A Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tool is essential for small businesses and non-profits to help keep track of their products and marketing. However, with so many to choose from, it can be difficult to pick which one is right for you. Thus, we made this step-to-step guide to help you choose the right CRM for your business.
Step 1: What kind of organization are you?
If you are a non-profit organization, move on to the Non-Profit Path.
If you are a small business, move on to the Small-Business Path.
Non-Profit Path
Step 2: How big is your non-profit?
Small
If you have 5 employees or less, we recommend Little Green Light. It’s affordable, purpose-built, and has a nearly flat learning curve. It also handles donations, events, and grant tracking. However, it’s designed specifically for small non-profits, so larger businesses should avoid it.
Medium to Large
If you have more than 5 employees, move on to Step 3.
Step 3: Is donor management your primary focus?
Yes, donor management is my primary focus
If donor management is indeed your primary focus, then Bloomerang might be the perfect CRM for you. It’s affordable, excels at reporting trends and lapsed donors, and offers free training. However, it is only recommended for donor retention reporting.
No, I need broader CRM capabilities
If you require broader CRM capabilities, Salesforce will cater to your needs. It offers a full platform with configuration for non-profits, and excels in complex reporting. Even though it has a steeper learning curve it makes up for that with a training course specifically for non-profits.
Step 4 (optional but recommended): Add an email marketing tool
An optional but recommended add-on for all non-profits would be MailerLite, which would allow you to handle marketing by email. MailerLite pairs well with any of the CRMs mentioned above.
Small-Business Path
Step 2: What is your primary focus?
If sales is your primary focus, move on to Step 3.1.
If marketing is your primary focus, move on to Step 3.2.
Step 3.1: What is your monthly budget?
Free or very low budget
If you have a low budget or even want a free CRM, our top recommendation would be Zoho CRM. It’s affordable, has expansive features, and offers free training and certifications. One thing to keep in mind is that the free tier is only good for up to three users.
Moderate budget
If your budget is higher than $15, then Pipedrive would be a great option. It is intuitive and easy to use, has strong email integration, and offers free training and certifications. However, it can be costly depending on the pricing tier.
Step 3.2: What type of marketing does your business use?
Email Only
If you market primarily by email, we recommend MailerLite. It offers a free plan and an affordable premium plan. Includes a pop-up builder. Integrates well with WordPress. Offers free training and certifications. The only real drawback is that the free plan is only good for up to 1,000 subscribers, or 12,000 emails, per month.
Full CRM
If you require a full CRM, then HubSpot might as well be it. It includes a free CRM, integrates deeply with WordPress, and offers extensive training.
Step 4 (optional): Follow-up questions
If you’re still undecided after the above steps, you can answer the below follow-up questions to help guide you to the right CRM.
Step 4.1: Does your business require sales and marketing in one platform?
If so, then we recommend HubSpot, for it has the ability to handle both.
If not, then a bread-and-butter combo of MailerLite and Zoho CRM will give you more flexibility at a lower cost. Both tools offer free tiers to start.
Step 4.2: Do you have complex sales processes or need enterprise integration?
If so, consider Salesforce. It’s powerful and deeply customizable, but with a deeper learning curve and higher support costs.
If not, HubSpot will have you and your business covered.
Step 4.3: Are you a solopreneur mostly working inside of Gmail?
If so, then Streak CRM is built just for you. It’s free, has a template just for your Gmail inbox, and has no separate app to learn.
If not, we would recommend a combination of HubSpot and a dashboard management tool such as Monday.com or Notion.
Step 4.4: Do you need advanced automation for your service business?
If so, we recommend Keap. Even though it is expensive and has a steep learning curve, it makes up for that in its ability to handle CRM, email, and invoicing all in one platform.
If not, then HubSpot’s automation tools will work just fine for your business’s needs.
Conclusion
We hope this guide helped you choose the right CRM for your needs. If you have any questions or want us to set up a CRM for your business, feel free to contact us for a free consultation!