If you’re running a Saas startup, you need to have a CRM system to help your business grow. In fact, it is considered crucial for every company to keep track of their customers and how they are interacting with them. This will help you see where opportunities are, what needs improvement and how to never miss a lead’s request. It is also important that everyone in your organization has access to the same information at all times so that everyone knows where things stand with clients, leads and sales people.
In this guide, we review the Best Crm For Saas Startups, best crm for b2b saas, best crm for startups 2022, and best startup saas companies.
Best Crm For Saas Startups
If you’re running a Saas startup, you need to have a CRM system to help your business grow. It is important for every company to keep track of their customers and how they are interacting with them. This will help you see where the opportunities are and what needs improvement. It is also important that everyone in your organization has access to the same information at all times so that everyone knows where things stand with clients, leads, and sales people.
What is CRM?
Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is the process of managing a company’s interactions with current and potential customers. It includes the gathering, storing, and using of information about customers and prospects to allow for targeted marketing.
It helps you manage customer information and data more effectively. A CRM system can help you understand your customers better by storing their information in a central location that makes it easy to access when needed. This data can also be used to create profiles of your most valuable customers, who are then targeted with special offers designed specifically for them based on past buying behaviors or preferences.
The software also allows you to track leads through their entire lifecycle so that no opportunity goes unnoticed, whether they’re just browsing through the website or have expressed interest in purchasing goods or services from you.
What Is a CRM System?
A CRM system is a software that helps you manage your customer relationships. It’s a database that stores information about your customers and their interactions with your business, allowing you to track which marketing campaigns are working, who is buying what from whom and how often, who has recently bought from you but not returned in the last six months and many other things.
The best CRM systems will help you identify trends in your data so that over time you can get better at knowing what to sell someone next because it’s likely they’ll be interested in what would fit their needs at this point in time based off past purchases or web browsing habits.
Why do you need a CRM system?
A CRM is a tool that helps you to manage your customers, leads, sales team and marketing campaigns.
- It helps you to keep track of all your customer information such as their personal details (name, contact information etc.), company details (company name, industry etc.), past purchases or enquiries etc. This will help you in building a good relationship with them.
- It helps you to keep track of all the leads that come from different channels like social media ads, referral programs etc., along with the information about them such as name and email id so that it can be easily tracked by whom this lead came from.
- It also helps you to keep track of any data related with your sales team performance like how many calls did they make on which day and for how many hours? How many emails did he/she send out on which day? Which email campaign was most successful? What are the open rates for each campaign? etc. These kind of reports gives valuable insights into areas where improvement is needed in order to boost sales productivity as well as individual performance level within an organisation’s Sales Team structure
What are the benefits of having a CRM system?
A CRM system can assist you in many different ways. Here are a few of the most common:
- Managing your customer relationships
- Managing your sales pipeline
- Tracking leads, opportunities, and contacts
- Monitoring and managing your marketing campaigns
- Keeping everyone on the same page (sales team, marketing team)
The list goes on but these are some of the top benefits that come from using a CRM system.
How to choose the best CRM for your business?
If you want to choose the best CRM for your business, there are a few things to consider. The first one is: ask your team what they want from a CRM. If you already have some experience with other platforms, then this may be an easy question to answer. If not, then it’s time for some research!
The second thing to look at is the features of different CRMs as well as their pricing plans. You’ll also want to see what customers have said about each option and read through any reviews that are available online (you can do so here). There are many factors that go into picking out which is the best fit for your needs—and making sure those needs align with what’s available within each particular platform will help ensure that no one gets left out in terms of functionality or efficiency!
Finally, we recommend going over customer support options before making any final decisions; after all, no matter how good something looks on paper or how many great reviews it has gotten thus far , there’s nothing like actually using something yourself! It might seem like extra work initially but doing so will help ensure that someone will always be there when questions arise down the line –or if something goes wrong unexpectedly safe secure data storage environment – HPAE technology used by Google Drive protects against both physical damage such as drops/shocks or natural disasters such as floods etc.”
What is the best CRM for small businesses?
You’re a small business owner, and you want to know what is the best CRM for your business. You want to make sure that you choose the right one that will benefit your company in the long run.
First of all, let me tell you that there are several types of CRMs; some are designed for individual users and some are designed for teams. Let’s look at each one in detail:
- Individual user-focused systems help individuals manage their sales pipeline, leads, contacts and opportunities within their personal accounts. These systems help people stay on top of their tasks by keeping them organized by helping them manage their time better and increasing productivity through easy communication with colleagues or clients via email or SMS notifications when an action needs to be taken such as scheduling meetings or sending invoices etc
You need a reliable Customer Relationship Management software that can help with your organization and deal with customer inquiries, track leads, and keep your team on the same page.
CRM is a customer relationship management software that helps you to manage your customer relationships. It can help your organization to improve the sales by organizing their data and managing it in an easy way. It can also make it easier for you to deal with inquiries, track leads, and keep your team on the same page. There are many CRMs available in the market so choosing one that fits well with your requirements may be challenging at times.
best crm for b2b saas
Top 10 CRMs for Software & SaaS Companies: Streamlining Software-as-a-Service with Integrated Customer Relationship Management Tools
Software and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) companies are facing unprecedented changes in the world of technology, leading to new challenges in delivering the ideal customer experience. As the pandemic forced everyone into their homes and into a new remote way of life, the demands of these companies reached a serious tipping point. It suddenly became critical for brands to have a way to deliver the perfect customer experience in an entirely new environment and to a customer with an entirely new set of expectations.
Fortunately, CRM companies saw the growing need among SaaS providers for a better solution, and they created one—there are a growing number of dedicated CRMs designed for software companies, as well as several multipurpose CRMs that can be used for different industries, including SaaS and software in general.
These platforms offer robust customer databases, integrated analytics with detailed insights, and a plethora of tools and integrations that can streamline every step of the customer experience from the first contact to creating a loyal customer for life. How do you choose the best one, though?
For all the differences, these platforms also have several similarities that are designed to improve your business in several ways. Plus, you can integrate many modern CRMs with the virtual receptionist and messaging services from Smith.ai to deliver even better customer service with dedicated agents available 24/7.
You’re also not alone in choosing the best CRMs for your organization, no matter what your needs might be. We’ve taken the time to research the platforms available that can provide a solution for your software or SaaS company and chosen the top 10, based on the features they offer and their affordability for small- to medium-sized businesses.
If you want, you can even talk to our team about scheduling and intake services to help improve your lead generation and ensure customers have no trouble getting ahold of someone when they’re ready to convert.
1. Microsoft Dynamics 365
Microsoft Dynamics 365 is a CRM tool that integrates with several Microsoft products and tools, making it easier for small businesses and startups to get going in the modern tech world. This integrated software is designed to help maintain customer relationships, track pipeline activities, and deliver actionable results for your SaaS brand.
With Microsoft Dynamics 365, users enjoy seamless integration with other Microsoft 365 products and platforms, as well as other software solutions. Small businesses that are looking for growth and industry leaders who are looking for affordable solutions will all benefit from this program, which is flexible and can be customized to the exact needs of your business.
The key highlights of Microsoft Dynamics 365 include:
2. HubSpot CRM
HubSpot CRM is the leading free CRM tool and one of the best user-friendly solutions for customer relationship management, as well as integrated sales and marketing. HubSpot makes it easy to connect your business and streamline customer management, with robust segmentation tools, rich analytics, data integrations, and more.
HubSpot features a simple interface and design and can be customized and scaled to the needs of your business. Planned marketing templates, social media scanning, invoicing templates, drag-and-drop communication tools, and other resources make it easy for your business to get on board with virtual customer relationship management. Plus, users can connect anywhere, through phones, emails, websites, social media, and more.
The key features of HubSpot include:
3. Close
Close is a high-performance sales CRM built for teams of all sizes to better engage leads, close more deals, and manage all communication in one single platform. Close has built-in calling, email (2-way sync), SMS, sequences, and pipeline tracking to make your entire sales process runs smoothly from start to finish.
Built by and for salespeople, Close is designed to double the performance of every sales rep, by keeping the majority of your sales activity in one tool and giving you an easy to navigate UI that doesn’t get in your way. Close is the perfect tool for startups and SMBs looking to take their sales efforts productivity to the next level.
Key highlights of the Close CRM include:
4. Zoho CRM
Zoho CRM is another popular digital CRM tool that is affordable and scalable, making it ideal for startups and small SaaS companies. Zoho features a robust suite of analytics and reporting tools to help you improve the customer experience overall. It also offers a CRM workflow management tool, sales pipeline management, and purchase control.
You can use the platform to manage customer leads and contacts, accounts, and even track customers throughout the buying cycle with the Opportunity Tracking module. You can get insights from emails, seminars, trade fairs, and more. There is also a module for routine task automation and social media branding. Zoho is one of the most affordable options on the market today and features aren’t lacking for the price, either.
The highlights of this platform include:
5. Zendesk Sell/Base CRM
Zendesk Sell is a platform that is designed to offer streamlined sales pipeline management specifically to integrate with various CRM platforms like Base CRM, offering a total view of your SaaS business, from the top down. You will be able to keep focused on the high-value leads and build a strong pipeline that ensures you can prioritize customers and prospects.
Zendesk Sell and Base CRM are a great combination, or you can choose just to use the Zendesk platform on its own. For SaaS companies, organizing the sales process and tracking deals will be crucial to your success. With this affordable platform, upgradable options give you the chance to grow over time. Plus, a free trial is offered.
The highlights of integrating these solutions include:
6. SAP Service Cloud
SAP Service Cloud offers a dedicated customer experience tool that provides valuable insights and information to help deliver personalized, consistent customer experiences. The platform offers omnichannel communication tools, gamification features, and next-generation self-service that leverages the power of AI.
SAP Service Cloud is designed with a consumption-based pricing structure so that brands only pay for what they need. The CRM offers intelligent scaling and preconfigured bots for various uses, along with real-time feedback and reporting to ensure the latest insights are available.
If you’re considering this platform, check out features like:
7. Salesforce
Salesforce is the #1 CRM in the world, and it’s one of the best solutions for any business in the digital world. Software and SaaS companies, especially, will find this platform to be full of useful features. Salesforce includes opportunity management, partner management, sales forecasting, and more.
There is a detailed contact manager in the Salesforce platform that ensures that customer information is streamlined, and leads are assessed for the best chances of success. There is also a reporting tool and dashboard that allows you to get a real-time look at how things are doing. Salesforce can provide marketing and sales automation solutions, as well, or just provide the CRM tool that your SaaS team needs.
Highlights of Salesforce include:
8. Pipedrive
Pipedrive starts by offering support in 13 languages and a variety of currency supported. It offers a great resource for those dealing with international business and is one of the easiest tools to implement into your business. This CRM tool makes it easy to import data, collect contact history, send emails, and get detailed sales reports.
Pipedrive features a detailed lead generation and organization structure. It also integrates seamlessly with several other tools like Dropbox, Zapier, and others, to help streamline operations and improve customer relationships in every stage of the buying journey. Pipedrive has an open API and is one of the best SaaS solutions because it is so user-friendly. The intuitive platform offers:
9. SugarCRM
SugarCRM is a platform that’s focused on startups and entrepreneurs who need a better business solution. The software is simple, the pricing is structured for a variety of needs, and it’s all about getting what you need without a lot of work. This platform offers tons of customization options, and it’s still great for those who don’t want to bother with all those features if they just want to use it as it comes.
SugarCRM is simple to use and it offers straightforward integration with several different programs and software solutions out there. The dashboard features simple tabs that track contacts, opportunities, reports, documents, and campaigns. You’ll also find integrated support tools and a contact database that is robust and offers plenty of useful insights and resources.
The features of SugarCRM that you should note include:
10. Nimble
Nimble is a single-use platform that makes it easy for brands to manage contacts, find new ones, and develop leads for the best results. The platform offers productive communication tools and can import information from social networks like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.
Nimble is designed specifically for startups and small SaaS brands that need a simple, yet effective tool for managing their customer relationships. They also have a live help desk and a dedicated team of developers to assist you along the way.
If you’re looking for efficient workflows, seamless dashboard functionality, and detailed user reporting tools, look no further than Nimble. The highlights of this CRM include:
Bonus: Insightly
We couldn’t stop at 10 so here is a bonus CRM we just had to mention. Insightly is a user-friendly, simple-looking CRM that is anything but basic. It’s great for tech startups and SaaS companies that need a hassle-free solution with intuitive menus and easy-to-use features. The website offers a variety of forms for lead capture, email marketing, and reporting.
Insightly CRM also offers three versions: a free edition, a professional edition, and an enterprise edition. Paid customers have access to email support and advanced features, and users can sign up for the free platform and scale up at any time if they decide they need something bigger.
Some of the highlights of Insightly CRM include:
Smith.ai can level up your SaaS customer solutions
When you partner with the team at Smith.ai, not only will you benefit from all the perks of CRM integration, but you’ll be able to improve several areas of your customer relationship management and your business as a whole. Deliver more reliable customer service with agents that are available 24 hours a day, and we can even integrate with your CRM to track every customer interaction and contact along the way. And, between our solutions and the custom CRM integration that you choose, you’ll enjoy:
Schedule a consultation today and find out how we can help you emphasize the service for your Software-as-a-Service brand and give your customers the dedicated connection they demand from their partnerships. You can call us at (650) 727-6484 or send an email to hello@smith.ai.
Elizabeth Lockwood is the content marketing associate at Smith.ai. She focuses specifically on writing and editing engaging articles, blog posts, and other forms of publication.
best crm for startups 2022
Every new business needs a CRM solution to store their contacts, centralize their processes, and help them manage their customer relationships—but what’s the best CRM (opens in new tab) for a startup business in 2022? We’ll be exploring that question below before sharing our top five contenders.
The CRM software (opens in new tab) industry has grown rapidly over the past few years, and every new solution to hit the market has brought its own set of unique features to the table. But for cash-strapped startups, the two most important factors are affordability and scalability. Migrating from one CRM to another later down the line can be tough, so it’s important to choose a solution that you won’t outgrow right from the start. It should be able to scale up alongside your business.
All the CRM solutions below are cost-effective and highly scalable. Read on and we’ll tell you everything that you need to know about them. By the end of this guide, you’ll have all the information you need to make an informed decision.
You can also learn why your business needs a CRM (opens in new tab), or watch our short video below.
The best CRMs for startups
Why you can trust TechRadar Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.
1. HubSpot—the best overall CRM for startups (opens in new tab) There are a few reasons we think HubSpot is the best CRM for startups. There’s the user-friendly HubSpot for Startups program, a free plan, so you can try before you buy, and there’s the HubSpot Academy, which provides unlimited free access to training materials. Overall HubSpot is a great CRM package for startups and, for that matter, bigger businesses.
2. Zoho CRM: ideal for small new businesses (opens in new tab) Zoho CRM (opens in new tab) provides powerful cloud-based software, with excellent customer management and lead generation tools and no compromise on capability. Social media searching, automated workflows, reporting tools, and more add to seamless integration with other Zoho tools, with a solid free plan offering great value.
Also consider: Salesforce is another top pick for start-up businesses – from $25 per user/mo (US-only link) (opens in new tab) Industry leader in Customer Relationship Management, Salesforce, combines an extensive suite of CRM tools, excellent integration, and unrivalled customization for your small business CRM needs.
What are the best CRMs startups?
Every startup is different. The best CRM solution (opens in new tab) for your company will depend on factors like the size of your business, what your goals are, and your budget.
HubSpot is our overall top pick thanks to its generous free plan, extensive suite of tools, and startup-exclusive discounts. Zoho’s another great option—particularly if you’re already using other Zoho tools or want to build your own customized CRM interface.
Insightly leads the way when it comes to project management, with a ton of advanced tools for workflow automation. Or, if you’d prefer to keep things simple, Pipedrive is very easy to use and implement.
And if you want to follow the crowd, you can always go with Salesforce Essentials—a cost-effective, pared-down version of the world’s most popular CRM.
The best CRM for startups of 2022 in full:
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
The HubSpot CRM is a suite of individual tools, each built to help you manage different areas of your business, from marketing and sales to customer service and operations. Flexible pricing plans allow you to purchase these tools individually or stack them together for an all-in-one CRM solution.
There are a few reasons we think HubSpot is the overall best CRM for startups. Firstly, there’s the HubSpot for Startups program, which provides startup-friendly onboarding and tailored training, plus hefty discounts of up to 90% for eligible ventures in the first year. This can help keep costs low so you have more of your budget left over to spend on growing your business.
Secondly, there’s the free plan. You can get access to a “lite” version of all of Hubspot’s marketing, sales, operational, and customer service tools without spending a penny.
The free plan includes features like a shared inbox, contact management, live chat, email marketing tools, dashboard reporting, deal tracking, onscreen calling, and more. And when you’re ready for more, you can purchase paid add-on packages to unlock more sophisticated features that you may need as your business grows.
And lastly, there’s the HubSpot Academy, which provides unlimited free access to training materials to help you to get the most out of your CRM and bring your team up to speed. For startups, this kind of guidance and support is really useful.
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
Zoho is another powerful, full-featured CRM. It provides everything you’d expect from a customer relationship management platform, including contact and pipeline management, lead generation tools, robust reporting and analytics, workflow automation, and more.
The unified inbox allows you to read, manage, and respond to customer messages across all your communication channels in one place, including telephone, email, live chat, and social platforms.
One of Zoho’s biggest strengths is the Canvas design studio. This cutting-edge feature allows Zoho users to design their own CRM interface based on their own preferences and requirements using an intuitive drag-and-drop editor.
And of course, Zoho CRM also integrates seamlessly with all the other tools in Zoho’s cloud software suite, so it’s the natural choice for existing Zoho users.
There’s even a free plan available, which is good news for super-lean startups. It has limited features but supports up to three users.
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
Insightly is a versatile CRM that’s great for startups who are looking for project management tools in their CRM. You can manage projects better with milestone/task tracking and calendar syncing.
It also comes with powerful workflow management features that can help you to streamline your operations and save time.
For example, lead routing automatically assigns your leads to the right sales rep, so you can follow up with prospects quickly (while they’re still interested) and close more deals. Meanwhile, powerful automations allow you to set up complex processes to automate repetitive tasks like sending emails and updating records.
You can also use the built-in email marketing features to send, create, and track emails from within Insightly. It will even let you know what kind of open and click-through rates your emails are generating. Custom business reports help you to keep track of all the other mission-critical metrics that are most important to your startup.
Because there’s so much you can do with Insightly, it does have a steeper learning curve than some other CRMs.
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
Pipedrive is a newcomer to the CRM space and was built with startups in mind. It’s designed to be everything growing businesses want: flexible, affordable, results-oriented, and easy to use.
The heart and soul of Pipedrive is the sales pipeline. The founders of the CRM realized that this is the most important feature for startups, not just for sales and contact management, but also for solving other problems that new businesses face.
In the Pipeline View, a clear visual interface lets you track deals and see what stage of your pipeline they occupy. Your team can use this feature to understand your sales momentum and priorities.
You can customize your pipeline to fit your startup’s unique sales process and add your own sales stages, activities, and team members.
Pipedrive is one of the most simple and intuitive CRM solutions on the market, which makes it ideal for startups that want to get moving quickly.