Search
Close this search box.

The Importance of CRM in Digital Marketing & 12 Best CRM for Digital Marketing [2024 Update]

By Liza Shuttleworth Last updated: 29 minute read Customer Insights & LoyaltyMarketing Tools

Customer relationship management (CRM) is a critical component of a successful digital marketing campaign.

CRM is the backbone that creates a sturdy base for the promotion and sales of any product or idea.

Basically, CRM refers to a set of applications that you will use to manage things like customer databases, customer interactions, and everything that pertains to your customers, customer leads, and customer satisfaction.

Improving sales requires you to improve your customer relationships. Your customer service has to be impeccable if you want to keep customers happy. Keeping customers happy is the only way to grow in business.

CRM can help you with this part of your business. Now the question is what is CRM actually?

Skip to What You Need

    read more

    Quick Comparison: Best CRM Software in 2024

    This is a quick comparison of the customer relationship managements oftware we reviewed (keep reading for the full reviews with all the pros & cons):

    Best CRM for Digital Marketing

    Pros & Cons

     Pricing

    Our P2P Rating 

    ActiveCampaign CRM

    • Pros

    • Customer tagging and automated segmentation help create targeted campaigns.

    • Automations can be designed in visual builders which makes them easy to understand.

    • Cons

    •  Dashboard can get a little busy at times, making the interface difficult to understand.

    • Lead Management features are not as comprehensive as needed.

    • Free Trial: 14 Days

    • Lite: From $15/m

    • Plus: From $70/m

    • Pro: From $187/m

    • Enterprise: Custom

    4.5/5

    ClickUp

    • Pros

    • A vast array of capabilities in one platform.

    • Highly customizable with multiple workspaces, dashboards, etc.

    • Cons

    • Huge number of features & functions can be overwhelming

    • Adjusting dynamic timelines can be tricky & no conditional forms.

    • Free Forever (best for personal use)

    • Unlimited: $9 per member, per month

    • Business: $19 per member, per month

    • Business Plus: $29 per member, per month

    • Enterprise: Custom Pricing

    *Discounts are available for yearly payments.

    4.5/5

    AgileCRM

    • Pros

    • A robust set of features is available on the free plan.

    • Clean and simple, intuitive UI.

    • Cons

    • Limited customization options.

    • Contact details from emails need to be captured manually, one at a time.

    • Free (limited to 10 users)

    • Starter: $14.99 per user, per month

    • Regular: $49.99 per user, per month

    • Enterprise: $79.99 per user, per month

    *Yearly payment gets up to 34% off, two years gets 40% off

    4/5

    HubSpot CRM

    • Pros

    • 300+ supported integrations

    • Great reporting & analytics

    • Cons

    • Steep learning curve.

    • Custom forms have limitations on the tiers that can be created and the fields that can be added.

    • Free Forever

    4.5/5

    Keap CRM

    • Pros

    • Campaign builder tool is flexible, robust, and very easy to learn.

    • Visualizations for automation and campaigns created by the software are really helpful.

    • Cons

    • Does not handle Spam very well and the contact forms on websites often get bombarded.

    • Uses a flat database which can be inconvenient for B2B communications.

    • Free Trial: 14 Days

    • Pro: From $129 p/m for up to 1500 contacts, 2 users

    • Max: From $199 p/m for up to 2500 contacts, 3 users

    4/5

    Zoho CRM

    • Pros

    • Extensive customization features.

    • 800+ standard integrations.

    • Custom integrations.

    • Advanced analytics & custom reporting.

    • Comprehensive features.

    • Easily scalable solution.

    • Affordable, flexible pricing.

    • Mobile App.

    • End-to-end CRM,

    • Cons

    • Setting up customized reporting can be time consuming

    • Fairly steep learning curve

    • Data sharing with third-parties can be slow

    • Limits on the paid plans mean you may have to upgrade

    • UI can be challenging on un-customized dashboards

    • Support can be slow (paid support plans available)

    • Free Forever: up to 3 users, basic functions

    • Free Trial: 15 Days

    • Standard: $12 per user, per month

    • Professional: $20 per user, per month

    • Enterprise: $35 per user, per month

    • Ultimate: $45 per user, per month

    * Billed annually. Monthly plans available.

    4.5/5

    Pipedrive

    • Pros

    • Customizing and navigating the interfaces is seamless and quick.

    • Great integrations to accelerate your workflows, team communication, & buyer relationships.

    • Cons

    • Can be tricky to configure automation.

    • Slow customer support.

    • Free Trial: 14 Days

    • Essential: $15 per user, per month

    • Advanced: $29 per user, per month

    • Professional: $59 per user, per month

    • Enterprise: $99 per user, per month

    4.5/5

    Monday.com

    • Pros

    • Exceptional customer support.

    • Can be easily integrated with other business software to provide a one-stop solution.

    • Cons

    • Hyperlinks don’t always carry over when spreadsheets are imported into the software.

    • Lagging and bugs can be problematic.

    • Free Trial: 14 Days

    • Free Forever: 2 users & 3 boards

    • Basic: $8 per seat, per month

    • Standard: $10 per seat, per month

    • Pro: $16 per seat, per month

    • Enterprise: Custom

    4.5/5

    Freshworks CRM

    • Pros

    • Activity feed is very comprehensive and does not require expensive third-party add-ons.

    • Useful features like A/B tests, heat maps, & other optimization tools.

    • Cons

    • Error logs are not very helpful and support can be slow.

    • Leads converted to contacts can't be changed back.

    • Free Trial: 21 Days

    • Starter: $29 per user, per month

    • Growth: $59 per user, per month

    • Pro: $109 per user, per month

    • Enterprise: $129 per user, per month

    4.5/5

    Salesforce

    • Pros

    • Reporting capabilities are high-level and powerful.

    • It’s quick and easy to integrate third-party apps like live web chats and email marketing functions.

    • Cons

    •  Configuration process is complex and time-consuming.

    • Pricing can be expensive if you don’t plan to use all the features.

    • Free Trial: 30 Days

    • Plans: Custom Pricing

    4.5/5

    Sage CRM

    • Pros

    • Automated follow-up features keep you ahead of your leads, and you can set follow-up popup notifications.

    •  In-depth insights and data you can uncover about your leads for highly targeted campaigns. 

    • Cons

    • UX design can be cumbersome.

    • Bugs - sometimes the time tracker and popup functions don’t work correctly. 

    • Custom Pricing

    4/5

    Insightly

    • Pros

    • Quick and simple to configure and has a reasonable starting price.

    • You can track several ongoing projects within multiple cycles without a hitch.

    • Cons

    • Customer support and self-service support material are lacking.

    • Number of features can be overwhelming.

    • Free Forever: limited functions

    • Plus: $29/user/month

    • Pro: $49/user/month

    • Enterprise:  $99/user/month

    4/5

    Scroll down for the full reviews, all the pros and cons and more!

    CRM Explained

    Customer relationship management software is a tool that companies can use to:

    • Record customer data for future references
    • Track sales figures and determine what promotions are being the most productive
    • Keep every member of a sales team updated with customer information, potential client leads, and pertinent information they need to close sales
    • Improve follow-ups and gain customer approval
    • Connect members of your sales team to the clients using GPS technology
    • Allow the sharing of files and information between sales team members so when one team member cannot make a follow-up or complete a promise they made to a client another team member can step in and make the customer happy

    Video source (BAASS Business Solutions Inc.)

    What are CRM Tools?

    Customer relationship management tools are the software solutions that enable businesses to implement and manage good CRM. The software connects all the different sources of information and organizes it into place. Customer relationship management tools collect, store, organize and save data in a way that makes it easily accessible to everyone who needs it. From marketing to sales, to customer support to company management – all the relevant information is there and easy to access, in a meaningful format.

    Importance of CRM in Digital Marketing

    One thing that every business person knows is that a happy customer will return. A happy customer will likely tell three or more of their friends about your business.

    An unhappy customer will likely tell six or more people about their experience with your business. So, no matter what business you are in, keeping the customer happy is the key to success.

    So, how exactly does good CRM make (and keep!) your customers happy?

    Let’s take a look at four important benefits of CRM:

    1.Digital Marketing Strategies Connected to CRM

    One of the biggest digital marketing strategies is to collect simple data on customers when they are browsing the web and looking for particular items.

    Then using that information about the person and the item they were interested in and letting sales ads about those items pop up when the person is on Facebook or Twitter.

    The sales ad would remind the person of the item they were looking at, and drive customers back to the sites where the item was for sale.

    2.CRM Personalizes the Digital Marketing Campaign

    Using customer relationship management to gather data about customers’ likes and dislikes allows you to target specific customers with specific items that they are likely to have an interest in. CRM provides you with the statistical data concerning what the customer has purchased in the past, what they browse for when they are online, and other factors like their age sets, their gender, and the areas where they live.

    All of this personal data can be used in your virtual campaign. Instead of doing just one broad-based campaign and hoping that the people who will be interested in the advertising will see it, you can make sure that the people who are going to be interested in something are the ones that see that particular item.

    3.Digital Connections

    When you use customer relationship management strategies to create data sheets concerning the customers you have, and the leads you have on other customers, you can then approach those customers in a one-to-one virtual campaign.

    You can connect with them by using their preferences to make suggestions on their social networking sites so they see the advertisements and are reminded of the things they want or like.

    You can send emails that personally suggest certain products and services, based on a previous purchase the customer has made. You know how on Netflix you see the words “since you liked this program” and there are links for you to follow to go to another program that is similar? You can do that with your email campaign.

    You can create blogs and articles that address the things your customers might be interested in by looking at the data to confirm their likes and dislikes. When you have relevant information on your page, that your customer or future customer finds interesting, then they will visit you.

    4.Satisfaction Guaranteed

    When you use customer relationship management applications to create databases about your customers and your products, you can also create a database about customer service calls.

    When you start to look closely at your customer service calls, what the customer liked or disliked, and what things you did to satisfy the customer, you are able to create a training program for each of your customer service representatives that will allow them to create satisfied customers out of each call.

    TLDR? The Importance of Customer Relationship Management:

    Effective Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is the way you organize and manage your interactions with your customers and leads. CRM tools allow you to simplify and streamline your communications for marketing, sales, and customer care. Good CRM helps you gather data to provide better customer service, more relevant marketing, and more effective sales messaging. 

    The 12 Best CRM Solutions for Digital Marketing-Focused Brands.

    1.ActiveCampaign CRM

    ActiveCampaign is a Chicago-based Customer Relationship Management and Automations tool that helps marketers and sales teams connect well with their customers and sell more, with less effort.

    You can see the complete sales cycle at a glance and track customers at every touchpoint. 

    The most important function of ActiveCampaign is its marketing automations, which help reduce the time spent on each lead in the pipeline. 

    The sales teams that have used ActivecCampaign reported a significant increase in productivity due this feature.

    The level of automation ActiveCampaign offers is easily the best in the market. These automations make sure that you’re not missing out on any important aspect of the customer lifecycle and, eventually, help close sales.

    Other important features, including lead scoring, win probability, and segmentation, also help improve conversions.

     

    activecampaign CRM

    Pros & Cons

    Pros

    • Customer tagging and automated segmentation help create targeted campaigns.
    • The auto-responder option helps improve communication with customers.
    • Pre-made templates and flexible automations reduce the workload in performing different tasks.
    • The automations can be designed in visual builders which makes them easy to understand.
    • A number of third-party integrations are supported.
    • The webinars and training sessions offered for free are quite helpful.

    Cons

    • The dashboard can get a little busy at times, making the interface difficult to understand.
    • Lead Management features are not as comprehensive and do not provide all the features you might expect.

    Pricing

    • Free Trial: 14 Days
    • Lite: From $15/month for marketing automation, unlimited email sending, subscription forms, and site and event tracking 
    • Plus: From $70/month for everything in Lite plan + mobile marketing, product block personalization and custom branded forms and pages 
    • Professional: From $187/month for everything in Plus plan + website personalization, site marketing and split automations 
    • Enterprise: Custom Price 

    Website: activecampaign.com

    2.ClickUp

     

    ClickUp is a comprehensive productivity and project management platform that offers robust, easily set up and fully customizable customer relationship management features.

    As a CRM, ClickUp offers everything you need, from one end of your sales cycle to the other. You can use it to manage everything from your lead and sales pipelines to client accounts and ongoing customer support.

    Everything can be organized and accessed from one place, where everyone who needs it can find it – making sales and customer service seamless for your team and for the client they’re serving.

    As a platform, ClickUp offers a huge array of features, which means you can customize it to suit your specific needs, and use it to manage knock-on processes that relate to your customer relationship management features. This is especially useful if you offer a customizable service or product, where sales, production, and support teams all need to be on the same page.   

    It offers over 1000 integrations so that you can easily stitch your CRM into your existing tools and processes.

    CRM tools for digital marketing - screenshot of the ClickUp Homepage

    Pros & Cons

    Pros

    • A vast array of capabilities in one platform.
    • UI is intuitive and easy to use.
    • Features can be used simply but they’re robust enough to scale up as needed.
    • Project management features are outstanding, especially for a large number of tasks and teams.
    • Highly customizable with multiple workspaces, dashboards, etc.
    • Easy to master with minimal training for new users.
    • Numerous integrations for third-party tools and software.
    • 24/7 real-time customer support.

    Cons

    • The huge number of features and functions can be overwhelming and overly complicated for some users.
    • Adjusting dynamic timelines can be tricky, requiring several UI widgets and doing some complex dependency linking for timelines to change when a date in the sequence changes.
    • No conditional logic forms.
    • Occasional sync challenges and data loss between the mobile app, desktop, and web versions.
    • Document formatting and management can be overly complicated.
    • Slow loading/refreshing, and some stability/connectivity issues.

    Pricing

    • Free Forever (best for personal use)
    • Unlimited: $9 per member, per month (for small teams)
    • Business: $19 per member, per month (for mid-size teams)
    • Business Plus: $29 per member, per month (for multiple teams)
    • Enterprise: Custom Pricing (for many large teams)
    • Discounts are available for yearly payments

    Website: clickup.com

    3.AgileCRM

    AgileCRM offers robust features to handle your customers from end-to-end, from initial lead capture to sales, and ongoing customer support with multi-channel communication.  

    It is ideal for SMBs that need a dedicated CRM to handle their contacts, marketing, and sales processes from one place. AgileCRM provides everything from contact management to marketing automation, analytics, two-way emailing, live chat, and telephone helpdesk features.  

    AgileCRM acts as a unified portal for all your sales and customer care activities. You can access contact info, communication history, sales/help progress, and more from one place. This enables members of the team to seamlessly pick up where someone else left off while providing a smooth experience for your customers.

    Pros & Cons

    Pros

    • Clean and simple, intuitive UI.
    • Useful tracking and automation.
    • A robust set of features is available on the free plan.
    • Free website builder.
    • The free plan includes features that are usually paid for on other tools.
    • End-to-end CRM tool that has features for every stage of the customer journey.
    • Marketing automation is good.

    Cons

    • Limited customization options.
    • Does not provide as much training material/tutorials as competitors.
    • There is a somewhat steep learning curve for new users.
    • Limited integrations compared to competitors.
    • Contact details from emails need to be captured manually, one at a time.
    • Several reviews noted that it was slow and buggy.

    Pricing

    • Free (limited to 10 users)
    • Starter: $14.99 per user, per month
    • Regular: $49.99 per user, per month
    • Enterprise: $79.99 per user, per month
    • Yearly payment gets up to 34% off, and yearly payment for two years gets 40% off

    Website: agilecrm.com

    4.HubSpot CRM

    HubSpot is one of the world’s leading platforms for online marketing, sales and Customer Relationship Management (CRM). With dedicated productivity tools and automations, it helps reduce manual involvement in the process and saves time from menial tasks.

    HubSpot Customer Relationship Management comes with free tools for lead generation and email marketing that help grow and nurture the customer database. The service teams can stay organized through efficient communication and elevate their productivity. The software supports all kinds of third-party integrations and provides adequate reporting and tracking features.

    The CRM tool gives full visibility into the sales pipeline in real-time. There is a detailed reporting dashboard that gives information on sales productivity and individual performance. You can create and organize your own sales pipelines with automated tracking. The pipelines will give you a good idea of the various stages of customer relationship and where it goes off.

    There is a free landing-page builder that helps create professional-looking landing pages. You can use the free ad management tools to convert visitors from these landing pages to qualified leads. Besides, you can connect with them via live chat or by setting up one-to-one chat conversations with chatbots.

    The Universal Inbox feature allows you to view, manage, assign, and reply to all customer conversations irrespective of what channel they are coming from.

    HubSpot CRM supports over 300 integrations through which you can connect your existing software for free, and get even more out of the tools and applications your business uses every day.

    Pros & Cons

    Pros

    • Most of the functionality is available for free so you can start without paying and grow a lot before you have to pay anything.
    • Customized messaging with sequences helps nurture client relationships.
    • The reporting and analytics provide great insights into the effectiveness of different customer acquisition and communication channels.
    • There are 300 plus supported integrations so there is hardly any software that can not work with HubSpot.
    • The software has built-in Anti-Spam functionality that helps with legal compliance.
    • Sales automation features like meetings links and email integrations are super helpful.

    Cons

    • The UX design is not very convenient and there is quite a learning curve when you shift to the software.
    • The custom forms have limitations on the tiers that can be created and the fields that can be added.

    Pricing

    • Free Forever!

    Website: hubspot.com

    5.Keap CRM

    Keap is an all-in-one sales and marketing platform that offers a wide range of services including sales pipelines, marketing automations, and Customer Relationship Management. The CRM helps businesses across various industries streamline their client relationships and manage customer experiences.

    The client database software helps improve organization and increases workflow efficiency. Instead of maintaining huge databases for records, you can handle all client activity and communications from a single place. The records can be easily edited and automatically updated, requiring minimal human involvement.

    The software can easily connect with Zapier, Gmail, Outlook, and AppointmentCore, streamlining your communication channels and boosting email efficiency. You can send highly personalized emails that drive action or sales. There are pre-written templates that can be edited and campaigns can be automated.

    Smart forms help collect and organize client information so that it can be used in automated campaigns easily. The automation builder is really powerful and allows expert marketers to create flexible campaigns and set triggers for various client actions. This way you can create repeatable pipelines that make sure that leads do not leak away.

    The reporting capabilities by Keap are extraordinary as it helps users run analyses on email campaigns, sales pipelines performance, and ROI data. The software can also be remotely managed from an Android or iOS device.

    Pros & Cons

    Pros

    • Client segmentation is quite useful and helps group similar prospects before running email campaigns.
    • The visualizations for automation and campaigns created by the software are really helpful. They make the process fun and engaging for marketers using the software.
    • The campaign builder tool is flexible, robust, and very easy to learn.
    • The software has an API that can be easily integrated with other software you might be using.
    • The newsletter templates and web forms functionalities are great for building your database and collecting leads.
    • The responsive Drag & Drop email builder makes developing email campaigns easier.

    Cons

    • The software does not handle Spam very well and the contact forms on websites often get bombarded.
    • It uses a flat database which can be inconvenient for B2B communications.

    Pricing

    • Free Trial: 14 Days
    • Pro: From $129 p/month for up to 1500 contacts, 2 users, email marketing, SMS marketing, lead and client management and sales and marketing automation 
    • Max: From $199 p/month for up to 2500 contacts, 3 users, everything in Pro plan + promo codes and upsells and marketing analytics 

    Website: keap.com

    6.Zoho CRM

     

    Zoho CRM is a comprehensive customer relationship management software for businesses of all sizes, from solopreneurs and SMBs to global enterprises.

    You can use Zoho CRM to manage all your customer data, omni-channel communications, and important documentation. It acts as a unified platform to manage your interactions with customers at every step of the sales cycle.

    Zoho CRM offers a comprehensive suite of features and an exceptionally high level of customization for just about all aspects of the software, from custom dashboards and reports to custom workflows, automations, and personalized communication templates.

    It integrates with all other Zoho products and over 800 third parties. You can also create custom integrations so that no matter what you need, your customer relationship management can work seamlessly with your tech stack.

    Zoho CRM also provides a mobile app, which is especially useful for remote sales teams and sales reps on the go.

    It is perfect for growing SMBs because it is an easily scalable solution that handles your needs so matter how big you get.

    Pricing plans are affordable and flexible, so you’re only ever paying for features you currently need, but as you grow, you can upgrade your plan so your customer relationship management grows with you.   

    In addition to a vast number of standard integrations, Zoho also offers a robust developer platform to extend what your CRM can do.

    For those who want to delve into analytics and responsive optimization, you can leverage Zoho’s AI called Zia to identify trends in your data, spot anomalies, and provide accurate predictions.

    Zoho CRM Homepage

    Pros & Cons

    Pros

    • Extensive customization features for almost every aspect of the software
    • Over 800 standard integrations, plus custom ones
    • Advanced analytics and detailed and customizable reports
    • Very comprehensive suite of features
    • Scalable software that you can use as an SMB or an Enterprise
    • Easy to use once you have it set up
    • Affordable and flexible pricing plans so you can upgrade as you grow
    • Mobile app for sales representatives out in the field
    • It offers end to end CRM for the full sales cycle
    • Handles documentation well
    • Offers useful notifications and reminders
    • Free version available (limited features and users)

    Cons

    • Learning curve may be steep for some users
    • Setting up customized reporting can be time consuming
    • Data sharing with third-party integrations can be slow
    • Limits on the paid plans can force you to upgrade even if you only that one feature
    • UI can be challenging if you haven’t customized your dashboards
    • Support can be slow (but you can purchase support plans)

    Pricing

    • Free Forever: Basic functions – up to 3 users
    • Free Trial: 15 Days
    • Standard: $12/user/month, billed annually
    • Professional: $20/user/month, billed annually
    • Enterprise: $35/user/month, billed annually
    • Ultimate: $45/user/month, billed annually

    Website: zoho.com/crm

    7.Pipedrive

    Pipedrive is all about building and maintaining pipelines for various business functions. You can create customer service, sales, and marketing pipelines from one tool. Pipedrive is a super easy tool to configure and navigate.

    Compared to many other CRM software, you don’t have to be a tech pro to work with Pipedrive. 

    Pipedrive works for teams of all sizes, and it’s fully customizable. This means you can add your unique branding and pipeline actions to achieve your desired results.

    With the drag-and-drop interface, businesses can create custom fields, automate their workflows and manage sales, customer queries, and deals,

    Pipedrive’s email and communication tracking features are another reason to opt for this customer relationship management software. You can integrate internal communication channels, manage sales-related tasks, create and send invoices and identify qualified leads.

    Pipedrive has in-depth data and tracking features too. Businesses can access pipeline metrics, visual reports, and custom dashboards. 

     

    Pipedrive Homepage
    Source: Pipedrive

    Pros & Cons

    Pros

    • Customizing and navigating the interfaces is seamless and quick. 
    • There are endless possibilities for what software you can integrate to accelerate your workflows, team communication, and buyer relationships.
    • This CRM software loads very fast and doesn’t have bugs, making it much easier and more convenient.
    • There isn’t a very steep learning curve to use this software.
    • You can create multiple pipelines for different scenarios. 

    Cons

    • There needs to be more clarity on how to configure automation.
    • The customer support is not very helpful, and you may need multiple attempts to get through to them. 

    Pricing

    • Free Trial: 14 Days 
    • Essential: $15 /month, per user for lead management, pipeline management, and deal management
    • Advanced: $29 /month, per user for everything in the Essential plan + email marketing, group emailing, and workflow builder
    • Professional: $59 /month, per user for everything in the Advanced plan + create, manage and sign documents and revenue projections 
    • Enterprise: $99 /month, per user for everything in the Professional plan + unlimited user permissions and additional security preferences 

    Website: pipedrive.com

    8.Monday.com

    Monday.com is a comprehensive Resource Management software that provides a wide range of capabilities, including Customer Relationship Management and Project Management. 

    The interface is designed in a flexible manner, which allows you to easily organize your projects and customize your workflows.

    The most important features of Monday.com’s CRM include managing leads and sales pipelines, client tracking, contract management, and onboarding new customers.

    The project management orientation of the software allows teams to easily collaborate on leads.

    The best and most well-known feature of Monday.com is that it turns the to-do lists into a game, encouraging all team members to complete their tasks on time.

    The projects are broken into smaller tasks, which can be divided into even smaller subtasks.

    Each task is color-coded, so the status and the progress of each member is quite clear. Green means complete, red means stuck, and so on. The urge to turn every block green is what keeps the team going.

    The CRM solution was in fact introduced to allow the sales teams to collaborate more easily on customer relationships and boost results. The tool also supports a number of integrations and automations.

     

    Monday CRM

    Pros & Cons

    Pros

    • The dashboard has colorful crafted charts and graphs, which makes completing tasks an enjoyable activity.
    • Drag and drop functionality for most functions makes the workflow smooth.
    • Progress on different clients can be tracked easily by everyone on the sales team.
    • Automated follow-up reminders.
    • Can be easily integrated with other business software to provide a one-stop solution.
    • Customer service is almost instantaneous and always courteous.

    Cons

    • The scroll function on the Mac version can be problematic sometimes.
    • Hyperlinks don’t always carry over when spreadsheets are imported into the software.
    • The software often lags when navigating the UI.

    Pricing

    • Free Trial: 14 Days
    • Free Forever: Up to 2 user seats, 3 boards, unlimited docs and 200+ templates 
    • Basic: $8/month, per seat for everything in Free Forever + 5GB storage, prioritized customer support, unlimited items and unlimited free viewers 
    • Standard: $10/month per seat for everything in Basic plan + timeline and gantt views, guest access, automations and integrations
    • Pro: $16/month per seat for everything in Standard plan + chart view, time tracking and private boards and docs 
    • Enterprise: Custom pricing, billed annually

    Website: monday.com

    9.Freshworks CRM

    Freshworks is an AI-powered Customer Relationship Management tool that enables sales and marketing professionals to improve their understanding of their customers, through detailed insights and analytics.

    The most important features of Freshworks customer relationship management include email marketing, lead scoring, market segmentation, AI chatbots, and salesforce automation. 

    The software allows marketers to deliver a personalized marketing strategy to each customer, at every touchpoint across their lifecycle. 

    This way they are able to boost their clicks, conversions, and overall engagement for the marketing activities of the firm.

    The 360° customer view provides complete details about customers and prospects, including touchpoints, conversations, appointments, tasks, and much more.

    Freshworks CRM

    Pros & Cons

    Pros

    • Customer lifecycle can be easily tracked through AI-powered metrics.
    • Migration to the software is super easy and does not require help from an outside resource.
    • The activity feed is very comprehensive and does not require expensive third-party add-ons.
    • Customer fields are auto-filled based on lead/contact emails.
    • Business view filters can be easily created and modified.
    • A/B tests, heat maps, and other optimization tools make it easy to close customers.

    Cons

    • Error logs are not very helpful.
    • If you mistakenly convert a lead to a contact, you can’t downgrade it back to a lead.
    • Support is unresponsive at times.

    Pricing

    • Free Trial: 21 Days
    • Starter: $29/month per user for custom SSL, mobile apps, workflow automator and SLA management 
    • Growth: $59/month per user for everything in Starter plan + employee on-boarding, MSP mode and cloud management 
    • Pro: $109/month per user for everything in Growth plan + problem management, change management and alert management 
    • Enterprise: $129/month per user for audit logs and a virtual assistant.

    Website: freshworks.com

    10.Salesforce

    Salesforce is one of the most reliable customer relationship management platforms because there’s almost nothing you can’t do with this platform. Salesforce provides functions and features to help you generate and manage leads, sales, and your customers.

    Salesforce users enjoy a clear interface that’s easy to navigate. The only problem is configuring this tool. While the usability is fantastic, it takes technical knowledge to set up Salesforce and train your team to use it.

    You don’t have to opt for one Salesforce package if you need a 360-degree solution.

    Salesforce is an all-in-one marketing and CRM platform. You can use this software to handle all your operations and strategies.

    You can leverage client insights on buying patterns and trends, and use predictive analytics to drive client appreciation. There is also a function for agent routing so client queries get to the right people. 

    Another fantastic feature of Salesforce is the ability to add custom branding. You can customize buyer communications and content with your branding elements.

    If you find Salesforce too tricky to configure, there are loads of online resources to help you!

     

    salesforce E-commerce CRM
    Source: Salesforce.com

    Pros & Cons

    Pros

    • The reporting capabilities are high-level and powerful. Businesses can gather any data they’d like for accurate insights.
    • The CRM software does an impressive job of organizing content and reminding users to complete specific tasks.
    • You can manage so much more than just sales or customer support. This makes Salesforce a top tool to scale your business.
    • Businesses can get a tailored quote based on their needs and the features they can afford.
    • It’s quick and easy to integrate third-party apps like live web chats and email marketing functions. 

    Cons

    • The configuration process is complex and time-consuming. There’s a steep learning curve to this software. 
    • The pricing can become expensive if you don’t plan to use all the available features.

    Pricing

    • Free Trial: 30 Days
    • Custom quote 

    Website: salesforce.com 

    11.Sage CRM

    Sage CRM provides specialized solutions for lead generation, nurturing, and conversion. This is the CRM tool you need to secure and track qualified leads and push them through your sales and marketing funnels.

    Large enterprises would appreciate this customer relationship management software because it stores all your client and lead information and provides detailed reports. 

    You can leverage insights on your clients and leads, like their demographics, purchasing behavior and trends, and how they interact with your brand. All this data allows businesses to deliver personalized campaigns and strategies.

    Sage CRM’s real-time insights are another benefit of this platform. With real-time data, you can understand the specifics of your buyers and identify and solve risks before they occur.

    If you want to collaborate with or share your data with another business, Sage customer relationship management makes this easy. You can integrate any of your top social tools, share branded reports, communicate with your team, and work with other teams.

    Another persuading aspect of Sage CRM is how easy this tool is to navigate. While the interface could use improvements, it’s not challenging to use Sage CRM. 

    Sage CRM_
    Source: Sage CRM

    Pros & Cons

    Pros

    • Sage CRM handles everything from lead generation to conversion, making it easier for businesses with large databases to keep their clients happy.
    • It’s quick and easy to add, manage and delete leads.
    • The automated follow-up features keep you ahead of your leads, and you can set follow-up popup notifications.
    • There are super in-depth insights and data you can uncover about your leads for highly targeted campaigns. 
    • Most of the customizations require programming in SQL and JavaScript which isn’t too complicated compared to other CRM platforms. 

    Cons

    • The UX design needs a modern update as it’s very outdated, and clunky. This makes it much more time-consuming to complete basic CRM tasks.
    • You may run into a few bugs while working with this software. Sometimes the time tracker and popup functions don’t work correctly. 

    Pricing

    • Custom quote

    Website: sage.com

    12.Insightly

    Insightly is a favorable CRM platform for small businesses. These companies love this platform because it’s easy to configure, the user interface is enticing and the pricing isn’t too steep.

    Insightly helps businesses build and manage client communication pipelines to optimize their results. You can integrate loads of tools like MailChimp and QuickBooks into Insightly’s unified customer relationship management software.

    There isn’t a steep learning curve for this software. If you need guidance, Insightly provides many online resources. However, many small companies and startups find all of Insightly’s features too overwhelming, and never use some of them.

    What’s handy about Insightly as a customer relationship management software is its agent tracking and routing products. You can tag specific client queries, ensure they route to the correct agents, and track their progress.

    Insightly will let you know how your agents perform and pinpoint areas that could use improvement to take your customer service to the next level.

    Insightly
    Source: Insightly

    Pros & Cons

    Pros

    • This is a great CRM tool for small businesses as it’s quick and simple to configure and has a reasonable starting price.
    • It’s easy and convenient to integrate third-party tools like MailChimp for increased customer satisfaction.
    • You can track several ongoing projects within multiple cycles without a hitch.
    • You can set up automated workflows to save your team and business a heck load of time.
    • You can generate and view custom reports all in one place.

    Cons

    • The customer support is far from great. While there are many self-service resources available, these aren’t helpful either. 
    • The features can be a little overwhelming for newbies so these businesses often don’t exhaust Insightly’s full potential. 

    Pricing

    • Plus: $29 /month, per user for lead management, automated emails, mobile voice notes, and 2 role-based permissions 
    • Professional: $49 /month, per user for everything in Plus plan + lead assignment, outbound emails scheduling, and unlimited role-based permissions 
    • Enterprise: $99 /month, per user for everything they offer

    Website: insightly.com

    Improve your Sales with the Help of a CRM System

    This is the virtual age of business. People are doing more online business: shopping, researching, banking and investing, than ever before. Companies are having a hard time keeping their online apps up and running because technology changes so fast and by the time they have an app developed and ready to use, they need to make changes to it.

    CRM digital marketing

    Customer Contact Information

    The CRM software allows you to manage all of the data you have on each client so you can quickly see which client might be interested in a new product or service you have to offer.

    You can generate leads through the data that shows you what the client has liked in the past, how to reach that client, and the other criteria you have accumulated on the client.

    The information is easy to access and you can use different prompts to create a sales lead list. You can also use the information to see which client just need you to make contact and make certain they are still happy, or see if there is anything you can do for them.

    This builds client service to a new level. Your customers will feel more appreciated and it will seem that you remember them.

    Share the Knowledge

    Each sales team member knows certain information about the leads they have or their past clients. They may know that Mr. Black does not like to be called before 4 pm, or that Miss Smith lives alone and does not like strangers just showing up at her door. Some of the information these sales team members have in their heads and in their notes are what will help your company cement a sale.

    If the team member that knows that information quits or gets sick, the information is lost. If you use CRM software your team members can share information with each other and you will always be ready and prepared to close the next deal.

    This software compiles all of the potential leads and client data so that everyone in your company is up to date and has the information they need to serve your clients better.

    Lead Building & Lead Scoring.

    Top executives say that building a quality lead for their sales team to contact is the most critical aspect of making more sales and more profits. These executives use the data their software compiles to:

    • Create contact information on the possible lead.
    • Connect the sales member with the client via GPS technology.
    • Create a list of promotion ideas that have proved successful in the past so the sales team member will have a variety of things to try.
    • Make a list of the tools that are available for the sales team member to use.
    • Allow the information to be accessed through smartphones, tablets, and computers.

    Resourceful Follow-ups.

    The biggest thing that this software data collection does is provide you with the ability to follow up on potential leads so that fewer sales are lost.

    You will have a reminder for your sales team on who they need to call back and when they need to make those calls

    The team member will know what has been tried in the past so they will know what they need to say or do when they make the follow-up.

    The Benefits of CRM

    Final Thoughts

    You can read more details about the need for CRM in digital marketing campaigns by following this link. Applying CRM strategy will increase your business success.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    What's a CRM?

    CRM is a set of applications that you will use to manage things like customer databases, customer interactions, and everything that pertains to your customers, customer leads, and customer satisfaction. Read this guide to learn more about CRM and its importance.

    What's the importance of CRM in Digital Marketing?

    CRM helps to track the level of satisfaction of your customers as well as gather data points that will help your launch better digital marketing campaigns and sustain healthy business growth. Read more about the role of CRM in digital marketing in this guide.

    What are the best CRM solutions for digital marketing focused brands?

    There are many CRM solutions out there and many of them are doing a decent job integrating with other solutions. However, there are a couple of solutions that are best fit for companies that do most of their marketing online. Check out the best 5 in this article.

    References

    Business News Daily: 11 Benefits of CRM Systems

    Forbes: Why Is Customer Relationship Management So Important?

    Forbes: Why You Need A CRM For Your Business

    Gartner: Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Defined

    WebFX: Do You Need a CRM Software? The Top Benefits of CRM

    Industrial Management & Data Systems, Vol. 102 No. 8, pp. 442-452: Adopting Customer Relationship Management Technology