The CRM (Customer Relationship Management) industry has seen a recent substantial growth and is predicted to grow further. Many businesses across the globe are reaping the benefits of using a strong CRM tool to analyse and manage their customers’ data.As WordPress is the number one CMS (Content Management System) in the world, I am going to go through what I consider to be the three best CRM plugins that can be integrated into your WordPress site.
What Exactly is CRM Software?
CRM software enables users to track their customers’ data, and analyse and manage it all in one place. This is especially useful if you’ve got lots of customers. It is often an essential component of a thriving and growing business.
On a basic level, CRMs collect customer data at different points of contact with your business. For example, they will track purchases, emails, and contact form submission. They can help businesses identify trends and patterns, so that they can create highly-targeted and strategic marketing campaigns. Doing so will optimise conversion rates. A CRM can also automate tasks, such as sending a marketing email when you get a new sales prospect.
Furthermore, a CRM may help with managing and responding to customer feedback in a timely manner, enabling you to solve any issues that arise quickly and efficiently.
The main goal of a CRM is to create a better customer experience. By analysing your customers and their interactions with your business, you can better tailor your marketing and customer service efforts to their needs.
What Are The Best CRMs to Use?
Not all CRMs are created equal. Some inevitably have more features than others. They also vary greatly in price. I’m going to go through the best options for integrating a CRM into your WordPress website. Luckily, all three of my top picks include a free option.
HubSpot
First on my list is HubSpot. HubSpot has a feature-packed plugin that you can install directly onto your WordPress site. The plugin has an impressive 200 thousand users and an average rating of 4.5/5.
HubSpot keeps a log of your contacts’ page views, form submissions, and live chats. It seamlessly segments your contacts into lists based on their various interactions with your business.
The best bits:
Chatbots – Easily add a chatbot to your website to answer customer queries even when you’re unavailable.
Email automation – HubSpot can send automated emails directly to your visitors when they fill out a form or contact you through live chat. It also tracks the open and click-through rates of your emails.
Team collaboration – Invite your team to collaborate with you to streamline your tasks and maximise efficiency and productivity.
App integration – HubSpot can be integrated with more than 1,000 apps including Facebook messenger, Mailchimp, Google Ads and Gmail, to name just a few. Some useful integratable apps are also free.
Drag-and-drop builders – Create and build eye-catching newsletters, forms and pop-ups with HubSpot’s drag-and-drop builders. They also have ready-made templates available if you’d rather opt for one of them.
HubSpot is a leading company when it comes to CRM and marketing tools. It offers a huge range of free courses to help with your business growth, some of which are certified. It is well known for its customer care and extensive industry skills and knowledge.
If you want to go even further, there are also lots of paid plans available.
Pros:
The range of features users get for freeThere is lots of readable and watchable material on-hand to boost your businessThe plugin is relatively easy to useHubspot provide several ways of getting in touch, including a telephone number
Cons:
Paid plans can get expensive rapidlyA/B testing is only available with the more expensive plans
WP ERP
Like HubSpot, WP ERP is free to download. It is an open source software that combines three core elements; CRM, HR management, and an accounting system. It is also has 1-click activation, making it simple to get up and running. Plus, you can manage everything from your WP dashboard and are presented with a daily overview of all three modules.
The best bits:
Activity logs – Track your customers’ actions and the growth of your business. Place filters on your reports, and save them, for more specific analyses.
Scheduling – Use WP ERP to schedule calls and meetings.
Profiling – Create contact groups and make notes on individual customer profiles. These can include reminders, comments, or other important information that will help lead them through the sales funnel.
Prioritisation – WP ERP enables you to prioritise responses according to their urgency and a customer’s life stage.
The difference between the free and the WP ERP pro plans is that the pro plan comes with nine built-in extension. The price starts at $12.99 per month and you will need to pay $3 for each additional user. Extensions include Mailchimp, Advanced Level Management, Awesome Support Sync, and Zendesk Integration.
There are more extensions you can add to your package, each costing varying amounts.
Pros:
Three incredibly useful and feature-rich core modules for freeEasy-to-use interfaceHighly rated and trusted by thousands of customersThere is a demo available to show you what to expect before downloading
Cons:
WP ERP doesn’t come with a chatbot featureTakes up a large amount of memory
Jetpack CRM
Jetpack CRM has plans for all budgets, including one for free. The paid plans are really great value for money too, with even the ‘Entrepreneur’ plan costing only $17/month. The pricing is very straightforward with no fiddly add-ons that slowly increase the cost. In short, what you see in the plan box is what you get.
Jetpack offers a number of other plugins and solutions but Jetpack CRM is a stand alone plugin. It does not require you to add other Jetpack products to your WP site to use it.
The best bits:
Mobile-friendly – Jetpack CRM allows you to manage your account from anywhere. It is a responsive software that is specially designed to fit different devices.
Activity tracking – Tracks all interactions and identifies patterns of behaviour in contacts.
Invoice creation – Create and send invoices to contacts straight from your WP website. You can even include discounts, tax, and postage costs.
Calender scheduling – Schedule tasks and reminders in your Jetpack CRM calender.
Lead-generation forms – Build and test different lead-generation forms and automatically add your leads to your contacts.
If you want to upgrade from the free plan, the ‘Freelancer’ plan costs $11/month and includes PayPal Connect, Invoicing Pro, and WooCommerce Connect. The most expensive plan, the ‘Entrepreneur’, encompasses all 30 of the available extensions. These include AWeber, Mailchimp, Optin Monster, Gravity, and Client Portal, among others.
Pros:
Excellent value for moneyStraightforward pricing structureCan use on-the-goJetpack has plenty of YouTube videos to help youFantastic range of features across all plans
Cons:
Buying extensions individually is expensive.Ways to get in touch with the team are limited
Conclusion
These are my top three CRMs for WordPress websites. All of them are great but if I had to pick one, I would go for HubSpot because of the vast range of tools and features the free version has to offer. They also have lots of free courses, materials, and resources to help you with different projects.