike the other software on our list, Zoho CRM is totally free! Well, they offer a free plan for up to ten users. While their paid options offer more features, the free plan is a solid choice for small business owners who don’t have room in their budget for a premium CRM package yet. Users can keep up with analytics, automate tasks, and manage Facebook and Twitter accounts. Perhaps the greatest drawback of the free plan is the lack of 24-hour phone support—that’s a benefit available to Zoho’s paid plans.
Upgrading to a premium subscription is simple, and their rates are very affordable; the standard Zoho CRM package is only $12 a month. And unlike other CRM software, your subscription doesn’t require a yearly commitment. If you do move onto a paid plan, you only need to commit to one month at a time.
Base
Although Base’s paid options are narrow in comparison to Salesforce and Zoho CRM, this CRM service boasts the best mobile app in the business—which supports not only iOS and Android, but Windows Phone as well. The introductory package costs $25 a month, yet it allows no more than a paltry five users. Base recommends the Professional package, which sits at $75 a month. The Professional plan gives access to an unlimited amount of users, allots 5GB of document storage to each user, and broadens the functions of the application.
Base allows users to make and log sales calls through the application, in addition to offline capabilities. Geolocation services let users visualize their network; users receive notifications for everything from updated contacts and sales to opened emails. The app syncs your calendars, notes, and communications with the Base cloud, making this CRM service the best if you’re hardly at your desk.
