Best CRM Features for Small Business

Managing your customers and all of their information is no easy task, especially when you are trying to do it on your own. That’s why finding the best Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software is so important.

Roughly 64 percent of businesses view CRM tools as impactful on their bottom line and it’s clear why. In addition to the organization, productivity, and efficiency CRM provides, it also offers flexibility, scalability and it reduces costs.

But that’s not all a CRM solution offers. Depending on your business and what you're looking for, a CRM system can provide a myriad of additional benefits.

What Are the Best CRM Features for Small Businesses?

With so many CRM options available, it’s imperative that you do your due diligence and adequate research to determine which one is right for your business. Here are some must-have CRM features to consider:

Best CRM Feature #1: Contact Management

Contact management is the basic bread-and-butter of CRM software. Every system should provide an accessible, constantly updated contact database software system for your customers’ data and contact information, which allows for better knowledge of customers, their needs, pain points, and preferences.

This information should be cloud-based so that it is accessible to all employees regardless of where they are. This helps provide organization and keep track of customers. It also facilitates better, quicker communication and stores key customer information, which allows for stronger customer relationships and a better experience.

Once contact management is taken care of, you can look into expanding and advancing your CRM functionality into areas that will be of benefit to your business.

Best CRM Feature #2: Sales Analytics and Reporting

CRM increases sales by up to 29 percent, improve productivity by up to 34 percent, and boosts forecast accuracy by 40 percent.

A CRM tool will allow your business to keep track of all related sales activities and boost sales. CRM software has features for automation and forecasting, which will help in determining high-quality leads. It also gathers data and centralizes it into one dashboard to

It will also support you in monitoring sales performance by recording several key metrics including calls made, deals sold, and so on. This is especially useful for managing your sales pipeline. It’ll expedite the sales processes and offer customers a personalized experience for every touchpoint.

Best CRM Feature #3: Tracking Customer Interactions

Tracking customer interactions and understanding their journey with your brand is a key piece in improving their experience. CRM provides a lot more than just basic contact information attached to each contact. It can store a variety of data that enables you and your employees to better interact with customers and deliver more value and a more favorable experience.

Best CRM Feature #4: Automation

Automation won’t only save you time and money, it is a foolproof way to send messages to customers without any room for human error to intervene. With CRM, reminders are automatically attached to particular actions and prompt a response to make sure that the correct follow-up action, offer, or communication is taken in the future.

Best CRM Feature #5: Customer Segmentation

Customer segmentation allows you to separate your contacts into more specific groups and provide better targeted personalized information. This is not only useful for personalization in your communication efforts but also breaking down prospective customers into different subdivisions such as the size of the deal, where they’re located, as well as other qualities.

Customer segmentation provides information that is beneficial to more than just your sales team, it helps your entire business with specific customer information to provide value in each touchpoint.

Best CRM Feature #6: Affordable Price

Small businesses are always trying to save money and looking for the most cost-efficient option and CRM is no exception. CRM software doesn’t have to be expensive, in fact, it can be quite affordable -- if you choose there right one. CRM software also provides tools that help businesses cut additional costs, which save you money in the long run.

Best CRM Feature #7: Customizable and Easy to Use

Your CRM software should be intuitive and easy to use. You should also have customization capabilities. Your CRM tool should include a wide range of applications, but still, keep it simple and easy to use.

Integration is a key element of CRM software -- it has to seamlessly integrate with other tools. It can work with your other tools and combine data to deliver the best results.

Best CRM Feature #8: Customer Support

Every great CRM system should come with even better customer support. Because most small businesses don’t have their own tech or IT support, it’s helpful to have a tool that offers sufficient support to get you up and running and help you resolve any issues quickly.

Customer support is a great resource for those who are not tech-savvy. Most CRM systems are user friendly, however, unforeseen issues happen and it's always a good idea to have customer support to lean on if things go awry.

Choosing the Best CRM for Your Small Business

Picking the best CRM for your organization is crucial to customer success as well as the success of your business at large. To choose the right CRM, you need to familiarize yourself with the must-have features of a CRM and know what specific CRM capabilities your business needs.

Customer satisfaction will become the most important factor in business, which means it has to be a top priority for your business. Investing in the best CRM for your business is a foolproof way to improve customer experience and increase your bottom line.

GoSite’s Contact Hub provides a complete CRM for small businesses. Grow your business by maintaining a centralized directory of all your contacts in one location. Take advantage of Contact Hub to drive higher customer satisfaction with more personalized experiences. Looking for more information? Download GoSite's free eGuide to learn more about CRM today!