CRM or customer relationship marketing is one of the most revolutionary solutions to have come about in the information or the digital age, as we know it. This solution first came about in 2006 when HubSpot introduced the term CRM to the world. The simple solution here was to be able to maintain a framework that would match information with functions so as to automate the tasks for various teams and their members. Soon, the system evolved to include a number of other tasks and functions including sales CRM and marketing CRM along with many others.
Zoho CRM is one of the earliest CRM systems that came about in the market. It is known for a number of features which include a neat dashboard and a cloud-based system. Yet, over time, many other names have entered the market to make quite an impression on the customers and clients all over the globe. Hence, the Zoho CRM alternatives have managed to find a firm footing in the market. Before we go any further and discuss the pros and cons of the various Zoho CRM competitors, it would be a good idea to take a look at exactly what a CRM system does.
The Zoho CRM competitor is one that typically helps small and growing businesses attain scale even as it organizes and creates better information handling. This has a great impact on the efficacy of teams as they move along the marketing funnel and then the sales pipeline. In fact, the CRM system, process, or software is one that stays long enough to even facilitate the better rendition of various after-sales services. In this way, there is also a movement towards cross-selling up-selling, and re-selling. If we are to look at the exact features of the Zoho CRM alternative, we can list them in the following manner:
- Organization: Have you ever seen or heard of a company or business growing without being organized? Well, we haven’t either! Organization is the first rule of business. If the resources, tasks, teams, functions and information pertaining to each of these are not well organized, then the business may as well shut down instead of trying to grow. Organization is one of the primary functions of the Zoho CRM alternative since it helps businesses organize each and every task as per the team member and with the relevant information in place.
- Strategy: If a small business wants to achieve certain goals and attain scalability in the long run, then there has to be a set strategy in place. The Zoho CRM competitor would allow the small business to create a strategy that is based on insights and data driven tactics. The strategy would be a well chalked out one based on which the overall CRM framework would be set and structured. Once this is done, the only task that remains would be to literally fill in the structure with the right tasks and team members.
- Growth: This is a given when the above two are achieved. The Zoho CRM alternatives are dedicated to the cause of growth. The small business can most definitely benefit from this kind of commitment from the right CRM platform. It would be imperative to look at growth as the final outcome and an ongoing process at the same time. This is where the CRM system steps in. The growth analysis and insight function will keep you on the path of your strategy even as you tap into numerous opportunities without getting overwhelmed since many tasks would be automated for you and your team.
- Team Work: The team that works together, grows together. Zoho CRM competitors understand this. This is the reason why most of these platforms are committed towards building better teams before all else. Not only can you automate tasks, but you can also schedule tasks and automatic notifications with the information required for the next task in the pipeline would be sent out to the right team member. This would eliminate unnecessary and chaotic communication as well as duplication of efforts and general confusion. In this way, a small business would also save time and make better use of a well-coordinated team.
These are just a few of the small benefits that one would get by adopting the right CRM platform. Let us now look at the various Zoho CRM competitors so that you can understand which one would fit the needs of your small and growing business:
EngageBay: This would one of the best Zoho CRM alternatives thanks to the fact that it offers lead generation and nurturing along with a sturdy CRM platform and marketing automation, all at a very affordable price point. Not only can your small business afford it easily, but you can also upgrade at any point during your journey of growth.
Trello: Trello is an upcoming CRM and sales pipeline management platform. It helps you float your projects so that they can be managed from a central location. Yet, the features are limited and the prices are also quite high for this platform to be a good fit for a small business.
ActiveCollab: This is another Zoho CRM alternative that one can try for a small business since it has a good lead generation model as well as email marketing. Yet, it is not the most affordable one.
ProofHub: This is also an email marketing based CRM system, but it does not have many features.
Insightly: This is a well known Zoho CRM competitor, but it is not very affordable for small businesses.
Celoxis: This is an upcoming CRM platform that offers many features, yet it does not offer as many templates and insights as EngageBay ideally would.
The above descriptions show that EngageBay would offer you the best deal in terms of pricing as well as the wide-ranging features that would immediately set a small business on the growth path with much ease!
