,

Finding the Best CRM for Your Business

I’ve been doing research for a client to determine customer relationship management systems (CRM) most suitable for her company. After creating a list of 40+ options, I decided enough was enough and to select my top CRM picks even if I didn’t yet have all the details to fill the numerous columns within in the spreadsheet I had created. Sometimes you have to move forward with imperfect action to make progress. Therefore, I went through the list and identified 6 or 7 CRM providers who fit the bill for this particular client. Then I went through the list again to focus on the features each offered. I was able to narrow the list down to 3 CRM providers based on this deep dive.

The 3 CRMs I selected are Nimble, Zoho CRM, and Insightly. They were chosen for the ease of use, price, features, and flexibility. I had planned to write a detailed comparative review, but it seems someone (or rather FitSmallBusiness.com) already beat me to it. I’m sure there are other similar pieces out there, but this particular comparison was so well written and organized, I felt it would be best to share it with you instead of trying to recreate the wheel. Without further ado, I present the link to the Best CRM for Small Business written by FitSmallBusiness.com.

 

/by
, ,

Kick Start Your Email Marketing in 5 Simple Steps

Recently a small business owner reached out to get some advice on email marketing after reading Cynthia Price‘s article The 8-Second Challenge: Email Marketing for Our Shrinking Attention Span on Entreprenuer.com.  Here is what business owner said:

 

8 second attention span? Yikes. Who markets via email? What tools do you use and how often do you send emails? Do you segment your audience? Do you do a newsletter?

Email marketing is something I’m planning to do more of in the future. Whether it is for my business or a client’s here is what I recommend:

  1. Use a email marketing provider (MailChimp, AWeber, Ontraport, Emma, etc.)
  2. Add an email opt-in pop-up or “hellobar“ to your website if you don’t currently have one
  3. The frequency of emails should be based on the needs of your audience; however, also consider what you can commit to doing consistently.
  4. Absolutely segment your audience. Segmentation could be based on the type of content you create or the type of audiences you target.
  5. Consider creating a blog for your website versus a newsletter alone. This will allow you to create content that will drive your ideal client to your website as well as give you something to share or reference in your newsletter.

The above is just a quick high-level response to the small business owner’s questions. Keep an eye on this blog feed future blog posts will include email marketing provider reviews, thoughts on subscriber or opt-in tools, and more! If you want to discuss your particular online marketing concern or would like me to elaborate on anything stated above, schedule a “virtual coffee date” with me by clicking the button below.

 

Schedule your “virtual coffee date”a 30 minute consultation & it’s FREE!

 

Photo Credit: RaHuL Rodriguez
/by