It’s no secret that CRM software can make a huge difference in your business. It can make your processes flow and maximize your sales potential.

The CRM market is expected to hit over $48 billion and it will continue to grow. Companies are looking for every edge to be more competitive. CRM lets them do that.

If you’re about to invest in a CRM, what should you look for? How do you know the types of CRM solutions and which ones are right for you?

Keep reading to find out how you can figure out which CRM is the best one for your business.

What Are Your Business Needs?

When you start looking at CRM solutions, you’re likely to start with the comparison of Hubspot vs Salesforce. These are two popular tools that many companies turn to.

Before you start thinking about different tools, you need to start by evaluating your business needs. There are a number of considerations you need to be aware of.

How Big is Your Company?

CRM systems are priced on a per user basis. For bloggers and coaches, these costs will be minimal. You may have a staff member or virtual assistants who need access to the CRM, which will add to your costs.

On the plus side, you may be able to find free CRM systems that offer what you need without the cost.

System Integrations

The big advantage of using CRM systems is that they can integrate with your existing systems. They can integrate with invoicing, payment, and marketing systems.

Before you make a decision, look at your existing systems. You need to make sure that your CRM solution can integrate with the most important ones.

Easy Implementation

Some CRM solutions are so robust that it takes a while to implement them in your business. You want something that is simple to set up and easy to use.

If it’s too hard to figure out, you may not take advantage of everything the system has to offer.

Customizations

Your business needs may just require an out of the box solution that you don’t need to customize. You may just need to upload your contacts and you’re on your way.

Other businesses may want to configure their own processes and automation. This will require more work and not every solution offers this type of flexibility.

Types of CRM

What will your CRM primarily be used for? The most common types of CRM systems are for social media, marketing, sales, customer service or a combination.

You need to take a close look at your business and map out how the systems will be used.

Choose the Right CRM

A CRM can help you manage customer relationships much better than a Rolodex. It’s not easy to navigate the different types of CRM and figure out which is best for you. 

You need to take a close look at your business and consider the cost, your other systems, and what you’ll use CRM for. 

Do you want more entrepreneurial tips? Take a look at the business tools to help you escape the 9-5 world.