Best CRM Software for Features

You typically have to wade through a wide range of sophisticated features when choosing CRM software. Sometimes you might not know what to look for either and go with your gut or what sounds good. The landscape with all the CRM vendors doesn't make it any easier. That's why we took a closer look at the features that are most important in CRM software and analyzed which vendors are best positioned.

What Makes the Best CRM Software for Features

We have conducted extensive market research regarding the features. We focused on the essential ones so that the best CRM software is not distorted by many unimportant features.

To determine the best CRM software for features we have evaluated the following attributes with their respective weights, which together result in our features ranking.

Number of Contacts

The number of contacts a CRM software can store and manage is one of the most critical factors when evaluating different solutions. Depending on the size of your business, you may need a CRM software that can handle a few hundred or several thousand contacts.

A larger number of contacts requires more robust storage and data management capabilities, which can impact the overall performance and price of a CRM solution. From the outset, it is therefore practical if the software allows a generous number of contacts from the start.

Pipelines

Pipelines, also known as sales pipelines, provide a visual representation of your sales process, from lead generation to close. They allow you to monitor the status of your deals and make more informed decisions based on where your sales cycle is at the time. By having the ability to tailor stages and specify KPIs, you can gain a real-time view of your organization's health and increase the accuracy of your forecasts. Features like these are the bread and butter of sales teams who want to manage their pipeline and streamline their sales process.

Workflow & Approval Automation

Workflow and approval automation is a feature that allows users to automate repetitive and manual tasks by configuring a series of actions to be triggered by specific events. This can go a long way toward streamlining processes and reducing the time and effort needed to complete tasks. Good workflow and automation features enable you to significantly increase the efficiency and productivity of your business.

You can use them for various business processes, such as lead qualification, contract approval, email sending, or invoice generation.

Email Scheduling

As implied by the name, email scheduling features let users plan and schedule 1 to 1 emails to be sent at a specific time and date. This is useful for sending tailored emails to prospects and customers at an optimal time when they are most likely to open and engage with it.

Email scheduling also makes email management much more efficient as users can write and schedule multiple emails in advance. By being proactive and strategic with email scheduling, businesses can improve the effectiveness of interactions and the overall success of their sales or marketing operations.

Website Forms

Website forms are a great component of a CRM software's feature set. They allow you to collect customer information directly from your website and automatically add it to your CRM database, giving you more time to focus on selling and less time manually entering data. With this information, you can create targeted marketing campaigns and improve your customer segmentation.

Shared Inbox

Another CRM feature we considered in our ranking is the shared inbox, which allows a team to manage all incoming emails in one place. This feature is especially useful for teams with multiple email accounts. All team members can use a shared inbox to access and respond to emails, either by creating tickets or leaving them in the common inbox.

Inbox features like this make it much easier to respond to incoming emails quickly and tighten team collaboration and productivity. A shared inbox gives users a consolidated view of customer interactions, so you can better track and manage client relationships.

Segmentation

Segmentation allows you to group your contacts based on specific criteria, such as demographics, behavior, or interests. With segmentation, you can create targeted marketing campaigns that resonate with your customer's specific needs and preferences.

Custom Fields

Custom fields make it possible to add additional data points to your CRM database beyond the standard fields. With custom fields, you can capture information specific to your business or industry, enabling you to create more detailed customer profiles.

Conversational Bots

Businesses can use conversational bots in CRM software to automate routine conversations with leads and customers. Bots are designed to assist with meeting scheduling, lead qualification, data collection, and even the assignment of leads to the appropriate salesperson. Using conversational bots can be a great way for businesses to expand their live chat capabilities, increase productivity, and provide better customer experiences.

Outbound Calls

CRM software with an outbound calls feature makes the process of calling clients and customers much easier to track. This feature enables users to call clients directly from the CRM, allowing for quick and effective communication. It can often even record conversations so users can analyze their performance to improve sales tactics. It also provides a great way to document conversations and prepare training materials.

Bulk Emails

Bulk emails allow you to send a large number of emails to a specific target audience. This feature is common for businesses looking to expand their reach, increase leads, and interact with more clients and prospects at once. You can create tailored email lists for different purposes and engage with different segments of your target audience. CRM software tracks which leads or contacts opened your emails, making it easier to assess the effectiveness of your campaigns. These are insights that help better inform your outreach strategy. Bulk emailing is a nice-to-have feature of CRM software if you are not using a separate email marketing software.

10 Best CRM Software for Features

How to Choose a CRM Software with Great Features

When choosing a CRM software with great features, it is best to make it suit your needs. It is important to take into account your organization's specific requirements and business processes. Consider which features are most important to your workflow and how your team will use them.

You can use our Comparison Tool to compare the features of different providers side-by-side. For a broader overview of the best CRM software across other criteria check our overall Best Picks. If you're then still not sure which CRM will best meet your needs, use our Finder Tool to receive a recommendation based on your specific requirements.