Customer relationship management programs, commonly known as CRM software, are programs whose purpose is to track consumer activity for advertising, marketing and consumer trend research purposes. Not all companies need one in order to survive, but it is true that its implementation makes it possible to know the real desires and needs of consumers, which allows adapting the product to what the public really demands.
To find out what these programs can provide and how they change the way we relate to consumers in the business world, we are going to show you the 8 best CRM software of the moment and the advantages of using them.
1. HubSpot
Not only is it a complete and very intuitive CRM software, but all its CRM options come as standard free of charge and without restrictions.
It allows you to manage your own pipeline with total transparency, know the list of interactions of a specific lead, contact your customers via chat or record their activity for purely statistical purposes with total accuracy.
Its interface is one of the cleanest in the comparison, which translates into a very streamlined control, ideal for the most inexperienced with this type of corporate software.
And it does not suffer from jerks or require your computer a large amount of resources to operate, since it does not even require downloads: everything works in the cloud, and saves your data automatically so you can consult them whenever you need them.
2. CRMLab
Recently created, since it has only been on the market for 3 years, it is the ideal program for those looking for a more customized solution.
It has a specific version for SMEs and comes standard with several plugins to integrate with WordPress and merchants such as WooCommerce, streamlining the synchronization of content on different communication platforms and adding custom options to increase the accuracy of the analysis.
It is available for free for one user and can expand its functionalities with the monthly or annual plan, being able to add more contacts and customers. One of the best CRM programs in the industry despite its short history.
3. Zoho
It is quite similar to what CRMLab offers, only that Zoho's character is much more international. It does not have such a clear interface as the first one, but its functionalities are fairly even.
It brings with it personalized analysis tools, artificial intelligence, unlimited storage, advanced payment plans, statistical study of consumer trends, automation of sales processes and elaboration of advertising communications via e-mail.
It is available for just 9 euros per month per user, although it is expected to expand the payment plans to more advanced ones as it adds more functionalities in the coming months.
4. Streak
This is one of the best proposals for those who are looking for a simple relationship management tool for the consumer.
It is true that it is one of the simplest versions and has hardly any additions, but it is committed to a much more visual, direct and easy style, without complications and showing all the available options in order to universalize the use of CRM programs.
Its main asset is the synchronization with Gmail, which allows to bring together in one place everything related to consumer trend studies to carry out detailed reports with much more accurate information.
It also allows remote management of several Gmail accounts, something that is included in the free version of the program and for which there is no need to upgrade to a higher version. The more advanced versions extend the limit of added clients, include several options to automate reporting and allow you to synchronize all the information related to your business in the cloud.
5. Bitrix24
A very complete CRM for sales and business management that, nevertheless, falters where the simplest programs do their best: in synchronization.
However, its use is essential if you are looking for a program capable not so much of synchronizing your content in the cloud as of facilitating the management of the information you store.
Its interface combines graphs to create reports and trend files with the necessary tools to share them at the company level and draw conclusions to optimize sales strategies and improve the brand image for future consumers.
6. Freshales
This is another of the great alternatives in the CRM software sector that is committed to supporting data in visual reports, reducing the space dedicated to texts to a minimum and facilitating the preparation of reports in projections and conferences.
It comes standard with a contact, account and customer manager to begin to take the first steps in the study of customer consumption trends.
The more advanced versions have their own sales manager that works on several fronts: it manages stock, adjusts marketing strategies, optimizes resources to provide better customer service and publishes suggestions to improve the relationship with your platform's consumers.
It has multi-channel monitoring options to interact simultaneously on several fronts, allowing your team to work together at the same time and improve in different areas of your company.
7. Salesforce
It is one of the most complete CRM software by combining in a single platform contact management services, market opportunities study, integration options of emails from different platforms and having the necessary tools to develop sales forecasts in a hurry.
It provides business leaders with an overall vision of the company's operation by combining in a single platform a complete company manager synchronized with the rest of your devices.
It allows access at all times to the latest data recorded in the cloud through your personal smartphone or company tablet, affecting sales forecasts, profit estimates and facilitating the preparation of monthly, quarterly and annual balance sheets.
8. Insightly
Insightly is very similar to the options that opt for a sober design, a few brief drop-downs and the limitation of combined functionalities so as not to compromise its handling.
However, the limited trial period (it only lasts two weeks) and the obligation to contract one of the monthly plans to have all the functions make it less attractive for those who want to try it for a longer period of time to make sure of the suitability of its proposal.
It has two free accesses that allow two users to connect at the same time to have all the functionalities, while the rest of additional users will be able to have the same advantages for an additional payment of about 25 euros per month.
Our recommendation for getting the best CRM software for your business
Although all CRM programs have similar functionalities (as we will see in the next section of the article), you should check several aspects before you definitively implement CRM software in your business.
1.- Do you really need a CRM software? Although if you have come this far we take it for granted that you do, you should know if your business really needs a CRM. The truth is that in this day and age using CRM software is vital to record interactions with your customers and make a monthly, semi-annual or annual balance to try to improve branding and improve your position in the market.
A CRM software allows you to record your interactions with customers, something that can be done manually in the early stages of your business but in the long run ends up being tedious, so the answer is yes: you are going to need it.
2.- Ask yourself what kind of CRM you want to get. What CRM do you need? There is operational CRM, collaborative CRM and analytical CRM, and we are going to explain briefly how they differ.
Operational CRM is the one that deals with the general management of customer relations.
Collaborative CRM studies everything related to monitoring and interaction with customers, facilitating the concentration of each interaction with leads and channeling those who are most likely to become new customers.
Analytics is the one that allows you to analyze the information of past customers to establish comparisons with previous and current results, allowing you to discover if you are getting better or worse customer-facing.
How do you interact with your leads on a regular basis? Finding out how CRM facilitates your sales reps' interaction with customers facilitates your sales reps' interaction with potential customers, which ends up being beneficial to your business.
Features common to all current CRM software
CRM software share a number of features that you should be aware of, apart from the complementary additions of the higher versions, which we are going to detail below:
1.- Manage data and customer relationships. When your business has grown sufficiently and it is impossible for you to dedicate yourself entirely to studying the interactions with your customers, a CRM software stands as the great savior that allows you to continue working on these aspects without compromising the operation of your business. Managing the data related to dealing with customers is essential and will be the first thing the program will do.
2.- It integrates with external tools. Some more than others, all CRM applications have external integration resources that allow you to have extra additions to obtain more accurate and detailed results.
Streamlines processes and promotes customer segmentation. This is essential for those who want to know more about the customer target and the consumer profile to be addressed. Studying consumer behaviors will allow grouping them and customizing marketing and advertising strategies to each one of them.
What are the advantages of using CRM software?
CRM software may not seem very useful at first, but it is an indispensable tool when the business has taken off and is working with large enough order volumes to require market research and classification of customer interactions.
Optimize time and simplify management. When working with large numbers of customers, CRM software applications save so much work that it is essential to work with one of these tools. It saves a great deal of time studying the customer and provides quick and effective solutions to sales strategies.
2.- It provides a critical view of your work. It is especially important that you take criticism on the good side, since everything is done to improve. The most important thing is to know what causes the quality deficit in a certain department and, with the help of CRM software, to know the possible solutions to try to improve interactions with customers and make their in-store experience as pleasant as possible.
3.- Improve your company's criteria. The use of CRM software also allows you to identify new leads and prospects that help your business grow, one more reason to implement it in yours.
To find out what these programs can provide and how they change the way we relate to consumers in the business world, we are going to show you the 8 best CRM software of the moment and the advantages of using them.
1. HubSpot
Not only is it a complete and very intuitive CRM software, but all its CRM options come as standard free of charge and without restrictions.
It allows you to manage your own pipeline with total transparency, know the list of interactions of a specific lead, contact your customers via chat or record their activity for purely statistical purposes with total accuracy.
Its interface is one of the cleanest in the comparison, which translates into a very streamlined control, ideal for the most inexperienced with this type of corporate software.
And it does not suffer from jerks or require your computer a large amount of resources to operate, since it does not even require downloads: everything works in the cloud, and saves your data automatically so you can consult them whenever you need them.
2. CRMLab
Recently created, since it has only been on the market for 3 years, it is the ideal program for those looking for a more customized solution.
It has a specific version for SMEs and comes standard with several plugins to integrate with WordPress and merchants such as WooCommerce, streamlining the synchronization of content on different communication platforms and adding custom options to increase the accuracy of the analysis.
It is available for free for one user and can expand its functionalities with the monthly or annual plan, being able to add more contacts and customers. One of the best CRM programs in the industry despite its short history.
3. Zoho
It is quite similar to what CRMLab offers, only that Zoho's character is much more international. It does not have such a clear interface as the first one, but its functionalities are fairly even.
It brings with it personalized analysis tools, artificial intelligence, unlimited storage, advanced payment plans, statistical study of consumer trends, automation of sales processes and elaboration of advertising communications via e-mail.
It is available for just 9 euros per month per user, although it is expected to expand the payment plans to more advanced ones as it adds more functionalities in the coming months.
4. Streak
This is one of the best proposals for those who are looking for a simple relationship management tool for the consumer.
It is true that it is one of the simplest versions and has hardly any additions, but it is committed to a much more visual, direct and easy style, without complications and showing all the available options in order to universalize the use of CRM programs.
Its main asset is the synchronization with Gmail, which allows to bring together in one place everything related to consumer trend studies to carry out detailed reports with much more accurate information.
It also allows remote management of several Gmail accounts, something that is included in the free version of the program and for which there is no need to upgrade to a higher version. The more advanced versions extend the limit of added clients, include several options to automate reporting and allow you to synchronize all the information related to your business in the cloud.
5. Bitrix24
A very complete CRM for sales and business management that, nevertheless, falters where the simplest programs do their best: in synchronization.
However, its use is essential if you are looking for a program capable not so much of synchronizing your content in the cloud as of facilitating the management of the information you store.
Its interface combines graphs to create reports and trend files with the necessary tools to share them at the company level and draw conclusions to optimize sales strategies and improve the brand image for future consumers.
6. Freshales
This is another of the great alternatives in the CRM software sector that is committed to supporting data in visual reports, reducing the space dedicated to texts to a minimum and facilitating the preparation of reports in projections and conferences.
It comes standard with a contact, account and customer manager to begin to take the first steps in the study of customer consumption trends.
The more advanced versions have their own sales manager that works on several fronts: it manages stock, adjusts marketing strategies, optimizes resources to provide better customer service and publishes suggestions to improve the relationship with your platform's consumers.
It has multi-channel monitoring options to interact simultaneously on several fronts, allowing your team to work together at the same time and improve in different areas of your company.
7. Salesforce
It is one of the most complete CRM software by combining in a single platform contact management services, market opportunities study, integration options of emails from different platforms and having the necessary tools to develop sales forecasts in a hurry.
It provides business leaders with an overall vision of the company's operation by combining in a single platform a complete company manager synchronized with the rest of your devices.
It allows access at all times to the latest data recorded in the cloud through your personal smartphone or company tablet, affecting sales forecasts, profit estimates and facilitating the preparation of monthly, quarterly and annual balance sheets.
8. Insightly
Insightly is very similar to the options that opt for a sober design, a few brief drop-downs and the limitation of combined functionalities so as not to compromise its handling.
However, the limited trial period (it only lasts two weeks) and the obligation to contract one of the monthly plans to have all the functions make it less attractive for those who want to try it for a longer period of time to make sure of the suitability of its proposal.
It has two free accesses that allow two users to connect at the same time to have all the functionalities, while the rest of additional users will be able to have the same advantages for an additional payment of about 25 euros per month.
Our recommendation for getting the best CRM software for your business
Although all CRM programs have similar functionalities (as we will see in the next section of the article), you should check several aspects before you definitively implement CRM software in your business.
1.- Do you really need a CRM software? Although if you have come this far we take it for granted that you do, you should know if your business really needs a CRM. The truth is that in this day and age using CRM software is vital to record interactions with your customers and make a monthly, semi-annual or annual balance to try to improve branding and improve your position in the market.
A CRM software allows you to record your interactions with customers, something that can be done manually in the early stages of your business but in the long run ends up being tedious, so the answer is yes: you are going to need it.
2.- Ask yourself what kind of CRM you want to get. What CRM do you need? There is operational CRM, collaborative CRM and analytical CRM, and we are going to explain briefly how they differ.
Operational CRM is the one that deals with the general management of customer relations.
Collaborative CRM studies everything related to monitoring and interaction with customers, facilitating the concentration of each interaction with leads and channeling those who are most likely to become new customers.
Analytics is the one that allows you to analyze the information of past customers to establish comparisons with previous and current results, allowing you to discover if you are getting better or worse customer-facing.
How do you interact with your leads on a regular basis? Finding out how CRM facilitates your sales reps' interaction with customers facilitates your sales reps' interaction with potential customers, which ends up being beneficial to your business.
Features common to all current CRM software
CRM software share a number of features that you should be aware of, apart from the complementary additions of the higher versions, which we are going to detail below:
1.- Manage data and customer relationships. When your business has grown sufficiently and it is impossible for you to dedicate yourself entirely to studying the interactions with your customers, a CRM software stands as the great savior that allows you to continue working on these aspects without compromising the operation of your business. Managing the data related to dealing with customers is essential and will be the first thing the program will do.
2.- It integrates with external tools. Some more than others, all CRM applications have external integration resources that allow you to have extra additions to obtain more accurate and detailed results.
Streamlines processes and promotes customer segmentation. This is essential for those who want to know more about the customer target and the consumer profile to be addressed. Studying consumer behaviors will allow grouping them and customizing marketing and advertising strategies to each one of them.
What are the advantages of using CRM software?
CRM software may not seem very useful at first, but it is an indispensable tool when the business has taken off and is working with large enough order volumes to require market research and classification of customer interactions.
Optimize time and simplify management. When working with large numbers of customers, CRM software applications save so much work that it is essential to work with one of these tools. It saves a great deal of time studying the customer and provides quick and effective solutions to sales strategies.
2.- It provides a critical view of your work. It is especially important that you take criticism on the good side, since everything is done to improve. The most important thing is to know what causes the quality deficit in a certain department and, with the help of CRM software, to know the possible solutions to try to improve interactions with customers and make their in-store experience as pleasant as possible.
3.- Improve your company's criteria. The use of CRM software also allows you to identify new leads and prospects that help your business grow, one more reason to implement it in yours.