Small Business Software >> CRM

CRM Software Solutions for Small Business

Customer relationship management (CRM) is a critical component that separates short-term business survival from long-term success. Thankfully, there are some great CRM software solutions available for small business owners today, and they can help you streamline and simplify this important part of your business.

Many of today's CRM software products are incredibly easy to use. For example, some of them will integrate with an Outlook email system. This is a great way to improve your small business CRM software while retaining something you are familiar with — your email system.

The Prophet software product above is starting to earn a lot of praise from Entrepreneur magazine, PC World, and many others who review CRM tools for small business owners. Once you give this solution a try, you'll realize that their praise is just. It's incredibly easy to use, and it works right inside your Outlook email program.

What Does This Software Do?

I'm always surprised by the number of people who go out in search of a particular software solution without even knowing what it does. The argument goes: "I see the advertisement and hear other people talking about it, so I figure it must be a useful tool." That's no reason to invest time and money in a new software program.

If you are intimately familiar with small business CRM software and what it does, you can probably skip over this section. Otherwise, keep reading...

These programs offer a wide variety of features and capabilities, but they all perform the same basic function. They help you stay connected with your current customers and follow up on leads / inquiries from prospective customers.

Let me give you an example of a CRM software solution in action. Let's say you have a "contact us" form on your website. When people submit the form, the information could be sent into a CRM database that collects it for future use. The software could even set up tasks and reminders (such as contacting the person), based on the settings you choose.

So in short, these software solutions help you manage your small business by keeping track of customer communications, so that nothing slips through the cracks. And as your customer base grows, this kind of tracking and accountability becomes even more important.

Choosing a Software Solution

So now that you have our pick for an affordable and easy-to-use CRM solution, let me offer some tips for software shopping in general. As a small business owner, you don't have the purchasing power of a major company. That's one of the challenges we face when shopping for software products. You have to do more with less, and you can't afford to make bad purchasing decisions.

So with that in mind, let's talk about some of the ways you can make smart choices when comparing and purchasing small business CRM software for your company.

1. Make a list of your needs.

What do you need your chosen product to do for you? What kinds of tasks do you see yourself performing on a regular basis? Which features are necessary, and which ones would be nice to have? Make a list of the things that are most important to you before you start shopping for CRM software solutions. It's easy to get swept up by their marketing messages, to the point of forgetting why you needed the software in the first place. So write it down!

2. Consider your operating system and hardware.

It's rare to find a small business CRM software solution that works with all operating systems and computer types. Some must run on Windows, while others are designed for the Mac operating system. Some work with Outlook email applications (like the solution recommended above), while others run off your website without the need for email integration.

Keep this in mind when shopping for a CRM tool for your small business. Before you do any other research into a particular product, make sure it's compatible with your current software systems.

3. Do a free trial or online demo before buying.

Most reputable software companies today will offer some kind of trial version of their product, or at least an online demo so you can see how it works. This is a great way to review the product for yourself, which is really the only way to review it. In fact, I would even say that a small business CRM software solution that doesn't give you a way to try it out is not worth your time or consideration.

4. Find out about refunds and money-back guarantees.

You do your careful research. You download a free trial version of the CRM program. You make your purchase. But somehow, after you've installed the full version on your system, it just isn't the same. It doesn't do what you need for it to do, so it's not a viable CRM software tool for your small business needs. What next?

This is another thing that most reputable software companies share in common. Most of them will have some kind of money-back guarantee, during which you can return the product (or simply cancel the license) if you're not happy with it. Thirty days is a common period offered by a lot of companies. But don't take that "30-Day Guarantee" icon at face value — find out what the details are. How much do you get back, and under what conditions?

I hope you have found this guide to small business CRM software useful, and I wish you all the best in your further research and shopping.