As a business owner in 2023, with the rise of AI and digital marketing, there are so many tools and features that promise to help you in your mission to succeed in your industry.
Knowing who to trust and whose word to take is becoming less and less authoritative as time passes, but as long as you don’t stay stagnant, there are a lot of tools out there that will assist you in that mission.
Today, we’ll be walking through the top CRM tools to look out for when choosing a CRM, as our company has been researching and assessing CRM platforms for years to see what special features, benefits, and new additions can add to your digital marketing stack. Carry on reading to find out what we’ve spent years researching!
What a top CRM tool must have to be great
A great CRM (stands for Customer Relationship Management) tool should possess multiple key qualities to be effective for businesses. Firstly, it should be user-friendly, meaning that whoever uses it should be able to navigate the platform.
This ensures that your sales managers, project managers, and any other team members can quickly learn and use it without time-consuming training sessions.
Data management is another aspect of what it takes to have a great CRM tool. The CRM should efficiently gather, organise, and store customer data, making it easy for your entire team to access.
It should also integrate seamlessly with other software and platforms, whether that be email marketing automation, analytics tools, or SMS marketing, for example. This coincides with the automation features it should possess. The CRM should automate repetitive tasks like data entry and follow-up emails, saving you and your team time.
Not to mention, it needs to have relatively in-depth analytics and reporting dashboards to allow you to gain information on what your customers are interacting with and how your sales process is flowing, so you understand where to improve based on the data.
Effective customer service is one of the most essential parts of your CRM, as without customer satisfaction, you wouldn’t be able to thrive. Therefore, access to immediate assistance should be available when issues arise.
In addition, security and data privacy are paramount to ensuring you and your customers are safe at all times. Strong CRM tools should have strong data encryption and backup features to protect your customers’ valuable information.
The top CRM tools to look out for
In order to provide a business with an all-around CRM tool, it is extremely difficult to check all the boxes that we mentioned above. However, depending on the features you need the most as a business, each of the CRM tools we list below has its own individual strengths that set them apart, meaning there may be one that stands out to you below:
- HubSpot (all-in-one CRM tool)
- Salesforce (advanced customisation)
- Zoho CRM Plus (small business CRM)
- Pipedrive (easy-to-use CRM)
- Monday.com (extensive integrations)
- Zendesk (sales forecasting)
- Freshsales (pipeline management)
Here are some of the standout features and benefits of the top CRM tools right now. To gain a deeper insight into each of these CRM systems, we’re going to break down each CRM tool individually and come to a conclusion at the end:
HubSpot CRM
HubSpot CRM differentiates itself from the rest of the CRM tools on this list through its all-in-one platform, which contains all aspects of the marketing, sales, and customer service tools that you need.
It has a user-friendly interface, which even for non-tech-savvy users makes it easy to use, along with an extensive free version that makes it accessible to companies of all sizes. HubSpot's priority for core inbound marketing strategies, along with its clever way of automating tasks, makes it an unrivalled CRM.
Not to mention the huge audience and community behind HubSpot. With all the resources at your disposal, the knowledge capabilities of the community, and the constant 24/7 support, you’ll never be stuck in your tracks.
Salesforce CRM
With Salesforce being a cloud-based CRM platform, it allows data to be accessed anywhere you are and anytime you need it. This renowned CRM tool is one of the most popular on the market today due to its innovative customisation features and advanced analytics.
Therefore, if you’re a business owner of a large enterprise with lots of experience with CRM tools, this could be the CRM to take you to the next level.
Zoho CRM Plus
On the contrary to Salesforce, if you’re a beginner with no experience using a CRM, Zoho CRM Plus is a game changer for new users. Not only does it contain great customer support, but its sales and marketing efforts give you a 360-degree view, allowing you and your team to assess every angle with ease so you can make an informed decision during the customer journey.
Pipedrive CRM
Pipedrive CRM solely focuses on helping business owners sell their products or services while being the most easy-to-use CRM on the market. Their interface is straightforward and has all the help required to allow a hassle-free experience for all users.
Monday.com CRM
Not only does Monday.com boast a wide range of integrations, making it simple to manage all aspects of what makes a great CRM, but their customisable automation features are what make them stand out compared to other CRMs.
In essence, you will only need to make a few clicks, and your real-time tasks can be moved from one section to the next while alerting your team who is responsible.
Zendesk CRM
Zendesk CRM places a high priority on customer care and the customer experience, and its integrated omnichannel solution enables you to create deep connections through engaging conversations on any channel, whether that be through email marketing, social media, etc.
Zendesk is renowned for its high ROI (Return On Investment) by helping businesses achieve faster integration and reduced handling time, ultimately leading to increased sales.
Freshsales CRM
Freshsales CRM, on the other hand, hones in on assisting sales teams in order to never leave any missing leads on the table. Their lead scoring, website tracking, and comprehensive analytics for the sales cycle allow you to grow at a rapid pace if you’re seeing a large inflow of customers in your pipeline.
What CRM tool should you choose?
Although there are so many CRM tools available, you should choose the one that suits you the most based on its best features. However, if we were to recommend one that can do everything required for your business operations, HubSpot would have to be the one to pick.
With their all-in-one marketing platform matching, everything it takes to make a great CRM tool, along with their unrivalled community, you can’t go wrong. If you want to learn more about choosing HubSpot CRM, Fuelius will be more than happy to guide you through it. Book a discovery call today!
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