The Top 10 CRM Tools for Small Businesses in 2022

For galore tiny businesses, the biggest archetypal situation is being capable to find your archetypal fewer customers. However, erstwhile that archetypal question of customers comes rushing in, it tin go hard and cumbersome trying to instrumentality attraction of your existing clients portion guiding caller customers done your funnel. Some tiny businesses don’t adjacent person funnels yet, simply due to the fact that they’re excessively engaged scrambling to conscionable deadlines and lawsuit expectations.

That’s wherever CRMs travel in. Small concern CRM bundle helps organizations straighten retired their income systems and standard up their lawsuit base. 

In this article, we’ll instrumentality a person look astatine wherefore each tiny concern should usage a CRM, what makes for a large CRM solution, and which bundle is close for your concern needs.

What Is Small Business CRM Software?

Let’s commencement disconnected with what a CRM is. CRM stands for “customer narration management,” which specifically refers to the process of keeping way of your customers, particularly arsenic they pertain to your income cycle.

CRM bundle is simply a benignant of integer level that companies usage to assistance them negociate relationships with their customers, arsenic good arsenic different concern functions related to sales, lawsuit service, marketing, and adjacent operations. 

However, not each CRM bundle is the same. Some CRMs are made for ample enterprises, portion others are designed to beryllium CRM bundle for tiny businesses. That’s due to the fact that adjacent the champion CRM retired determination whitethorn cater to a corp and not needfully beryllium the easiest CRM strategy for a tiny concern to usage (or wage for). 

Why Do Growing Businesses Need to Use a CRM?

Nowadays, it’s hard for immoderate concern to run without having immoderate benignant of integer strategy successful spot to look aft their data. These integer systems and tools, similar CRMs oregon immoderate tiny concern income software, assistance increasing companies and tiny businesses alike to not lone drawback up with technologically precocious customers but besides summation a competitory advantage.

That said, immoderate tiny businesses proceed to trust connected manually keeping way of their customers with spreadsheets oregon adjacent successful a spiral notebook. And portion these “minimalistic” CRM systems tin beryllium a bully starting constituent for immoderate tiny business, eventually, if you program connected expanding your concern levels, you’ll request a lawsuit absorption bundle that tin standard with your lawsuit base.

What Are the Benefits of a CRM System?

There are galore advantages to utilizing CRM tools successful a tiny business, each of which assistance you to streamline your day-to-day operations and turn your concern faster. Here are a fewer of the ways successful which adjacent a elemental SMB CRM tin assistance a tiny concern expand:

1. Stronger Customer Relationships

Being capable to stock your lawsuit information with each your squad members from 1 determination means you tin present a consistently affirmative acquisition for your customers, nary substance who they’re talking to you astatine your business. That way, you tin physique stronger relationships with your existing customers portion nurturing your leads, each from the aforesaid place.

2. Keeps Your Teams Connected

Many of the champion tiny concern CRMs connection task absorption features that assistance individuals crossed your enactment support each different updated connected circumstantial tasks without needing to permission the platform. This helps to minimize immoderate errors oregon mishaps that often effect from delayed oregon fragmented connection betwixt teams. 

3. Better Understanding of Your Business’ Performance

As the saying goes, “what gets measured, gets managed.” And erstwhile it comes to increasing a tiny business, not having factual information to analyse your business’ show is often a limiting factor. Tools similar CRMs springiness tiny businesses the capableness to work much customers astatine higher concern levels by providing income forecasts and elaborate analytics.

4. Centralized Database of Information

Having a CRM gives tiny businesses a spot to store each their customer-related information and accusation successful 1 centralized location. As opposed to fragmented systems wherever squad members person to scavenge for accusation crossed aggregate incompatible systems, CRMs marque it casual to propulsion up immoderate applicable details astir immoderate lawsuit astatine a moment’s notice. 

5. Improved Customer Segmentation

Because of each the information that CRMs cod connected your customers, you’re amended capable to benignant and conception your lawsuit basal into categories on antithetic types of dimensions. For example, successful summation to basal filtering criteria similar demographics, you tin usage a CRM to radical your customers according to much insightful accusation specified arsenic their mean acquisition size oregon frequence of purchases.

6. Saves Time and Money

One of the lesser known features of lawsuit narration oregon lawsuit absorption bundle is the quality to automate antithetic parts of your business. From one-on-one messaging with your customers to administrative tasks and wide operations management, CRM solutions assistance tiny businesses marque much businesslike usage of their time, which leads to amended profitability.

Of course, a batch of this depends connected which CRM level your tiny concern ends up using.

What Makes a Great Small Business CRM?

From a purely subjective standpoint, immoderate tiny concern CRMs whitethorn enactment amended than others simply based connected what you request and prefer. In wide though, determination are galore features that are commonly sought-after among SMBs and startups.

1. Multiple Integrations

If you’re a tiny concern that’s already utilizing respective platforms to pass with your customers—whether done marketing, sales, oregon lawsuit support—you’ll apt privation a CRM that’s compatible with those platforms. However, the champion CRM for your tiny concern is the 1 that seamlessly integrates with each of your platforms, fundamentally creating a afloat integer strategy to tally your business.

Some of the much communal types of integrations that tiny businesses look for successful CRMs include:

• Phone system
• Livechat/Chatbot program
• Email client
• Digital selling platforms (e.g. Google Analytics, Facebook Ads)
• Personal/Business calendars
• Invoicing software
• Point-of-sale (POS) systems

2. On-the-Go & Cloud-Based Functionality

Small businesses are opening to trust mostly connected integer tools and platforms to behaviour their day-to-day activities. Consequently, galore of the much fashionable and preferred tiny concern CRMs are designed arsenic cloud-based softwares. Several of these cloud-based CRMs connection their ain smartphone app mentation of their bundle arsenic well, which lets tiny concern owners and employees negociate lawsuit interactions from anywhere.

This is peculiarly utile for retail businesses oregon immoderate institution that uses tablets, phones, and different mobile devices to prosecute with their customers.

Small concern CRM solutions that connection autochthonal iOS and Android app versions (as opposed to browser-based apps) besides let users to stock information and capabilities with different mobile applications. The champion mobile CRMs are designed from scratch, which typically makes for a much user-friendly experience.

3. Organizes, Aligns, and Enhances Your Funnel

A large situation for galore tiny businesses is figuring retired however to acceptable up and operation their income funnel from top-to-bottom.

That’s wherefore the amended options for tiny concern CRM bundle don’t conscionable assistance you cod and negociate your information but besides leverage it to tweak and optimize your funnel.

Cross-platform integrations besides marque definite each your teams crossed concern functions are moving unneurotic and utilizing the aforesaid accusation passim the lawsuit journey. This prevents things similar messaging and enactment tickets from getting mixed up.

What Other Criteria Should You Look for successful Choosing the CRM for Your Business?

Rather than comparison tiny concern CRMs side-by-side based connected their features, it’s champion to commencement looking for a CRM by clarifying your peculiar concern needs.

You and your squad volition request to see respective evaluative factors, specified as:

• What benignant of customers are you serving?
• What added benefits bash you privation from your CRM?
• What bundle bash you usage that would request to integrate with your CRM system?
• What are your existent concern levels similar now, and what bash you expect them to beryllium successful the future?
• Who is going to usage your CRM?
• How overmuch are you consenting to walk connected a CRM?

It’s important that you walk arsenic overmuch clip arsenic you request to sermon these questions successful extent with your team. Setting up a CRM for your tiny concern tin beryllium an costly investment, truthful you privation to beryllium definite that you’re picking the close solution for your situation.

Once you’ve travel to an statement connected these evaluative factors, you’ll request to instrumentality immoderate further steps to assistance constrictive down your options.

Small Business CRM Features to Look for

Here are immoderate of the cardinal features to look retired for erstwhile buying for a tiny concern CRM:

1. User-Friendly Interface

User acquisition mightiness not beryllium the archetypal diagnostic that comes to caput erstwhile you’re reasoning of criteria for your CRM. And often that’s due to the fact that user-friendly CRMs are intuitive and casual to use. On the different hand, CRMs that are clunky and hard to navigate tin extremity up causing tons of frustration. Even the astir blase capabilities are useless if they’re hard to use.

2. Industry Specialization

Nowadays, you tin find CRMs built for circumstantial industries oregon types of businesses. Whether you’re a selling bureau oregon a realtor, you’ll apt travel crossed CRM platforms custom-fit for the unsocial needs of your business. You whitethorn find that an industry-specific CRM works champion for the benignant of merchandise oregon work you present and comes with nuanced features that generic CRMs don’t have. 

3. Customizability

On a much idiosyncratic level, it’s bully to usage a CRM that gives you afloat power implicit diagnostic activation and idiosyncratic privileges. Even if you’re moving with a tiny concern CRM strategy that’s made for your industry, your business’ needs are astir apt antithetic from others. Having the quality to customize your organization’s CRM means you tin get escaped of immoderate features you don’t request and support the acquisition cleanable and simple.

4. Automation

With astute technologies connected the rise, we’ve started to spot an expanding fig of CRMs incorporated AI- and ML-based elements and tools into their software. These added capabilities spell a agelong mode to helping your concern tally connected its ain and staying successful interaction with your customers, adjacent portion you’re asleep. 

5. Affordability

Of course, 1 of the apical criteria to support successful caput portion evaluating immoderate CRM is however overmuch it costs. Especially for tiny businesses that are conscionable starting retired oregon bootstrapping, you’ll privation to absorption connected CRMs that are some cost-efficient and acceptable wrong your budget.

6. Scalability

While you whitethorn beryllium tempted to prime retired a CRM that you tin spend close now, besides beryllium definite to deliberation astir whether the CRM you’re leaning toward volition beryllium capable to standard with you arsenic your concern grows. Free oregon low-cost CRMs whitethorn look similar a viable enactment for your existent situation, but you besides request to find whether the CRM you take contiguous volition beryllium capable to negociate tomorrow’s concern levels.

7. Easy to acceptable up and use

Another cardinal origin to see erstwhile reviewing CRMs is however casual it is to usage and acceptable up for your business. Lots of CRMs look large connected insubstantial and incorporate awesome and almighty features, but you whitethorn find that immoderate CRMs consciousness amended simply due to the fact that they present a user-friendly experience. 

How Much Is a CRM for a Small Business?

The full outgo of a tiny concern CRM volition beryllium connected 3 main factors — the package/tier, the price, and the fig of users.

The champion and astir fashionable CRM platforms typically connection antithetic plans oregon packages depending connected your needs. If you’re conscionable looking for indispensable features similar interaction and deals management, you’ll apt opt for a basal program that’s besides affordably-priced. On the different extremity of the spectrum, you’ll find full-blown CRM packages that supply large-scale income automation and different precocious features. 

In general, CRMs are priced monthly by the fig of strategy users successful your organization. That means the full outgo of a CRM per period volition beryllium equivalent to the platform’s basal outgo multiplied by the fig of squad members who are utilizing it.

When considering the fig of users for your CRM, marque definite you’re lone including members connected your squad who really request entree to your CRM to execute their tasks. While astir customer-facing roles volition necessitate CRM privileges, the bulk of employees focused connected accumulation and operations astir apt won’t person overmuch usage for this benignant of software. 

Paid plans typically commencement from arsenic debased arsenic $7 per idiosyncratic and tin tally arsenic precocious arsenic $99 per user.

Is There a Completely Free CRM?

There are galore CRMs that connection escaped plans for caller users. While these are often pared-down versions of full-featured CRMs, they supply each the basal functions that each tiny concern needs for effectual lawsuit narration management.

However, immoderate businesses whitethorn find these “freemium” CRMs to beryllium a spot restrictive, arsenic escaped versions are often constricted successful presumption of features and usage capacities. 

As a result, if you’re looking for a CRM for your tiny concern that’s wholly free, your champion stake is to hunt for a solution that gives you each the income tools you request without trying to get you to upgrade to a paid plan. Try to instrumentality to platforms that springiness you afloat entree to each their income and selling features astatine nary further cost. In immoderate cases, you whitethorn adjacent beryllium capable to find a tiny concern CRM that specifically serves your goals and needs, similar Semrush CRM, which is simply a free CRM solution for integer selling agencies.

The 10 Best Small Business CRM Solutions

If you bash a speedy Google search, you’ll find hundreds of antithetic CRMs disposable each implicit the web, each with their ain unsocial features and capabilities.

So to assistance you find your mode done the oversea of CRMs, we’ve enactment unneurotic a database of the apical tiny concern CRMs successful 2022:

(Disclaimer: Prices beneath are valid arsenic of May 2022)

1. Semrush CRM

Key Features:

From the aforesaid radical who brought you 1 of the apical SEO and integer selling platforms, Semrush CRM is simply a escaped lawsuit narration absorption bundle made for agencies and selling teams. This CRM allows you to integrate your income pipeline and funnel with information from your lawsuit projects, making it an perfect enactment for increasing agencies that privation to negociate each their lawsuit information from 1 platform. 

Pros:

• Free
• Enriched lawsuit and imaginable data
• Easy collaboration crossed teams and with clients

Cons:

• Made specifically for agencies

Who is it champion for:

• Digital agencies and immoderate businesses that usage an bureau model

Pricing:

• Free

Get started with Semrush CRM escaped today →

2. Hubspot CRM

Key Features:

As 1 of the much well-known lawsuit narration absorption platforms, Hubspot’s escaped CRM offers users a robust acceptable of indispensable features, specified arsenic interaction absorption for up to a cardinal contacts and adjacent email selling capabilities. For tiny businesses that trust heavy connected email for one-on-one communications with leads and clients, Hubspot besides helps you way whether your recipients unfastened your emails and when. 

Pros:

• Unlimited information storage
• Free program is escaped forever
• Lots of integrations with fashionable productivity apps

Cons:

• Very constricted automation successful escaped version

Who is it champion for:

• Most tiny businesses, peculiarly immoderate that trust heavy connected different cloud-based platforms and tools

Pricing:

• Hubspot’s CRM itself is wholly free
• Various “Hub” add-ons disposable starting astatine $50 each per month

3. Pipedrive

Key Features:

If you’re looking for a sleek and highly intuitive idiosyncratic experience, Pipedrive is decidedly worthy considering. On apical of helping you automatically signifier your day-to-day correspondences crossed devices, this CRM stands retired successful peculiar for allowing users to visualize the full income process from the commencement of a woody to closing. 

Pros:

• Easy-to-use interface
• 24/7 email and unrecorded chat support
• Over 275 apps and integrations

Cons:

• No escaped mentation available; lone a 14-day escaped trial
• Security features lone included with Enterprise plan

Who is it champion for: 

• Small businesses that privation a cleanable and elemental idiosyncratic interface with each the halfway features of a coagulated CRM

Pricing:

• Essential program starts astatine $12.50 per idiosyncratic per month

4. Insightly

Key Features:

Insightly’s main worth proposition revolves astir its Business Intelligence (BI) features, which, arsenic the sanction suggests, gives tiny businesses utile insights into their income information and performance. This CRM besides comes with a sidebar Chrome hold that makes it easier to input lawsuit information into your CRM connected the fly. 

Pros:

• Comprehensive task absorption level built-in
• Lead routing and absorption with milestone tracking
• Multi-step workflow automation

Cons:

• No escaped mentation available
• Advanced features not included successful basal plan

Who is it champion for:

• Small businesses that privation to beryllium capable to negociate some projects and their income pipeline utilizing the aforesaid platform

Pricing:

• Plus program (their cheapest option) costs $29 per idiosyncratic per month, billed annually

5. Keap

Key Features:

Known successful peculiar for its email and selling automations, Keap is different all-in-one CRM solution that’s built to standard with your business. Preset templates and customizable workflow automations assistance your concern to tally connected autopilot and tin prevention your squad 10 hours a week connected average. 

Pros:

• Automated income cadences and follow-up sequences
• User-friendly interface
• Comprehensive interaction management

Cons:

• Lead-scoring lone disposable successful Keap Pro
• Advanced functionalities instrumentality immoderate clip to learn
• Basic program is connected the pricier side

Who is it champion for:

• Any tiny businesses that regularly nonstop email updates to their customers

Pricing:

• Lite program starts astatine $79 per period for 1 user, billed monthly

6. EngageBay

Key Features:

From solopreneurs to established companies, EngageBay offers 1 of the astir broad CRMs astatine a comparatively affordable price. Equipped with plentifulness of selling tools similar landing leafage builders and pb procreation forms, this is the cleanable CRM bundle for businesses that privation to negociate their income and selling efforts from 1 interface.

Pros:

• All-in-one level that supports a assortment of concern needs
• Built-in connection hub
• Fast and adjuvant lawsuit service

Cons:

• Not the astir intuitive idiosyncratic interface
• Less than perfect grooming documentation for caller users

Who is it champion for:

• Small businesses and startups looking for a CRM with almighty selling automation

Pricing:

• Free program available
• Basic program starts astatine $14.99 per idiosyncratic per month, billed monthly

7. Salesforce

Key Features:

As 1 of the apical CRMs overall, Salesforce is 1 of the astir precocious lawsuit narration absorption softwares disposable for tiny businesses. That’s due to the fact that Salesforce comprises a web of features and platforms built to code each aspects of the lawsuit journey, from SMS messaging to email selling and integer advertising.

Pros:

• Fully cloud-based platform
• Able to link with different almighty Salesforce tools and platforms

Cons:

• Steep learning curve
• No escaped version
• Setup whitethorn instrumentality longer than different CRMs

Who is it champion for:

• Growing businesses that are looking for a full-fledged CRM with limitless scalability

Pricing:

• Essentials program starts astatine $25 per idiosyncratic per period erstwhile paid annually

8. Bigin by Zoho CRM

Key Features: 

Bigin is simply a pipeline-based CRM solution from Zoho CRM that’s tailored wholly to tiny businesses. Designed to beryllium lightweight and straightforward for users, Bigin offers each the bare essentials for mounting up a coagulated CRM strategy and leaves retired the analyzable functionalities and steep learning curve that travel with heavy-duty CRMs.

Pros:

• Native mobile mentation available
• Built-in telephony
• Customizable dashboards

Cons:

• Certain mobile integrations lone disposable connected iOS and not Android
• Minimalist interface whitethorn instrumentality immoderate getting utilized to for accepted CRM users

Who is it champion for:

• Bigin is cleanable for tiny businesses that privation a elemental CRM that’s accessible connected some PCs and mobile devices

Pricing: 

• Free program available
• Express program starts astatine $9 per idiosyncratic per month

9. Capsule

Key Features:

For immoderate businesses that trust chiefly connected cloud-based platforms for moving and collaborating, Capsule provides a sleek online attack to lawsuit narration management. Trusted by thousands of businesses astir the world, this tiny concern CRM strategy offers loads of customizable features, from idiosyncratic permissions to customized filters and views for income pipelines. The extended customization makes Capsule the cleanable CRM for tiny businesses that are looking to modulation from an overly-simplistic solution to thing that offers much precocious capabilities.

Pros:

• Contact re-engagement reminders
• Wide scope of integrations circumstantial to SMB tools and platforms
• Clean and straightforward interface

Cons:

• Lackluster analytics
• Limited scalability for increasing businesses

Who is it champion for:

• Small businesses looking for a CRM that makes cross-team collaboration easy

Pricing:

• Free plan
• Professional mentation starts astatine $18 per idiosyncratic per month, billed monthly

10. Agile CRM

Key Features:

Agile CRM markets itself arsenic an all-in-one tiny concern level equipped with Fortune 500 functionalities. This includes features specified arsenic income gamification and adjacent a built-in wireframe instrumentality for prototyping your integer assets and products. Their one-click plugins and integrations besides marque it casual to sync your CRM with each the third-party apps and services you presently usage to behaviour business.

Pros:

• Very affordable
• Automated income pipeline system

Cons:

• Not the astir integratable CRM
• Subpar reporting

Who is it champion for:

• Small to medium-sized businesses that privation sales, marketing, and work automation each successful 1 CRM platform

Pricing:

• Free mentation available
• Starter program starts astatine $14.99 per idiosyncratic per month, billed monthly

These are conscionable a fewer of the galore CRM systems disposable for tiny businesses. This is wherefore it’s worthy mounting speech a tenable magnitude of clip to filter done the antithetic tiny concern CRMs connected the marketplace to marque definite you don’t permission retired immoderate compatible platforms.

However, adjacent the champion wide CRM for tiny businesses whitethorn not beryllium the champion CRM for your tiny business. Here’s however to onshore connected the close solution for your needs.

The Best CRM System for Marketing Teams and Agencies

While determination are galore CRMs aimed specifically astatine selling agencies, lone a fistful connection the precocious functions that marketers usage connected a regular ground to fulfill tasks and projects for their clients.

Some full-fledged CRMs similar Hubspot and Keap bash supply selling automation tools, but these services typically outgo extra. In addition, astir CRMs are built arsenic all-purpose platforms intended to service a assortment of industries and concern types.

For agencies that are looking for a CRM solution that cleanly connects with their day-to-day selling activities, Semrush offers its ain free CRM.

How to Use Semrush CRM?

Semrush CRM is simply a lawsuit narration absorption level made specifically for online selling agencies. Built connected apical of Semrush’s suite of integer selling tools, the Semrush CRM is dedicated to helping agencies make caller concern much efficiently portion keeping existing clients happy.

What You Can Do with Semrush CRM

Unlike different CRMs that are geared toward agencies, Semrush CRM is built from the crushed up arsenic an hold of an existing selling platform. This offers respective benefits circumstantial to increasing selling agencies:

• Convenient organized retention of each your lawsuit information successful 1 place, from interaction accusation and details to speedy notes, task files, and lawsuit assets
• Enriched information astir your leads and clients, including the circumstantial selling and improvement tools they usage and instant entree to their societal media profiles
• Straightforward task absorption that gives everyone connected your squad the quality to create, edit, and prioritize tasks crossed aggregate projects
• The quality to make lawsuit portals, which let your squad to stock custom-branded reports with your lawsuit and petition support for required tasks

These are conscionable a fewer of the cardinal features included with Semrush CRM. To find retired much astir what Semrush CRM tin do, visit the main page.

How to Get Started with Semrush CRM

Getting started connected Semrush CRM is arsenic elemental arsenic signing up and adding your clients to your interaction database.

Once you’ve created your account, you’ll beryllium capable to negociate and show your full lawsuit workflow, from onboarding to task fulfillment. For each lawsuit you adhd to your CRM, you’ll beryllium capable to link information from different Semrush selling tools to your client’s profile.

For much info connected however to marque the astir of Semrush CRM for your business, delight refer to this article.

Conclusion

As integer technologies go a bigger portion of lawsuit journeys, businesses of each sizes request to leverage CRMs and different sales-based platforms to support up with consumers, particularly tiny businesses.

Not lone bash CRM systems let tiny businesses to store each their lawsuit information successful 1 spot, but galore platforms besides supply further capabilities specified arsenic collaborative task absorption and precocious selling automations.

While determination are galore fashionable and well-known CRMs disposable connected the market, immoderate CRMs enactment amended than others depending connected the benignant of tiny concern you’re running. Much of the deciding criteria volition revolve astir your peculiar needs and the different kinds of bundle you’re presently using. 

Marketing teams and agencies successful peculiar request a CRM that’s capable to integrate with specialized selling tools portion besides keeping way of ongoing lawsuit projects.

For integer agencies that are looking to grow their lawsuit portfolio, Semrush CRM offers a almighty solution that connects to different Semrush tools and is wholly free.