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10 Best CRM for Startups with Complete Guide in 2023

The market for CRM software is skyrocketing, with a forecasted yearly increase rate of over 14% until 2025.

Businesses of every size and valuation need a capable software solution to manage their contacts and keep customers happy. CRM for startups has the power to do that and get your business off the ground. 

But how do you choose the best software among the myriad of options out there? How do you know which factors to consider? 

Well, we’re here to help you out! 

In this blog, you’ll understand how to strategically choose the best CRM solution, plus a list of the 10 best software providers that you can consider. Let’s get right into it!

CRM for Startups: What Does It Mean?

A CRM (Customer Relationship Management) for startups is a comprehensive software system that centralizes your sales, marketing, and customer service data so that you can manage all these operations from a single platform.

Startups: Choose the Best CRM for Your Business

(Source)

It serves as a centralized database to store and organize contact details, communication history, sales opportunities, and other relevant data. 

Such a software system enables you to foster stronger relationships with your customers while also improving sales processes. With a capable CRM software solution, you can tackle the complexities that come with business growth for a startup, such as reducing churn, centralizing customer data, or maintaining sales productivity.

Want to know more? This video will come in handy-

An Overview of the 10 Best CRM for Startups

Software Name

Best For

Price Starts From

BIGContacts Contact Management & Email Marketing $5/user/month
Engagebay Deal Management $11.95/user/month
Copper  Google Workspace Integration $23/user/month
Freshsales Sales Automation $15/user/month
HubSpot Sales Pipeline Management $30/month
Salesforce Marketing Automation $25/user/month
Insightly Activity Tracking $29/user/month
Keap Marketing Automation $159/month/2 users
Nutshell Contact Management $16/user/month
Bitrix24 Sales Automation $49/month/5 users

10 Best Cloud-Based CRM for Startups in 2023

Now that you have an overview of the top 10 CRM for startups, it’s time to have a closer look at them. By reading this in-depth comparison of each software, you can decide which one would be the best fit for your company.

#1 BIGContacts

BIGContacts - Best CRM for startups

Best For: Contact Management & Email Marketing.

BIGContacts is a simple and easy-to-use CRM for small businesses and startups to grow sales and customer relationships. It helps you organize, sort, and view your contacts by activity, opportunity, communication, etc. 

With BIGContacts, you can track your sales pipeline and send personalized email campaigns to customers. You can also automate your workflows, follow-ups, and reminders to save time and increase productivity.

Key Features:

  • Convert more opportunities with a custom sales pipeline and automated tasks.
  • Retain more customers with reminders, social media tracking, and drip campaigns.
  • Improve email marketing campaigns with pre-designed templates and segmentation.
  • Access your CRM remotely from any device with a web browser.
  • Track contacts, tasks, calendars, emails, and files all in one place.
  • Analyze data for business insights, customer behavior, and trends with custom reports.

Integrations:

  • Gmail, Outlook, Zapier, Mailchimp, QuickBooks, etc.

Pricing: 

  • BIG – $5/user/month 
  • BIGGER – $15/user/month
  • BIGGEST – $25/user/month 
  • ENTERPRISE – Custom pricing

PROS 👍

CONS 👎

  • Affordable & scalable pricing plans for startups
  • Limited storage space on lower plans
  • Easy to set up and use without any technical expertise
  • Loading speed is slower than usual sometimes

What Makes BIGContacts the Best for Contact Management and Email Marketing?

  • BIGContacts enables you to capture, organize, and segment your contacts using custom fields, tags, and lists. You can also monitor their social media activity, track interactions, and view detailed activity timelines. 
  • With BIGContacts, you can set up automated drip campaigns that deliver the right message at the right time based on your contacts’ behavior and actions. You can also measure the performance of your campaigns using analytics and reports and optimize them for better results.

Reasons to Buy BIGContacts:

  • You can create recurring tasks, set task priorities, assign them to your team members, and sync them with your email and contacts.
  • Flexible, scalable, and transparent pricing options – a perfect recipe for startup success.

Reviews & Ratings:

  • G2: 4.5/5

Melanie P. – “It is robust, easy to use, and has the best support.”

  • Capterra: 4.3/5

Hayk B. – “Reliable CRM with robust reporting”

#2 Engagebay

Choose Engagebay CRM for startups

Best For: Deal Management

Engagebay is an all-in-one CRM software that helps you manage your deals, market your products, and support your customers. You can easily sort, filter, and segment your contacts based on various criteria. 

Using the software, you can connect with your customers across multiple channels, such as email, chat, and social media. It also helps you create personalized campaigns, receive real-time notifications, and measure your performance with analytics.

Key Features:

  • Track and manage your deals across multiple stages and pipelines.
  • Automate your marketing campaigns with email, SMS, and push notifications based on specific triggers.
  • Segment and nurture your leads with personalized messages and offers.
  • Monitor and improve customer satisfaction with surveys and feedback.
  • Analyze your sales and marketing performance with reports.

Integrations:

  • Zapier, Stripe, WordPress, Shopify, WooCommerce, etc.

Pricing:

  • Paid plans start from $11.95/user/month (billed annually).

PROS 👍

CONS 👎

  • Powerful CRM features for marketing, sales, & support
  • The free plan lacks workflow automation capabilities
  • Responsive customer service & support
  • Occasional bugs & glitches reported by users

What Makes Engagebay the Best for Deal Management?

  • Engagebay offers a complete solution that covers every stage of the customer journey. You can manage your deals, automate your marketing campaigns from lead generation to conversion, and provide omnichannel support from ticketing to resolution. The software helps you streamline your workflows, save time and money, and grow your business faster.

Reasons to Buy Engagebay:

  • Engagebay is a budget-friendly CRM software offering a free plan for up to 250 contacts and affordable paid plans.
  • Engagebay allows you to send confirmation emails to subscribers before adding them to your list.

Reviews & Ratings:

  • G2: 4.6/5

Rodney N. – “A Great CRM Better Than HubSpot, Salesforce, And Many Others!”

  • Capterra: 4.7/5

Alex M. – “Bang for your buck compared to other CRM’s”

#3 Copper

Copper for startups

Best For: Google Workspace Integration

Copper CRM is well-known for its Google Workspace integration support, enabling you to access Gmail, Google Calendar, and Google Drive from within your CRM tool. You can see the complete context of your customer interactions and improve your relationships.

The software also helps you easily automate data entry, track leads, manage pipelines, and monitor business performance. Whether you require a tool for sales, marketing, customer success, or project management, Copper can help you achieve it.

Key Features:

  • Gather contacts and leads from Gmail and LinkedIn without leaving your inbox.
  • Sync emails, events, and tasks with Google Calendar to stay organized.
  • Follow up with prospects using email templates and sequences. 
  • Collaborate with your team using notifications and keep everyone updated.
  • Track email opens, clicks, and replies, and measure your overall engagement.

Integrations:

  • Google Workspace, Zapier, Slack, Mailchimp, HubSpot, etc.

Pricing:

  • Paid plans start from $23/user/month (billed annually).

PROS 👍

CONS 👎

  • Works seamlessly with Google Workspace apps
  • Does not have integration support in the basic plan
  • No data entry or manual updates required
  • May not be suitable for businesses that do not use Google Workspace

What Makes Copper the Best for Google Workspace Integration?

  • Copper makes CRM easy and efficient for Google Workspace users. It works inside Gmail and other Google apps like Drive, Calendar, etc., so you can access and update your CRM data without leaving your workflow. You can use it to automate data entry, capture email conversations, and gain insights. 

Reasons to Buy Copper:

  • Copper’s CRM software adapts to your business needs, allowing customization of fields, workflows, and reports to match your preferences and goals.
  • It empowers business growth by managing sales pipeline, revenue, tracking deals, projects, and forecasting performance.

Reviews & Ratings:

  • G2: 4.5/5

Sergey B. – “The ideal CRM for everyone, especially startups”

  • Capterra: 4.4/5

Scott G. – “The CRM for sales team on Gsuite”

#4 Freshsales

Startups CRM - Freshsales

Best For: Sales Automation

Freshsales is a CRM software that helps you automate your sales processes and boost productivity. Whether you want to manage leads, contacts, deals, accounts, or tasks, Freshsales has you covered. 

With the software, you can track sales performance and engage with customers using email, phone, chat, and video. It also lets you use AI to prioritize leads, identify opportunities, forecast revenue, and manage your sales pipeline.

Key Features:

  • Prioritize leads with scoring and manage them efficiently.
  • Predict sales outcomes with deal tracking and forecasting.
  • Organize customers’ information with contact management.
  • Get smart insights and recommendations using an AI-powered sales assistant.
  • Streamline sales processes with workflow automation and webhooks.

Integrations:

  • Zapier, Mailchimp, Slack, HubSpot, Shopify, etc.

Pricing:

  • Paid plans start from $15/user/month (billed annually).

PROS 👍

CONS 👎

  • AI-powered insights & recommendations for sales activities
  • No native social media integration or monitoring
  • Seamless integration with Freshworks’ product suite of help desk, live chat, & other tools.
  • AI-based forecasts are only available in higher plans

What Makes Freshsales the Best for Sales Automation?

  • Freshsales enables you to track your entire sales process, from lead generation to deal closure. You can automate repetitive tasks, create workflows, set triggers, and send personalized messages to customers. Using AI, you can get smart suggestions that can save time, reduce errors, and increase efficiency.

Reasons to Buy Freshsales:

  • Enhance your customer engagement and satisfaction with omnichannel communication.
  • Gain insights for better sales decisions driven by AI and analytics.

Reviews & Ratings:

  • G2: 4.5/5

Damien K. – “Store your entire sales and marketing database”

  • Capterra: 4.5/5

Jose J G. – “Great CRM Platform for Startups and Growing Businesses”

#5 HubSpot

Hubshot CRM for startups

Best For: Sales Pipeline Management.

HubSpot is a cloud-based CRM software that helps startups grow faster and smarter. Using it, you can easily automate sales tasks, create personalized email campaigns, manage your contacts, and track your sales pipeline.

You can also create and store email templates for future use. HubSpot has a mobile app that allows you to access and update your data on the go.

Key Features:

  • Create custom reports and dashboards to track your sales performance and KPIs.
  • Capture leads from your website and social media with CRM forms and chatbots.
  • Use AI-powered lead scoring to prioritize your leads.
  • Update your CRM data on the go with a CRM mobile app.
  • Sync your data and integrate your apps with HubSpot’s CRM API and marketplace.

Integrations:

  • Zapier, Mailchimp, Slack, Shopify, WordPress, etc.

Pricing:

  • Paid plans start from $30/month (billed annually).

PROS 👍

CONS 👎

  • The free plan offers web analytics capabilities
  • Limited customization options for reports & dashboards
  • Seamless integration with HubSpot’s marketing & service hubs
  • The free plan lacks email & in-app chat support

What Makes HubSpot the Best for Sales Pipeline Management?

  • HubSpot lets you manage your entire sales process from one dashboard. You can easily create, update, and move deals across different stages and track the progress of each deal. You can also automate your sales workflows, send personalized emails, and get real-time notifications when prospects open your emails or visit your website.

Reasons to Buy HubSpot:

  • HubSpot’s free plan includes all essential CRM features, making it a perfect choice for startups.
  • HubSpot is popular in the CRM market for its user-friendly interface that makes it easy to navigate.

Reviews & Ratings:

  • G2: 4.4/5

Oliver E. – “Easy to onboard, use and scale”

  • Capterra: 4.5/5

Jerica G. – “Excellent platform for business growth and success”

#6 Salesforce

Consider Salesforce for your startups

Best For: Marketing Automation

Salesforce is a cloud-based CRM platform that helps you connect with customers across multiple channels. With Salesforce, you can create personalized marketing campaigns, manage leads, provide efficient customer support, and gain insights from data.

The platform lets you automate various business processes, such as workflows, approvals, alerts, and reminders. This way, you can save time, reduce errors, and increase efficiency.

Key Features:

  • Track and manage customer interactions, leveraging data from social media platforms for better relationships.
  • Automate marketing workflows with Salesforce Marketing Cloud.
  • Eliminate errors by automating your admin tasks with Salesforce’s workflows.
  • Provide omnichannel support to customers using Salesforce Service Cloud.
  • Optimize your sales processes with Salesforce’s AI-powered insights.

Integrations:

  • Gmail, Outlook, Mailchimp, Dropbox, Twilio, etc.

Pricing:

  • Paid plans start from $25/user/month (billed annually).

PROS 👍

CONS 👎

  • Track sales pipeline with real-time updates & alerts
  • Require extensive training to master the platform
  • Optimize marketing ROI with data-driven insights
  • May encounter issues with email deliverability

What Makes Salesforce the Best for Marketing Automation?

  • Salesforce automates your marketing workflows by integrating different tools and platforms. You can create automated marketing campaigns that generate leads, nurture prospects, and increase conversions. You can also accelerate the pipeline and drive sales with personalized and targeted content.

Reasons to Buy Salesforce:

  • Salesforce is highly scalable and flexible, allowing you to customize the CRM solution to meet your business requirements.
  • Salesforce ensures data protection and compliance with industry standards by implementing encryption, authentication, auditing, and other measures.

Reviews & Ratings:

  • G2: 4.3/5

Tanner W. – “You need this to stay relevant”

  • Capterra: 4.4/5

Doug B. – “It does it all”

#7 Insightly

Insightly CRM best for Activity Tracking

Best For: Activity Tracking

Insightly is a modern, scalable CRM that helps you manage customer relationships and grow your business. With it, you can easily qualify leads, engage prospects, and retain customers.

Besides, you can also automate workflows and align your sales, marketing, and service teams with seamless integrations. The CRM enables remote access for everyone and helps you protect sensitive data with custom roles and permissions.

Key Features:

  • Capture and qualify leads from multiple sources and sync them with your CRM.
  • Manage your sales pipeline and forecast revenue accurately.
  • Monitor milestones to meet deadlines consistently and deliver quality results.
  • Support your customers with tickets, portals, and SLAs, increasing satisfaction and loyalty.
  • Analyze CRM data with detailed reports to gain actionable recommendations.

Integrations:

  • DocuSign, WordPress, Jira, Calendly, Shopify, etc.

Pricing:

  • Paid plans start from $29/user/month (billed annually).

PROS 👍

CONS 👎

  • Easy to set up & use with an intuitive interface
  • Limited customization options for email templates
  • Exceed customer expectations with service automation, ticketing, & knowledge base.
  • No native social media integration

What Makes Insightly the Best for Activity Tracking?

  • Insightly lets you sync up all your calendar events and tasks into a single unified view. The software provides real-time notifications and reminders to follow up on time. 
  • You can also track your prospects’ engagement with your website, blogs, or landing pages. With its activity tracking features, you can stay on top of your customer relationships and never miss an opportunity.

Reasons to Buy Insightly:

  • Insightly helps you centralize your customer data and create a single source of truth for your organization.
  • Insightly helps you increase your sales productivity and efficiency by automating workflows and eliminating manual tasks.

Reviews & Ratings:

  • G2: 4.2/5

Catherine H. – “Insightful CRM helps you find leads and monitor sales activity”

  • Capterra: 4/5

Denise W. – “Insightly developed to enhance our feeds”

#8 Keap

Keap CRM best for Marketing Automation for Startups

Best For: Marketing Automation

Keap is a CRM platform that helps you streamline your business processes with powerful automation features. It lets you track and manage your contacts, leads, opportunities, and customers in one place. 

Using the software, you can access your data from any device, so you can always stay on top of your goals. Automation features include actions based on specific triggers, such as sending follow-up emails, reminders, or invoices.

Key Features:

  • Capture leads using web forms, landing pages, and email campaigns.
  • Categorize contacts based on their specific actions and interests.
  • Streamline processes by setting up triggers, actions, and timers.
  • Organize your sales pipeline with stages, opportunities, and quotes – all in one place.
  • Enable online payments with secure checkout forms and recurring billing choices.

Integrations:

  • Zapier, Outlook, WordPress, Stripe, WooCommerce, etc.

Pricing:

  • Paid plans start from $159/month/2 users (billed annually).

PROS 👍

CONS 👎

  • It enables you to communicate with customers across multiple channels
  • Starting plans may be expensive for some startups
  • Offers a free trial for its automated text messaging capabilities
  • It has a steep learning curve for some advanced features like task automation

What Makes Keap the Best for Marketing Automation?

  • Using Keap, you can create effective campaigns that attract, engage, and convert your leads. It lets you design beautiful web pages and emails, send targeted messages based on your contacts’ behavior and interests, automate your follow-up sequences, and track your results. 

Reasons to Buy Keap:

  • Keap lets you automate your marketing and sales processes to speed up workflows.
  • Using Keap, you can create and manage your online storefront, shopping carts, order forms, and payment plans in one place.

Reviews & Ratings:

  • G2: 4.2/5

Ross (Apazo) M. – “Securely store customer data and simplify operations”

  • Capterra: 4.1/5

Mindy I. – “Great for an all-in-one service”

#9 Nutshell

Nutshell - best to manage contacts

Best For: Contact Management

Nutshell combines email marketing and sales automation to help you close more deals. Designed for startups, Nutshell can easily organize and manage your contacts and sync them with your email, calendar, and other tools. 

You can also capture leads from various sources, track their progress, and communicate with them through personalized emails or chat messages. Nutshell also lets you manage your sales pipeline with a drag-and-drop interface and create custom workflows and reports to optimize performance.

Key Features:

  • Capture leads on your website and automatically sync them with your CRM using AI.
  • Track the performance of personalized campaigns with reports.
  • Access your CRM data on the go with a native mobile app.
  • Customize your CRM functionality with code using Nutshell API.
  • Chat with leads and sync the conversations with your contact records.

Integrations:

  • Outlook, QuickBooks, Mailchimp, Zapier, Slack, etc.

Pricing:

  • Paid plans start from $16/user/month (billed annually).

PROS 👍

CONS 👎

  • Setting up new workflows in the sales pipeline is easy
  • Lacks robust forms to capture customer intent
  • Native mobile apps are available for remote access
  • The UI is tough to get used to without adequate training

What Makes Nutshell the Best for Contact Management?

  • You can import contacts from various sources, enrich them with relevant data, segment them into lists and groups, and assign them to different sales reps. Nutshell also lets you send personalized emails and messages to contacts, schedule appointments, and monitor engagement.

Reasons to Buy Nutshell:

  • Nutshell offers a free data migration service that helps you transfer your existing CRM data to Nutshell without any hassle or cost.
  • The company has a friendly and responsive customer support team that is available 24×7 to help you with any issues.

Reviews & Ratings:

  • G2: 4.2/5

Cole W. – “Great easy-to-use CRM for small businesses and small teams”

  • Capterra: 4.2/5

François S. – “Perfect CRM for service companies for B2B”

#10 Bitrix24

Bitrix24 CRM best for Sales Automation

Best For: Sales Automation

Bitrix24 is a cloud-based CRM software that helps you manage your sales pipeline, track leads, and close deals. It lets you communicate with customers, collaborate on projects, and automate workflows. 

Using this software, you can cover all aspects of your sales cycle, from prospecting to after-sales service. You can also integrate your email accounts and store conversations in one place to engage with your leads and customers effortlessly. 

Key Features:

  • Customize your sales pipeline to align it with your sales processes.
  • Nurture leads from multiple sources like web forms, email, social media, and chatbots.
  • Ensure timely follow-ups by assigning tasks and reminders.
  • Improve your sales performance with real-time reports and analytics.
  • Increase engagement by sending personalized emails and SMS to customers.

Integrations:

  • Gmail, Outlook, Google Analytics, Shopify, WooCommerce, etc.

Pricing:

  • Paid plans start from $49/month/5 users (billed annually).

PROS 👍

CONS 👎

  • Easy website creation & e-commerce integration
  • May have compatibility issues with some third-party integrations
  • Flexible customization & configuration of the CRM system
  • Extra charges for telephony services & additional storage space

What Makes Bitrix24 the Best for Sales Automation?

  • You can create and manage multiple sales pipelines, capture leads from various sources, send personalized messages, and track your sales performance. The software also enables you to communicate with customers through various communication channels. You can integrate with popular tools like MailChimp, Zoho, Twilio, etc., to enhance your sales productivity.

Reasons to Buy Bitrix24:

  • Bitrix24 CRM gives you the opportunity to scale your business with unlimited users in a free plan.
  • The software helps you automate marketing campaigns by sending targeted emails, SMS, and social media messages to customers based on their preferences.

Reviews & Ratings:

  • G2: 4.1/5

Emiliano M. – “Great cloud collaboration platform and excellent project management.”

  • Capterra: 4.1/5

Becky F. – “Simple and intuitive CRM without many complications”

What Features Make a CRM Tool Suitable for Startups?

What are some of the must-have CRM features that will help your startup float and succeed in the dynamic business environment?

If you have the same question in mind, consider reading ahead. Here are some of the top features to expect from CRM software:

Contact Management:

A CRM tool should let you manage all your contacts in one place. You should be able to segment them based on various criteria, such as industry, location, or stage in the sales cycle. You should also be able to track their interactions with your business, such as emails, calls, or website visits.

BIGContacts contact management software, showing a list of contacts
BIGContacts is the best CRM to manage your contacts, tasks, and opportunities for your startup.

(Source)

Read More: 15 Best Contact Management Software Tools for Big & Small Businesses in 2023

Sales Pipeline Management:

Managing your sales pipeline becomes a breeze with a CRM tool. You can visualize and keep track of the progress of each deal, right from acquisition to conversion. A CRM tool should also automate some of the repetitive tasks, such as sending emails or updating statuses.

Get to know more about CRM pipeline tracking with this short video:

Lead Management:

Lead management can effortlessly capture leads from various sources, such as web forms, social media, or referrals. You can focus your efforts on the most promising prospects by scoring and prioritizing leads based on their interest and readiness to buy.

Read More: Top 15 Lead Management Software for 2023

Reporting & Analytics:

A CRM tool should help you measure key metrics, such as conversion rates, revenue, etc., using ready-to-use report templates or custom reports with advanced filters. This will help you have a deeper understanding of your sales performance. 

Additionally, you should also be able to export your reports and share them with your team or stakeholders for better collaboration and decision-making.

CRM reporting and analytics dashboard in BIGContacts
Make better decisions with data-driven insights from BIGContacts CRM reporting and analytics.

(Source)

Marketing Automation:

A CRM tool that works well with your marketing tools can help you boost sales and customer loyalty. You can deliver targeted messages to leads using drip email campaigns and move them along in the sales funnel. 

Moreover, you can keep track of the effectiveness of your marketing efforts by monitoring metrics like email open rates, click-through rates, and conversions.

marketing automation with CRM

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Team Collaboration:

Collaboration among team members becomes seamless with a CRM tool. It helps you keep a tab on what team members are doing. Besides, you also have the flexibility to assign specific roles and permissions to different team members.

Collaborate with team members with CRM tool

(Source)

Mobile CRM Access:

Stay connected on the move with a CRM tool that offers a user-friendly mobile version or app. Using this, you can access and edit your data and communicate with contacts using your smartphone or tablet. Additionally, real-time notifications and alerts keep you updated no matter where you are.

CRM with mobile access feature

(Source)

Read More: Mobile CRM Explained: 7 Best Software to Master Customer Relationships on the Go

How to Choose the Best CRM for Your Startup

Finding the best CRM tool requires thorough research and analysis. You need to find a tool that provides the required functionality without going over budget or being too complicated. 

Here’s how you can go about it –

Understand Your Startup’s Specific Needs:

To choose the best CRM for your startup, first, assess your unique requirements. Analyze your business processes and determine which CRM features are crucial for your operations. 

What are the main challenges and pain points you want to solve with a CRM? How do you measure your success and progress? 

You can narrow down your options by answering these questions and finding software that matches your needs.

Opt for a Tool With User-Friendly Interface:

A CRM is only useful if your team can use it easily and efficiently. 

A user-friendly UI can make a big difference in how quickly you can learn and adopt, as well as how productive and satisfied you are with it. A system that requires minimal training will save time and reduce errors.

CRM Tool With User-Friendly Interface

(Source)

Look for Less Upfront Investment:

As a startup, you may have limited resources and budget to invest in a CRM. That’s why you should look for software that offers less upfront investment and more value for money. Some ways to save money on a CRM are-

  • Choose a cloud-based CRM that does not require installation, maintenance, or hardware costs.
  • Opt for a monthly/annual subscription plan that fits your budget and lets you scale up or down as needed.
  • Take advantage of free trials and demos to test the CRM before buying it.
  • Compare different CRM vendors and their pricing plans to find the best deal.

Determine The Ease of Transition:

Switching to a new CRM can be a daunting and time-consuming process. You need to migrate your existing data, integrate your other tools and platforms, train your staff, and adjust your workflows. 

To make the transition easier, look for a CRM that offers:

  • Seamless data migration and integration with minimal data loss or errors.
  • Compatibility with your existing systems and software, such as email, social media, accounting, etc.
  • Dedicated support and guidance from the software provider throughout the transition process.

Focus on Scalability & Growth Potential:

Your startup may be small now, but tomorrow, it might exceed your future expectations. You need a CRM that can grow with you and support your expansion goals. Look for a CRM that can Handle more users, data, features, and functions as your startup grows.

Check Online Reviews & Feedback:

Online Reviews and feedbacks of BIGContacts CRM

(Source)

A good habit to follow before you choose a CRM is to learn from the experiences of other startups like yours. You can find online reviews and feedback from real users who have used the CRM you are considering. This will help you make an informed decision.

Read More: How to Choose a CRM in 24 Ways (Step-by-Step Checklist + Free Guide)

4 Practical Benefits Why You Should Use CRM Software

Customer information can be a gold mine for your startup to strengthen relationships and boost retention. With CRM software, you can gauge customers’ expectations or requirements. Here are some other practical benefits of investing in CRM –

1. Better Retention Rate

A survey report by McKinsey says that 71% of customers expect personalized interactions. 

CRM software can help segment your customers based on their preferences, behavior, and feedback. You can then use this data to personalize your marketing campaigns, product recommendations, and special offers to each segment. This results in increased retention.

Read More: CRM Customer Retention: 7 Best Ways to Increase Customer Retention With CRM

2. Improved Collaboration

You might require collaborative tools for your startup’s sales, marketing, and customer service processes. A simple CRM software solution can help you in the following ways –

  • Centralized Access: Access customer data easily from any device, anywhere, anytime.
  • Custom Alerts: Always stay updated with timely notifications and reminders for important tasks and events.
  • Contact Tagging: Enhance customer targeting and service delivery through smart tags, lists, and filters..

3. Enhanced Sales Productivity

Did you know that only 24.3% of sales representatives surpass their sales targets?

As unfortunate as it is, this number can be lifted significantly with CRM.

Such a system can help you track the progress of current tasks and schedule future activities. It can also boost your team’s productivity by automating repetitive tasks to reduce manual errors. This video will help you understand it better-

4. Boost Conversion Rates

Boost Conversion Rates

(Source)

A CRM tool can help you build and manage a sales pipeline to track all your sales opportunities. This enhanced visibility into the sales process can help drive more conversions. Your sales representatives can easily identify where each opportunity stands and take appropriate actions to ensure conversions.

Read More: Benefits of CRM: Why CRM is Important for Your Business

CRM Implementation: A 4-Step Plan

Now that you know how to choose a CRM and its benefits and features – it’s time to implement it. Here are the four best ways to get started with the software you chose –

1. Clearly Define CRM Objectives

Set clear objectives that align with your business vision. Identify what you want to achieve through CRM implementation. Define key performance indicators (KPIs) to track success. Communicate the objectives to your team to ensure everyone is on the same page and working towards the same vision.

2. Train & Involve Employees in CRM Adoption

A CRM system is only as good as the people who use it. 

Train your employees to use the CRM effectively. Provide hands-on training, workshops, and user guides. Encourage their active involvement in the CRM adoption process. Seek feedback and address concerns promptly. Doing so will increase their engagement, motivation, and productivity.

3. Customize the CRM System

A CRM system should not force you to change your business processes but enhance them. To achieve this, you need to customize the system to match your specific needs and preferences. A customizable CRM system will boost your overall efficiency.

For example, you can modify the user interface, create custom fields and workflows, integrate with other applications, and automate tasks. 

4. Continuously Monitor & Analyze Performance

A CRM system is not a one-time investment but an ongoing project. You need to monitor and analyze its performance regularly to ensure that it delivers the desired results.

Continuously Monitor & Analyze Performance

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You can use various metrics and indicators to track the progress and impact of your CRM activities, such as customer satisfaction, retention, loyalty, revenue, etc. By continually evaluating and optimizing CRM, you can achieve sustained growth and improve customer satisfaction.

Read More: The CRM Implementation Plan: 12-Step Strategy Process

How to Determine if You Need CRM Software

CRM tools can help you streamline customer relationship management efforts by working as a data repository. This eliminates manual efforts and brings more efficiency and accuracy to the process. 

However, if you are still on the fence about whether your startup needs one such software, check if you face any of these issues:

  • Your team faces challenges accessing customer data.
  • There is a lack of collaboration within your organization.
  • Your customer retention levels are dropping.
  • Most of your sales leads go cold, unanswered, or forgotten.
  • Your data is scattered across multiple spreadsheets.
  • There are inconsistencies in your client communication.
  • A lot of your time is spent on manual and repetitive tasks.

Read More: Top 7 Ways CRM Software Helps You Manage Tasks & Workflow in 2023

Maximize Startup Growth With the Right CRM Solution

For startups, making customers happy is a top priority. With a CRM system, you can keep track of important customer information like emails, contact details, and preferences. 

When looking for the best CRM for startups, you must ensure it matches your unique needs without getting in your way. 

Of the 10 best tools you read in this blog, BIGContacts holds special significance for its transparent pricing, simple UI, automation capabilities, and scalability. So, if you are looking for software that can help you deal with the challenges of rapid business growth, go with it!

FAQs

Does a Startup Face Any Challenges in Using a CRM?

As a startup, you can face certain challenges if you select your software without proper research. Some of the issues you might face are –

  • High system maintenance
  • High learning curve to implement and train users
  • Bad data quality and security issues
  • Limited IT capabilities and compatibility
  • Bad customer support experience

However, these challenges can be overcome if you choose your software provider based on your needs, budget, and goals. 

How can a Startup Get Started with a CRM?

The easiest way to get started with a CRM is by opting for a demo or a free trial. This way, you can get to understand the functionalities on your own. An easy-to-use tool like BIGContacts offers both, along with a responsive customer support team ready to help you glide through the learning curve.

Do you want to make more sales?

BIGContacts is the #1 contact management software & CRM to close more sales.

About the author

Caleb Mitchell is BIGContacts' senior product manager with a deep-rooted passion for tech and customer relationship management. He holds a Master's in Business Analytics from the University of Pennsylvania. Caleb steers the way for CRM innovation with a blend of analytic prowess and technical expertise, drawing from his extensive background in data analytics and software development. He's a fervent writer on CRM, SaaS, automation, customer relationship management, AI, and predictive analytics, with his work regularly published in TechCrunch, SaaS Mag, and Customer Think. Connect with Caleb through his LinkedIn profile for insights on CRM strategies and to engage in solution-oriented discussions.