Best CRM for design agencies

As a design agency, managing client relationships, tracking projects, and staying organized across multiple creative teams can be a challenge.
A powerful Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system tailored for design agencies can help you streamline your workflows, keep track of client communications, manage project timelines, and automate follow-ups. The right CRM allows you to focus on delivering exceptional creative work while ensuring smooth operations and strong client relationships.
In this blog post, we’ll explore the best CRM options for design agencies like yours, highlighting tools that will help you boost efficiency, improve collaboration, and grow your business.

Why you need a CRM

Without the right CRM in your tech stack, your priorities get misdirected. Things that should take minutes end up taking hours when you have to manually update everything. And mistakes happen.

Challenges without a CRM

There's a big chance you might already be experiencing these challenges without realising it.

• Disorganization: Managing client information and project details across multiple platforms leads to chaos.
• Missed opportunities: Lack of a unified system results in overlooked follow-ups and lost business.
• Inefficient processes: Manual tracking of tasks and communications wastes valuable time.
• Lack of insight: Without centralized data, making informed decisions becomes challenging.
• Inconsistent communication: Disjointed communication channels can confuse clients and team members.

Benefits of a CRM

Fortunately, with the right CRM – there are a lot of benefits you can expect which will have a direct impact on your every day operations.

• Centralized information: All client and project data in one place for easy access.
• Enhanced efficiency: Automate repetitive tasks, freeing up time for creative work.
• Improved customer relationships: Track interactions and provide personalized service.
• Better decision-making: Data-driven insights to guide business strategies.
• Increased sales: Streamlined sales pipeline to close deals faster.
• Consistent communication: Unified messaging ensures everyone is on the same page.
  
  

How to streamline your design agency's workflow with a CRM

Creating a single source of truth for everyone to depend on isn't easy. But there are ways you can use a CRM to create processes that are easy to follow, create consistency and help save time.

1. Map your process

Defining and tracking the stages of your design process is crucial for efficiency and helps everyone make sure they're on the same page. A CRM can help you map out these stages clearly, from initial client contact to project completion. This allows you to visualize your workflow, identify bottlenecks, and ensure that every project progresses smoothly. With a CRM, you can set milestones, assign tasks, and monitor progress in real-time, ensuring that nothing slips through the cracks.

2. Lead qualification

Assessing and qualifying leads is essential to focus your efforts on high-potential clients. A CRM for design agencies can automate lead scoring based on criteria such as project budget, timeline, and client needs. This helps you prioritize follow-ups and allocate resources more effectively. By integrating your CRM with your website and social media platforms, you can capture leads directly and qualify them using predefined parameters, ensuring that your sales team focuses on the most promising opportunities.

3. Outreach and follow-up

Automated email and LinkedIn campaigns can save you time and ensure consistent communication with leads and clients. A CRM can help you create personalized email templates and schedule follow-ups, keeping your prospects engaged without manual effort. For example, you can set up a series of welcome emails for new leads or reminders for ongoing projects. LinkedIn integrations allow you to connect with potential clients, share your portfolio, and nurture relationships through targeted content, all within your CRM.

4. Nurture existing leads and clients

Upselling and cross-selling are vital for maximizing revenue from existing clients. A CRM enables you to track client interactions and identify opportunities for additional services. For instance, if a client has previously hired you for branding, you can suggest web design or marketing services. Automated workflows can send personalized recommendations based on past projects, ensuring that you stay top-of-mind and continuously add value to your clients.

How to evaluate and choose a CRM

1. Define your requirements

As a design agency founder, it's crucial to identify the key features that will streamline your workflow and enhance client relationships. Look for a CRM that offers project management capabilities, client communication tools, and integration with design software. Features like customizable dashboards, task automation, and file sharing are also essential for keeping your design projects on track and ensuring seamless collaboration within your team.

Key features of a CRM for design agencies

• Automated processes: Streamlines tasks by automating repetitive workflows.
• Contact enrichment: Automatically finds Leads, Customers email addresses and contact information, enhancing efficiency.
• Structured pipeline: Tracks Leads, Customers through defined stages, ensuring process clarity and effectiveness.
• Email sequences: Increases communication efficiency with follow-up templates and automated sequences.
• Social media integration: Seamlessly imports contacts and leads from LinkedIn, Sales Navigator, Instagram, X and more to leverage your networkwithin the CRM.
• Analytics Provides essential data analysis and predictive insights for better planning.

2. Budget considerations

Though an obvious one - it's worth making sure you balance cost with the return on investment. Consider the long-term benefits of improved client management, increased productivity, and enhanced project tracking. While some CRMs may have a higher upfront cost, they can ultimately save you time and money by reducing manual tasks and improving client satisfaction. Look for scalable solutions that can grow with your agency without breaking the bank.

3. Selection process

Choosing the right CRM vendor involves thorough research and careful consideration. Start by reading reviews and testimonials from other design agencies to understand their experiences. Request demos or trial versions to get a hands-on feel of the CRM's user interface and features. Evaluate the vendor's customer support and training resources to ensure you have the help you need during implementation and beyond. Prioritize vendors with a strong track record in serving design agencies.

4. Get a demo

Once you've shortlisted potential CRM platforms, it's time to trial and compare them. Use the trial period to test how well the CRM integrates with your existing tools and processes. Pay attention to user-friendliness, customization options, and reporting capabilities. Gather feedback from your team to ensure the CRM meets everyone's needs. Finally, compare pricing plans and contract terms to make an informed decision that aligns with your agency's goals and budget. Start by  getting a demo of folk to see if it's the right fit for your team.

3 tips for implementing a CRM

1. Import Your Data in Your New CRM

Migrating your existing data is a critical step in the CRM implementation process. Start by exporting your data as a CSV file from your current CRM. If you're using HubSpot, you can follow the instructions here. For Pipedrive users, detailed export steps are available here. Proper data migration ensures a smooth transition and helps maintain continuity in your client relationships.

2. Create your first pipeline

Design agencies often have unique project workflows, so it's essential to set up a pipeline that reflects your specific processes. Start by creating stages that correspond to your typical project phases, such as 'Initial Consultation,' 'Design Draft,' 'Client Feedback,' 'Final Revisions,' and 'Project Completion.' This tailored pipeline will help you track progress and manage tasks more efficiently.

3. Onboard your team

Successful CRM implementation hinges on team adoption. Conduct comprehensive training sessions to familiarize your team with the new system. Highlight its benefits, such as improved client management and streamlined project tracking, to encourage buy-in. Ensure that everyone understands how to use the CRM effectively to maximize its potential in enhancing your agency's productivity.

The 5 best CRMs for design agencies

1. folk

folk is a modern CRM platform for managing contacts, workflows, and relationships, offering customizable pipelines, AI-driven tools, and integrations to enhance deal management and prospecting.

Key features

• Contact enrichment: Automatically enriches contact details by finding emails and LinkedIn URLs, enabling efficient outreach without manual data entry or additional costs for email services.
• Social media integration: Seamlessly import contacts from LinkedIn, Sales Navigator, Instagram, X and more to leverage your network within folk, and use templates for quicker, streamlined communication.
• Mail merge and email sequences: Full email sync that supports Gmail and Outlook, access to templates, and tracking features, enabling users to manage all communications directly from the CRM.
• AI-powered features: AI tools assist in managing contacts and relationships, automating routine tasks, and suggesting actions to improve productivity.
• Multiple pipelines: Get an overview of your sales cycle, and customize the dashboard into a Kanban-board to drag and drop progress. Or, use a listicle to reflect leads generated and the different projects they link to.

Pros

• Ease of use: folk is praised for its intuitive interface, making it accessible even to non-technical users with quick onboarding and a minimal learning curve.
• All-in-one: folk streamlines your workflow by allowing you to import contacts from LinkedIn, automatically find their emails, reach out through customizable email sequences, and track interactions in a pipeline, eliminating the need for multiple tools and saving time and money.
• Peresonalization: Make folk work for you – full control of everything across custom fields, pipelines, and automation, dashboards and workflows.
• Integrations: folk integrates seamlessly with over 6,000 apps, including Gmail, Zapier, and Make, allowing users to centralize their workflow and reduce manual data entry.

Cons

• Reporting: Currently lacks reporting features, but there are plans for future implementation.

Price and plans

You can try folk for free with a 14-day free trial. After that, a monthly or annual subscription plan is as follows.

• Standard: $20 per user, per month.
• Premium: $40 per user, per month.
• Custom: Starts from $60 per user, per month.

2. HubSpot

HubSpot CRM is a user-friendly, scalable platform offering integrated tools for managing sales, marketing, customer service, and operations efficiently.

Key features

• Marketing Hub: Includes email marketing, ad tracking, landing pages, and lead generation tools, perfect for nurturing potential clients and showcasing design portfolios.
• Sales Hub: Provides deal tracking, pipeline management, sales automation, and reporting, essential for managing client projects and closing deals efficiently.
• Service Hub: Offers customer service tools like ticketing, live chat, and knowledge bases, ensuring top-notch client support and satisfaction.
• Operations Hub: Syncs and automates business processes across different systems, streamlining workflow management for design projects.
• Lead scoring: Prioritize leads with predictive scoring to improve sales efficiency, helping design agencies focus on high-potential clients.

Pros

• User-friendly interface: The intuitive and easy-to-use interface makes it accessible for design agency teams, regardless of their technical expertise.
• Comprehensive free plan: Offers a robust free version that includes essential CRM features, ideal for small design agencies and startups.
• Seamless integration with marketing tools: Integrates smoothly with marketing, sales, and service hubs, creating a unified platform for inbound marketing and client management.
• Automation capabilities: Provides powerful automation tools for tasks like email marketing, lead nurturing, and sales workflows, saving time and improving efficiency for design projects.
• Customizable dashboard and reports: Allows users to create customized dashboards and reports to track metrics and gain insights into business performance, crucial for project management and client presentations.

Cons

• High cost at higher tiers: The pricing can become expensive as you move to higher tiers, which may be prohibitive for small design agencies as they scale.
• Limited customization in free plan: The free plan and lower tiers have limited customization options, restricting flexibility for growing design agencies.
• Complexity in advanced features: Some advanced features, such as custom reporting and workflows, have a steep learning curve and may require additional training.
• Email marketing limits: Email marketing functionality in the free plan is restricted by limits on the number of emails you can send, which can be a drawback for agencies with larger client lists.
• Additional costs for add-ons: Many useful features, like advanced CRM capabilities and integrations, come as paid add-ons, increasing the overall cost for design agencies.

Price and plans

Prices for HubSpot's CRM hub on an annual subscription are as follows.

• Starter: $15 per user, per month.
• Professional: $450 per user, per month.
• Enterprise: $1,500 per user, per month.

3. Pipedrive

Pipedrive is a web-based CRM for small businesses, offering lead management, automation, email integration, and customizable pipelines to optimize sales.

Key features

• Lead and deal management: Centralized tools to manage customer data, interactions, and sales pipelines, helping design teams act quickly on opportunities.
• Sales automation: Workflow automation to handle repetitive tasks, such as lead routing, follow-ups, and email sequences, allowing design teams to focus on closing deals and delivering projects.
• Email integration: Full email sync, templates, and tracking features, enabling users to manage all communications directly from the CRM, ensuring no client message is missed.
• Advanced reporting and analytics: Real-time data analytics and custom reporting tools to track sales performance, forecast revenue, and gain actionable insights specific to design projects and client interactions.
• Customization and security: Options to customize pipelines, fields, and user permissions, with robust security measures to protect sensitive client data.

Pros

• User-friendly interface: The intuitive and visually appealing interface makes it easy for design agencies to navigate and manage their client interactions and project pipelines.
• Sales pipeline focus: Specifically designed for managing sales pipelines, offering a visual approach that helps design teams track deals and project activities effectively.
• Customization: Allows for a high degree of customization, enabling design agencies to tailor the platform to their specific project workflows with custom fields and processes.
• Affordability: Offers competitive pricing, making it accessible to small and medium-sized design agencies without sacrificing essential CRM features.
• Automation features: Includes automation tools that help streamline repetitive tasks, such as sending follow-up emails and moving deals through the pipeline, saving time and boosting productivity for design teams.

Cons

• Limited advanced features: Lacks some of the more advanced CRM features, such as extensive marketing automation and AI capabilities, which might be available in other platforms.
• Basic reporting in lower tiers: The reporting and analytics features in the basic plans are somewhat limited, requiring upgrades to access more in-depth insights.
• No built-in email marketing: Does not include built-in email marketing features, requiring users to integrate with third-party email tools for such functionality.
• Limited customer support hours: Customer support is not available 24/7, which can be inconvenient for design agencies operating in different time zones or needing immediate assistance.
• Price increases with add-ons: The cost can increase quickly when additional features or integrations are added, making it less cost-effective for design agencies with growing needs.

Price and plans

An annual subscription plan basis is as follows.

• Essential plan: Starts from $24 per user, per month.
• Advanced plan: Starts from $44 per user, per month.
• Power plan: Starts from $79 per user, per month.
• Enterprise plan: Starts from $129 per user, per month.

4. Capsule CRM

Capsule CRM is a user-friendly customer relationship management platform designed for small and medium-sized businesses. It offers a clean, intuitive interface that helps users manage customer relationships, track sales pipelines, and organize tasks and communications efficiently.

Key features

• 1 sales pipeline: Streamline your client acquisition process, track leads, and manage customer journeys efficiently.
• 30,000 contacts: Store extensive client information, ensuring you never miss a detail about your leads and customers.
• Task management: Keep your projects on track by assigning tasks and deadlines, perfect for managing multiple design projects simultaneously.
• Workflow automation: Automate repetitive tasks, allowing your team to focus on creative work rather than administrative duties.
• Key integrations: Seamlessly connect with tools like G Suite, Microsoft 365, and Mailchimp to enhance productivity and maintain a smooth workflow.

Pros

• User-friendly interface: Capsule CRM offers a clean and intuitive design, making it easy for design agencies to navigate and quickly access important features.
• Contact and sales management: Robust tools for managing contacts and tracking sales opportunities help maintain a clear view of client relationships and project pipelines.
• Customization options: Allows customization of fields, tags, and pipelines to fit the specific needs of design agencies, offering flexibility in managing data and processes.
• Integration capabilities: Integrates with popular third-party applications, creating a seamless workflow across design tools and business applications.
• Affordability: Competitive pricing with affordable premium options, making it accessible for small design agencies and startups.

Cons

• Limited advanced features: Lacks more advanced features such as in-depth analytics and complex reporting capabilities, which might be needed by larger design agencies.
• Basic email marketing capabilities: Built-in email marketing features are relatively basic, requiring reliance on third-party integrations for advanced needs.
• Limited customer support: Primarily offers support through email and an online help center, lacking live chat or phone support for immediate assistance.
• No built-in phone or SMS integration: Does not have built-in phone or SMS functionality, which could be a disadvantage for agencies relying heavily on direct client communication.
• Scalability concerns: While suitable for small to medium-sized agencies, rapidly growing companies might find the platform less scalable as they expand.

Price and plans

• Starter plan: Starts from $21 per user, per month.
• Growth plan: Starts from $38 per user, per month.
• Advanced plan: Starts from $60 per user, per month.
• Ultimate plan: Starts from $75 per user, per month.

5. Zoho

Zoho is a CRM system with a strong sales focus. Its got features such as journey orchestration, sales process management and workflow automation. There's also something for marketing teams, including event management and customer segmentation.

Key features

• Customizable dashboards and reports: Allows design agencies to create tailored dashboards and reports for tracking project progress and client interactions.
• Lead and contact management: Manages client information, tracks interactions, and segments contacts for personalized communication and targeted marketing campaigns.
• Multi-channel communication: Integrates with email, phone, social media, and live chat to manage all client interactions from a single platform.
• Workflow automation: Automates routine tasks such as follow-ups and project updates, increasing efficiency and allowing designers to focus on creative work.
• Sales pipeline management: Visualizes and manages sales pipelines, helping design agencies track project proposals, client approvals, and contract signings.

Pros

• Affordability: Zoho CRM offers competitive pricing, making it accessible to small and medium-sized design agencies.
• Customization: Extensive customization options allow design agencies to tailor the CRM to their specific workflows, including custom fields and modules.
• Integration with Zoho Suite: Seamless integration with other Zoho products like Zoho Projects and Zoho Campaigns creates a comprehensive ecosystem for managing different business functions.
• Multi-channel communication: Supports email, phone, social media, and live chat, enabling design agencies to manage all client interactions from a single platform.
• AI-powered features: Zia, the AI assistant, provides intelligent insights, predictive analytics, and task automation, helping to improve project management and client communication.

Cons

• Steep learning curve: The extensive customization options can be overwhelming for new users, requiring a significant time investment to master the platform.
• Complex setup: Initial setup and configuration can be complex, particularly for design agencies without technical expertise or dedicated IT resources.
• User interface: Some users find the interface to be outdated or cluttered compared to other modern CRM platforms, which can affect usability.
• Performance issues: Occasional reports of slow performance, especially with large datasets or complex operations, can hinder productivity.
• Limited third-party integrations: While Zoho integrates well with its own suite of products, integration with third-party applications can be limited or require additional effort.

Price and plans

Free plan limited to three users suitable for small businesses. After that, an annual subscription plan is as follows.

• Standard: $20 per user, per month.
• Professional: $35 per user, per month.
• Enterprise: $50 per user, per month.

Conclusion

Choosing the best CRM for your design agency is crucial for streamlining operations, improving client relationships, and boosting overall efficiency. Whether you opt for a comprehensive solution like HubSpot, a user-friendly platform like folk, or a highly customizable tool like Zoho, the key is to align the CRM's features with your agency's specific needs and workflows. Remember to consider factors such as ease of use, integration capabilities, and budget when making your decision. By implementing the right CRM, you can unlock new levels of productivity and client satisfaction, setting your design agency on the path to sustained growth and success. Try folk for free today.

Need a helping hand? Use our free tool to find your perfect CRM match.

Frequently Asked Questions

What do founders of design agencies use as a CRM?

Founders of design agencies often use CRMs like folk, Hubspot, Pipedrive, Capsule CRM, and Zoho to manage their client relationships and streamline their workflows. Among these, folk is particularly popular for its intuitive interface and robust features tailored to the needs of design agencies.

Do I need a CRM?

Yes, a CRM can be highly beneficial if your design agency has complex processes or if you manage multiple clients and projects simultaneously. It helps in organizing client information, automating tasks, and improving communication, ultimately enhancing efficiency and client satisfaction.

How much does a CRM cost?

The cost of a CRM can vary widely, typically ranging from $15 to $150 per user per month. Basic plans start at around $15-$20 per user per month, while more advanced plans with additional features can go up to $150 or more per user per month.

Does folk’s CRM respond to design agencies' needs?

Yes, folk’s CRM is well-suited for design agencies. It offers an intuitive interface, customizable pipelines, AI-driven tools, and seamless integrations with over 6,000 apps. These features make it easy to manage contacts, automate workflows, and enhance communication, saving both time and money for design agencies.