Freshdesk

Freshsales

AWeber

Google Contacts

Contacts+ (formerly FullContact)

![quote James](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/Dp5L37gZpfmvTZUAXTQI5/c4c5cb3f408e34d100ee870223cbd1b0/quote_James.png)

James Heyward has entrepreneurship in his blood. His father opened his accounting firm AOH Business Services, NYC in 1982, and from an early age, James developed his knowledge of and love for financial management while working for his father’s practice.

In 2010, James opened his own firm, [Heyward CPA](https://www.heywardcpa.com/), in Durham, North Carolina, and at the start of this year, James and his father decided to merge their firms.

As a family business, Heyward CPA is laser-focused on helping other small businesses and their owners. They have an exceptional track record in the accounting industry for the usual reasons – their experience, business acumen, skills, and the personality of their team – but Heyward CPA also differentiates itself from the competition with its outstanding business operations.

*“We’re more like a software company in how we run our business,"* shares James. *“That’s what our tools are mostly designed for.”*

James admits he loves apps: “I keep going from app to app, but now I’m trying to stick with the right tool and improve our integrations." __PieSync has made integrating his favorite tools possible. The results? A productivity boost without the headaches.__

## The key tools James uses to run his accounting firm more efficiently:

### To improve lead qualification: Contact+ (formerly FullContact)

James uses the [Contact+](https://www.contactsplus.com/) contact management tool (formerly FullContact) to enrich the contact information collected on his CRM. 

> “80% or more of our leads come in through our website,” explains James. “Some of these are not our optimal customer, and we create service offerings for different lead levels, so the more information we can gather about their digital footprint the better.”

Once a lead has being enriched in Contact+, James uses [PieSync to sync data with Freshsales](https://www.piesync.com/fullcontact/freshsales/) and trigger the next steps in their journey... 

![fullcontact freshsales](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/5u3NK8pJyGZ32yNBNVN1jo/f8ef159790cf063c9fced7e8e5ee52c6/fullcontact_freshsales_.png)

### Freshsales – as CRM

With [Freshsales](https://www.freshworks.com/freshsales-crm/) as your CRM, you can benefit from AI-based lead scoring, built-in phone, email, activity capture and more. James explains that if you send an inquiry to Heyward CPA via their website, it’ll go straight to the Freshsales level of their tech stack.

Freshsales is the heart of their customer data, but in order to enrich that data, James has to keep it in sync with his other business tools. At the same time, he uses Freshsales customer knowledge to deliver a more personalized experience through other tools. For instance,  if a prospect or customer wants to receive email communications, he will be automatically in sync with AWeber. 

![Freshsales aweber integration](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/2SN4DuEVEYYvbHdUN3agTx/98b72c419d19282029155153166d5695/Freshsales_aweber_integration.png)

<Button text="Sync Freshsales and AWeber" href="https://www.piesync.com/freshsales/aweber/" />

### Freshdesk – for customer support

“[Freshdesk](https://freshdesk.com/) is our main point of contact for our clients. It’s kind of like our front desk," explains James. Freshdesk customer support software streamlines all conversations in one place. With the tool, James has a central view of all communication via phone and email, and he can also connect live chat if it makes sense in future.

> “As the helpdesk phone number is linked with the Freshcaller platform, we’re able to take notes on phone calls in a file for a client or even a prospect. It’s been about 3 years and it’s really changed our business.It has totally changed communication for us!”

James has also used Freshdesk to build out Heyward CPA’s internal knowledge base and make it accessible to the whole team. By pooling this knowledge, it’s easier than ever to train new people to respond to inquiries.  “Some of the questions are very routine, so we can build out the Q&A internally for agents to reply as easily as possible," explains James.

In the past, inquiries like “I need a copy of my tax return” used to go to James’s own inbox, but they now go directly to Heyward CPA’s central help desk that everyone has access to. 

“As we’re so exposed on the internet and get a high value of inquiries, it stops our inboxes getting clogged up," says James. 

<Button text="Sync Freshsales and Freshdesk" href="https://www.piesync.com/freshsales/freshdesk/" />

### Google Contacts – to sync personal contacts and as a backup

Google Contacts was one of the first integrations that James set up with PieSync, as a handy way to move his personal contacts to a central client management system. Since then, James has maintained Google Contacts as a backup of his key email list.

![integration google contacts freshsales](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/22zRNB4gD58tTARc3UGTy/859485266e8cfb302d8a47dd46ae10e6/integration_google_contacts_freshsales.png)


<Button text="Sync Freshsales and Google Contacts" href="https://www.piesync.com/freshsales/google-contacts/" />

### AWeber – for email marketing

“I’m trying to build up our [AWeber](https://www.aweber.com/) email list and be more specific in our email marketing," shares James. After several years of general awareness marketing, James is testing AWeber for greater segmentation and to eventually send emails according to the type of business a lead is in.

---

## Strong parts, but stronger together

At the heart of Heyward CPA’s operations is the Freshsales CRM. This is their main business hub, where James is consciously building up more contact data to make it easier to segregate contact lists across all connected apps.

 “The leads come into Freshsales, then if we do not end up doing business with them right now, we can get them in AWeber. Then they can receive more general awareness marketing,” says James. “We’re trying to make sure the leads interested in the newsletter on our website get to AWeber.”
 
 ![software stack](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/2gXP51ZQE5NkxjaJNHBhwh/c69a28c559e0f626ca2d927a79c0e07f/software_stack.png)

With PieSync, James has the infrastructure he needs to benefit from several tools without getting overwhelmed or causing data gaps and errors.

> “PieSync provides the automation and the framework to think about how you really want your data to move. It makes the administrative work totally automated and so much easier. In some cases that can save a business owner a lot in administrative costs.”


---

By staying on top of the tools out there, including those first designed with other industries in mind – like software as a service – James has managed to build a highly-efficient accounting firm. 

How can you make your firm operate more efficiently and spend more time on your customers? See how PieSync can help you out with a 14-day free trial to connect your favourite cloud apps.

<Button text="Try PieSync for free" href="https://app.piesync.com/signup/" />

























With PieSync, James has the infrastructure he needs to benefit from AWeber, Freshsales, Freshdesk, Google Contacts and Contact+ without getting overwhelmed or causing data gaps and errors.

Accounting & Finance

How this accounting firm uses automation to run their business more effectively than the competition

Business Process Automation

Delivra

![Delivra EmailMarketing Integration](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/4bkr3PJHKtzqpTHmcWa4wj/5ce1156b61fc02f507a3def9ba66b7a3/Delivra_EmailMarketing_Integration.png)

## A Powerful Syncing Solution

[Delivra](https://www.delivra.com/) is a smart email marketing automation platform. It’s easy to use and it allows you to customize your automation strategy. Next to this amazing tool, you are probably working with other applications like a CRM, Accounting Appp, VoIp, e-commerce platform, etc. 

PieSync offers a complete synchronization solution for Delivra and over __180+ other  business applications. It works bidirectionally and in real time! __

What makes this solution unique is the superior intelligence of its engine.  Trigger-based services like Zapier and its alternatives, only push data from one app to the other one, while __PieSync actually analyzes the information stored in your different databases to make sure that whenever you add or update a contact in one app, you have it up-to-date in the other one, and vice versa. __  

This means __no more import/ export or duplicates__! 

Check out the supported apps we are currently supporting for Delivra: 

<Widget type="piesync-widget" left="delivra" size="compact" />

The app you are searching for is not here? Don’t worry! We are launching a new one every week. [Vote for your favorite cloud-based app!](https://www.piesync.com/connections/) 

[__Learn more about this sync solution on Delivra's blog! __](https://www.delivra.com/resources/blog/piesyncs-two-way-sync-solution-is-now-available-for-delivra-users/)

## If-*this*-then-*that* for Delivra

You are in full control of the sync. You can decide to sync the complete database of one app, or just a subset according to tags, list of subscribers or any other attribute of a contact. That will allow you to create more nuance. 

The way to set up that type of connection is by using [“If–*this*–then–*that*” rules or conditions](https://www.piesync.com/blog/introducing-intelligent-syncing/) on top of the 2-way sync: 

![delivra intelligent sync](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/7bxF6ddaeNrPPG5v6HcCrg/94adefbdd26cf237c91b17abbdd44c14/delivra_intelligent_sync.png)


<Button text="Try PieSync for free" href="https://www.piesync.com/delivra/" />

> “This is a great app that does exactly what it is supposed to do and in a very simple way. I use it to keep my contacts in sync between CRM's and it does a great job of that.” Kevin Johnson, Associate Broker at RE/MAX Real Estate

## More customized features

Depending on the other app you’re syncing with, you’ll see most Delivra fields (such as name, last name, address, etc.) being mapped by default. Additionally, you can [manually map your custom-made fields](https://www.piesync.com/blog/announcing-our-biggest-update-to-date-custom-fields-and-customizable-field/) and any standard fields that are not included in the default mapping:

![delivra xero](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/4tAJZJEcB1T0hajSs2sUBm/d9d46568d4ee6cc07ad8a7877eafadd2/delivra_xero.png)

__You’ll have the right data, in the right app, at the right time!__

## And there’s more!

- Save time spent on data entry
- Increase ROI
- No more import/export of your contacts
- One database across all your cloud apps
- Sync changes, including deletions and unsubscribes, in your favorite cloud apps and CRM
- Share accurate customer information across your marketing, sales and customer service platform


## Learn how to set up a sync: 

<Embed src="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7XVUGCmg6Fs" />

Need help to configure your connection? You can always visit our [Support Center](https://help.piesync.com/connector-apps/delivra) to get extra information about this connection.

<Button text="Try PieSync for free" href="https://www.piesync.com/delivra/" />

Great news! From now on, there’s a way to have Delivra in sync with over 180 business tools! It works 2-way and in real time. Make sure your contacts and subscribers are always up-to-date across your applications. No more import/export! 

Email Marketing

Keep your Delivra contacts and subscribers in sync with other business tools. It's a 2-Way Sync! 

Audience segmentation

SendinBlue

Mailchimp

HubSpot

ActiveCampaign

Prospect.io

Marketing automation software can be your small business’s secret superpower. It can change the way you run your business and the results you get – and certainly for the better. We’ve created a comparison of the best marketing automation tools for small businesses so you can weigh up the pros and cons for your team and boost your results going forward. These apps are all super easy to integrate using PieSync, so you can know your data is always in sync, too.

## What is marketing automation?

Marketing automation uses the data you know about your contacts and their behavior alongside your ideal lifecycle journey to deliver the most relevant content, emails, and messages. These are sent at exactly the right time for each contact, without any action required from you. You can use this alongside sales automation such as lead scoring and task creation for results across your organization.

## Why is marketing automation worth it?

Automation scales your marketing with minimal time and effort from you. You can nurture leads to customers without any extra work once your workflows are set up. To identify if you need marketing automation, ask if your marketing results depend entirely on you and your team’s hustle and grind. Manual work for repetitive tasks doesn’t scale!

## What is the best marketing automation software for small businesses?

While there are a lot of great marketing automation tools, some are unnecessarily complex for small businesses. We recommend ActiveCampaign, MailChimp, HubSpot, Prospect.io and SendinBlue as five of the best tools for SMBs to automate their marketing. Keep reading for our comparison of these platforms...


---


## The best marketing automation tools for SMBs

### 1. HubSpot

*Choose this if: You have the budget and want a great all-round CRM with strong automation features.*

[HubSpot](https://www.hubspot.com/) is one of [the best CRMs for small businesses](https://www.piesync.com/blog/the-best-crms-for-small-businesses-pros-cons-and-what-you-need-to-know/), and it’s also one of the best marketing automation platforms, too. Here’s why we think so...

[![MH-Overview-INB18-5](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/44dhJRcrHbJul9Slrq6PQh/b893b399c8884b6d40bf0997591cca16/MH-Overview-INB18-5.jpeg)](https://www.hubspot.com/hubfs/INBOUND%202018%20Product%20Page%20Screenshots/MH-Overview-INB18-5.jpeg)

### HubSpot pros

__Email automation is made simple__ – With HubSpot, it’s easy to create email nurturing workflows customized around lead behavior and properties.  Once a contact finishes one workflow or reaches its goal, they can be automatically moved to another workflow. This makes it simple to guide your leads down the funnel and towards converting.

__Build (nearly) anything you want with workflows__ – [HubSpot’s marketing automation ](https://www.hubspot.com/products/marketing/marketing-automation)goes way beyond just email. Workflows allow you to create nearly any “if this, then that” sequence you want. An external workflow could send an email to a lead that views your product and feature pages. An internal workflow could assign new leads to reps based on geography or annual revenue, as collected via custom properties in website forms. 

You can also use workflows to assign tasks, trigger internal notifications, send internal emails or SMS, and much more.

__Scaling__ – HubSpot is designed to grow with your small business, and you can choose to upgrade your Marketing Hub plan as you need more features, or also add their Sales and Service Hubs. However, this doesn’t come cheap, which is by far the main drawback of the tool…

### HubSpot cons

__Cost__ – The HubSpot CRM is free, but for HubSpot Marketing Automation you will need their Marketing Hub add-on (Professional Plan), which starts at $800/month for 1,000 contacts. For sales automation, it starts at $400/month. Even if you can get their startup program discount, HubSpot is unlikely to be in the budget range of most small businesses.

__Limited workflow functionality per Hub__ – If you already have the HubSpot Sales Hub, you have access to some sales-based automation tools. However, these are limited and won’t cover your marketing needs. Alternatively, if you only have the HubSpot Marketing Hub, you won’t be able to automate deal-based workflows for your sales processes. 

### HubSpot integrations

There are many tools you can integrate HubSpot with to make your marketing team’s job easier. Here are some of our favorites:

[__Mailchimp:__ ](https://www.piesync.com/hubspot/mailchimp/)Be certain that you have the right leads from HubSpot ready to receive your newsletter in Mailchimp.

[__Google Contacts:__ ](https://www.piesync.com/hubspot/google-contacts/)Keep a backup of your top clients in an easy-access Google Contacts account.

[__Outlook:__](https://www.piesync.com/hubspot/outlook-office365/) Update fields or folders in Outlook or properties and lists in HubSpot according to their behavior. 

[__ActiveCampaign:__ ](https://www.piesync.com/hubspot/active-campaign/)Take your marketing automation further by connecting the two tools. Or, just use HubSpot’s free CRM with ActiveCampaign automation layered on top.

### 2. ActiveCampaign

*Choose this if: You want powerful marketing automation features at the best price point.*

[ActiveCampaign’s](https://www.activecampaign.com/) goal is to provide “true marketing automation” and we love how powerful its features are. This is the reason it’s one of our top recommendations for small businesses looking for easy-to-set-up automation software.

[![activecampaign sync](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/1kLNlLm6YHfRuovzNniyhP/a5c7e1d8f3fbe7ba79a283c1fd995012/activecampaign_sync.gif)](https://d226aj4ao1t61q.cloudfront.net/im11ilvnb_activebutton.gif)

### ActiveCampaign pros:

__Strong marketing automation features__ – ActiveCampaign is designed with automation as the top focus, which differentiates it from most of the other tools on this list. If that’s your top priority, we’d recommend you start their free trial.

You can do a lot more automation with ActiveCampaign than email tools like Mailchimp and Constant Contact. Not only does it cover all the [core parts of email automation](https://www.activecampaign.com/email-marketing), but it also enables automation of your contacts, list management, and ['Deals' in their CRM system](https://www.activecampaign.com/sales-crm). With Deals, you can streamline sales appointments, direct messages, and notes.

__High email deliverability__ – In tests by EmailToolTester, [ActiveCampaign was the tool with one of the highest deliverability rates](https://www.emailtooltester.com/en/email-deliverability-test/) (97% in Jan 2019, compared to Mailchimp's 81.6%). 

__Price__ – Automation starts on the Lite plan, which is $9 month/paid yearly for 500 contacts. For the CRM and sales automation, you'll need to opt for the Plus plan for $49/month paid yearly for those same 500 contacts. As your contacts increase, you'll pay more – but that has advantages, too. You pay for what you really need.

### ActiveCampaign cons:

__Their CRM can be too simplistic__ – ActiveCampaign is automation-first, and their CRM might not fit every single one of your requirements. It’s more simple than alternatives like HubSpot, which offers a strong CRM and automation features (albeit at a much higher price point). If you love ActiveCampaign’s automation but want a better CRM, consider using integrations to solve your problem.

### ActiveCampaign integrations:

Boost the power of ActiveCampaign’s automation features by integrating your team’s other go-to tools. We’ve heard from PieSync customers getting results with these connections:

[__Pipedrive:__ ](https://www.piesync.com/active-campaign/pipedrive/)Connect ActiveCampaign to fill in Pipedrive’s automation gaps while making the most of its strong CRM system for small businesses.

[__Teamleader:__](https://www.piesync.com/active-campaign/teamleader) Combine one of the most complete CRM solutions on the market with 
ActiveCampaign’s top automation features.

[__Intercom:__](https://www.piesync.com/active-campaign/intercom/) Keep all contacts, customers and conversations in sync across both Intercom and ActiveCampaign.

### 3. Prospect.io

*Choose this if: Your focus is on lead generation and prospecting and you already have a strong CRM.*

Although [Prospect.io](https://prospect.io) is geared towards “sales automation for modern sales teams”, this might align more with your goals than some of the other tools on this list. With Prospect.io, you can speed up your email prospecting and automate outreach to these new leads.

[![prospect.io integration](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/2709bQTwnnCAyWKJCQ2nyu/5da79c7e75fefd0aa8c7cac1dce1b277/prospect.io_integration.png)](https://prospect.io/assets/features/verify-0cea25ed9c2bf2aea8f8ab8361c4a2dc70da039663cb1e81f0f3bcd8675ed6bf.png)

### Prospect.io pros:

__Lead generation__ – Prospect.io is designed for [email prospecting](https://prospect.io/features/email-finder) and helps you to find contact details in a fraction of the time you would traditionally need. You can do this by using their handy Chrome extension on any website or social profile.

__Drip campaigns__ – After you’ve collected and verified new email leads with Prospect.io’s email prospecting tools, [send drip campaigns to engage with them](https://prospect.io/features/drip-campaigns). Once they reply, click, or convert, you can sync them with a list in your CRM. If they unsubscribe or aren’t interested, you can end the process there without cluttering your CRM.

### Prospect.io cons:

__It’s not a stand-alone tool__ – For best results, use Prospect.io alongside a strong CRM like HubSpot, Pipedrive, or Teamleader to organize your contacts. We recommend qualifying contacts with a Prospect.io drip campaign before syncing them to your CRM with specific properties or a list membership alongside source so you can customize communication.

### Prospect.io integrations:

Sync Prospect.io with your other marketing tools and keep everything connected for better results.

__[HubSpot:](https://www.piesync.com/prospect/hubspot/)__ Feed HubSpot CRM with fresh leads after they have been collected with Prospect.io and qualified via a drip campaign.

[__Mailchimp:__](https://www.piesync.com/prospect/mailchimp/) Update descriptions or list membership based on their activity or categorization in either Mailchimp or Prospect.io.

[__Zoho:__](https://www.piesync.com/prospect/zoho/) Immediately connect new emails with your favorite Zoho apps, including Zoho CRM.

### 4. Mailchimp

*Choose this if: Your main goal is email marketing automation, such as nurturing and event-based workflows.*

[Mailchimp](https://mailchimp.com/) is the most popular email marketing tool on the block, and it’s the ideal solution for small businesses with a low budget. Their free plan can fit the email marketing needs of many small businesses – and it offers email automation, too.

[![mailchimp synchronization](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/5Hm9DVZDk8aApTpCo7Lpjd/65bffd847693f42113a7576278f9ad69/mailchimp_synchronization.jpg)](https://embedwistia-a.akamaihd.net/deliveries/02f05fca6edcf7b02a4aeb7b2e2f378707ef281c.jpg?origin_v2=1&image_crop_resized=960x639)

### Mailchimp pros:

__Free email marketing automation software__ – The biggest advantage of Mailchimp is value for money. You get a huge amount from its feature set, [including marketing automation](https://mailchimp.com/marketing-automation/), without paying a cent.

__User experience __– Mailchimp has a great brand experience and is very intuitive to get started with as a smaller business.

### Mailchimp cons:

__Limited to email automation__ – While email marketing is a big part of automation, it’s not the whole story. With Mailchimp, you won’t be able to automate tasks or notifications like you can with HubSpot or ActiveCampaign, for instance.

__Email deliverability__ – Mailchimp’s delivery rate isn’t the best in the market, but for SMBs this is unlikely to cause problems. If you experience issues and cleaning up your email marketing strategy doesn’t fix it, consider alternatives like [Constant Contact](https://www.constantcontact.com/index.jsp) or ActiveCampaign that tend to have better deliverability.

### Mailchimp integrations:

To make Mailchimp even more powerful, integrate it with the other tools used by your marketing team...

[__Nimble:__ ](https://www.piesync.com/mailchimp/nimble/)Enrich your Mailchimp contacts with Nimble’s social data, or update lead status based on email engagement.

[__HubSpot:__ ](https://www.piesync.com/mailchimp/hubspot/)See if Mailchimp’s email tool can tick your automation needs, rather than needing HubSpot’s pricey Marketing Hub.

[__Pipedrive:__ ](https://www.piesync.com/mailchimp/pipedrive/)Keep lists and labels updated across both Pipedrive and Mailchimp based on engagement and behavior.
[
__Zoho:__ ](https://www.piesync.com/mailchimp/zoho)See the full picture in either app and trigger actions in Zoho CRM based on a contact’s email activity.

### 5. SendinBlue

*Choose this if: You want to automate transactional emails or maintain a highly personalized relationship with your contacts.*

[SendinBlue](https://www.sendinblue.com/) is designed for relationship marketing. What is relationship marketing? It's about using marketing tactics and actions to create and maintain a personalized relationship with your prospects. With relationship marketing, you focus on your customers the whole time – right from the very first touch point on your website, to the conversion and purchase process, and on to long-term loyalty. 

Here’s what we think of SendinBlue’s automation features...

[![sendinblue integration](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/4Rjcc3mM9Fcnx6sJRF4Wou/93fa3336256b031c51ac60ad754def87/sendinblue_integration.png)](https://resources.sendinblue.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/intro-MA-beginner-EN-2.png)

### SendinBlue pros:

__Easy-access marketing automation.__ [“Do more with less using automation”](https://www.sendinblue.com/features/marketing-automation/), says the SendinBlue website. SendinBlue breaks down the common barriers to setting up automation as a small business and keeps things simple.

__Transactional automation.__ SendinBlue is a [great tool for transactional emails](https://www.sendinblue.com/features/transactional-email/) and its workflows take this further. It’s easy to create workflows based on product purchases, page views, or engagement with transactional email types.

### SendinBlue cons:

__Starting price for automation:__ SendinBlue has affordable (and free) plans for email marketing, but for marketing automation, you will need to be on their Premium plan (starting at $66/month or $52.80 with annual payment). However, this is much better than some of the other tools on this list, and it’s a much cheaper alternative to HubSpot.

### SendinBlue integrations:

To get even more results from SendinBlue, integrate it with your most-used marketing tools:

[__HubSpot:__](https://www.piesync.com/sendinblue/hubspot/) Add contacts to SendinBlue email lists based on lead score. Or, update HubSpot based on email actions, campaigns, and behavior.

[__Capsule CRM:__ ](https://www.piesync.com/sendinblue/capsule/)Keep a 360-degree-view in both SendinBlue and Capsule and avoid duplicate data or errors.

[__Salesforce:__ ](https://www.piesync.com/sendinblue/salesforce/)Use SendinBlue to send newsletters and drip workflows on top of Salesforce as your CRM.

[__Intercom:__](https://www.piesync.com/sendinblue/intercom/) Update both Intercom and SendinBlue as contacts interact with either, keeping you and your team up-to-date.


---



### Our top automation apps & other special mentions

As a larger or enterprise business, you might want to check out marketing automation tools such as [Salesforce Pardot](https://www.pardot.com/) (starting at an eye-watering $1,250/month). But __as a small business, there’s really no need. __

Tools such as ActiveCampaign, SendinBlue, Mailchimp and Prospect.io are likely going to provide all the value you need at a much lower price point. If you have the budget, HubSpot is also a brilliant all-rounder for CRM, automation, and sales.

__Our top choice is ActiveCampaign__, as it offers the most solid automation features at the most accessible price point for small businesses. 

Of course, we couldn’t fit every one of our favorite tools in this comparison post. Some other automation tools for small businesses that are worth a mention include:

- [Zoho Campaigns](https://www.zoho.com/campaigns/marketing-automation/) for email marketing automation
- [Zoho CRM](https://www.zoho.com/crm/workflow-rules.html?src=ft) for workflow automation
- [Ontraport](https://ontraport.com/) CRM & marketing platform to connect, automate and optimize your marketing


For best results, sync your tools with two-way integrations such as what PieSync offers. It is especially worthwhile to connect your CRM with email marketing tools like Mailchimp or SendinBlue, and to sync both your CRM and email marketing with lead gen tools like Prospect.io. 

<Button text="Try PieSync for free" href="https://app.piesync.com/signup/" />



Marketing automation can be a huge timesaver for small businesses. Here we compare five of the best tools, including HubSpot, ActiveCampaign, and Mailchimp.

Marketing 

The best marketing automation tools for small businesses and how to integrate them to your software stack 

PrestaShop

![PrestaShop Launch](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/8jgB0T1XrDH7myUCq81LC/5553ad4fb657b5b2025d4aecfda10f15/PrestaShop_Launch.png)

## PieSync's Integration for PrestaShop 

[PrestaShop](https://www.prestashop.com/en) provides you with the tools you need to create an amazing online store and attracts thousands of visitors. Within this efficient and innovative e-commerce solution, you manage your products, orders and customer relationships. 

Most business applications you are using, gather valuable customer insights. PrestaShop is definitely one of them. The tool collects unique customer data that can be useful across different areas of your business. But how do you keep all this information in sync and ensure a 360-degree view of your customers? 

PieSync offers a 2-Way synchronization between PrestaShop and 180+ other business applications! Check out all the ones we have available today: 

<Widget type="piesync-widget" left="prestashop" size="compact" />

__The app you need is not here yet? We are adding new ones every Wednesday! [ Vote for your favorite one](https://www.piesync.com/connections/) and we'll make sure to let you know when it's available. 
__

## How PieSync works 

__Every time you have a new contact in PrestaShop or if you modify a contact's info, PieSync will make sure to update that change in your connected app, and vice versa.__

PieSync works in real time and it's constantly checking both applications for changes to make sure you have high quality data in sync. 

You can automate your unique business processes with features like Intelligent Sync (if-*this*-then-*that* rules) and Custom Fields. These features enable you to create your own data workflow.

<Button text="Start Syncing!" href="https://www.piesync.com/prestashop/"/>

## PieSync in Action

If your PrestaShop is a vital organ of your business, then you need to have it in sync with your CRM (usually located at the heart of your business). Let's say you are using PrestaShop to have an up-to-date view on your customers making purchases and Teamleader as a CRM. By using a simple tag and creating an easy rule, any member of your team can access Teamleader and recognize your customers. 

![teamleader prestashop](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/4NzO62pHNWPNzd9kYfqfJU/2b3077d16299db89a20b27d719c571f5/teamleader_prestashop.png)

> “This is a great app that does exactly what it is supposed to do and in a very simple way. I use it to keep my contacts in sync between CRM’s and it does a great job of that.” Kevin Johnson, Associate Broker at RE/MAX Real Estate

How about using PrestaShop's data for Marketing purposes? If you are using a separate marketing platform to send out your newsletter, make sure your subscribers opt-in and opt-out are respected. For instance, in a sync with an email marketing platform such as AWeber, one simple rule will subscribe and subsequently unsubscribe customers based on their preferences: 

![prestashop aweber](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/3yAlI0ekSuw4sJX0fqlzVW/348f37b26734f5638574093d806f9151/prestashop_aweber.png)

You could also sync two PrestaShop instances with one another to make sure the customer lists in both are always up-to-date.

![syncing prestashop](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/4TNVsY4vrwDiu3HOLTQuRl/0dfc02ca1eb28f76418c7d43e2362bd4/syncing_prestashop.png)

Take control of your data! Set up a simple sync and just let it work in the background. __Set it and forget it! __

<Button text="Start Syncing!" href="https://www.piesync.com/prestashop/"/>

## Learn how to set up a pie-sync for PrestaShop: 

<Embed src="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nqdGv0tNAA0&feature=youtu.be" />


### A quick list of immediate benefits: 

- Save time spent on data entry
- Increase ROI
- No coding required
- 5-minute setup 
- Share contact information with your teams
- Access a unique and up-to-date database from any device
- No more import/export of your contacts
- One database across all your cloud apps
- Sync changes, including deletions and unsubscribes.
- Share accurate customer information across your marketing, sales, and customer service platforms.

__Need help creating your amazing setup? [Visit our Help Center.](https://help.piesync.com/connector-apps/presta-shop) __ 


PieSync offers A TRUE customer data sync between PrestaShop and 180+ other business applications. This 2-way sync, allows you to have your data up-to-date in real time across all your business tools.

Ecommerce

Introducing a 2-Way Sync Solution for PrestaShop and 180+ other business tools 

K+TEAM Platform (former Kunversion+)

![k+team-platform launch](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/6Rr4sp3qxWoAn3ZrK0prqP/49e35b174112340476b266f798ad6d40/k_team-platform_launch.png)

## About K+TEAM Platform

[K+TEAM Platform](https://insiderealestate.com/kunversion-plus/) (former Kunversion) has helped top producing agents and teams generate millions of leads and close thousands of deals. The updated K+TEAM Platform is packed with even more tools and unique features to help agents and teams thrive.

However, this might not be the only platform you are using. Do you have an Email Marketing tool? What about the Google Contacts on you phone? Dotloop? 

__PieSync helps you sync over 180+ business tools with K+TEAM Platform 2-Way and in real time!__

<Widget type="piesync-widget" left="kunversion" size="compact" />

__The app you need is not here? No worries, we are adding new apps weekly! Vote for your favorite app [here](https://www.piesync.com/connections/). __

## Sync Solution for K+TEAM Platform

Since most apps are not natively integrated, you have to work out a way to get contact data from one app to another. A lot of businesses use the time-wasting import/export method, but your apps are never really up-to-date. Others use one-way pushes, but that often results in duplicates and it doesn’t take into account historical data. 

PieSync provides a perfect bridge between apps to sync contacts and/or leads between cloud-based apps, solving your isolated data problems. You can personalize your synchronization by choosing to sync all your contacts or just a subset of them. 

![Gif2 V1](//images.contentful.com/f2ysq090txql/5fwdsVObd6MQ42ogYsiyM/e6067057f2d15eb75f4fed869d6b889c/Gif2_V1.gif)

During the first sync, you can chose to sync your historical data. Afterward, PieSync is constantly checking your connected apps for updates. Which means that whenever you add or update contact information in either app, you'll have it up-to-date in the other one in real time. Do you prefer a one-way sync? Customize it so you can choose which contacts to sync and how! 

<Button text="Start your free trial now" href="https://www.piesync.com/kunversion/" />

## A customized experience

The intelligent sync engine will already start mapping by default fields like first name, last name, email address.  Additionally, you can map the rest of your K+TEAM Platform fields thanks to the [custom fields option](https://www.piesync.com/blog/announcing-our-biggest-update-to-date-custom-fields-and-customizable-field/).

![custom fields](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/79RyQIaEvy4M8PjGf2HLeg/cde979ffb00fa9d8a4be1b2c9e4eec10/custom_fields.png)

You can create more nuance by using [“If–this–then–that” rules](https://www.piesync.com/blog/introducing-intelligent-syncing/) or conditions. These rules enable you to accomplish complex automatic workflows across your apps. 

![k+Team](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/2MgxZhuXsF7oojz6FWr2EL/44221dfe96a20eb388f7d42856f9acf8/k_Team_.png)


PieSync’s Intelligent Sync saves you hours on contact management and gives you peace of mind. You’ll have the right data, in the right app, at the right time. So you can focus on your core business without worrying about the data management.

# PieSync as a Zapier alternative or complement

Zapier is great for one-way data pushes. If you’re using web forms on your website and you want to push that data to your CRM, Zapier is what you need.

It is a trigger-based app and will only operate when a trigger is pulled, pushing all the data to another database. But in this process, Zapier won’t check if an update is necessary and it won’t sync data.

PieSync is constantly checking for updates in your data. You can also choose which app is your “source of truth” so you won’t accidentally sync the incorrect information. PieSync is great for when you want to continuously sync correct, up to date, error-free information across your cloud apps. [Learn more about the differences between these two great tools. ](https://www.piesync.com/piesync-vs-zapier/)

## Discover PieSync in 60 seconds

<Embed src="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=whQAmNJz9GY" />

__Need help to configure your connection? You can always visit our [Support Center](https://help.piesync.com/connector-apps/kunversion) to get extra information about this connection.
__

__So what are you waiting for?__

<Button text="Start your free trial now" href="https://www.piesync.com/kunversion/" />

Have your contacts and leads from the K+TEAM Platform (Kunversion) in sync with more than 180 cloud apps! It's a 2-Way Sync that works in real time. No more import/export or duplicates! 

Real Estate

Sales

Sync your K+TEAM Platform (Kunversion) with 180+ other business tools. It's 2-Way and in Real Time! 

![g2Crowd](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/4z5i6D6qror0sazYyyEj49/3b81638e82875f112066cf5bebbc4cb2/g2Crowd.png)

This Press Release was originally published on [PRNewsWire](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/piesync-named-2019-best-software-companies-in-emea-by-customers-300875133.html).

---
### *G2 Crowd Community Names PieSync amongst top software companies in EMEA*

PieSync, the fastest growing real-time, two-way intelligent customer data synchronization platform has once again been recognized as a top software company by G2 Crowd. The recently released report named PieSync as a top EMEA based software company based on receiving high customer satisfaction recognitions.

G2 Crowd community members and PieSync customers offer feedback and recommendations as well as comparison to other applications. 

One PieSync customer stated in reference to PieSync: 

> "Best synchronization platform ever. PieSync is by far the best platform I've used to integrate all my business apps and keep my information synchronized.  It is the best one I know which does two-way smooth syncing. I love the fact that it automatically maps all the fields to be synced between apps, what I had to do manually and subject to misconfiguration in previous tools I used.  They offer quick and friendly support, always available to help."

*"We are thrilled that our customers are showcasing the value PieSync delivers to them,"* said Ewout Meyns, founder and CEO of PieSync. *"This recognition as a Best Software Company in EMEA by the G2Crowd community showcases how our intelligent two-way customer data synchronization solution enhances data relevance and reliability in a differentiated way for our customers."*

[For the full report or to read PieSync customer reviews visit G2Crowd. ](https://www.g2.com/best-software-companies/emea)

## About PieSync 

PieSync is the fastest growing two-way intelligent customer data synchronization platform for organizations that want to power their business by integrating their cloud apps. PieSync improves sales, marketing and service performance by easily and affordably connecting contact data without complexity across SaaS-based ecosystems and applications to guarantee relevance and reliability, every time. PieSync connects over 180 applications with new ones added every week and supports customers with greater than 20 employees across many industries. PieSync is headquartered in Ghent, Belgium.  

<Button text="Try PieSync for free" href="https://app.piesync.com/signup/" />

The G2Crowd community named PieSync as one of the best software companies in the EMEA region.

Blog

Keep up to date on the latest tips for your sales, marketing, customer care and accounting teams.

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Keep your Delivra contacts and subscribers in sync with other business tools. It's a 2-Way Sync!

The best marketing automation tools for small businesses and how to integrate them to your software stack

Introducing a 2-Way Sync Solution for PrestaShop and 180+ other business tools

Sync your K+TEAM Platform (Kunversion) with 180+ other business tools. It's 2-Way and in Real Time!

G2Crowd Community Names PieSync amongst top software companies in EMEA