Customer relationship management (CRM) is the cornerstone of any small business. For a business owner there is nothing more important than keeping track of client leads and your existing customers to ensure they receive the attention they deserve. If used correctly, online CRM services can help you manage and organize your interactions with clients such that your efforts towards marketing, customer service, and support can be accurately measured to improve efficiency and reduce operating expenses. Below we’ve collated a review list of the best free online CRM services and top paid web based CRM applications available.
SalesForce – The leader in hosted CRM solutions to help you acquire new customers and retain existing clients. SalesForce’s basic plan costs $5/user/month and includes activity tracking and history, Chatter (Twitter-like messaging), accounts, contacts, document sharing, Google Apps integration, MS Outlook integrations, MS Word integration, MS Excel integration, mobile access, reports, and tasks.
Capsule – A hosted CRM software service for small businesses that want to improve customer relations and automate sales processes. User can share contacts with coworkers, categorize contacts, add tags, create notes, track all email based discussions with a client, attach documents, import contacts, track opportunities and share them with team members, create tasks, set appointments, and create lists. A 30-day free trial is available to let you kick the tires before signing up for a paid plan. Capsule offers one paid plan that’s priced at $12/month/user.
FreeCRM – An online CRM software application that provides a free plan for up to 50 users with limited features and no support. Upgrading to their cheapest plan (14.95/user/month) gives you access to their synchronization tools, email campaigns, and additional storage. Extra features include alerts, sticky lists, saved import maps, and the removal of ads.
TactileCRM – Provides web based CRM software solutions for small businesses. Users can track sales, view history, manage contacts, track conversations, share notes, schedule calls, create reports, track value, and forecast revenue. TactileCRM also integrates with some of the most popular online services for businesses like Google Contacts, FreshBooks, Zendesk, Shoeboxed, and more. TactileCRM is one of the most affordable CRM solutions with service plans starting at only $9/month/user. A free plan is available with no obligation to upgrade and for the first 14 days you’ll have access to all the premium features TactileCRM provides. All accounts also come with 30-day free trial with no obligation to buy.
Infusionsoft – This web based CRM software is a mashup of customer relationship management meets email marketing mixed with some ecommerce tools. Users can create tasks and notes, process orders, manage invoices, host an online store, add a shopping cart, and integrate affiliate tracking. While Infusionsoft is quite comprehensive, at a starting price of $199 per month, it’s much more expensive compared to the other CRM services listed. Thankfully, they do offer a 15-day trial that allows you to test most of the features for free.
Highrise – A web based CRM software application that is geared towards small businesses. Their free plan is limited to two users, 250 contacts, and you’re not allowed to upload any files. Features include task management, contact manager, quote tracking, proposal tracking, sales tracking, notes, group related notes, and tags. Their lowest paid CRM package cost $24 per month which allows up to six users, five gigabytes of storage space, and 5,000 contacts.
BatchBook – A hosted CRM software program that adds a social layer to customer relationship management. With a click of a button you can quickly see a contact’s social networking profile information from popular sites like Twitter and LinkedIn in addition to viewing their latest status updates and posted content (photos, videos, etc.). BatchBook integrates with several other online business services like ZenDesk, Freshbooks, Shoeboxed, MailChimp, Eventbrite, and many more. Their least expensive plan is for one user, 2 GB of storage, an unlimited number of contacts and it only costs $9.95 per month. Features include lead tracking, user permissions, calendars, deals, tags, supertags, to-dos, records, recent activities, commenting, locations, related contacts, and lists.
Zoho CRM – Offers a free online CRM software solution for up to 3 users and 100 MB of storage space. This plan includes sales force automation so you can track leads, contacts, accounts, and opportunities. Marketing automation, customer support, tasks, reports, email marketing campaigns, email templates, and web forms are included too. Upgrading to their least expensive plan ($12/user/month) will permit you to access features for inventory management, workflow management, and security administration in addition to more storage space.
Relenta – Web based CRM software that combines task management and email marketing help you get things done for your business. They offer a free plan for up to two users, 100 contacts and 100 MB of storage. Their least expensive package ($25/month) comes with two user accounts, 1000 contacts, 1 GB of storage, and a 10,000 email sending limit.
Doorbell – An online CRM software program for business owners that need to quickly address leads, complete tasks, and take advantage of new opportunities. They offer two free plans: the Business Starter and the Personal Contact Manager (PCM). The Business Starter package includes two user accounts, 5 MB of storage, up to 250 contacts, and two opportunities whereas the PCM is merely what the name implies. Their least expensive payment plan will handle up to six users, ten opportunities, 5,000 contacts, three gigabytes of storage, and three teams.
WORKetc – Another hosted CRM software solution that integrates multiple business needs with customer relationship management tools. WORKetc mixes project management, online billing, and support technology with CRM, document sharing, and lead management to provide a all-in-one solution for serving customers and automating business tasks. Plans start at $29.95 per month with access for a single user and all the software tools available. It includes unlimited contacts and projects, unlimited billing, 500 MB of storage space, and SSL security. WORKetc allows you to register for a free 14-day trial of their online CRM software solution without entering your credit card information.
PlaybookIQ – Allows you to manage contacts, generate reports, assign permissions, share notes and calendars, create tasks, add tags and labels through the web based CRM software. PlaybookIQ also lets you create what they call “playbooks” that are a detailed plans on how to best address customers needs and follow-up with them at certain time points. PlaybookIQ’s software plans start at $29/month and they offer a 30-day free trial with no credit card required upon sign-up.
SalesNexus – A hosted CRM software application that combines the best of email marketing service with customer relationship management practices to help you automate sales. Users can collaborate and share documents, send reminders, create notes, draft newsletters, create email marketing campaigns, and much more. A free 30-day trial is available for all SalesNexus service plans.
Commence – This online CRM software solution is targeted for small businesses that need to track sales, convert leads, and automate tasks. Commence offers tools for reporting, group calendars, email integration, account management, contact management, email campaigns, document sharing, mobile access, QuickBooks integration, sales analytics, quotes, partner relationship management, and much more. Their small business edition is priced at $39 per user per month.
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