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Marketing is a tough business. It’s not just about selling products and services. It’s also about convincing people to buy them. And that means you need to know your customers well – what they want, how they behave, and why they do things the way they do. That’s where customer relationship management (CRM) comes in. This article will explore some of the most popular CRMs available today. We will look at their key features, pricing plans, reasons to buy and reasons to avoid.
Upfront Conclusion
The best marketing agency crm right now is Bonsai and Salesforce marketing cloud
Top 11 the Best CRM for Marketing Agencies
- Bonsai – Best For Keeping Projects Organized
- Salesforce marketing cloud – Best Marketing automation software
- Hubspot CRM – Best web-based application for lead generation
- Nimble – Best complete contact center software
- Insightly – Best customers relationship tool
- Zoho CRM – Best online sales CRM
- Convergehub – Best marketing tool
- Sendinblue – Best ecommerce marketing tool
- Active campaign – Best email marketing strategy tool
- Freshworks CRM – Best business management tool
- Zapier – Best marketing automation tool
1. Bonsai – Best For Keeping Projects Organized
PRICING: It is $24/month for the entry plan.
Bonsai is a great CRM software for marketing companies because it can help you keep your projects organized. This will improve your business productivity and allow your workers to focus on other important tasks. The platform will also help you enjoy better profitability.
The main feature of this platform as a CRM software is that it helps you add internal notes to track your clients. These notes can also allow you to update the customer with the latest information on their project. So you can enjoy a good relationship with your clients and benefit from open communication.
Tracking all your customers through notes will also help you maintain an organized list. So you can easily connect with the client in the future for marketing or other purposes.
KEY FEATURES
- Add leads to your client portal system
- Track different customers and their project deadlines at the same time
- Organize your projects using timesheets and other documents
- Create unique rates for different clients based on their business size and other factors
- Add tags to your customer profiles to prevent losing important messages in your inbox
- Improve company efficiency with a thorough active tasks tracker
REASONS TO BUY
- It has a simple logging in method
- You will also benefit from accounting and other features in the same plan
- The dashboard is well-organized to help you manage clients easily
- Bonsai also helps give clients their own project view for the receipts and contracts you have sent them
REASONS TO AVOID
- The app may come with a learning curve if you’re technical skills are not that good
2. Salesforce marketing cloud – Best Marketing automation software
PRICING: $20/user/month
Salesforce Marketing Cloud is one of the most popular CRM solutions today. Salesforce.com originally developed it as an internal tool to help its employees manage their contacts better.
KEY FEATURES OF SALESFORCE MARKETING CLOUD
- Customer Relationship Management
- Email Marketing
- Lead Management
- Social Media Integration
- Campaign Tracking & Reporting
REASONS TO BUY SALESFORCE MARKETING CLOUD
- Easy integration with other systems
- Powerful email marketing tools
- Great reporting options
- Excellent mobile app
- Good support
- Free trial period
- No contract
- Very affordable price
REASONS TO AVOID SALESFORCE MARKETING CLOUD
- Limited customization
- Only available on cloud
- No desktop version
- No integration
- Requires a lot of training
- Slow performance
3. Hubspot CRM – Best web-based application for lead generation
PRICING: $25 per user/month
HubSpot CRM is another great option if you are looking for a simple yet powerful CRM system. HubSpot CRM is a web-based application that helps companies track lead generation, nurturing, and conversion activities.
KEY FEATURES HUBSPOT CRM
- Contact Management
- Lead Generation
- Leads Nurturing
- Automated Emails
- Reports
- Mobile App
REASONS TO BUY HUBSPOT CRM
- Simple interface
- Easy to use
- Fast implementation
- Good support
- Affordable price
- No contract
- Free trial period
- Integrates with various apps
REASONS TO AVOID HUBSPOT CRM
- Lack of customization
- Limited functionality
- Poor UI design
- Expensive
- No free trial
4. Nimble – Best complete contact center software
PRICING: $40 per user/month
Nimble is a complete contact center software for managing every aspect of a call center operation. It includes everything from scheduling agents, routing calls, recording, monitoring agent activity, creating reports, etc.
KEY FEATURES OF NIMBLE
- Call Center Software
- Scheduling Agents
- Routing Calls
- Recording Calls
- Monitoring Agent Activity
- Creating Reports
- Mobile Apps
REASONS TO BUY NIMBLE
- Complete package
- High-quality customer service
- Scalability
- Strong support
- Flexible pricing
- Customizable
- Robust features
- Easy setup
- Efficient
REASONS TO AVOID NIMBLE
- Costly
- Complex
- No mobile apps
- No free trial
- No good support
5. Insightly – Best customers relationship tool
PRICING: $20 per user/month
Insightly is an online tool that allows users to manage their contacts, create events, send emails, schedule meetings, etc. The platform also has a built-in CRM so that users can easily keep track of their leads, customers, and prospects.
KEY FEATURES OF INSIGHTLY
- Event management
- Email automation
- Calendar management
- Contacts management
- Real-Time Analytics
- Integration
- Mobile Apps
- Reporting Tools
- Webinars
REASONS TO BUY INSIGHTLY
- Powerful tools
- User friendly
- Great support
- Simple installation
- Easy to customize
- Very affordable
- No data storage limits
REASONS TO AVOID UNSIGHTLY
- No API integration
- No free trial
- No good support
- No good documentation
6. Zoho CRM – Best online sales CRM
PRICING: $14 per month
Zoho CRM is a cloud-based CRM application that provides all the necessary tools to run your own successful sales team. This CRM helps you build relationships with your clients by providing personalized information about your company.
KEY FEATURES ZOHO CRM
- Sales Management
- Customer Service
- Marketing Automation
- Lead Generation
- Data Import & Export
- Collaboration
- Inbox View
- Attachments
- Bulk Emails
- Charts
- Reports
REASONS TO BUY ZOHO CRM
- Easy to install
- Good documentation
- Fast implementation
- Unlimited number of users
- No data backup
REASONS TO AVOID ZOHO CRM
- Customization might be confusing
7. Convergehub – Best marketing tool
PRICING: starts at $29 per month
ConvergeHub is a cloud-based CRM solution that allows you to manage and track every aspect of your business. It has covered everything, from sales to marketing to customer service.
KEY FEATURES OF CONVERGEHUB
- Email Marketing
- Social Media Marketing
- Website tracking
- Lead Generation
- Database management
- Web Form Builder
- Analytics
- Reporting
REASONS TO BUY CONVERGEHUB
- Great pricing plan
- User-friendly interface
- Excellent customer support
- Very flexible
- Great documentation
- Fast installation
- Unlimited number of users
REASONS TO AVOID CONVERGEHUB
- No mobile apps
- No desktop apps
- No good dashboard
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8. Sendinblue – Best ecommerce marketing tool
PRICING: starts at $25/month
SendinBlue is the world’s first native email marketing platform built specifically for eCommerce. SendinBlue is trusted by brands like Nike, Dell, Microsoft, Disney, Starbucks, etc.
KEY FEATURES OF SENDINBLUE
- Email Marketing Platform
- Easy to use
- Fast loading time
- Has good reporting tools
- Has great analytics
- Has API integration
REASONS TO BUY SENDINBLUE
- Free version
- Ease of use
- Fast Loading Time
- Good customer service
- Good reporting tools
- Has mobile apps
- Has desktop apps
REASONS TO AVOID SENDINBLUE
- No good reports
- No good tutorials
- No good documentation
9. Activecampaign – Best email marketing strategy tool
PRICING: Starting at $15/month
ActiveCampaign is a cloud-based email marketing software solution designed to help you manage your entire email marketing strategy from start to finish.
KEY FEATURES OF ACTIVECAMPAIGN
- Cloud-Based Software Solution
- Mobile App
- Desktop Apps
- Support
- Reports
- Analytics
- API
- Customizable
- No Monthly Fees
REASONS TO BUY ACTIVECAMPAIGN
- Free Version
- Cheap Price
- Great Support
- Customizable
- Simple Interface
- Easy To Learn
- Easy To Set Up
REASONS TO AVOID SENDINBLUE
- Slow Loading Time
- Slow Reporting
- Slow Analytics
- Poor API
- Poor Documentation
10. Freshworks CRM – Best business management tool
PRICING PLAN: Starting at $29/user/month
Freshworks CRM is a robust business management tool that helps small businesses grow their sales and profits.
KEY FEATURES OF FRESHWORKS CRM
- Sales Management
- Project Management
- Invoicing & Billing
- Dashboards
- Reporting
- Analytics
- Mobile Apps
- Web Forms
- Social Media Management
REASONS TO BUY FRESHWORKS CRM
- Free Trial
- User Friendly
- Easy to learn
- Easy to set up
- Mobile Apps
- Webforms
REASONS TO AVOID FRESHWORKS CRM
- Poor documentation
- Limited customization options
- Expensive pricing plan
- Unstable UI design
- Poor desktop apps
- Poor API
11. Zapier – Best marketing automation tool
PRICING: Starting at $99/month
Zapier is a platform that connects over 1,500 applications to automate workflows between them.
KEY FEATURES OF ZAPIER
- Connects Applications
- Automate Workflows
- Supports Multiple Platforms
- Drag and Drop Functionality
- Integrates With Other Services
- Wide Variety of Plugins
- Online Community
- In-App Help Videos
REASONS TO BUY ZAPIER
- Free trial
- Cheap price
- Easy setup
- Integration with many services
- Online community
- In-app help videos
- 30-day money-back guarantee
REASONS TO AVOID ZAPIER
- Limited integration options
- Not very user friendly
- Not stable
- Expensive
- Poor customer service
FAQs
How do I know which CRM is right for me?
You should choose a CRM based on your industry. Your CRM should have these features:
- Contact management
- Document management
- Task management
- Calendar management
- Reporting
- Analytics
- Mobile apps
- Webforms
- Social media management
- Customer relationships
- Project management
Which CRM has the most advanced features?
There are two types of CRMs: cloud-based and self-hosted.
Cloud-based CRMs are hosted on the internet. They are usually cheaper than self-hosted CRMs. Self-hosted CRMs are installed on your server. They are more expensive, but they give you complete control over everything.
Should I pay extra for additional modules?
Yes! Most CRMs include basic contact management, document management, task management, calendar management, reporting, etc. However, if you want to add more complex features such as eCommerce, social media, lead generation, project management, etc., you must purchase those separately. For example, if you want to create a Facebook page for your business, you must pay for that separately.
Is it possible to integrate my CRM with other tools?
A. Yes! Many CRMs allow you to connect them to external applications (e.g., Google Sheets). This means that you can easily sync your data between different applications.
Will my CRM, work with our current system?
It depends on how much customization you require. Generally speaking, most CRMs are compatible with Microsoft Excel spreadsheets.
How long does it take to set up my CRM?
Implementing a CRM could take about 11 months to about a year (to train 50 to 100 people). While setting up a new CRM software takes about 15 minutes. Once you have done this, you can start using your CRM immediately.
What are the 4C’s of CRM?
To get a successful result from a CRM, the following managing 4C’s should be considered:
- Customer experience
- Conversation
- Content
- Collaboration
Resources
- https://www.copypress.com/kb/tools/best-crm-tools-for-marketing-agencies/
- https://www.techjockey.com/blog/digital-marketing-crm#zoho
- https://www.salesmate.io/blog/how-choose-best-crm-for-digital-marketing-agency/
- https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/9-of-the-best-crms-for-digital-agencies
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