How to Choose a CRM [Guide for IT business]

By adopting an automation solution, they tailored emails based on a lead's position in the sales cycle and created special sales teams to prioritize qualified leads.

• 72% reduction in lead-to-conversion time
• 175% increase in marketing revenue
• 23% increase in high-quality leads transferred to sales

These sources clearly indicate how a robust CRM system can enhance overall business operations by streamlining marketing, sales, customer service, and other critical tasks.

The right CRM system can supercharge your agency's operations, improve efficiency, and ultimately boost your revenue. 

• Benefits of CRM for your digital agency
• Essential features to consider
• Factors to guide you in choosing the best CRM 

So, let’s get started!

• Every dollar invested in a CRM yields an average return of $8.71 (Source).
• Implementing a CRM system has the potential to boost sales by 29% and increase sales rep productivity by up to 34% (Source).
• 74% of businesses use CRM software to efficiently manage customer data (Source).
• A CRM could free up 15 hours a week for your agency by automating data entry (Source).
• CRM software can make reports 42% more accurate (Source)

• Comprehensive client information storage such as names, email addresses, phone numbers, social media profiles, company size, industry, revenue, interaction history, and other relevant business information. 
• Tagging, categorization, and organization of contacts for easy access. 
• Contact segmentation into lists based on various criteria for laser-focused targeting.
• Communication history tracking to view past interactions and follow-up reminders.
• Synchronization of contact information across multiple devices and platforms.
• Automatic updates of contact information through integration with email and social media. 
• Seamless data migration through contact list import and export.
• Maintenance of a clean database by merging duplicate contact entries. 

• Lead capture from web forms, email campaigns, social media, and other sources.
• Lead scoring based on predefined criteria to prioritize high-potential prospects.
• Assignment of leads to specific team members for personalized follow-up.
• Automated lead nurturing with targeted email sequences.
• Monitoring lead status through customizable stages of the sales funnel.
• Reminders for timely follow-ups to prevent leads from going cold (losing interest or becoming less responsive)
• Tracking of lead sources to measure the effectiveness of marketing channels.
• Integration with marketing tools to track lead engagement and behavior. 

• Creating and sending targeted email campaigns to segmented contact lists.
• Using drag-and-drop editors and pre-designed email templates to easily design visually appealing emails.
• Automation of email sequences based on user actions and behaviors.
• Personalization of email content with dynamic fields based on contact data.
• Scheduling of emails to be sent at optimal times for maximum engagement.
• Tracking email open rates, click-through rates, and conversions.
• Optimization of email content and performance using A/B testing.
• Integration with data management feature to sync contact information and track email interactions.

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• Visualization of the sales pipeline with customizable stages and milestones.
• Tracking of deals and opportunities through each stage of the pipeline.
• Automatic stage transitions based on predefined criteria.
• Drag-and-drop functionality to manage deals through the pipeline.
• Monitoring pipeline performance with real-time metrics and reports.
• Creating workflows to streamline the sales process from lead capture to closing.
• Implementation of triggers to move leads automatically through the sales pipeline.
• Scheduling automated emails and follow-ups based on customer actions.
• Identification of issues and areas for improvement in the sales process. 
• Forecasting of future sales based on pipeline data and trends. 

• Creating, scheduling, and publishing posts across multiple social media platforms including LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, etc.
• Real-time monitoring of social media activity and engagement.
• Tracking of performance metrics such as likes, comments, and shares.
• Automated responses to social media interactions from within the CRM.
• Analysis of social media campaigns through detailed reports.
• Utilization of social listening tools to monitor brand mentions and sentiment. 
• Integration of social media profiles with contact information for a unified view of customer interactions. 

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Reporting and Analytics

• Generating detailed reports on marketing performance, sales performance, and team productivity.
• Tracking of key metrics such as engagement rates, conversion rates, customer retention rates, deal size, sales cycle duration, ROI, etc. 
• Visualization of data using dashboards with charts and graphs. 
• Customization of reports to highlight specific data points and insights. 
• Scheduling regular reports to be automatically sent to your inbox.
• Analyzing customer behavior to identify trends and opportunities.
• Comparison of performance across different time periods for improved forecasting.
• Exporting reports in various formats for sharing and presentation.

• Creation and management of projects with customizable workflows and stages.
• Assignment of tasks to team members with deadlines and priorities.
• Tracking of project progress using charts and boards.
• Monitoring of time spent on tasks and projects using time-tracking tools.
• Collaboration on projects through shared documents, notes, and communication tools.
• Setting project milestones and deadlines to enhance planning and tracking.
• Generating project reports to analyze performance and productivity. 

• Scheduling meetings with clients and team members directly from the CRM.
• Synchronization of meetings with your calendar to prevent schedule confusion.
• Sending automated meeting reminders and follow-ups to attendees. 
• Offering booking links for clients to choose available time slots. 
• Integration with video conferencing tools such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, or Webex Meetings for virtual meetings.
• Tracking meeting history and notes for each contact or project.
• Setting up recurring meetings for regular check-ins and updates.
• Customization of meeting plans as needed and sharing them with participants

• Tracking and management of customer support tickets and requests.
• Automated responses and workflows for common support issues.
• Monitoring support performance using metrics such as response time and resolution rate.
• Integration with communication channels like chat, email, and phone.
• Assigning support requests to specific team members or departments.
• Recording customer interactions for consistent service quality.
• Providing self-service options such as knowledge bases and FAQs.

• Collaboration on tasks and projects through shared to-do lists and timelines.
• Sharing calendars, notes, and updates with team members.
• Tracking team activities and progress with detailed logs and reports. 
• Setting up team notifications and alerts for important updates.
• Discussion forums and groups for team communication and brainstorming.

• Automating LinkedIn connection requests and follow-up messages.
• Personalization of outreach messages based on prospects' profiles and company information.
• Tracking of LinkedIn engagement, including connection acceptances and message responses.
• Scheduling outreach activities to optimize timing and response rates. 
• Integration of LinkedIn data with CRM for a unified view of prospect interactions.
• Analysis of the effectiveness of LinkedIn outreach campaigns through detailed reports. 

• Reaching prospects across various channels such as email, phone, social media, and more. 
• Coordinating outreach efforts across different communication channels. 
• Tracking interactions and responses across all outreach channels. 
• Automating multi-channel outreach campaigns. 
• Personalizing outreach messages based on customer preferences and behavior.
• Integrating outreach data from different channels into a unified CRM platform.

• Testing different versions of emails, landing pages, or campaigns to optimize performance. 
• Audience segmentation to compare variations and identify best-performing elements.
• Analysis of metrics such as open rates, click-through rates, and conversions for each variant. 
• Refinement of content, design, and messaging strategies based on test results.

• Real-time monitoring and adjustment of tests to maximize impact and engagement.

• Enhancement of CRM functionality through third-party app integrations. 
• Connection with marketing tools to enable seamless lead capture and nurturing. 
• Integration with project management tools to streamline operations.
• Integration of APIs to link with custom applications and databases.
• Data synchronization across various tools to enhance customer interaction visibility.
• Automation of data transfer between systems to minimize manual entry.

Plus, to pick the right CRM, prioritize both your agency's present needs and upcoming requirements. Note down the critical features your agency requires, those that might be useful in the future, and some additional features that would be beneficial.

Evaluate different CRM providers and their pricing structures to find one that offers the best balance of features and affordability. 

This clarity makes navigating simpler, speeds up daily tasks, lessens team frustration, enhances operational efficiency, and boosts client service quality.   

Plus, the CRM should be flexible enough to adapt to changing needs.   

Choose a CRM that's scalable. Why?   

It should have the ability to efficiently handle a growing number of users, larger projects, and increasing amounts of data without compromising performance.   

This gives your team a chance to test the software firsthand, explore its powerful features, and evaluate its suitability for your agency's needs.  

So, before making a final decision, take advantage of the free trials or demos offered by CRM. Try out different CRMs and see which one feels like the best fit for your agency.

A CRM can be a game-changer for your digital agency. It can help you manage client relationships, streamline your processes, and boost your revenue. But with so many CRM options on the market, it can be tough to know where to start.

That’s why in this article, we've given you a step-by-step guide to choosing the right CRM for your agency. We've also covered some of the most important features to look for. Take some time to consider your requirements and try out a few different CRMs before making a decision.