Choosing the right affordable CRM software for small business is important for managing customer relationships and driving financial growth. CRM tools such as Zoho CRM, HubSpot, and Freshsales are considered to be budget-friendly also they offer key features like sales automation, contact management, and lead tracking. For small businesses, these tools enhance efficiency and scale operations effectively.
Managing even a small business is not a small task as it comes with so many components. From relationships with customers to sales, data management, and communication management; it can be a lot to deal with. That is where the CRM or Customer Relationship Management systems come into picture.
But then budget is always a consideration as a small business. The good news? There are a lot of cheap yet effective CRM software programs that are within the reach of small businesses.
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Subscribe Now!In this complete guide, however, we will review some of the best and most effective CRM software available to us, which are affordably priced in the year 2024, ensuring you will always stay organized, connect with people and expand your business using the right resources.
Before we see the list of “Best CRM software for Small Businesses”, let me answer some basic questions such as “What is CRM?” and “Why do small businesses need it?”
What is CRM software?
CRM – Customer Relationship Management, is defined as a tool that helps a business handle communication with its current clients and potential customers. The tasks of such a system involve organizing communication, recording customer data, monitoring leads, and overseeing sales funnels.
Simply put, CRM system refers to the platform that enables storage of all customers’ information and is available to your marketing team to enhance the customers’ experience, thus, helps in boost sales.
Even the most cost-effective small business can reap the sales benefits using the CRM software. CRM software makes it easy for you to streamline processes, enhance communication, and operate the business effectively without the expenses of a large workforce.
Why Do Small Businesses Need CRM Software?
Better Customer Relationship Management: A CRM is a good way to record all interactions you have had with your customers. That makes it possible for your sales staff to either follow up on leads or make calls to former clients with proposals that have been tailored to them.
Improved Sales and Marketing Alignment: CRM software enables you to track your sales funnel management as well as client data. In addition, many CRMs have additional features, including marketing automation, which allows small companies to develop their prospective leads and helps in building your brand loyalty.
Enhanced Productivity: A CRM can also make the process of running a business less tedious and more efficient as there are features like task automation and contact management. This means that instead of spending your time sorting your client’s data manually, you can focus better on growing your business efficiently.
Actionable Insights: Certain tools of CRM contain reporting and analytical features which help in determining the trends of sales, behaviour of clients, and assess how effective some marketing strategies have been. This makes it possible for businesses to make informed decisions that can improve the efficiency of their operations.
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Start Building your WebsiteTop Affordable CRM Software for Small Businesses in 2024
Let’s look at some of the best, yet affordable, CRM software options for small businesses, in 2024, categorized on some critical features, pricing, and usability to ensure these tools deliver value for money.
Zoho CRM – Best for Customization:
Zoho CRM, which is affordable and capable of customizing, is one of the most popular CRM tools for small businesses available in the market. Despite you being a proprietor or a manager managing a growing team, Zoho CRM provides an intuitive and flexible platform that can help you grow your business.
Key features:
- Customizable workflows to fit your specific business needs
- Lead management and contact scoring
- Multichannel communication, including social media, email, and live chat
- Sales automation and forecasting tools
- Free plan available for up to 3 users.
- Pricing: Zoho CRM offers a free plan; however, Zoho’s paid plans start at $14 per user/month.
Why do I consider Zoho great for small businesses? The answer is simple, low pricing with robust features, makes Zoho one of the most cost-effective CRM solutions for small businesses, known in the market.
HubSpot CRM – Best Free CRM
HubSpot CRM offers you a free plan. The best thing is that there is no time limit, as usually seen in others, hence it is like a boon for small business on a tight budget. Despite being free, HubSpot CRM provides certain powerful features that will, for sure, help small businesses grow their customer base and improve sales.
Key features:
- Free plan with unlimited users
- Email tracking and notifications
- Lead capture and management
- Sales pipeline and deal tracking
- Integration with other HubSpot tools like marketing and customer service
- Pricing: HubSpot CRM offers a free version, with paid plans for added functionality starting at $50 per month.
HubSpot is an ideal choice for startups or small businesses that need basic CRM functionalities without disturbing their pockets. Secondly, It’s easy to use and integrates seamlessly with other tools. Further, it also provides almost all the requisites you need to get started.
Freshsales by Freshworks – Best for Automation
Third in our list is Freshsales which is a part of the Freshworks suite. With its remarkable simple and intuitive interface, it is considered as an excellent choice for small businesses who are looking to automate their sales. Despite being simple to use, this CRM provides some advanced features such as lead scoring powered by AI and pipeline management.
Key features:
- Lead management with AI-powered scoring
- Built-in email marketing tools
- Automation of tasks and workflows
- Sales pipeline and deal tracking
- Sales pipeline and forecasting tools
- Mobile app to manage sales on the go
- Pricing: Freshsales offers a free plan for unlimited users, but with limited features. Paid plans start at $15 per user per month.
I’d recommend Freshsales to those whose main goal is to automate their sales process and scale operations.
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Pipedrive – Best for Sales
CRM with a reputation of closing sales is “Pipedrive” aka “sales-centric CRM“. Alike Freshsales, it also comes with a simple user interface with emphasis on sales pipeline management. With such unique features, it is perfect for startups and small sales teams looking for a CRM that simplifies the process of managing leads and deals.
Key features:
- Visual sales pipeline to track deals at every stage
- Activity scheduling and task automation
- Lead generation tools
- Email integration and tracking
- Mobile app for sales on the go
- Pricing: No free plan. Paid plans start at $12.50 per user per month.
In a nutshell, Pipedrive is a powerful and affordable CRM solution that will help you stay organized and close deals more efficiently.
Insightly – Best for Project Management Integration
I have selected “Insightly CRM” in this list as it can offer both CRM and project management tools for small businessess. In addition to providing you with features like customer relationships management, Insightly also allows you to track projects, tasks, and deadlines all in one platform.
Key features:
- Project management tools integrated with CRM
- Task management and automation
- Lead and contact management
- Integration with popular tools like G Suite, Mailchimp, and QuickBooks
- Mobile app for managing customer relationships on the go
- Pricing: Insightly offers a free plan for up to 2 users. Paid plans starts at $29 per user per month.
To sum up, Insightly is perfect for small businesses that need to manage projects as well as build customer relationships. Overall, it can be considered as a CRM providing a well-rounded solution for growing companies.
How to Choose the Right CRM for Your Small Business?
You should consider the following factors that will help you in selecting the best & affordable CRM software for small business.
- Budget: Start with your pocket first. You must know how much you can afford. If you have a tight budget, you should opt for free CRM software like HubSpot or at least look for software that can offer free plans like ZOHO or Freshsales. Later, if you like the features, you can upgrade to the paid plans.
- Features:
- Freshsales: For advanced automation.
- Pipedrive: For sales-focused businesses. This CRM offers an intuitive sales pipeline that will simplify managing your deals with your clients.
- Ease of Use: HubSpot and Pipedrive have a user-friendly interface – best suited for small businesses new to CRM.
- Scalability: ZOHO and Freshsales offer scalable pricing plans that don’t put heavy load on your pocket in the beginning. Later, when your business expands, you can upgrade as per your business needs.
- Customer Support: ZOHO and Insightly provide good customer support.
Now, Talking About My Personal Favorite CRM 🙂
It can be tough to select apt CRM software among so many great options available. But ZOHO CRM is my favorite amongst others because it strikes a perfect balance between affordability and flexibility.
ZOHO with its free plan, easy to customize, provision of Sales automation, responsive customer support service, and security makes it more reliable, efficient, and pocket-friendly.
From managing customer relationships to helping my business grow, Zoho does that for me. I highly recommend giving ZOHO a try if you’re looking for a CRM that can grow with your business.
