Small businesses and startups have a lot to juggle, and customer relationship management (CRM) software can present an extra burden. However, the right CRM software can actually help automate your business processes and improve the customer experience.
We've identified the best CRM reports for small businesses and included them here for your perusal. We will also look at some of the most popular CRM software options on the market and discuss what they offer. If you're looking for ways to optimize your sales process and improve customer relationships, you've come to the right place!
What is a CRM?
A CRM system is a SaaS solution that helps businesses manage customer relationships. It can track sales and marketing activities, store customer contact information, and automate various business processes. There are many options on the market, and the right CRM for you will depend on the functionality needed to run your business.
Benefits of Using a CRM
There are several benefits to using a CRM system for your business. Perhaps the most obvious is that it can help you automate your sales process. This means that you can set up the software to automatically send out emails or notifications when certain events occur, such as a new lead being generated or an existing client making a purchase. This can save you a lot of time and help you stay on top of your sales pipeline.
Another benefit of using a CRM is that it can help you track your sales metrics in real-time. This means you can quickly see how your sales are performing and identify any areas needing improvement. Additionally, CRM software often comes with various built-in reports to track your progress over time.
A CRM system can track all of your sales activities in one place, including email communications, phone calls, meetings, and tasks. This information can be used to create reports showing which activities are most effective at generating and converting leads.
A robust CRM can automate your marketing processes. This can be a godsend, particularly for small businesses, as it eliminates the need to manually send emails or other marketing materials. You can set up your CRM system to automatically send emails or deploy social media messages at specific intervals. Additionally, you can leverage your CRM data to create targeted marketing lists that are more likely to convert into sales.
A CRM system may also help you optimize your sales funnel. By tracking your sales pipeline stages and customer interactions, you can identify bottlenecks and change your process accordingly. Doing so can increase your conversion rate.
Finally, CRM systems may improve customer relationships by giving you a central place to store all of your customer data. This includes contact information, purchase history, and interactions with the customer (e.g., phone calls, emails, etc.). This readily available information allows you to provide better support and build stronger customer relationships. For example, if customers frequently ask for help after they purchase your product, you may need to improve your customer service process.
The Best CRM Reports for Small Businesses
Several different types of CRM reports can be useful for small businesses. Most of these are available in most CRM solutions but may be add-ons in other software solutions.
Sales Pipeline
Perhaps the most crucial report is the sales pipeline report, which looks at lead or funnel conversion rates, win rates, and average deal size. This type of report can help you track your sales progress and identify any bottlenecks in your sales process. It can also be used to forecast future sales and track your progress over time.
Your pipeline should be the first report you check when analyzing metrics in your CRM. You can use this report in conjunction with other reports like lead source data or forecasts. For example, HubSpot lets you pull this data into a report and it can be displayed in a pie chart, graph, bar chart, or list. This helps you see the larger picture and where your sales reps are excelling, and where there's an improvement to be made.
Sales Activity
Another critical report is the sales activity report, which tracks the number of deals won and lost and the average deal size. It can also be used to identify which sales activities are most effective, like your email marketing or direct mailers. This information can then guide your team to the best solutions.
These reports also generally track the communication between team members and clients. You can see which salespeople make the most calls or send the most emails. This can help you see where there may be a need for improvement. With all this data in a single report, you can easily direct your sales team on the right track.
Contact Management
Contact management through an email and phone outcomes report is essential for any sales team. They include the number of emails sent, received, and opened, as well as the number of calls made, received, and answered. This information can be used to improve your email marketing and follow-up strategies or by helping to prioritize client interactions.
This report is essential because it helps you understand how your sales team communicates with your customers. You can also see which times are best to reach your customers and identify any patterns in customer behavior. With this information, you can make changes to improve the effectiveness of your sales process.
Lead Management
A lead management report is also important for small businesses' lead generation. This report can help you track your leads and identify which ones will most likely convert. Additionally, it can help you track the effectiveness of your marketing campaigns.
This type of report is often used to create lead-scoring models. Lead scoring is a system that ranks leads on a scale of 0-100, with 100 being the most likely to convert. This lets you focus your time and resources on the most promising leads.
Customer Segmentation
Another helpful report is the customer segmentation report. This report can help you identify which segments of your customer base are most profitable and where you should focus your efforts. Additionally, it can help you identify which segments are most likely to churn.
This report is vital because it helps you better understand your customer journey. With this information, you can make changes to improve your customer relationships and better support new customers.
Sales Reporting Goals
A sales goal report can help you track your progress toward your sales goals. Additionally, it can help you identify which areas need improvement. A sales goals report should be on every small business owner's radar; setting goals should happen periodically throughout the sales cycle. Here, you can input your own goals to work toward.
A sales goal report is critical to track your progress and see where your team lands in working toward those goals. Each team member should have their own report and a master report to compare your sales team.
Revenue Forecast Report
As a small business, working toward your expected revenue is crucial. The revenue forecast report is one of the most essential reports for small businesses. This report can help you predict your future sales and identify potential problems. Additionally, it can help you track your progress toward your goals and be used to create a sales forecast or budget.
Revenue forecasting helps you plan for the future. With this information, you can make changes to improve your chances of success. By tracking your revenue forecast, you can ensure you are on track to reach your goals.
Campaign Performance Report
A campaign performance report is also essential for small businesses, as it tracks the effectiveness of your marketing campaigns. Additionally, it can identify which campaigns are most successful. You can drill down your efforts by tracking and identifying which campaigns are performing well.
For instance, if you find your email marketing campaign in which you send coupons has a higher open rate than simple notifications of new products, you can focus your work on creating or improving those campaigns.
It's vital to track campaign performance for several reasons. First, you want to ensure you get a good return on investment for your marketing campaigns. Second, it can help you improve your campaigns to be more successful.
How to Choose the Right CRM
Now that you know what types of reports are available, it's time to choose the right small business CRM software for your business. There are a few things to consider when choosing a CRM solution. Pay close attention to CRM features when looking for the right solution for your smbs.
When choosing CRM software for your small business, the first thing to consider is what kind of functionality you need. If you're looking for something to help you automate your sales process and keep track of customer data, then you'll want to choose a CRM system with solid automation and lead management features. However, suppose you're more interested in using CRM software to improve customer support or streamline your sales activities. In that case, you'll want to choose a CRM platform with strong customer support and ticketing features.
Once you've decided on the main features you need, it's time to compare pricing. Some CRM software is free, while others have a monthly subscription fee. If you're just starting out, you may want to choose a free CRM system like certain tiers of HubSpot or Zoho CRM. However, if you need more advanced features or plan to scale up your business in the future, you'll probably want a paid CRM solution like Salesforce or Pipedrive.
You should consider ease of use, too. Some CRM software is very user-friendly, while others are more complex to navigate. If you're not familiar with CRM software, you may want to choose a user-friendly option like Freshsales or Pipedrive.
However, if you're comfortable with complex software, you may want to choose a more powerful CRM system like Salesforce or HubSpot. Ensure the CRM solution you choose has a support team available if you require additional guidance.
Finally, consider what integrations you want or need. Some CRM software integrates with Gmail, Outlook, or other email platforms. Others integrate with social media platforms like Twitter or Facebook. And some CRM systems even integrate with eCommerce platforms like Shopify or Magento. Choose a CRM solution that offers the necessary integrations to streamline your workflow.
Best CRMs for Small Business
Now that you know what to look for in a CRM solution, it's time to choose the best CRM software for your small business. Here are our top picks:
HubSpot CRM:
HubSpot Sales CRM is the top contender for us here at Wordsmyth. It's a powerful all-in-one CRM system with strong automation and real-time lead management features. HubSpot Sales offers some excellent integrations with top apps like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
They offer a free plan and scalable solutions to their enterprise plan account. They also have hundreds of email templates and web forms to make your life easier. Their unparalleled customer support and help desk make them a great option for those just learning CRM systems or needing extra help. If you're interested in HubSpot and need that extra help, consider contacting Wordsmyth Creative Content. We've helped many brands start their HubSpot journey by being a HubSpot Solutions Provider.
Salesforce:
Salesforce is the most widely used cloud-based CRM and is a great choice for businesses that need a robust CRM system. It's packed with features and offers fantastic integrations like with Microsoft Outlook. Their sales funnel is easy to follow and set up. They also have a mobile app on iOS and Android so that you can connect on the go. However, the paid plan can be expensive and may be overkill for small businesses. If you're considering Salesforce, we recommend starting with their free trial to see if it fits your business needs.
Pipedrive:
Pipedrive is a great CRM system for businesses that need strong workflow automation and sales pipeline management features. It's also very user-friendly, making it a good choice for businesses new to CRM software and tools. Pipedrive offers a free plan for small businesses, a great way to start with the platform.
Freshsales by Freshworks:
Freshsales is an excellent choice for businesses that need a user-friendly CRM system. This CRM offers robust automation and sales pipeline management features. Freshsales also integrates with popular apps like Gmail, Outlook, and Social Media. Their reasonable pricing makes them a great choice for small businesses.
Zoho CRM:
Zoho CRM is a free CRM that's great for small businesses. It offers strong automation and sales pipeline management features. Zoho CRM integrates with popular apps like Gmail, Outlook, and Social Media. Their customer support is outstanding, making them an excellent choice for businesses that are new to CRM software.
ZenDesk:
ZenDesk is a CRM that's great for small businesses and businesses looking to scale quickly. They offer integrations with social media, Gmail, and other apps, making compiling your data in one place easy. Their sales pipeline is easy to follow and set up, but it can get costly for their enterprise accounts. Their basic plans start at $49 per month so you can get started before seeing if an upgrade is right for you.
Looking for more on our favorite CRM, HubSpot? Check out our thoughts here!