Everybody’s Using CRM Software – Which Ones Are the Best?
Market trends are displaying what many business owners can likely affirm; that CRM software is delivering major returns to companies. In fact, right now it makes up the largest software market in the world and it’s showing no signs of slowing down any time soon (SuperOffice). Over 90 percent of companies with more than 11 employees are using CRM in one form or another (Business.com).
CRM stands for customer relationship management, but its use in various software suites goes far beyond lead nurturing. It can help automate lots of different things for companies, such as email marketing, customer data tracking, contact management, client histories, sales processes, reporting, planning, cloud storage and mobile accessibility, and a whole bunch of other business processes that were once time-consuming and cumbersome. It makes business easier and more efficient, so it’s of little surprise that it’s caught on so widely.
But which version of CRM software is the right one for your business? Which ones are considered the best? We turned to several tech savvy sources to build answers.
What do the most popular platforms do?
It became apparent as we did our research that several CRM software platforms commonly pop up on different “best-of” lists, even when looked at across various categories. Let’s take a look at what these frequently-mentioned platforms can do.
HubSpot
HubSpot’s CRM software is free, obviously making it an attractive choice for many companies. Perhaps more importantly, the company describes its capabilities as being able to “automates the tasks salespeople hate” so they won’t have to “fight with clunky tools that slow them down.” The program offers an up-to-the-minute view of your entire sales funnel and tracks customer interactions automatically.
Salesforce
Salesforce is one of the most popular CRMs in the country. It’s designed to enable sales people to convert leads and close deals faster by making the information they need clearer and more accessible. The company boasts customer reports that display an average +36 percent sales productivity, +28 percent revenue, and +38 percent better forecasting.
Zoho
Zoho’s CRM platform is interesting in that it’s flexible. Users can customize their setup to add industry-specific functions and custom features to match their business’s needs. Also, repetitive tasks can be automated to save time on data entry and the sales processes that users establish can be scaled up during times of growth.
Freshsales
The CRM platform that Freshsales has developed uses AI-based scoring to prioritize leads. As the company says, this lets users know “which sales lead is hot and who’s not.” It can also provide what the company calls a “360-degree customer view” in that users can seamlessly access customers’ social profiles, touchpoints, and more.
Pipedrive
Pipedrive’s CRM platform is built around the philosophy that power comes from simplicity, meaning that its users will be able to cut out a lot of admin work. The program uses a visual sales pipeline that prompts users to take action and remain organized. It’s reporting is designed to show users where they’re missing opportunities and which activities bring them the best conversion rate.
A Look at Your Best Options
In addition to the five notable options we’ve described, there are lots of other types of CRM platforms out there. Some are intended for specific industries or companies of various sizes and some could be applicable to many types of companies. The following national-best lists offer a look at several of your company’s best options.
The Best CRM Software of 2018
(Not ranked in any particular order)
- HubSpot
- Zoho
- Freshsales
- Insightly
- Bpm’online
- Less Annoying CRM
- Salesforce Sales Cloud Lightning Professional
- Pipedrive
- Apptivo
- Base
Source: PC Magazine
Best CRM Software Vendors by Market Presence
August 2018
- Salesforce
- Oracle
- Netsuite
- SAP
- Microsoft Dynamics
- Infusionsoft
- Zoho
- Blackbaud
- SugarCRM
- Nimble
Source: TechnologyAdvice
10 Most Popular CRM Software, with User Satisfaction Ratings
- HubSpot – user satisfaction 99%
- Salesforce – user satisfaction 99%
- Freshsales – user satisfaction 95%
- Bpm’online – user satisfaction 100%
- Zoho – user satisfaction 92%
- Copper – user satisfaction 97%
- amoCRM – user satisfaction 100%
- OnContact – user satisfaction 100%
- vCita – user satisfaction 100%
- RevampCRM – user satisfaction 100%
Source: Finances Online
Enterprise / Large-Scale Company CRM Platforms
- Salesforce
- Oracle
- SAP
- Netsuite
- Microsoft Dynamics
Source: TechnologyAdvice
Small Business CRM Platforms
- Infusionsoft
- Zoho
- Nimble
- Pipedrive
- Insightly
Source: TechnologyAdvice
CRM Platforms for Nonprofits
- Blackbaud
- Salsa CRM
- DonorPerfect
- Kindful
- DonorSnap
Source: TechnologyAdvice
Financial Services CRM Platforms
- AgencyBloc
- AgentCubed
- BNTouch
- Pulse Mortgage
- iPipeline
Source: TechnologyAdvice
Real Estate CRM Platforms
- WiseAgent
- Insightly
- Propertybase
- Pipedrive
Source: TechnologyAdvice
Field Service Management CRM Platforms
- Microsoft Dynamics FieldOne
- ServiceMax
- Jobber
- mHelpDesk
Source: TechnologyAdvice
Healthcare CRM Platforms
- AgencyBloc
- Kareo
- athenahealth
- CureMD
- Greenway
Source: TechnologyAdvice
Make Your Sales Process Better
CRM software is changing the way business connects with opportunity and it looks like its use is only going to continue to spread. There are certainly a lot of different formats and providers out there and it may be a little tricky to determine which one is the best fit for your company, but in the end it will be worth it. The potential is too great to ignore, and many processes could become a lot easier. CRMs are a valuable tool that’s likely here to stay.
