CRM Software - Page 29

Essential CRM software buying information

Customer relationship management (CRM) software enables customer interaction, support, and relationship management via contact management, interaction tracking, and lead management features.

Sales and marketing professionals use CRM software to capture and organise customer data, streamline their sales pipelines, and optimise outreach. Industry-specific CRM systems are also available.

Most CRM software is priced on a monthly subscription basis, with entry-level plans averaging around USD $1,292 (approx. AUD $1,989). Premium packages with features like unlimited users and advanced reporting can reach USD $17,664 (approx. AUD $27,203) per month.[1]

If you're new to CRM, start by defining your budget, number of users, key use cases, and required integrations. It’s also worth aligning with stakeholders on essential questions to ask providers, such as:

• What tasks can this CRM system automate?
• How do the dashboards help visualise and track lead progress?
• Can we easily add custom fields or lead capture forms to databases?
• What level of technical support is included?
• Does the software use AI for personalisation or sales forecasting?

Pro tip: customer support considerations

Shep Hyken,[2] a customer service thought leader and consultant, says his CRM buying experience taught him that user-generated content about how to use a system is often just as valuable as vendor-created resources.

“I asked the salesperson how they support customers when they have questions. To my surprise, they told me to use Google. Within seconds, I had video tutorials from not only the company but from other customers who wanted to jump in and show others how they resolved similar issues.

Once I started using the software, I didn't even have to call the company to resolve my questions about the CRM. As a result, I felt really positive about having chosen their product.”

What is the best CRM system for users in Australia?

According to our research, Nutshell is among the highest-rated in the category, with over 541 verified user reviews from the past two years. It offers email marketing, contact management, and pipeline tracking, with strong Gmail/Outlook integration and automation features. It allows users to customise, integrate, and centralise data, making it ideal for SMEs.

Main features of Nutshell:

• Contact Database: Reviewers appreciate its ability to manage and merge contacts, track communication history, and facilitate outreach.
• Contact Management: Users value the ease of organising, searching, and tracking contacts, though some find it clunky.
• CRM: Reviewers highlight its comprehensive customer relationship tracking, ease of use, and productivity gains.
• Lead Management: Users praise its step-by-step tracking, email integration, and customisation, though some seek more intuitiveness.
• Lead Capture: Reviewers find it helpful in gathering project-specific information, though some criticise its limited functionality.
• Sales Pipeline Management: Users appreciate its automation, customisation, and team communication, despite some restrictive features.

What is a CRM system?

A CRM system helps businesses manage customer relationships by centralising data, automating lead management, tracking opportunities, and supporting sales forecasting.

CRM software solutions typically provide reporting and analytics capabilities to generate insights into customer behaviour, sales performance, and marketing effectiveness. They are related to contact management systems and are often deployed via the cloud.

Gartner expects the CRM market to reach USD $200 billion (approx. AUD $308 billion) by 2027, with about 15% yearly growth.[3] Capterra covers 2,013 CRM products—more than any other category of software we cover—with 14,859 reviews published in the past year.[4]

How much does CRM software cost?

Most CRM software solutions on the market are priced “per month”, and a typical entry-level pricing plan is around USD $1,292 (approx. AUD $1,989) per month. Premium and advanced system subscriptions commonly cost about USD $17,664 (approx. AUD $27,203) per month.[1]

• Entry-level CRM systems include the core functionality of a contact database, lead management, and interaction tracking.
• Premium or advanced products that are priced higher typically include additional features such as unlimited users, advanced reporting, advanced customer and lead tracking, and sales funnel creation.

First-time buyers should be aware that:

• Initial setup, training, and data migration are common upfront costs.
• Maintenance and customer support are common recurring costs.

Most (71%) of the CRM software buyers our advisors spoke to in the last 2 years are budgeting USD $35 (approx. AUD $54) to USD $105 (approx. AUD $161) per month.[5]

CRM software providers often offer free trials, and some systems offer free versions.

CRM features rated by users

All CRM software tools include contact database, interaction tracking, and lead management features, and most share a variety of standard features such as task and email management.

Core CRM features

• Contact management: Maintain a centralised database of customers and their contact information. 90% rate this feature as critical or highly important.
• Lead management: Store information about leads and contacts and track them through sales. 82% rate this feature as critical or highly important.
• Interaction tracking: Document conversations with customers and contacts to track the interaction history. 80% rate this feature as critical or highly important.

Highly rated common CRM features

• Sales pipeline management: Use the pipeline view to visualise, track, and manage the leads in your pipeline. 81% rate this feature as critical or highly important.
• Email management: Integrate with email services such as Gmail and Outlook. 80% rate this feature as critical or highly important.
• Workflow management: Create, design and manage workflows for repetitive tasks. 78% rate this feature as critical or highly important.
• Task management: Create tasks, track their progress status or completion percentage, and view any associated notes or comments. 77% rate this feature as critical or highly important.
• Data import/export: Import and export data to and from software applications. 77% rate this feature as critical or highly important.
• Reporting/analytics: Collect and analyse data to generate reports, track pertinent metrics, and identify trends or patterns. 76% rate this feature as critical or highly important.
• Lead capture: Automatically identify and save contact information for potential customers. 73% rate this feature as critical or highly important.

Top CRM benefits identified by users

Facilitates easier team collaboration: CRM systems give teams a 360-view of tasks and workflows through features like activity dashboards and workflow management.

“It was easy to see what our team was working on, completing or planning to complete.”

–Victoria V., HRIS specialist, newspapers

Empowers sales reps: CRM tools provide sales professionals with powerful analytics capabilities that help them track KPIs and identify opportunities for upselling and cross-selling.

“This transparency helps in making informed decisions and prioritising efforts on high-impact activities, ultimately driving higher sales.”

–Olu D., CEO, e-learning

Easily integrates with your software ecosystem: CRM systems are easy to integrate with other marketing tools, such as sales, social media, calendar, and email solutions, enabling seamless data sharing between systems.

“The tool is completely customizable and has very advanced marketing integrations within the cloud.”

–Sarah H., media director, marketing and advertising

Enables small-business growth: CRM software is valuable for supporting and growing small businesses, especially all-in-one solutions that can serve as a foundation when businesses are just starting.

“I can customise fields, workflows, and dashboards to suit my business needs. Plus, it grows with my business; I can easily scale up and add more features as required.”

–Adnan A., owner, electrical/electronic manufacturing

Common challenges of CRM software identified by users

The learning curve involved with implementing CRM software is one of the most common challenges CRM software users identify. Sales professional Mike Aldrich,[6] states that one of the biggest obstacles to using CRM software is its time to maintain it.

“You have to put the time in,” he says. “Start your day by logging in and looking at your dashboard so you know which tasks to prioritise. It’ll show your progress toward your monthly, quarterly, or annual sales goals, and which deals you expect to close soon.”

Another common challenge identified by users is difficulty with payment plans. Such users might not be in a pricing tier aligned with the functionality they need, suggests Capterra advisor manager Michael Ziemba.[7] “These systems often have tiered pricing depending on if they’re entry-level or premium. It's really important to get in there and see what functionality you need.”

To set yourself up for success, here are some questions you can ask CRM software vendors:

• Is this software built with small businesses in mind?
• What is the implementation process like?
• How easy is it to integrate this new solution with the tools I already have?
• What type of ongoing customer support from the CRM vendor can we expect?
• Are there any user minimums to meet?
• Are there any crucial features locked behind premium price points?

What is CRM software used for?

Our analysis of CRM software reviews revealed the most common use cases:

• Sales pipeline management: Organising and prioritising leads based on behaviour and interactions.
• Client organisation: Centralising customer data to streamline follow-ups and next steps.
• Email marketing automation: Segmenting audiences and automating campaigns for better targeting.
• Lead tracking and analytics: Monitoring lead activity across touchpoints with detailed profiles and dashboards.

CRM software generally falls into four categories:

• Operational: Automates day-to-day business processes.
• Strategic: Enhances customer engagement and relationship-building.
• Analytical: Focuses on data insights like revenue trends and retention.
• Collaborative: Facilitates information sharing across teams.

Additionally, many CRM systems are designed to support specific industries:

• Real estate CRM software
• Construction CRM software
• Financial CRM software
• Healthcare CRM software
• Insurance CRM software
• Nonprofit CRM software
• Social CRM tools

Who uses CRM software?

According to Capterra’s 2024 Customer Service Technology Survey, more than half (63%) of Australian employees involved in customer service operations use CRM software to support customer calls. Because of its versatility, CRM software is one of the most ubiquitous technologies for customer-facing businesses of all sizes and industries. These systems are typically geared toward one or several of these categories[8]:

1. Marketing
2. Sales
3. Digital commerce
4. Customer service and contact centres

The CRM software market also includes providers that cater to specific sectors or industries, such as staffing and recruiting, telecommunications, and nonprofit.

While anyone related to the categories above likely uses a CRM, notes from our advisor calls reveal some of the most common kinds of users over the past year.[5] The top job titles include owners, agents, CEOS, presidents, and brokers. Common industries include consulting (15%), real estate (15%), and insurance (8%). Additionally, most callers are business owners at companies with less than USD $1 million (approx. AUD $1.4 million) in annual revenue and small teams, five or fewer employees or software users.

Common CRM integrations

We analysed our extensive reviews database, and based on that, we determined the three software categories that most often integrate with CRM are:

• Email marketing software: By integrating your CRM with an email marketing tool, you can capture client data, such as interaction history and which emails they’ve opened.
• Website builder software: Connecting your CRM to website builder software lets you collect and analyse customer data in real time, personalise the online experience, and improve customer engagement. It also helps you streamline your sales and marketing efforts by automating lead generation and customer follow-up tasks.
• Project management software: Integrating your CRM with project management software can help businesses manage projects more effectively, improve communication, and provide a better customer experience.

Recent trends in CRM software

CRM use: Businesses in Australia use CRM software the most (93%) among countries surveyed in the Capterra 2025 Tech Trends study. The study also showed that one in five (20%) Australian firms say CRM software is a top priority for software investment in 2025.

In addition, Capterra’s 2024 Customer Service Technology Survey revealed that more than half (63%) of Australian employees involved in customer service operations use CRM software to support customer calls.

Personalised messaging for buyers using customer intelligence: According to Gartner,[9] customising value-driven narratives for buyers significantly enhances the buyer experience by providing personalised, relevant content that resonates with their needs and challenges. This approach, which AI tools can execute by pulling from CRM data, can improve engagement rates, foster stronger relationships, and potentially increase conversion rates.

Learn more about how CRM software can help your business

• Strategies from a CX pro to master AI in customer service
• Enhancing online customer experience: a CX pro shares strategies for success
• Over half of Australian companies using customer service tech see their CSAT score improve

Sources

[a]. Capterra’s 2025 Tech Trends Survey was conducted online in August 2024 among 3,500 respondents in the U.S. (n=700), U.K. (n=350), Canada (n=350), Australia (n=350), France (n=350), India (n=350), Germany (n=350), Brazil (n=350), and Japan (n=350), at businesses across multiple industries and company sizes (5 or more employees). The survey was designed to understand the timeline, organizational challenges, adoption & budget, vendor research behaviours, ROI expectations, and satisfaction levels for software buyers. Respondents were screened to ensure their involvement in business software purchasing decisions.

1. Capterra software pricing data: Only products with publicly available pricing information and qualified software products within the category are included in the pricing analysis. Currency conversions are based on the rate of the day of publication and may differ from current currency rates. Read the complete methodology.
2. Shep Hyken, LinkedIn
3. Forecast Analysis: Customer Experience and Relationship Management, Worldwide, Gartner
4. Capterra reviews data: Capterra reviews are collected from verified users for individual software products. For this report, we analysed reviews from the past 1 year as of the production date. Read the complete methodology.
5. Capterra advisor call notes: Findings are based on data from telephonic conversations that Capterra’s advisor team had with small-to-midsize businesses seeking CRM tools. For this report, we analysed phone interactions from the past 1 year as of the production date. Read the complete methodology.
6. Mike Aldrich, LinkedIn
7. Michael Ziemba, LinkedIn
8. Quick Answer: Why Isn’t There a Universal Magic Quadrant for CRM?, Gartner
9. 13 Generative AI Use Cases for B2B Sales, Gartner