“Running a start-up is like chewing glass and staring into the abyss. After a while, you stop staring, but the glass chewing never ends”. – Elon Musk.
As a startup runner, you basically wear different hats. Sometimes, you are the finance guy who is building the culture and most importantly, customers.
Customers are the lifeline of your startup. Every company ( startup included ) needs a CRM tool to manage their customers, store all their information and contacts, and streamline the process.
So that you can focus on the other parts of your business, there are so many CRMs available in the market.
Not every CRM is going to fit all your needs. Every business is different depending on your budget, scalability, and workflow.
If you choose the wrong CRM for startup, transferring data to another CRM can be a headache.
In this article, I will help you choose the best CRM for your startup. Having worked with a lot of startups, I am very experienced with CRM tools.
What is a CRM tool? Features you should look for in a CRM tool –
A CRM is a software that helps you collect your customer’s data, such as ( Phone No and emails) in one place. It basically monitors every step of your sales process.
Track each step of your customer from entering into a funnel to buying a stage. It increases your trust with your customers, suppliers and partners.
Features you should look for when purchasing a CRM –
1. Sales Automation – Pick a CRM tool that automates the whole process so that you and your team can focus on important things.
2. Price – There are some CRM solutions out there that are expensive. Decide your budget, and go with the one that suits your pocket.
3. Features – Your CRM must have customized features which allow you to tailor your CRM to your specific business needs.
4. Scalability – Invest in a CRM that scales with your startup over time.
5. Integrations – It’s the most important feature for your CRM that you must have.
TOP 7 BEST CRM FOR STARTUPS
1. HubSpot CRM
HubSpot CRM is a free CRM for a startup company. It provides dozens of tools for sales, operations, market, and customer service.
HubSpot also provides features to manage your social media content, such as uploading blog posts, managing email campaigns, and chatting live with customers.
Benefits of using HubSpot CRM -
1. HubSpot offers a 90% discount in its startup program for new startups. They will help you with training and friendly boarding for startup.
2. HubSpot works well with GSuite.
3. You can connect Zapier with HubSpot, which makes it easy to share information across different applications.
4. It’s a free CRM. You can start with some basic features like reporting, automation, etc., for free.
5. You will easily assign and track all of your leads, check the sales process, and record all your customer interactions across different channels.
Cons of using Hubspot as a CRM -
1. A lot of customization options are limited in HubSpot. If you are a niche startup it could be an issue. It’s a free basic package it’s not enough. Eventually, you will buy add-on packages to boost CRM features.
Pricing – HubSpot is a free CRM with several users that offers certain basic features.
2. ZOHO CRM
Zoho CRM helps you set long-term (KPIs) and monitor sales via its dashboard. It’s a full-featured CRM with reporting tools, automated workflows, content management, and lead generation.
Zoho allows you to read and respond to your customer queries from live chat, email, and phone.
1. Zoho is designed for startups and small businesses. Its interface is very simple to use.
2. Zoho CRM integrates with Google, Facebook, Twitter, and all social platforms.
3. Zoho provides an overview of your sales activity with dashboards.
4. If you are starting with a small team you can get basic functionalities for free.
Cons of using Zoho CRM -
1. The user interface looks outdated.
2. The free plan is limited.
3. SUGAR CRM
It is one of the oldest CRM systems after Salesforce launched in 2004. Sugar CRM has evolved from an end-to-end customer interaction platform to addressing sales, service desk features, and marketing.
It’s not as deep as Salesforce CRM, but it’s complex to use and nearly as expensive as Salesforce.
Sugar CRM is a developer-friendly open-source CRM. Developers are given tools for editing.
4. CLOSE CRM
It is a great CRM tool if you are starting. It has a great automation feature that will help you generate leads and conduct sales.
If you are running a small startup, the marketing head of a medium-sized company close CRM is for you. One of the best features Close CRM provides is that you can easily manage your sales calls using VOIP.
You can launch and review your Zoom call using the application.
5. MONDAY CRM
Monday CRM is really useful for small and medium-sized teams, startups, and businesses. It will help you stay organized and get things done in a streamlined way.
Monday will help you with onboarding and ticket requests. The free Monday CRM plan is good for up to 2 users. They provide over 200 free templates with unlimited boards and docs.
The free version lets you use Android and IOS applications.
6. INSIGHTLY CRM
It is an easy-to-use CRM system designed for small-medium-sized businesses. The insightly interface is easy to use and has customizable landing pages.
It offers you four dashboards: Project Dashboards, Opportunities Dashboards, and Lead dashboards. You can also create dashboards entirely from scratch and distribute them to your colleagues associated with your CRM account.
Insightly helps you manage your projects with IOS and Android Applications.
7. SALESFORCE CRM
It is one of the industry-leading CRMs that is used regularly by Fortune 500 companies. It is an all-in-one solution that manages your contacts, leads, and customers.
Suppose you are looking for an all-in-one CRM that is full of features and capable of providing large-scale solutions. It provides a variety of integration and customization options.
If you are starting with this CRM, the Salesforce team will help you with plenty of support. It integrates with more than 1,000 platforms.