As the owner, manager, or marketer of a small business, you have considered that it’s time to use a Client Relationship Management (CRM) platform to help you organize all your leads and customers. There are many options available on the market, each with their types of features, functionalities, price, and customizations.
There are two key questions to consider when choosing a CRM:
- What is the volume of new leads and customers you acquire each month?
- Do you plan to scale your business or only to reduce the time spent on marketing?
Volume of New Leads
The amount of new leads you acquire each month is essential to choosing a CRM for a small business. When you select a CRM plan, there will be a limit to the number of contacts you can add to the database. The higher the number of contacts (each email is one contact), the more expensive the CRM plan will cost you. If you average 50+ leads a month, it’s best to plan when to upgrade to the next contact limit plan.
For small businesses with 10-25 leads a month, make sure that you’ll be able to convert enough leads to cover the costs for the CRM platform and pay your bills.
Scaling Your Business or Reducing Time
If your business is growing fast, you may utilize a CRM for a small business with email automation, forms, chat, and sales tools. In most CRM’s, there are MarTech tools that will allow your business to attract, convert, and retain new customers.
For small businesses that are not looking to scale or hire new employees, a CRM can help reduce the time you spend on repetitive tasks. You can automate email messages when a new contact fills out a specific form, set-up a monthly promotion to a particular list, or create a chatbot that helps qualify a lead before they speak to a real person. There are several ways to improve and save time with a CRM.
View CRM Reviews
The CRM platforms are often updated with new features, bug fixes, and quality of life improvements each month. It’s best to check out software reviews sites like G2Crowd for the most recent reviews, which has an interactive grid to filter and view.
You’ll also find CRMs to offer a free trial or demo for you to experience the environment before committing money.
Our Recommendation
As a small business ourselves, we choose to use ActiveCampaign with its robust automation feature and affordable cost.
With over 10+ years of experience in marketing and design, Jiun help businesses manage and execute marketing campaigns, track goal metrics, develop SEO-friendly content, optimize the buyer lifecycle, and collaborate with multiple partners, vendors, and press to maximize a brand’s lead acquisition strategy. Her background in marketing, graphic design, and front-end web development allows her to easily plan, communicate, and develop projects to meet your organizational goals.
