amoCRM

![Two salespeople looking at customer data on a laptop](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/22prqtmAuchuxdxuZkV3id/59e78e0f4b0998ecb4cabd62916d8758/new-data-services-746335-unsplash.jpg)

At the heart of every business lies a customer database, the holy grail that ties so many other parts of the business together. Every outbound activity of the business relies on it, and that’s merely contact information. There’s much more beneath the accustomed tip of the iceberg that represents customer data. 

Many businesses neglect the importance of utilizing available customer data. The amazing opportunities to use it simply gather dust on the shelf, waiting for better days to come. 

Or even worse, some businesses don’t collect data at all. While filling out a form with more than four fields is a drag (and increasingly so with every additional field), collecting the data is essential. Thinking outside of the box can be key to gathering it — perhaps you can do it with [conversational marketing](https://www.piesync.com/blog/conversational-marketing/)? Or perhaps with a well-placed survey? The possibilities are many, but more on that below. 

---

## How are you managing your customer data?

In a not-so-good scenario, the data structuring process starts with a spreadsheet. While Excel is a fantastic tool that keeps us all organized, using it to store (and operate) a database of clients is a very bad idea.

Unless you’re a guru of tidiness and data storage optimization, your spreadsheet will be messy, hard to navigate and update, and full of gaps. 

This might be sufficient for super small-scale operations, but once you decide to scale up, the problem will grow exponentially. As soon as multiple people start using it daily, things will get out of hand really quickly.

Data security is another big concern. When a customer database is maintained in a single Excel file, it’s waiting for a disaster to happen as it's nearly impossible to implement all the proper safeguards for data privacy and security. 

Yet even if the data is not stolen, there is always a chance that the database will become corrupted, and this problem will be even worse if you don't have a backup.

Just like with clunkiness, a good answer to both of these problems would be an [introduction of a CRM system](http://piesync.com/blog/guide-to-crm/).

<RelatedPost slug="ultimate-guide-to-contact-management" />

&nbsp;

## Keeping data organized is simple with a CRM

The first real step to making good use of your data is using a specialized tool to work with it. A customer relationship management system is specifically designed for that, and there are [so many of these on the market now](https://www.piesync.com/blog/best-crms-for-small-businesses/), so you’re sure to find one that fits your needs. 

For example, Salesforce is a top choice for large enterprises, HubSpot is fantastic for growing businesses, and if you’re oriented toward [messenger-based sales](https://medium.com/@amocrmglobalmarketing/5-reasons-2019-is-the-year-of-messenger-based-sales-84c117d79907), you can check out amoCRM. 

Not only is a CRM system suitable for managing the customers and the sales process, but it also connects other cloud services a business might be using (and if it doesn’t, [there’s always PieSync](https://www.piesync.com/why/) to connect data between your apps). 

With a CRM, your customer database is presented in a much more user-friendly format. Instead of columns and rows, you have a customer profile which makes reading the data on each particular deal or prospect much easier for your team. Accessibility to the database also becomes much more versatile. 

On top of that, a CRM is available from any device. Security is less of a concern because of the ability to assign rights to every user of the system, effectively preventing database theft by restricting export roles.

The best way to capitalize on customer data with a CRM, however, is with [automation](https://www.piesync.com/blog/tasks-every-marketer-should-automate/). Automated email campaigns, integrated forms, automated chat conversations via chatbots… you name it. All of that can be used to gather data and use it effectively for other campaigns or activities. 

[A chatbot](https://www.piesync.com/blog/conversational-marketing/), for instance, can ask the customers questions before the sales representative takes over and [automatically add the entered information to related customer data fields](https://www.amocrm.com/delivered/?utm_source=inbound&utm_campaign=delivered&utm_medium=blog&utm_content=leo03_19piesync). Couple that with system actions like task creation for the sales reps, tagging, or automatic emailing, and you’ll have a well-oiled machine to drive the business forward.

<RelatedPost slug="guide-to-crm" />

---

## Three ways to access the true value of customer data

Now that we know how to organize customer data efficiently (it’s more than half of the battle!), let’s push it to the limit. What can we do to make the most of the data we’ve gathered?

Here are three best practices to help you get the highest value from every piece of customer data in your CRM.

&nbsp;

### 1. Personalization

Every customer is different – from their preferences to buying habits, price range and much more. But what matters is the fact that everyone would like to be treated as a person, not a walking moneybag. 

Customers generally like to do business with brands that make the shopping experience [more relevant and personal](https://www.piesync.com/blog/why-marketing-personalization-is-so-important-and-how-to-use-it/). It plays a big role in the purchasing decision. And why shouldn’t it? When you find what you’re looking for much faster, it’s convenient! 

Even addressing the customer by their name during outreach is already a step forward. It's a small step, but an important one to make the customer feel welcome. And that’s just using the most basic data you have: their contact information. 

Each customer can be treated individually, and it’s up to you to decide what information to use from your database for that. Could it be a geographical area, or age, or maybe other trends or preferences? For instance, if you’re running an ecommerce website, showing product recommendations similar to what a customer is looking for is a nearly faultless method to increase revenue.

The more data you have, the more accurate your analytics can become. With the precision of data comes precision of marketing, sales and support. [Your marketers will be able to pinpoint the ideal customer, run efficient lead nurture campaigns and convert better](https://www.piesync.com/blog/marketers-guide-on-how-to-manage-customer-data/). 

Your sales team, meanwhile, will know more about the customer they’re engaged with and be able to sell better. Ultimately, even your account managers will benefit from better knowledge of your customer and be able to upsell more effectively. Plus, by recognizing the habits of your customers, you can learn what works best and how purchasing habits are formed.

<RelatedPost slug="why-marketing-personalization-is-so-important-and-how-to-use-it" />

&nbsp;

### 2. Customer analysis

With this information, you can identify the top customers of your company and concentrate your efforts on getting more of these. 

The best customers that you have usually form around 20% of the total customer base, and those are the customers you’d like to focus on. Again, your customer data will come in handy here — if you know them well, [personalize the content delivery](https://www.piesync.com/blog/increase-conversion-rates/) and make their life easier — they’ll stick around. It’s surprising how rare a well-made personalized approach is used. 

The worst customers are also there, and you can also identify them. Sometimes allocating resources to attracting the wrong customers will not have a worthwhile return on investment, even if they purchase. Weed them out, don’t prospect where they come from, and save the best seats for your best guests. Running a loyalty program might be a good way to determine whether your not-so-good customers can actually be upsold. 

<RelatedPost slug="more-reliable-business-data" />

&nbsp;

### 3. Strategy and analytics

Making efficient use of customer data is not merely a tactical move. It plays a big role in forming long term planning for customer acquisition, retention, upselling, and other crucial areas of your customer lifetime value cycle. 

The broader the data set, the better metrics you can introduce for your business, and all the more precision you can get. With the ever-shifting balance of forces, new metrics now prove the effectiveness of your sales campaigns. 

With [conversational marketing](https://www.piesync.com/blog/conversational-marketing/), for instance, a new metric is now gaining importance — cost-per-conversation. With chats being a much more efficient communication channel cost-wise, wouldn’t it be nice to have this kind of metrics on your dashboard?

For a sales manager or an executive, it will be very handy to [see the data on a dashboard](https://www.piesync.com/blog/automate-business-reporting/), with all the important metrics in play. Limited only by your imagination and business goals, additional data about your customers can help you form a better strategy and have quick insights on the current progress of your business.

<RelatedPost slug="10-ways-to-automate-your-sales-team-you-hadnt-thought-of" />

---

Just like the old Viking laws dictate: use the best weapons, keep your camp in order and use varying methods of attack. Simple as that. Managing your customer data well by [using it in conjunction with good tools](https://www.piesync.com/blog/how-to-build-the-best-software-stack-around-your-crm/) is pretty much using the best weapons.


cta-4-accurate-customer-data-for-the-complete-journey

4 (FULL) - Sales, marketing & support - accurate-customer-data-for-the-complete-journey

Customer data is one of your business's most important assets. Here's how to get the best results from your data for the most impact for you and your customers.

3 strategies to get the most value from your customer data

Customer Care

Two salespeople looking at customer data on a laptop

How to get the most value from your customer data

123FormBuilder

![123FormBuilder integration by PieSync](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/4SC2t1lklcd71xehL1NLJn/278c9e0779bad1b49ac87b647f7ca3b1/123FormBuilder-Launch.png)

## Connecting 123FormBuilder with other apps

From now on, you can keep [123FormBuilder](https://www.123formbuilder.com/) connected with 245 other applications. This integration ensures your leads from 123FormBuilder are synced to your other app in real time.  

__Whenever you have new leads in 123FormBuilder, you’ll have them automatically available in the connected app.__

This type of integration helps you prevent isolated data, which typically happens when you use different applications. When there is isolated data it becomes almost impossible to align the efforts of your different teams towards a common goal.

With PieSync you'll enrich and keep up-to-date your different databases.
Unlike other integration platforms, PieSync keeps in mind historical data to make sure you can manage duplicates. This means you don't have to manually import/export CSV files EVER AGAIN. 

## The apps available for a connection with 123FormBuilder

Search for the app you need to connect with 123FormBuilder

<Widget type="piesync-widget" left="123formbuilder" size="compact" />

__The app you need is not available? Every Wednesday, PieSync releases a new application. If the business tool you are using is not there yet, go to the pipeline and [vote for the app you need.](https://www.piesync.com/connections/)We'll add it to our pipeline!__

> PieSync simply does what it says it will do. I've gone from updating 4 sister systems to only having to enter information once and then PieSync keeps everything synced. I wish I had found PieSync sooner! Joe Scanlon, Real Estate Agent 
> 

## Some key features

Thanks to PieSync's [Intelligent Syncing](https://www.piesync.com/blog/introducing-intelligent-syncing/) feature, you can sync attributes, categories, lists, etc. Maintaining your segmentation across apps for marketing, sales and support purposes.

Intelligent Syncing allows you to personalize your sync. It works with intuitive “__If__–*this*–__then__–*that*” rules or conditions, enabling you to accomplish complex automatic workflows across different applications.

![hubspot and 123formbuilder](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/2vOwWx2Vmz3ONC4Wrx18Zf/5f7e35e7100e8538e7c3e2dc717efbba/hubspot_and_123formbuilder.png)

<Button text="Start your sync!" href="https://www.piesync.com/123formbuilder/" />

The dashboard will show the typical contacts' fields like first name, last name or email address mapped by default. 

![syncing 123formbuilder with hubspot](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/55e887S8BhPhFInP7Tby6Q/0018dc567b75213c2573560b6131af40/syncing_123formbuilder_with_hubspot.png)

Additionally, you can map the rest of your custom-made fields thanks to [the custom fields option.](https://www.piesync.com/blog/announcing-our-biggest-update-to-date-custom-fields-and-customizable-field/)

![integration for HubSpot and 123FormBuilder](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/1qWIzABvR1jN8NV3sYuol5/2a927ec9645c6bb737603eb02053c501/integration_for_HubSpot_and_123FormBuilder.png)

## Other Benefits

### Add Teams
You can add your entire team to your PieSync account. This means everyone can access the most up to date data when they need it most.

### Multiple plans to scale your business growth
We have multiple plans to suit businesses of all sizes. When your business grows, you can simply upgrade to the next plan.

### Avoid Duplicates
PieSync hates duplicates just as much as you do. We eliminate duplicates by matching contacts based on their email addresses.

<Button text="Start your sync!" href="https://www.piesync.com/123formbuilder/" />

## Learn how PieSync can help you convert leads with this integration:

<Embed src="https://youtu.be/dk81RbkT_1A" />

__Do you need help setting up your sync? [Here’s everything you need to know about it.](https://www.piesync.com/help/connector-apps/123formbuilder/)__

### About 123FormBuilder

With 123FormBuilder, you can create online forms with a simple drag-and-drop functionality. Build complex workflows, sell online, conduct surveys, and more without coding or complex set ups! 


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Connect 123FormBuilder with 245 applications via PieSync! Make sure your leads information is safely synced and available when and where you need it. 

PieSync integration solution for 123FormBuilder. Have your leads in sync with 245 applications in real time

Announcements

123FormBuilder integration by PieSync

Have your 123FormBuilder leads in sync with 245 applications

Follow Up Boss

LionDesk

BombBomb

![real estate automation](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/1LXMKOX2LyhLtZ0A7jPh0s/a3a0353ba8ff4e5833e4f7a5bf2e76a3/tierra-mallorca-rgJ1J8SDEAY-unsplash.jpg)

You might have heard that __automation is one of the best ways to improve your business operations, marketing and sales__. 

But what really is automation, why should you use it, and how can you automate your work as a real estate professional? If you’re asking yourself these questions, you’re in the right place.

Here’s our go-to guide for getting started with real estate automation and achieving the results that are possible for companies like yours.

---

## What is real estate automation?

Simply put, automation is your way of **reducing manual work and letting your tools do more for you**. This could be through email workflows, automated notifications and tasks for your team, and handy [integrations between your real estate apps](https://www.piesync.com/solutions/real-estate/). 

Real estate automation takes your business operations and marketing from good to great and reduces workload. It doesn’t mean firing all of your employees to let machines handle their job - it’s about making their work (and yours!) significantly easier and more efficient.

You can do as much or as little automation as you want. When getting started, your goal should be to simplify what you are doing already. If you are using a CRM or email tool, you can probably set up some automations right now with the features you already have access to.

Here are the best examples of automation you can easily implement in your real estate business for the best results.

Jump to:

- [Marketing automation](#marketing-automation)
- [Automated business processes](#business-processes)
- [Automated engagement](#engagement)
- [Automated management](#management)
- [Connect your real estate apps](#connect)

---

## Marketing automation{#marketing-automation}

&nbsp;

#### 1. Lead generation via website forms

With landing page and website forms linked to your CRM, you can build an automated marketing machine that captures new leads while you sleep. This doesn’t need to be complex: you could have a callback request form or even just a simple contact form. 

&nbsp;

#### 2. Automate open house lead generation

During your next open house viewing, try [automating your lead collection with Spacio](https://spac.io/). Capture the emails of everyone who attends, send automated follow-up emails and keep nurturing those new leads.

![Spacio digital open house sign up](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/h85gWLBhRFN69N8RVoVKy/d0db8ecb343c709e90deda80f45d4a12/Screenshot_2020-08-13_at_15.20.19.png)

&nbsp;

#### 3. Sync your leads from all channels

You probably get leads from a countless number of sources. That can be tough to stay on top of, but it certainly doesn’t have to be. There are several examples of real estate marketing automation software to [sync your leads in one place](https://www.piesync.com/solutions/lead-sync/).

[Follow Up Boss](https://www.followupboss.com) is one of the best pieces of real estate marketing software – and it includes some helpful automation features, too. The lead management system is trusted by 20k+ agents who use the tool to automatically distribute and follow up with leads from over 200 different sources.

&nbsp;

#### 4. Sync leads to your phone

Another easy but very useful automation to set up is to [connect your Follow Up Boss account with Google Contacts](https://www.piesync.com/google-contacts/followupboss/) or [iCloud](https://www.piesync.com/icloud/followupboss/). This means your leads on Follow Up Boss will be synced with your phone’s contact database, so when a lead calls you, their name shows up in caller ID and you always know exactly who you’re talking to.

![Sync Google Contacts and Follow Up Boss with PieSync](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/2wGgu9RtGTs4GnM8LIkert/2ec0a694c932d8ff85af80682a002a6f/Sync_Google_Contacts_and_Follow_Up_Boss_with_PieSync.png)

&nbsp;

#### 5. Automate lead routing

If you are manually routing leads to the best agents, you can save time with real estate marketing software [that automates lead routing and rotation](https://www.followupboss.com/features/lead-routing). Route geographically by zip code, pass senior agents your higher-priced leads or set up a 'first-to-claim' process or round-robin.

&nbsp;

#### 6. Nurture leads with workflows

Collecting and storing leads in your CRM isn’t enough: you need to nurture them. Lead nurturing consists of sending relevant and timely emails to the right leads to guide them down your funnel. 

The easiest way to do this is with automated workflows or drip emails, which are easy to create with real estate systems like [Brivity](https://www.brivity.com/) or email tools like [Mailchimp](https://mailchimp.com/). Once you’re set up, you can sit back, relax, and know that your emails are being sent to the right people without you needing to lift a finger.

&nbsp;

#### 7. Activity-based email workflows

There are certain moments in your buyer’s journey where you need to reach out. Use email workflows to automatically send replies to leads when they request a viewing, sign a contract or download a resource on your website. Real estate follow-up emails are one of the most effective ways to get results from automation.

&nbsp;

#### 8. Lead management 

Use real estate automation software to create a list of hot leads that are the best use of your time. If you use Follow Up Boss, their [Smart Lists](https://www.followupboss.com/features/smart-lists) feature is a handy way to sort your leads by value, such as a list of all leads searching over $1M.

&nbsp;

#### 9. Opportunity tracking

Your most important leads are your opportunities — these are leads who know your company exists and people who you know are in the market. Use automation to keep an extra close eye on these leads. In many CRMs, including [Contactually](https://www.contactually.com/), you can **use deal stages to track an opportunity’s journey** through the common stages of your pipeline — for instance, from callback requested to contract sent, and on to closed won.

&nbsp;

#### 10. Lead activity monitoring and triggers

You shouldn’t be spending your time watching your leads and wondering who is worth contacting that day. **Use automated activity monitoring** to track your leads’ behavior on your website and use pre-set triggers to notify you when action is actually needed.

<RelatedPost slug="marketing-automation-opportunities" />

---

## Automated business processes{#business-processes}

&nbsp;

#### 11. Tasks and transaction management

Do you struggle to stay on top of all of your tasks and checklists? With a real estate-specific CRM like LionDesk, you can [create automated task lists](http://www.liondesk.com) to help you manage every detail associated with a listing, sale, open house and more. LionDesk also comes with some handy property plan templates, such as their Closing Plans, Listing Presentations, and 30/45 day escrow plans.

&nbsp;

#### 12. Notifications

The best real estate agents strike when the iron is hot. Let your CRM help you do this via automated notifications that give you a nudge when a lead shows engagement.

&nbsp;

#### 13. Accounting & financial automating

Is accounting giving you headaches? A cloud-based system like [Xero](https://www.xero.com) is a no-brainer for getting your finances under control. However, [make sure it’s synced to your other key tools](https://www.piesync.com/xero/), such as your CRM, so your contacts are up-to-date everywhere.

![Xero expenses accounting for real estate](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/yEkBRXSVly4xHGnt2EhCy/a9ef77392a5c472e8a0bb65fd1e6de7a/Projects---Task-_-Expenses-_prof.-services_.png)

&nbsp;

#### 14. Property management

If you're subscribed to a real estate CRM like LionDesk, make sure you are using its [property management features](http://www.liondesk.com/features.html). You can enter your properties to track closings, automate tasks and manage deadlines so nothing falls through the cracks.

&nbsp;

#### 15. Contracts

Real estate automation software can save you a ton of time managing contracts. To speed up sending out contracts and getting them signed, you could use a [transaction management solution for real estate, like Dotloop](https://www.dotloop.com/).

![Dotloop automate transaction management for real estate](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/4KRWJcXbAwb48FfoQzGcLy/09cc88a4f8f8c95a968f0bbb4c57208e/Screenshot_2020-08-13_at_15.25.20.png)

&nbsp;

#### 16. Connecting your tools = no more manual updates

The most effective businesses keep their tools and contacts in sync. [Learn how you can sync your real estate apps with PieSync here](https://www.piesync.com/solutions/real-estate/).

Supported apps by PieSync include Dotloop, BoomTown, LionDesk, Follow Up Boss, and more.

[![PieSync syncs data between real estate apps](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/4LHJ8AkGAWWGEE4QJ6QtLS/c81307b36e4271d2ab481039c23bc6fe/Screenshot_2020-08-13_at_15.32.01.png)
](https://www.piesync.com/solutions/real-estate/)

---

## Automated engagement{#engagement}

&nbsp;

#### 17. SMS/email reminders on key dates

Keep your pipeline engaged and on track with SMS and email reminders that radically reduce missed viewings, meetings or inspections.

&nbsp;

#### 18. Engage past clients with video

[BombBomb](https://bombbomb.com/tour/real-estate/) is a real estate video app that offers a great way to engage with past clients, especially if you sync it with a tool like [Dotloop](https://www.piesync.com/bombbomb/dotloop/) or [Follow Up Boss](https://www.piesync.com/bombbomb/followupboss/) to reach out on notable key dates. This makes for timely and relevant communication.

![Bombbomb real estate automate videos](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/N9pWzKaKkq5gNrUHWmCyj/4a4981bf4ef13f705eb9c9e79700d30b/Screenshot_2020-08-13_at_15.36.33.png)

&nbsp;

#### 19. Automate voicemail messages

With [Agent Legend](https://www.agentlegend.com/), you can automatically send **personalized voicemails**, text messages and emails to your leads. By [integrating Agent Legend with a tool like Follow Up Boss](https://www.followupboss.com/integrations/agent-legend), you can automatically add a note to the contact to show what was sent to them. You'll also get a direct notification when the lead replies.

&nbsp;

#### 20. Stay in touch with previous clients

If you’re looking for new leads, look at the best leads you already have: your previous clients. Set up automated email workflows to reach out to past clients at set intervals (such as one year after purchase, or on their home anniversary). Or, you could send engagement campaigns via SMS for more personal outreach.

---

## Automated management{#management}

&nbsp;

#### 21. Automated property inspection

Inspections can be tedious. However, tech can help solve that problem for real estate agents. With tools like [Spectora](https://www.spectora.com/), you can complete home inspections faster. It’s also possible to automate inspection agreements, reminders and follow-up for clients and agents, and notify everyone involved when an inspection is rescheduled. 

![Spectora automate real estate inspections](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/7rqt2dRqaQgrFqGWBuOw60/1916f8cc8f4f0c4d18c4624acff0c300/Screenshot_2020-08-13_at_15.36.52.png)

&nbsp;

#### 22. Agent availability 

Make team management easier by having [the latest view of your agents’ availability](https://www.followupboss.com/features/calendar) through a calendar sync with your real estate software. This makes setting up appointments and assigning agents a breeze.

&nbsp;

#### 23. Analytics engagement and performance

As a manager, your team’s performance matters. With a tool that compiles [automated reports and dashboards](https://www.piesync.com/blog/automate-business-reporting/), you can get a quick view of the important stats and identify who would benefit from extra coaching. Two tools with great analytics on agent and team performance are [LeadSimple](https://www.leadsimple.com/features) and [Contactually](https://www.contactually.com/). 

---

### Get the best real estate automation results by syncing your contacts everywhere{#connect} 

We’ve mentioned a lot of real estate management tools in this post. We’ll bet you’re using a lot already, too. As automation is about saving time, don’t let it create more work and hassle for you. 

Instead, use PieSync to [sync your real estate apps](https://www.piesync.com/connections/) and keep your contacts updated in all the important places, including on your phone when you're on the road.

All connections are automatic, updated in real time, and [trusted by thousands of real estate agents all over the world](https://www.piesync.com/customers/keller-williams-realty-albert-vasquez/).

&nbsp;


cta-11-see-the-latest-contact-data-everywhere

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11 (HALF) - All - see-the-latest-contact-data-everywhere

Automation is a powerful tool for all businesses, especially if you’re in real estate. Here are 23 real estate automation ideas to automate first.

23 real estate automation ideas to close more deals

Real Estate

A real estate agent's keys next to a model house

HubSpot

Intercom

SalesLoft

DocuSign

ActiveCampaign

Mailchimp

Zendesk

Salesforce

![Computer screen with installed SaaS apps as part of business app stack](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/7gmLSLy8vG1UrVpo0lS5YG/aa36249a35d3c9eeee436d4299a769e2/sabri-tuzcu-wkO0q0UTqc8-unsplash.jpg)

There's one thing that every sales and marketing team is constantly building and adjusting. While some aspects stay in place for years, others are added, connected and replaced: it's their app stack.

An **app stack** is the collection of software tools used to run a business or achieve a common objective. It can also be called a tech stack or software stack. 

Originally, this term was mostly used in a development context – referring to the frameworks and platforms used for front-end and back-end development – but nowadays you’ll also hear companies talking about their sales, marketing and support stacks.

A sales and marketing stack can include [SaaS apps](https://www.piesync.com/blog/the-saas-guide-the-tools-and-trends-shaping-tech-in-2020/) such as your CRM, email marketing tool, data and analytics platforms, social media scheduling apps, collaboration tools and productivity apps.

Keep reading for some of the **best sales and marketing tech stacks** that show off the best combinations of apps up close. We'll share the tools that tech brands like Trello and HubSpot are using to run their business, alongside some smaller and more niche brands in other industries.

----

## Top apps for marketing and sales app stacks in 2021

Individual apps are powerful, but **well-curated and [synchronized app stacks](https://www.piesync.com/why/)** for sales and marketing teams can be *magical*. 

To recommend the best SaaS apps for 2021, we've sifted through apps from our most popular PieSync connections, top performers on review sites, and the tools we and other companies love using. Here are some of our top picks.

&nbsp;

* [**Slack**](https://slack.com) – Collaboration software that centralizes all of your team's conversations in one place.

* [**G Suite**](https://gsuite.google.com/)  – Collaboration and productivity apps for business.

* [**Trello**](http://trello.com) – A popular project management tool for businesses and individuals that's extremely user-friendly.

* [**Intercom**](intercom.com) – One of the best-loved choices for live chat, help desk and engagement software.

* [**HubSpot**](https://hubspot.com) – A free CRM with powerful paid Sales, Marketing and Support Hubs you can layer on top.

* [**SalesLoft**](https://salesloft.com) – A sales engagement platform to help you build stronger relationships, improve customer insights and generate more revenue.

* [**DocuSign**](http://docusign.com) – An easy and fast solution to get your documents signed.

* [**WordPress**](https://wordpress.org) – The most popular website builder in the world, [powering 37.8% of the Internet](https://w3techs.com/technologies/details/cm-wordpress/all/all) as of August 2020.

* [**ActiveCampaign**](https://activecampaign.com) – A popular marketing automation software with fantastic user satisfaction ratings.

* [**Ahrefs**](https://ahrefs.com) – An SEO platform to grow your search traffic, research your competitors and monitor your niche.

* [**Mailchimp**](https://mailchimp.com) – The best email marketing software according to user satisfaction [on G2 Crowd](https://www.g2.com/categories/email-marketing?utf8=%E2%9C%93&order=g2_score).

* [**Contentful**](https://www.contentful.com) – A CMS to store and edit content in one hub with flexibility to create compelling experiences.

* [**PieSync**](https://piesync.com) – An [iPaaS](https://www.piesync.com/blog/what-is-ipaas-a-guide-to-getting-started-and-best-practices) (Integration Platform as a Service) that connects everything in your stack with two-way syncs between over [230 apps](https://www.piesync.com/connections/).

&nbsp;

<RelatedPost slug="the-saas-guide-the-tools-and-trends-shaping-tech-in-2020" />

----

## Ten of the best SaaS stacks for 2021

What about actual examples of SaaS stacks created by top-performing sales and marketing teams?

Read on to feed your tech inspiration by checking which tools giants like Airbnb and Spotify are using, as well as some companies closer to your own industry.

&nbsp;

### 1. Airbnb’s app stack

According to [StackShare](https://stackshare.io/airbnb/airbnb) – one of the best resources for finding out what your brand idols are using – Airbnb uses these apps:

* **Slack** – The communication app that brings all conversations together in one place
* **G Suite** – Collaboration and productivity apps for business
* **InVision** – Prototyping and collaboration for design teams
* **Asana** – The project management tool for teams to track their work
* **Campaign Monitor** – The email marketing app known for beautiful email newsletters
* **Superset** – Data exploration and visualization platform by Airbnb
* **React Sketch.app** – Renders React components to Sketch

![Airbnb tech stack](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/4V2tSoUFYUyg9iMghr6Lex/15e0e7729aee080efdb74a3d29fd0c35/Airbnb_tech_stack.png)

&nbsp;

### 2. Facebook’s app stack

[StackShare](https://stackshare.io/facebook/facebook) shares just two business tools that Facebook have in their tech stack, but they’re strong choices. 

* **Confluence** – A multi-purpose product from Atlassian to fulfill needs for project planning, meeting notes, product requirements, marketing plans and blog posts
* **Campaign Monitor** – The popular email marketing app

&nbsp;

### 3. Airstream's marketing app stack

US travel trailer company Airstream's stack won a "Stackie" in [the 2019 MarTech Stackie Awards](https://chiefmartec.com/2019/04/2019-martech-stackies-marketing-stack-awards/), and we can see why. In this beautifully designed infographic, they visualize time spent interacting with each tool by the size of the trees, and tools are divided into sections such as planning, creativity and engagement.

![Airstream martech stack](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/2nASiNZMH3IRr7z75LRCnj/1f9a5796a366cfca7d88b8adede2fd51/airstream_martech_stack__1_.jpg)

&nbsp;

Their apps and respective categories include:

* **HubSpot** – Planning, creative, engagement, sales, analytics
* **Semrush** – Planning
* **Google Drive** – Planning 
* **Basecamp** – Planning
* **Frame.io** – Planning
* **WordPress** – Creative, engagement
* **Zendesk** – Engagement
* **SproutSocial** – Engagement
* **HotJar** – Analytics
* **Canva** – Creative

&nbsp;

### 4. Spotify’s app stack

Curious about how top music streaming service Spotify runs its business? Here’s a glimpse at [their tech stack](https://stackshare.io/spotify/spotify):

* **G Suite** – Collaboration and productivity apps for business
* **AdRoll** – Retargeting platform
* **Qualaroo** – Design and target surveys in minutes
* **Desk.com for Salesforce** – The all-in-one system for responsive customer support
* **Blossom** – Project tracking for distributed companies

![Spotify app stack](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/7fZEUcajqaFOglzAmAg7J4/d023a218600d5788a45bc9827df52fd9/Spotify.png)

&nbsp;

### 5. Follow Up Boss’s app stack

Follow Up Boss is one of the [top tools connected via PieSync](https://www.piesync.com/followupboss/) for real estate professionals, so we were curious to see some of the apps they’re using to power their own business. Here's what we found:

* **G Suite** – Collaboration and productivity apps for business
* **WordPress** – The world's leading website builder and content management system
* **Intercom** – The popular tool to support and communicate with customers

![Follow Up Boss SaaS stack](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/38O8CgSVQEL7oUAG7KKr4/35ec8540b00a57c1793c417b190cae04/Follow_Up_Boss.png)

&nbsp;

### 6. Zillow’s app stack

[Zillow](https://www.zillow.com), the real estate and rental marketplace, also shared [their tech stack](https://stackshare.io/zillow/zillow):

* **Jira** – The software development tool to plan, track and release great software
* **Confluence** – Atlassian's tool for project planning, meeting notes, product requirements, marketing plans and blog posts
* **Zendesk** – The popular cloud-based customer service software solution
* **Salesforce Sales Cloud** – The world’s #1 CRM sales app by market share

![Zillow stack](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/34yQnEocMcU1kanzZT0Dd6/f008c927efd2d10ea407d4ea646e092f/Zillow.png)

&nbsp;

### 7. Esri's app stack

Another owner of a great marketing stack is Esri, a leading suppliers of geographic information system (GIS) software. They also [won a MarTech Stackie for this stunning infographic](https://chiefmartec.com/2019/04/2019-martech-stackies-marketing-stack-awards/):

![Esri martech stack](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/4hgX4v1ga9ZF7KMsLBvrIP/3a7d280a5918e69236dd1c2d32bf856c/esri_martech_stack_600px.jpg)

&nbsp;

Esri's marketing tech stack features these tools for their respective SaaS categories:

* **WordPress** – Blog hosting
* **Trendkite** – Digital public relations software
* **Informatica** – Enterprise cloud data management
* **Workfront** – Project management
* **Pardot** – Marketing automation
* **Moz** – Search engine optimization
* **Demandbase** – Data enrichment

&nbsp;

### 8. New Yorker’s app stack

How does one of the world’s top publications keep their business performing at a high level? Here's [the New Yorker's stack](https://stackshare.io/new-yorker/new-yorker):

* **WordPress** – The world's leading website builder and content management system
* **Asana** – A user-friendly project management SaaS app for teams to track their work
* **HipChat** (now discontinued but with [a migration path to Slack](https://www.atlassian.com/partnerships/slack))

![New Yorker tech stack](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/5stxx0dWb57ktQjEsRILqZ/eb1f007e035a7ea05a4e9da24d55ed03/New_Yorker.png)

&nbsp;

### 9. HubSpot’s app stack

It's intriguing to see what one of the world's top marketing and sales software providers uses to power its own business. Here are a few of [HubSpot's go-to apps](https://stackshare.io/hubspot):

* **Slack** – Bring all your communication together in one place
* **Jira** – The software development tool to plan, track and release great software
* **Confluence** – Atlassian's tool for project planning, meeting notes, product requirements, marketing plans and blog posts
* **InVision** – Prototyping and collaboration for design teams
* **Okta** – Enterprise-grade identity management for all your apps, users and devices

![HubSpot tech stack](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/7z5nweErjmNeNC3O7QhsPQ/5b634f7ac0f46bf5de3e8020526bde7e/HubSpot__1_.png)

&nbsp;

### 10. Trello’s app stack

We love the range of tools included in Trello’s software stack. [HubSpot](https://www.piesync.com/hubspot/), [Salesforce](https://www.piesync.com/salesforce/) and [Help Scout](https://www.piesync.com/helpscout/) are most powerful when in sync, enabling you to keep each tool up-to-date, avoid duplicate contacts and build a more comprehensive view of each contact.

* **G Suite** – Collaboration and productivity apps for business
* **Trello** – A leading and easy-to-use project management tool
* **HubSpot** – The free CMS with paid add-ons for sales, marketing and service, by the team who coined the inbound marketing philosophy
* **Salesforce Sales Cloud** – The popular sales CRM sales
* **Help Scout** – A help desk for teams that insist on a delightful customer experience
* **Customer.io** – For targeted emails, push notifications and SMS to lower churn

![Trello stack](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/7F4e8dXdbBIPJk48CTFlzn/cb28ddd1f41ff9201fcff378cca1f25a/Trello.png)

---

## Chose the apps that best fit your business

To build the most powerful sales and marketing tech stack for your own business, take the time to choose tools that make your life easier *and* equip you with the features you need to access greater results.

Remember: tech should save you time and effort, not add to it, so you don't need to struggle with a system that gives you extra headaches. We recommend using communities like [G2](http://g2.com/) and [Crozdesk](http://crozdesk.com/) to find the right apps to power your business.

----

## Build the strongest app stack by syncing your apps

Wondering how to keep all of these sales and marketing apps integrated and avoid data overwhelm?

For the biggest boost to your performance, __make sure your tech stack is kept in sync__. With PieSync, you can set up two-way syncs between [hundreds of apps](https://www.piesync.com/connections/) to guarantee your teams are always looking at the latest customer data in every tool.

&nbsp;

cta-3-no-more-disconnected-data

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Your app stack powers your company. Here are some of the best marketing and sales apps to build the most powerful stack for your business in 2021.

10 of the best sales & marketing app stacks right now

Productivity

Computer screen with installed SaaS apps as part of business app stack

10 of the best sales & marketing app stacks to inspire you in 2021

Pipedrive

Capsule

Copper

Infusionsoft by Keap

Insightly

Nimble

Zoho CRM

![Company-to-company](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/6psZku3fHH4n5vFmqqSThf/3a6f2cb94388d65b7b895b1287c15dcf/Company-to-company.png)

The word is out: PieSync’s synchronization solution just keeps getting better. We’ve spent the past few years building the perfect bridge between teams in your organization, integrating contact and lead information on your business tools. __And PieSync users can now sync company information as well! __

&nbsp;

## What you can sync with PieSync

We sync contact, lead and company information, two ways and in real time, between hundreds of different apps, such as customer relationship management (CRMs), marketing apps, customer service tools, billing software and many more. In fact, __we’ve now reached [230 supported apps](https://piesync.com/connections)! __

Our two-way sync solution means that, whenever a customer’s information is added or modified in one app, the change is automatically synced to the other one.

Customer data is one of the most valuable assets of a company, so we know how important it is to keep it updated and consistent between apps. Therein lies the challenge: the average small to medium enterprise (SME) can run dozens of different applications, which together form the app stack of a company.

With different teams using different applications, it’s hard to get all these apps to work together and communicate, leading to pesky [data silos](https://www.piesync.com/blog/data-silos-what-they-are-what-causes-them-and-how-to-fix-them/).

![isolated islands of data](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/4OrAJJu53m45kK0oIYhsGk/0332780713969555ab0d0e6bf9c0082c/isolated_islands_of_data.png)

&nbsp;

That’s where we come in: PieSync is an ideal solution to get these your apps to talk to one another, allowing you to create a bidirectional sync for contacts, leads and now companies that works in real time.

&nbsp;

## What’s new with the company data sync

With the company-company data sync function released in October 2019, you can sync company data just like you would sync contact data: two ways, in real time and with the possibility to apply rules and filters to customize the sync according to your workflows.

Note that __not all the apps we support will benefit from this update, since some of them don’t have a “companies” field__. [Please see the most up-to-date list of apps with this feature here](https://www.piesync.com/help/faq/can-i-sync-company-account-information/).

&nbsp;

## How does the company sync work?

When setting up a new connection, there are four steps you must follow. First, choose the apps you would like to sync. The next step is authenticating the apps by logging into each of them respectively. If you need help with this, click [here](https://www.piesync.com/help/features/getting-started/) for more information. 

If you’ve managed to sail smoothly through the first two steps, move on to the third - that’s where you can choose the type of customer data you would like to sync. Just select “companies” from the drop-down menu for both of the apps you’re syncing. 

A lot of users will sync company records bidirectionally between two apps, but in some cases it is also possible to sync company information on the contact level. For example, you might want to sync contacts based on their company's number of employees (an information found in the company record) into Mailchimp in order to create a specific audience.

__This feature is only available as a one-way sync and only in a few apps__, but we're gradually adding more applications to the list. [See more information about syncing companies and contacts here](https://www.piesync.com/help/faq/syncing-company-related-information-on-contact-level/).

![sep-17-2019-15-07-50](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/1VDl8crqsKjSpVJaw3yQ6V/592b2eb6e87ab41f6d58fb9e6e088b0a/sep-17-2019-15-07-50.gif)

&nbsp;

You’ll probably manage these companies differently than you manage contacts, so make sure you take some time to configure a rule-based setup that works for you.

This sync will match up your records based on __company name or email address__ (and for some apps, company domain). That’s why it’s crucial to make sure that you have entered matching names for a company in both apps.

> “If the company record in app A states "PieSync Inc" and in app B "PieSync", this will result in a duplicate record.”
> 

However, if you have entered “piesync” in app A and “PieSync” in app B, we will still recognize both as the same entity, since our engine is case insensitive.

These apps allow matching on the __company domain__ as well as company name and email: HubSpot, Insightly, Nimble, Outreach, Copper, Salesloft, Vtiger and Zendesk. 

For these apps, if one of company name, email address, and company domain are the same, we'll match the company data. If two companies are called "PieSync", we'll match the companies even if their domains are different.

![Company domain match in company-company sync](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/6abs0o9XccZjNAIDArgdGT/e0367720c88eae4f87e8dec2a7b05e4f/Company_domain_match_in_company-company_sync.png)

---

## Watch our video tutorial for more information

<Embed src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/SkKcW1OR9Uc" />

__Need more help?__ You can read [this article](https://www.piesync.com/help/faq/can-i-sync-company-account-information/) if you want to find out more about our new company-to-company syncing feature. 

Our team is always happy to answer any questions you may have, so don’t hesitate to reach out to us at support@piesync.com.

&nbsp;

## List of currently supported apps in this update

- [Bexio](https://www.piesync.com/bexio/)
- [Bitrix24](https://www.piesync.com/bitrix-crm/)
- [Bpm'online](https://www.piesync.com/bpmonline/)
- [Bullhorn](https://www.piesync.com/bullhorn/)
- [Capsule CRM](https://www.piesync.com/capsule/)
- [Clio](https://www.piesync.com/clio/)
- [Close](https://www.piesync.com/close/)
- [Connectwise Manage](https://www.piesync.com/connectwisemanage/)
- [Copper](https://www.piesync.com/copper/)
- [Current RMS](https://www.piesync.com/current-rms/)
- [Daylite](https://www.piesync.com/help/connector-apps/daylite/)
- [Freshsales](https://www.piesync.com/freshsales/)
- [HubSpot](https://www.piesync.com/hubspot/)
- [Infusionsoft by Keap](https://www.piesync.com/infusionsoft/)
- [Insightly](https://www.piesync.com/insightly/)
- [JobAdder](https://www.piesync.com/jobadder/)
- [lexoffice](https://www.piesync.com/lexoffice/)
- [Membrain](https://www.piesync.com/membrain/)
- [Microsoft Dynamics 365](https://www.piesync.com/microsoft-dynamics/)
- [NetSuite](https://www.piesync.com/help/connector-apps/netsuite/)
- [Nimble](https://www.piesync.com/nimble/)
- [Nutshell](https://www.piesync.com/nutshell/)
- [Odoo](https://www.piesync.com/odoo/)
- [OnePageCRM](https://www.piesync.com/onepage-crm/)
- [ONTRAPORT](https://www.piesync.com/ontraport/)
- [Outreach](https://www.piesync.com/outreach/)
- [Pipedrive](https://www.piesync.com/pipedrive/)
- [PipelineDeals](https://www.piesync.com/pipelinedeals/)
- [Salesforce](https://www.piesync.com/salesforce/)
- [SalesLoft](https://www.piesync.com/salesloft/)
- [Sellf](https://www.piesync.com/help/connector-apps/sellfapp/)
- [SharpSpring](https://www.piesync.com/sharpspring/)
- [Sugar CRM](https://www.piesync.com/sugarcrm/)
- [Teamleader](https://www.piesync.com/teamleader/)
- [Teamwork Projects](https://www.piesync.com/teamworkprojects/)
- [Teamwork CRM
](https://www.piesync.com/help/connector-apps/teamworkcrm/)
- [Vtiger](https://www.piesync.com/vtiger/)
- [Zendesk](https://www.piesync.com/zendesk/)
- [Zendesk Sell](https://www.piesync.com/basecrm/) (formerly Base CRM)
- [Zoho CRM](https://www.piesync.com/zoho-crm/)

cta-5-connect-your-apps-empower-your-business

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If you need to sync company data between apps, PieSync has a solution. Connect company data between tools to always see the latest info about your customers.

How to sync company data between apps with PieSync

Company-to-company

![Two women looking at a SaaS app on a laptop screen](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/4SNvgoLd7S1FlFOS8JcfP5/780857f53266767ffaf63756a9ebb0ba/kobu-agency-7okkFhxrxNw-unsplash.jpg)

Over the last decade, businesses have continued to move their sales, marketing and operations further into the cloud. With constantly evolving SaaS products, it's never been simpler to power a business from anywhere.

Overall SaaS spend per company is up 50% in 2020 compared to 2018, according to Blissfully's [SaaS Trends Report](https://www.blissfully.com/saas-trends/2020-annual-report/#spend).

Even the smallest businesses are using SaaS products without giving much thought to it, be it a CRM, email marketing tool or automation software. And for larger enterprises, SaaS is a no-brainer for keeping your teams on track, both individually and collaboratively.

The surge of SaaS in recent years has been the perfect primer for 2020's work from home boom, with at least [30% of employees](https://www.piesync.com/blog/28-stats-about-remote-work/) predicted to remain remote after the pandemic is over.

As we continue into the new decade, here are the SaaS trends, tools and best practices to know about in 2021 and beyond.

&nbsp;

- [What is SaaS?](#what-is-saas)
- [Types of SaaS products to include in your stack](#types-products)
- [20 of the best SaaS products for 2021](#essential-products)
- [The latest SaaS trends for 2021](#saas-trends)
- [How to make the most of SaaS in 2021](#how-to)
- [How to sync your SaaS apps to enrich data everywhere](#sync-saas-apps)

---

## What is SaaS?{#what-is-SaaS}

Software as a Service (SaaS) is a software distribution model giving customers access to applications over the internet rather than requiring a physical media and custom installation. As the software is centrally hosted and maintained by a provider, updates are automatic and instant. You don't need to download anything to use a SaaS product and can log in via web and mobile browsers.

&nbsp;

### Defining key SaaS terms

**Vertical SaaS** solutions are created for a specific industry's needs, goals and pain points, such as tourism, retail or agencies. One example is [Veeva](https://www.veeva.com/), a cloud-computing company focused on pharmaceutical and life sciences.

**Horizontal SaaS** products are used across all industries rather than niches, catering to a general business need. For example, [QuickBooks](https://quickbooks.com/) for accounting software.

**Packaged SaaS** products are designed for certain business goals and processes, such as boosting marketing results or improving customer satisfaction. An example is [HubSpot's](https://hubspot.com) all-in-one software solutions for sales, marketing and service.

**Collaborative SaaS** applications help teams work together more effectively, such as by offering video conferencing or collaborative documents. Examples are [Slack](https://slack.com) for communication and [Teamwork](http://teamwork.com) for project management.

----

## Types of SaaS products to include in your stack{#types-products}

The growth in SaaS spans every department, and it's no longer IT's job to select and implement technology. SaaS has become so accessible that anyone in a company can choose, subscribe to, and implement new apps. [Cisco](https://www.eweek.com/cloud/cloud-to-be-dominant-form-of-data-center-traffic-by-2021-cisco-reports) estimates that 75% of workloads will be SaaS-only by 2021.

To create the most well-rounded SaaS stack, here are the types of SaaS products that are worth investing in for most types of businesses:

* Marketing – including tools for email marketing, design, social media, lead generation and marketing automation
* Sales – including tools for prospecting, nurturing and closing deals
* Customer relationship management, or CRM
* Customer service
* Development
* Proposals and contracts
* Finance, billing and invoicing
* Data collection and contact enrichment
* Analytics
* Operations
* Communication and VoIP
* Project management
* Ecommerce
* Events

Many SaaS tools are multi-purpose and can tick many of these boxes, so you certainly don't need a tool for each one. Whether you have a few apps or a ton of them, it's [important to sync your apps](https://www.piesync.com/why/) to avoid data silos and errors.

----

## 20 of the best SaaS products for 2021{#essential-products}

Which SaaS tools should your business try in 2021? Here are some of the most popular SaaS products according to popular review sites.

&nbsp;

1. [Slack](https://slack.com) – Collaboration software to centralize your team's conversations.

2. [Mailchimp](https://mailchimp.com) – The top email marketing software according to user satisfaction [on G2](https://www.g2.com/categories/email-marketing?utf8=%E2%9C%93&order=g2_score).

3. [Shopify](http://shopify.com) – The ecommerce platform with everything you need to sell online, on social media or in person.

4. [SurveyMonkey](https://www.surveymonkey.com) – The popular survey creation and sharing tool.

5. [HubSpot](https://hubspot.com) – One of the most popular CRMs with a fantastic free plan that scales to advanced software for sales, marketing and support.

6. [ActiveCampaign](https://activecampaign.com) – A top-rated marketing automation software for user satisfaction that streamlines your workflows and email sequences.

7. [LastPass](http://lastpass.com) – The app that remembers all your passwords so you don't have to.

8. [Zoom](https://zoom.us/) – Software for online meetings, webinars and conference rooms that's exploded in popularity during the [surge of remote work in 2020](https://www.piesync.com/blog/28-stats-about-remote-work/).

9. [G Suite](https://gsuite.google.com/) – Collaboration and productivity apps for business from Google, including Drive and Calendar.

10. [Jira](https://www.atlassian.com/software/jira) – For agile teams to plan, track and release great software.

11. [Tableau](https://www.tableau.com/) –  Connect to almost any database, drag and drop to create visualizations, and share with a click.

12. [DocuSign](https://www.docusign.com/) – An easy and fast way to get your documents signed.

13. [Canva](https://canva.com) – Create beautiful designs with a few clicks, whether you're a beginner or expert, team or individual.

14. [RingCentral](https://www.ringcentral.com/) – An easy-to-use and powerful phone system with many extra features.

15. [Freshdesk](https://freshdesk.com/) – Intuitive, feature-rich, affordable customer support software trusted by over 150,000 businesses of all sizes.

16. [Wootric](https://www.wootric.com) – Customer experience (CX) management software to collect feedback via tools like NPS and CSAT.

17. [Xero](https://xero.com)  – Beautiful business and accounting software.

18. [Buffer](https://buffer.com) – Plan and schedule your social media calendar in one place; pivot your strategy with engagement insights.

19. [Trello](https://trello.com) – By far one of the easiest task and project management tools to get started with.

20. [Pipedrive](https://pipedrive.com/) – A sales CRM built for minimum input and maximum output.

----

## The latest SaaS trends for 2021{#saas-trends}

What's changing in SaaS in 2021? And what's worth investing your budget in? Here's our round-up of some of the most important SaaS trends for 2021...

&nbsp;

### 1. Analytics is taking center stage

Over the last few years, data and analytics have become a growing focus point in SaaS. Businesses are investing more and more in SaaS applications for business intelligence, and 
[Gartner predicts](https://www.forbes.com/sites/louiscolumbus/2019/04/07/public-cloud-soaring-to-331b-by-2022-according-to-gartner/#49871a785739) that user spending on such apps will grow by 23.3% between 2017 and 2022.

This means that, in 2021, more businesses are likely to **adopt specialized analytics tools** like [Chartio](https://chartio.com/) and [Tableau](https://www.tableau.com). For businesses that have long struggled to trust the data at their fingertips, now is the time to adopt new SaaS solutions that deliver [reliable numbers](https://www.piesync.com/blog/what-to-do-when-you-cant-trust-your-business-reporting-data/).

&nbsp;

### 2. Focus on SaaS stacks as a whole

More companies than ever are thinking about their overall tech stacks: the tools they're using to power their operations and get the job done.

Sites like [Stackshare](https://stackshare.io) give businesses a way to show off their stacks and get inspired by some of their brand idols, offering ideas of new tools and tweaks that can boost their performance.

There's also the MarTech Stackies awards, where marketing teams can show off their tech ecosystem. Here's Philips' entry [for the 2020 awards](https://chiefmartec.com/2020/04/7-amazing-martech-stacks-cisco-infutor-juniper-networks-philips-poly-sargento-usps/) showing the range of apps the company relies on:

![Philips MarTech Stackies entry 2020](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/1AKD4paUDRxD9D4MXNBZGG/65812dc416c969333cfee9598c4deb9b/philips-martech-stack_1600px-768x432.png)

&nbsp;

In 2021, more businesses will think about how their stack can play more nicely together. This can include making the most of native integrations between apps and especially [two-way syncing using iPaaS](https://www.piesync.com/connections/), or Integration Platforms as a Service.

<RelatedPost slug="10-of-the-best-sales-and-marketing-tech-stacks" />

&nbsp;

### 3. More automation

Annual spending for marketing automation tools is expected to reach [$25.1 billion](https://www.hubspot.com/marketing-statistics) by 2023. [Marketers say](https://www.hubspot.com/marketing-statistic) that the biggest benefit of automation is saving time, and other teams are quickly figuring this out too.

As automation keeps marking its territory in sales and marketing playbooks, SaaS users are expecting automation features across their tech stacks, from their email marketing tool to their accounting system and CRM.

More businesses are automating processes for customer satisfaction and retention, and they're often using their CRM to achieve this. In 2021, customer relationship management and automation will **become even more synonymous**. 

<RelatedPost slug="most-effective-ways-to-automate-your-business" />

&nbsp;

### 4. Micro-SaaS

Think SaaS, but smaller. Micro-SaaS is targeted towards niche markets and small but dedicated user bases. Micro-SaaS can also be **an add-on to a bigger SaaS product**, like [Boomerang for Gmail](https://www.boomeranggmail.com/) or [Grammarly](https://grammarly.com) for Google Docs. 

Micro-SaaS often has no or little outside funding and are run by a small team or, increasingly, solopreneurs.

With more digital nomads and companies of one looking to productize their business and generate passive income, we anticipate more micro-SaaS products coming to the market in 2021.

&nbsp;

### 5. Vertical SaaS

Vertical SaaS describes a cloud computing solution that is made for a specific industry, such as retail, agencies or tourism. It provides **tailored software solutions for small niches** that may not have been catered to before, but now make up a valuable share of the market. We expect to see more SaaS products honed to specific industries and niche requirements as a SaaS trend for 2021.

&nbsp;

### 6. Improved customer experience for SaaS users

[According to Salesforce,](https://www.salesforce.com/blog/2019/07/customer-experience.html) 84% of customers say that the experience a company provides is as important as its products and services, which means that if a user isn't happy, **they will move to a competitor**. Consumers have never had more freedom and choice than now.

In 2021, SaaS providers will need to continue improving their customer experience to win long-term loyalty and recommendations. **The top-rated SaaS products won't necessarily be the ones with the best product**, but the best combination of product and customer service.

&nbsp;

### 7. SaaS companies offering additional services and know-how

As SaaS companies are pushed to provide the best customer experience in their market, they're looking for **new ways to go above and beyond**.

Right now, almost [19% of cloud budgets](https://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2019-04-02-gartner-forecasts-worldwide-public-cloud-revenue-to-g) are spent on services such as cloud consulting, implementation, migration and managed services. Gartner expects that this will **increase to 28% by 2022**.

As a growing SaaS trend for 2021, we predict that more SaaS companies will follow in the footsteps of tech giants who offer more than just a product. [Salesforce](https://www.salesforce.com/services/adoption-services/overview/), for instance, offers a huge range of advisory, adoption and success services to help you make the most Salesforce – at a cost.

Another example is [HubSpot's](https://hubspot.com) inbound marketing methodology that infuses all of their additional resources and offers, from their blog to paid training sessions and tickets to their INBOUND conference for customers.

&nbsp;

### 8. Higher security using SaaS products

All the talk of GDPR has toned down since 2018, but the pressure to tighten up privacy and security is higher than ever. Users expect SaaS providers to keep their data secure and respect their privacy preferences. If SaaS brands ignore that, they could face damaging backlash on social media and review sites - not to mention [hefty fines](https://gdpr.eu/fines/).

One way to reduce security risks is consolidating SaaS stacks. Some businesses are realizing that the diversity of a huge SaaS stack isn't worth the increased risk that comes with every new app. This is fuelling the ever-growing demand for multi-purpose and highly-secure SaaS platforms.

&nbsp;

### 9. Increased SaaS spending

Between 2019 to 2023, IDC estimates public SaaS spending will [soar from $229bn to nearly $500bn](https://www.idc.com/getdoc.jsp?containerId=prUS45340719), making it **the largest category of cloud computing**, followed by IaaS (infrastructure as a service) and PaaS (platform as a service).

----

## How to make the most of SaaS in 2021{#how-to}

&nbsp;

### Think about your overall SaaS stack

To get the highest benefits from SaaS products in 2021, first think about your overall app stack. How do your tools fit together and complement one another? Are they [properly integrated?](https://piesync.com/why/)

One best practice for sales and marketing stacks is to centralize customer and prospect data with a CRM tool and [sync insights from other apps](https://www.piesync.com/solutions/crm/) to enrich the database.

&nbsp;

### Don't put up with a bad fit

If you're using a SaaS tool that you can't get your head around, causes complications, or offers poor customer experience, you don't need to grin and bear it. There are plenty of other options out there. Start your search by checking a user-friendly SaaS comparison site like [G2](https://www.g2.com/), [Capterra](https://www.capterra.com/), or [Crozdesk](https://crozdesk.com).

&nbsp;

### Follow SaaS influencers

To stay on top of what's going on in SaaS, we love following...

* [Noah Kagan]([https://twitter.com/noahkagan) – Chief Sumo at Sumo, blogger at OkDork.com, and employee #30 at Facebook.
* [SaaStr](https://www.saastr.com/) – The world’s largest community of SaaS executives, founders and entrepreneurs.
* [Hiten Shah](https://hitenism.com/) – Founder of Crazy Egg, KISSmetrics and Quick Sprout.

&nbsp;

### Automate and sync

Make use of your SaaS tools' automation features to save time, eliminate mundane tasks and improve data accuracy. Here's our [summary of the best ways to automate your business processes](https://www.piesync.com/blog/most-effective-ways-to-automate-your-business/), from sales to marketing and support.

----

## How to sync your SaaS apps to enrich data everywhere{#sync-saas-apps}

PieSync is an iPaaS ([Integration Platform as a Service](https://www.piesync.com/blog/what-is-ipaas-a-guide-to-getting-started-and-best-practices/)) designed to help your SaaS apps play nicely together. Simply put, you choose the apps you want to connect and determine how customer data should flow between them.

You could [sync new customer data](https://www.piesync.com/solutions/customer-support/) from Zendesk to your CRM so your sales team can stay on top of updates. Or you might [sync unsubscribes](https://www.piesync.com/solutions/email-marketing/) from your email marketing app with your other communication tools to avoid frustrating prospects with unwanted messages.

PieSync is different from built-in integrations and trigger-action automations because it enables **two-way syncing** for the latest, most reliable data everywhere.

That means more power from every SaaS app. The data you sync, and whether to sync it in one direction or two, is up to you.


cta-6-best-syncing-app-ever-sync-all-your-apps-with-one-tool

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SaaS has radically changed how we work – and it will continue to in 2021. Stay current by knowing these top SaaS tools and trends.

The SaaS guide for 2021: trends, tools & stats shaping tech

Software Integration

Two women looking at a SaaS app on a laptop screen

The SaaS guide for 2021: the trends, tools & stats shaping tech this year

FreshBooks

Quickbooks

Xero

Less Annoying CRM

GetResponse

![Desktop with computer and productive work environment](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/2pBf0F0KlnJByFjTdky2Lk/02ca7c3f58bf71a6ab9447ebb20a29eb/carl-heyerdahl-181868-unsplash.jpg)

Running a business is no easy task. You’ll often find yourself juggling multiple things at the same time just to meet your company’s day to day demands. This is why you need all the help you can get! 

However, it is not always cost-efficient to hire more employees. When you’re faced with budget pressure, it can be difficult to grow your business to where you want it to be.

The good news is there are ways for you to **free up time and boost your company’s productivity** without breaking your budget. You can do this by securing smart cloud-based solutions that are efficient yet affordable even for startups, small businesses and freelancers. 

Not only will these [SaaS (Software as a Service)](https://www.piesync.com/blog/the-saas-guide-the-tools-and-trends-shaping-tech-in-2020/) apps help you save time, but you can also save money without compromising quality. Read on to explore our top software picks to boost your productivity and, in turn, your profit.

---

## Three services to boost business productivity

### 1. Accounting software

One of the most important things a business owner should prioritize is making sure their finances are in order. If you cannot effectively track your sales and profits, you’re in trouble. However, that doesn't mean it's easy. Even if you have a dedicated accountant, manually tracking transactions and [creating reports](https://www.piesync.com/blog/automate-business-reporting/) can drain a lot of time and energy for you and your staff.

Accounting software makes this process much more convenient. Instead of digging through printed invoices and receipts or sorting several spreadsheets, a cloud-based accounting system can help you:

* Streamline your financial activities
* Keep a record of every transaction
* Save on accountant fees
* Automate invoicing and payments
* Track expenses with just a few clicks 

Another feature to look for in accounting software is integration with your other apps. For example, [FreshBooks](https://www.freshbooks.com/integrations) natively integrates with many apps you might already be using. You can also use [PieSync's two-way data sync](https://www.piesync.com/connections/finance/) to maintain an updated and accurate contact list across your apps – such as your CRM and customer support software – automatically.

__Three top accounting systems for small businesses:__

* [FreshBooks](https://www.freshbooks.com) – the top accounting choice for freelancers and small teams.
* [QuickBooks](https://quickbooks.intuit.com/) – the most popular accounting all-rounder that accountants love.
* [Xero](https://www.xero.com/) – a favorite for startups that want an accounting system with beautiful user experience.

<RelatedPost slug="freshbooks-vs-quickbooks-which-is-the-best-accounting-tool" />

&nbsp;

### 2. CRM (Customer Relationship Management)

Business owners once built relationships with customers by personally talking with them one by one. They would know everything about their customers’ preferences, purchase history, and even the details of their lives.

Of course, back then their customers lived close by. Now your business can be international – you could even start selling products on Shopify to a global audience in less than an hour. While you can attempt to manually contact and record all of your client interactions, your business would be wasting a huge amount of time and profit unneccesarily.

Customer Relationship Management systems, or CRMs, are designed to meet this need. They help businesses [create better relationships with prospects and customers](https://www.piesync.com/blog/9-ways-to-improve-customer-care-with-technology/) by recording, reporting and analyzing all interactions with leads and customers in one place. 

This data can be used to better understand consumers, give them a more personalized product experience, and always be a step ahead in responding to what people want to buy. When your business has easy access to insightful customer data, your sales projections are more accurate and you can better address what areas you need to improve on. 

For the [best results from your CRM](https://www.piesync.com/blog/guide-to-crm/), choose a system that delivers the features you need without being too heavy, ensure adoption from your team, and [enrich the CRM with data from your other apps](https://www.piesync.com/solutions/crm/) for a 360-degree view. For instance, by syncing your email marketing app and CRM, your sales team can always monitor the most up-to-date leads list.

__Three top CRMs for small businesses__:

* [HubSpot](https://hubspot.com/) – the best free CRM on the market, with fantastic add-on paid Hubs for sales, marketing and service teams that need more features.
* [Pipedrive](https://pipedrive.com/) – one of the strongest sales-focused CRMs on the market to organize your pipeline.
* [Less Annoying CRM](https://www.lessannoyingcrm.com/) – a refreshingly simple CRM for small businesses.

<RelatedPost slug="best-crms-for-small-businesses" />

&nbsp;

### 3. Email automation

If you are not yet using [automation in your business](https://www.piesync.com/blog/most-effective-ways-to-automate-your-business/), you should definitely consider doing so for more power with less time and budget. The easiest gateway into automation is automating your emails.

Gone are the days when you needed someone to write hundreds of personalized marketing emails one by one in the hopes of getting a sales lead. By using an email automation provider, you can cut this down to the bare minimum and send high-volume email campaigns that are extremely personalized.

Aside from the time efficiency provided by an email automation service, another advantage is that most of these platforms come with in-depth analytics. Pay attention to:

* How many of your contacts are engaging with your marketing emails
* Which campaigns and email types create the most engagement
* How contacts are moving through your sales and marketing funnel (lead scoring can help with this, by awarding points for predetermined actions such as visiting your pricing page)

You can then create more targeted email campaigns so you don’t waste your time, resources and audience's attention on promotions your customers are not interested in.

__Three top email automation apps for small businesses__:

* [ActiveCampaign](https://activecampaign.com/) – an affordable email automation software with all the core features you need
* [Mailchimp](https://mailchimp.com/) – the most popular email marketing software on the market with plenty of automation features
* [GetResponse](https://www.getresponse.com) – top-rated marketing software with ready-made workflows to welcome, upsell and nurture your contacts.

Already got email automation down? There's plenty more to automate in your business. Here are [35+ marketing ideas](https://www.piesync.com/blog/tasks-every-marketer-should-automate/) and some ways to [automate your wider biz ops](https://www.piesync.com/blog/most-effective-ways-to-automate-your-business/).

<RelatedPost slug="most-effective-ways-to-automate-your-business" />

----

## Start working smarter with tech

It's never been easier to build a tech stack that's optimized for productivity and profit. By taking advantage of these platforms, you are not only helping your business grow, but you will also have more time to focus on things that really matter to you.

For the most impact, make sure to sync data between your apps to maintain fresh data on every platform and avoid wasting time on manual updates.

cta-13-collaborate-better-with-synchronized-contact-data-blue

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To make your business more profitable and productive, you need the right tools in your stack. Learn which systems will help your business to run more effectively.

3 essential apps to boost business productivity and profit

Desktop with computer and productive work environment

3 essential apps to boost your productivity and profits

Quaderno

![Quaderno integrations](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/LwByLsY5QZXMYOl7MM7dt/75a5e1e9a67fd0f31c2fa942127f8f81/Quaderno-Launch.png)

## What's PieSync

All your applications gather valuable customer information. The problem is that most of them don’t really communicate with each other. That gap results in data silos and affects customer experience and your team's productivity.

__That’s where PieSync steps in!__

PieSync’s Contact Sync engine works bidirectionally, integrating 245 cloud apps in real time.

PieSync is constantly checking your connected apps for updates. This 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.

The best part? You can choose which contacts to sync and how: Sync lists, categories, tags and almost any other attribute between apps.

> I'm using PieSync because it saves time. Point blank, its synchronization saves me hours.” - Leonard Harrison, Owner of Beneficial Dynamics

There are the applications available today for a two-way connection with Quaderno:

<Widget size="compact" left="quaderno"/>

Need another app in sync? Go to [the pipeline](https://www.piesync.com/connections/) and vote for the app you need.

![app request form](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/1sSZ4a2GnlBbGwD1HU4lGi/6374bc849768a5dd30d137a4170acab5/App_request_form.gif)

Do you want more control over your data? Customize it so you can choose which contacts to sync and how! Here are some popular features:

## A customized experience

You can personalize your sync by choosing to sync your entire database or just a subset.

PieSync offers an "if-this-then-that" set of rules that will enable you to choose the subset of contacts you need to sync. You can do so based on tags, categories, labels, subscribers lists, etc.

![Quaderno and HubSpot](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/50IombvZ3KpOrgi2GWr0W4/0d1a6cb3aa56d8558448d404692760d2/Quaderno_and_HubSpot.png)

<Button text="Try it now!" href="https://www.piesync.com/quaderno/" />

PieSync automatically maps between apps, most of your contacts fields (name, email, phone number,etc.) 

![HubSpot and Quaderno integration](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/78gOmJYwIh7glj8DupEyX7/5725c0a4c05ef526443b85bd538073f4/HubSpot_and_Quaderno_integration.png)

Are you using custom fields? You can easily map them manually: 

![Quaderno integracion de contactos](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/1DEJhlCawYE05jQa7lPGYF/7a2cb850948905482f0f1216b08758e1/Quaderno_integracion_de_contactos.png)

## How is PieSync different from other integration solutions?

- Unlike most integration solutions, PieSync actually synchronize the complete database (not just the new information, but also the historical)
- Conflicting data is merged in a controlled way – fields will never be overwritten.
- Updates are also synced. So if you change something in either app, you’ll see that change reflected in the other app.
- It works in real-time.
- No coding is required.

__[Learn about the differences between PieSync and Zapier.](https://www.piesync.com/piesync-vs-zapier/)__

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

So what are you waiting for?

<Button text="Try it now!" href="https://www.piesync.com/quaderno/" />


Create your own data workflow between Quaderno and 245 apps! Have enriched customers data up-to-date and available where and when you need it.

quaderno contact integration from piesync 

Quaderno integrations

Have your Quaderno contacts in sync with 245 applications

![how to run content brainstorming sessions for your blog](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/3q5uAqx2Bc0Ynsn6GrdeTT/8dfdce8fed1d9061f9c53c437e147ee6/pereanu-sebastian-qFH7-yKoxik-unsplash.jpg)

"But we don't have anything to write about..."

"We're going to run out of ideas..."

If you've shared these feelings in your marketing team, you're not alone. Even though you have KPIs to hit and a writing cadence to keep up with, it's not always easy to think of the topics you're going to write about.

The key to easily and quickly generating lots of blog post ideas is __getting in a creative state of mind__ and coming up with ideas in bulk.

If you feel like you've run out of blog post ideas, it's the perfect time for a content brainstorming session.

This is something we do at PieSync every quarter or so to bring our ideas together and replenish our content queue fast.

Here's how to organize a content brainstorming session in your marketing team and generate months worth of blog post titles in less than an hour.

&nbsp;

## What is content brainstorming?

**A content brainstorming session is when your team generates blog post ideas in bulk, shares and discusses them collaboratively, and adds them to the content queue.**

It's a valuable time to get creative, bring a range of different ideas together, and involve people from outside your content team for the most variety.

&nbsp;

## How to structure your content brainstorming session

It's important to schedule at least an hour (ideally two) for your content brainstorming session to allow for enough time to get into a creative flow.

Here's the structure we use for our own content brainstorming sessions:

* __5 minutes__: Saying hello.
* __15 minutes__: Idea generation. (1)
* __10 minutes__: Compile everyone's ideas in the brainstorming Google Sheet, add their names (or nicknames), and randomize the order.
* __10 minutes__: Voting time! (2)
* __5 minutes__: Add up the scores and order the sheet with the most popular ideas at the top.
* __30 minutes__: Discussion. (3)
* __10 mins__: Planning next steps and closing up. (4)

&nbsp;

Let's take a deeper dive into what each of the four numbered stages looks like...

&nbsp;

### Ahead of the session: create your brainstorming sheet

To keep things organized, use [a template for your content brainstorming](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1t08zBm9Fg6fafzLn85vIzYfadJLPZv5K2MTLjiMj_ao/edit?usp=sharing) like the one we use at PieSync in Google Sheets.

This includes columns for:

* Content ideas
* Stage of funnel – you can add this after the session
* Contributor
* Notes – add these during the discussion stage
* Scoring column for each attendee
* Average score column

&nbsp;

![Content brainstorming session template](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/1IoNAlgbn2NkgnUmCFwVht/897f2abc866e69211bc6628644db06d4/Screenshot_2020-07-13_at_15.53.48.png)

&nbsp;

#### [Get the content brainstorming template here to create your own copy on Google Sheets.](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1t08zBm9Fg6fafzLn85vIzYfadJLPZv5K2MTLjiMj_ao/edit?usp=sharing)

&nbsp;

### 1. Idea generation

For fifteen minutes, mute your microphones (apart from occasional time updates) and let each person focus on writing down as many ideas as they can. You can do this in a separate tab of the spreadsheet or a note-making doc so people don't feel self-conscious. If you're short on time, you can also ask everyone to prepare this ahead of time, before the content brainstorming meeting takes place.

Encourage creativity and discourage overthinking or self-consciousness here: any bad ideas will be weeded out anonymously in the voting stage anyway. And some ideas that a contributor has low confidence in might turn out to be good ones!

&nbsp;

### 2. Vote on all of the ideas

To prepare your brainstorming spreadsheet for voting, all attendees can send their ideas to the session leader. They can compile these in the main sheet with the contributor's real name or a nickname in the "Idea by" column, and randomize the order.

Then, mute microphones again and let each person focus individually on voting for every idea in the sheet. Put a number from 1 (_please don't write about this_) to 3 (_amazing idea_) in the score column for each idea. We vote for our own ideas too.

&nbsp;

### 3. Discuss and narrow down the ideas

Order the sheet to display the ideas in order of popularity based on average score. 

Next, work through the list and discuss at least the first ten ideas. For each topic, the person whose idea it was can give a bit more info and suggest what can be included in the post. 

To give the future writer the most context, the session leader can keep notes that can be added to the content calendar (we manage ours simply on Trello, leaving any notes or background info in the card description).

&nbsp;

### 4. Next steps and adding the best ideas to your content calendar

To close up the session, get clear on what your next steps will look like. This includes questions such as:

* Who will add the ideas to your content calendar?
* Do you need to do further keyword research for these?
* Who will assign the content to writers?
* What will the posting cadence be?

You can also decide what you'll do with less popular ideas: will you ignore these, or optimize the ideas that have potential?

----

### How to make the most of your content brainstorming session

* __Invite the right people__. Whose ideas would you like to incorporate in your content planning? We've got the best results when people from outside our marketing team have joined us, especially from the product team. Consider inviting no more than one person each from sales, product and support.

* __Schedule enough time to get creative__. Most people can't be creative on demand. It takes time to get into creative flow and start generating good ideas. So don't cut it short or interrupt that!

* __Mute microphones during idea generation and voting time__. Create a clear distinction between time for quiet idea generation and time for discussion in your brainstorming session. When everyone's trying to focus, mute your microphones.

* __Keep notes on the top content ideas__. Don't let good ideas go to waste: assign someone to add notes in the "Notes" column of [the brainstorming template](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1t08zBm9Fg6fafzLn85vIzYfadJLPZv5K2MTLjiMj_ao/edit?usp=sharing). These will come in useful when the writer picks up the idea. Don't make them struggle to remember what the logic was behind it.

* __Add ideas to your content queue soon after the session.__ The sooner you can get the ideas from your brainstorming session scheduled, the better. This keeps your content queue topped up and the ideas fresh in your writers' minds. 

----

#### Looking for other ways to optimize your marketing team? 

Use PieSync to seamlessly  connect and enrich your data everywhere, from your email marketing app to your CRM. [Sign up for a 14-day free trial now.](https://app.piesync.com/signup/)

Run out of blog post ideas? Here's how to plan and run a content brainstorming session to fill up your content calendar fast.

A guide to content brainstorming for marketing teams

Marketing

typewriter on desk next to book and coffee mug

how to run content brainstorming sessions for your blog

Wave

![wave vs quickbooks](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/6800fterFkNrqhW7StTUUs/a3c2bb6658fac86b020e047966b6fc38/wave_vs-.png)

When you run your own business, you soon find out it's not just about _doing what you love_. As an entrepreneur or freelancer, you may need to wear many hats: as head of sales, marketer, customer service lead, and whether you love it or loathe it, **chief finance officer**.

If you don't have seamless processes for managing the flow of money in your business, you have trouble on your hands. However, financial software is here to help.

With the many accounting and invoicing tools on the market, you can simplify, streamline and even automate your financial tasks.

Two of the best accounting systems for small businesses and freelancers are [Wave](https://www.waveapps.com) and [QuickBooks](http://quickbooks.com). But how do they stack up?

&nbsp;

* [Comparing QuickBooks and Wave – which is the best accounting software for you?](#comparing)
* [When to choose Wave](#choose-wave)
* [When to choose QuickBooks](#choose-quickbooks)
* [Comparing Wave vs. QuickBooks feature sets](#feature-sets)
  * [Track income and expenses for accounting](#income-expenses)
  * [Integrations](#integrations)
  * [Customer sentiment](#customer-sentiment)
* [Wave vs. QuickBooks pricing](#pricing)
* [Summary: when to choose Wave vs. QuickBooks](#summary)

---

## Comparing QuickBooks vs. Wave in 2020 – which is the best accounting software for you?{#comparing}

The main difference between the two accounting systems is that __Wave is free and QuickBooks is not__. 

Another difference is that QuickBooks is one of the most comprehensive finance tools on the market, while Wave is a better choice if you want simplicity instead of complexity.

Before we get started, know that in this post we're focusing on [QuickBooks Online](https://quickbooks.intuit.com/online/) - Intuit's cloud product that's available on any device - rather than their desktop solutions.

&nbsp;

## When to choose Wave{#choose-wave}

### 1. You want to save money{#wave-save-money}

While QuickBooks has price plans ranging from $25 to $150/month, Wave accounting software is free. 

But is Wave _really_ free? Yes! Their accounting and invoicing software is free and unlimited, so you get instant access to all features after signing up. You also don't need a credit card to sign up.

[Jump ahead to our pricing comparison of Wave vs QuickBooks to find out what Wave charges for and how they make money.](#pricing)

![Screenshot 2019-10-04 at 17.40.03](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/4VscjOiNwW6riyDbIbFmTW/38543ace5d9a09f6dbf64ac18e5bddbb/Screenshot_2019-10-04_at_17.40.03.png)

&nbsp;

### 2. You're a small business owner or freelancer{#wave-small-businesses}

Wave is __built for businesses with one to nine employees__ and is ideal for freelancers, consultants, designers, writers and small agencies. 

Their features are straightforward but comprehensive enough for any early-stage or intentionally small business, and it’s a breeze to send simple yet fully customizable invoices for a range of products and services. 

Wave also [announced Wave Money in June 2020](https://www.waveapps.com/blog/news/wave-money-the-future-of-small-business-banking), their take on "the future of small business banking". This will offer their customers a business bank account with a debit card and mobile app with built-in bookkeeping. We're really excited to see how this benefits Wave users as it becomes more widely available. It's currently in limited release and only available to US-based, single-owner businesses.

If you want a budget-friendly accounting and invoicing solution, Wave is a great free alternative to QuickBooks.

![chrome-invoice-professional-invoices](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/6jV3dQGOxujTL8vKp6xFHD/d3b2545b76a8bbb7977c0ed51ab6750a/chrome-invoice-professional-invoices.jpg)

&nbsp;

### 3. You want simplicity{#wave-simplicity}

Using Wave for your accounting is a breeze. The user experience is clean, bright and incredibly simple to navigate. Wave offers a surprisingly comprehensive feature set for a free accounting tool, and everything is neatly organized so it's easy to find what you need.

Alternatively, QuickBooks lets you do more with the system, but can be clunky and overwhelming for those just starting out. Looking at [user reviews for ease of use on G2](https://www.g2.com/compare/quickbooks-online-vs-wave), Wave is rated 9.0/10 and QuickBooks Online is rated 8.1/10.

&nbsp;

### 4. You need quick and easy setup{#wave-set-up}

Wave is free forever, so you don't need a trial or demo to get started. Once you've signed up, you have access to all the features you need.

As Wave is so easy to set up and use, it's a better choice than QuickBooks if you're not sure what you're looking for or are less tech-savvy.

If you're looking at other simple alternatives to QuickBooks, you might also come across FreshBooks. Here's our [comparison of FreshBooks and QuickBooks](https://www.piesync.com/blog/freshbooks-vs-quickbooks-which-is-the-best-accounting-tool/):

<RelatedPost slug="freshbooks-vs-quickbooks-which-is-the-best-accounting-tool" />

&nbsp;

## When to choose QuickBooks{#choose-quickbooks}

### 1. You want a more comprehensive accounting solution{#quickbooks-comprehensive}

Don't get us wrong, Wave doesn't fall short because it's free – it offers an incredible amount of features and contends with many paid accounting apps.

However, QuickBooks Online is probably the most comprehensive accounting tool on the market – especially if you have the budget and requirements to justify the higher price plans.

With QuickBooks, you can take advantage of advanced reporting, inventory management, mileage tracking and so much more. That said, most small businesses will have less need for the features at a higher price point.

![QBO Reports.jpg](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/5cv1cZIa5gKEqGxL76rbX/11cb331f77f4ae542a3e7efc2b180b5a/QBO_Reports.jpg.png)

&nbsp;

### 2. You have a bigger business or work in retail{#quickbooks-bigger-business}

QuickBooks can be quite heavy for freelancers and very small businesses, even when using its Essentials plan. However, while Wave is built for businesses with up to nine employees, QuickBooks has no upper limit and tends to thrive as you scale and need more advanced features.

If you have a retail business, QuickBooks Online is also a better financial tool for you. Its inventory management features and easy integration with [QuickBooks Point of Sale](https://quickbooks.intuit.com/point-of-sale/) makes running your business easy-peasy.

&nbsp;

### 3. You plan on scaling your business soon{#quickbooks-scaling}

Switching business tools can be a pain. If you know you're going to focus on scaling your business soon, you might want to avoid tools that are designed with small businesses in mind, such as Wave. 

QuickBooks is a wonderful tool for small to mid-sized businesses that plan on getting bigger: you can be sure that you'll have all the features you need as you scale.

![QBO Homepage](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/6xsirIQLmq62CGJn6xZF1h/b02f04cdcf57f87ecdfe5f0865785931/QBO_Homepage.jpg)

&nbsp;

### 4. You want features that Wave doesn't have{#quickbooks-more-features-than-wave}

It's hard to beat free accounting and invoicing software, especially if you're a freelancer or very small business. However, Wave cannot – and shouldn't – offer every possible feature for niche use cases. This is more QuickBooks' jam. 

It's hard to find something that QuickBooks can't do, especially considering Intuit's range of other products that can easily slot together, like [QuickBooks Point of Sale](https://quickbooks.intuit.com/point-of-sale/).

**It can be worth paying for QuickBooks instead of Wave when:**

* You have a retail business and inventory management is important to you
* You need to track mileage
* You need to track time (although tools like [FreshBooks](http://freshbooks.com) offer this at a lower price point)
* You want more advanced reporting
* Your accountant specializes in QuickBooks, as many do in the US

----

## Comparing Wave vs. QuickBooks feature sets{#feature-sets}

Is Wave better than QuickBooks? The honest answer is that it depends on your business, your budget and the **features that are important to you**.

If you're looking for free accounting software, Wave is one of the best tools to try out. Wave offers a brilliant range of **core accounting and invoicing features**, and small business owners should find everything that they need in that department. It also offers payments, receipts, multiple users and even multiple businesses to be managed in the same free account. 

Although Wave has a very comprehensive feature set, **there are some aspects that QuickBooks covers that Wave does not**. These include time tracking, mileage and inventory management.

Here's our comparison table of Wave versus QuickBooks feature sets to give you a quick overview:

|**Wave plans**   | **Features** |
| ------------ | ------------ |
| Wave (free)   | - Unlimited bank and credit card connections<br />- Unlimited income and expense tracking<br/>- Unlimited guest collaborators<br />- Run multiple businesses in one account<br />- Unlimited customizable invoices<br />- Receipt scanning<br />- Online payments  |

&nbsp;

|**QuickBooks plans**   | **Features** |
| ------------ | ------------ |
| QuickBooks Essentials ($25/month)  | - Send invoices and accept payments<br/>- Manage bills and expenses<br/> - Track sales and tax <br/> – Capture and organize receipts <br/> - 1 user  |
| QuickBooks Plus ($70/month)  |*Essentials features, plus:*<br/>- Track project profitability<br/>- Track inventory <br/>- Track time <br/>- 5 users  |
| QuickBooks Advanced ($150/month)   | *Plus features, plus:*<br/>- Smart reporting<br/>- Custom user permissions<br/>- Premium care & training<br/>- Enhanced custom fields <br/>- 25 users  |

&nbsp;

### Track income and expenses for accounting{#income-expenses}

__With QuickBooks__, it's simple to connect your bank accounts, credit cards, PayPal and Square and categorize and run reports on your expenses.

The mobile app lets you take photos of receipts and it'll automatically match it up with existing transactions. This takes a lot of the hassle out of one of the most frustrating parts of bookkeeping. 

QuickBooks is designed to get you in the best possible position when tax time rolls around, but it also keeps you up-to-date throughout the rest of the year. 

The built-in cash flow statement is an especially useful indicator of how much money you have to cover your bills and what's left for non-essentials.

![QuickBooks profit and loss indicator](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/Mh6zHJpvsf9b9ElTOVVUy/d486f254a4d0c50726a88ad63ed8d67b/Screenshot_2020-08-05_at_11.27.01.png)

![QuickBooks cash flow reporting](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/6ihehNAdDmqsOogKRJIvVs/eb88472f187e3284c52fbf49302a9659/Screenshot_2020-08-05_at_11.31.05.png)

&nbsp;

__Wave__ has a built-in integration with PayPal and a range of banking integrations, although live bank feeds are only currently available for [customers in the US.](https://support.waveapps.com/hc/en-us/articles/208624076-Connect-your-bank-account-to-Wave)

In the Chart of Accounts section of your dashboard, you get a simple overview of your Assets, Liabilities, Income, Expenses and Equity accounts to keep your accounting updated year-round:

&nbsp;

![Wave Chart of Accounts in user dashboard](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/6ajPgjN9CPSAqH2WtkzEWF/5c917506ee78c77719c5330ca7aab6b3/Wave__Bronze_Raven_Photography__Chart_Of_Accounts_2018-09-21_10-09-23.png)

&nbsp;

Like QuickBooks, the [Wave Receipts app](https://www.waveapps.com/receipts) for iOS and Android lets you scan receipts on the go and say goodbye to paper receipts and spreadsheets.

Wave also has useful reporting for cash flow statements, profit and loss, balance sheets, sales tax reports and more. Like most other Wave features, these are super simple for small businesses and freelancers to understand at a glance.

![Wave accounting cash flow reporting](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/5jb1SKfaeSDqQWvWoXjOj7/de35a36ff0438d260b700d487781498e/10095-wave-accounting-1559142156-7136211.jpeg)

&nbsp;

### Integrations{#integrations}

__QuickBooks__ has a great library of [native integrations](https://quickbooks.intuit.com/integrations/), including connections to 400+ business apps. 

__Wave__ only has built-in and supported integrations with Google Sheets and PayPal, but you can sync it to your other apps using solutions like PieSync ([best for two-way contact syncing](https://www.piesync.com/why/)) and Zapier (best for one-way trigger-action automations).

With PieSync, you can also connect both [QuickBooks](https://www.piesync.com/quickbooks/) and [Wave](https://www.piesync.com/wave/) to hundreds of other business tools to see your latest contact data in every app. 

[Get started with a free trial of PieSync](https://app.piesync.com/signup/) to create a two-way sync between Wave and QuickBooks and your other business tools.

&nbsp;

### Customer sentiment{#customer-sentiment}

Overall, both Wave and QuickBooks are [loved by their customers](https://www.g2.com/compare/quickbooks-online-vs-wave). Wave's average rating of 4.4/5 stars from 200 reviews showcases its small but passionate fanbase, while QuickBooks' 4.0/5 stars from a whopping 2,349 reviews reveals its huge satisfied user base.

Wave edges ahead of QuickBooks when it comes to ease of use and ease of set up, while QuickBooks wins on its range of features.

As another popular accounting software that customers love, you can also [compare QuickBooks with Xero](https://www.piesync.com/blog/xero-vs-quickbooks-online/):

<RelatedPost slug="xero-vs-quickbooks-online" />

----

## Wave vs. QuickBooks pricing{#pricing}

The main difference between Wave pricing and QuickBooks pricing is that Wave is free. However, take a moment to compare the two systems' plans to make sure you have access to all the features you need.

&nbsp;

### Wave pricing

Wave's free plan includes:

- Unlimited bank and credit card connections
- Unlimited income and expense tracking
- Unlimited guest collaborators
- Run multiple businesses in one account
- Unlimited customizable invoices
- Receipt scanning
- Online payments

So how does Wave make money? And what will you need to pay for?

**Transactions**: [Wave offers several products](https://www.waveapps.com/onewave): Invoicing, Accounting, Receipts and Payments. Of these, Payments is pay-per-use and the others are free.

With Wave, you pay 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction per credit card transaction for non-European issued cards, and 1.4% + 20p per transaction for European issued cards. 

Where your customers are located will depend if Wave works out cheaper than [QuickBook's price per transaction](https://quickbooks.intuit.com/learn-support/en-us/bank-transactions/what-are-the-fees-for-quickbooks-payments/00/535052):

![Quickbooks payment fees](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/6xWkadYt2RM3DUqUBnkuHl/c0bd3d59cb1d36ac6c39473368c02379/Screenshot_2020-08-05_at_10.33.45.png)

**Payroll**: There's also a fee if you want to [pay your staff with Wave](https://www.waveapps.com/payroll) – their payroll service for companies in the US and Canada includes a $20-35/month base fee, plus $6 per active employee and independent contractor paid.

**Wave Advisors**: If you're in North America, you can get even more benefits from Wave by paying for a [Wave Advisor](https://www.waveapps.com/wave-advisors). Their accounting coaching is available from $79/month, while bookkeeping and a tax service for US businesses start at $129 per month.

&nbsp;

### QuickBooks pricing

Quickbooks Online has three price plans: Essentials ($25/month), Plus ($70/month) and Advanced ($150/month). You can try Essentials and Plus for free for 30 days, or call for a product demo of Advanced. 

QuickBooks also offers 50% off for your first 3 months if you buy without a free trial period.

Here's the difference between what you get in each QuickBooks plan from [their pricing page](https://quickbooks.intuit.com/pricing/#):

![QuickBooks Online pricing plans compared](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/0OHRPV9XTDb2rCQ0DNeUA/ecda317c32c56c55f7c0fdd0b3af01ea/Screenshot_2020-08-05_at_11.06.47.png)

---

## Summary: when to choose Wave vs. QuickBooks{#summary}

So, when should you choose Wave and when is QuickBooks a better choice? Here's a simple comparison of the two financial software options:

| **When to choose Wave** | **When to choose QuickBooks**  |
| ------------ | ------------ |
| You want to save money   | You want a more comprehensive accounting solution  |
| You're a small business owner or freelancer  | You have a bigger business or work in retail  |
| You want simplicity  | You plan on scaling your business soon  |
| You need quick and easy setup  | You want features that Wave doesn't have   |

Wave is also limited for businesses outside of North America, so QuickBooks or an alternative like Xero might be a better choice if you're in other parts of the world.

&nbsp;

__Looking for other accounting software to compare with QuickBooks and Wave?__

* [FreshBooks vs. QuickBooks: which is the best accounting tool?](https://www.piesync.com/blog/freshbooks-vs-quickbooks-which-is-the-best-accounting-tool/)
* [Xero vs. QuickBooks Online: what’s the best cloud accounting tool for your business?](https://www.piesync.com/blog/xero-vs-quickbooks-online/)

----

Deciding between QuickBooks and Wave as your accounting system depends on your business size, industry, and the features that matter most to you. Wave is fantastic for early-stage businesses and freelancers, while QuickBooks scales beautifully and most accountants love it.

However, one thing you need to make sure of regardless of your software choice is that it __integrates with the rest of your tech stack.__

PieSync makes it easy to sync your contact data two-ways between [QuickBooks](https://www.piesync.com/quickbooks/) and [Wave](https://www.piesync.com/wave/) and your other apps. This means you're always looking at the right information about your customers in every app. 

With hundreds of options to connect your apps, you can perfectly align your accounting software with your customer support tool, CRM and the other apps your business relies on.


QuickBooks is the tried-and-tested accounting software for businesses of all sizes, Wave is a free alternative with a passionate fanbase… which tool is best for your business? Here's our head-to-head comparison to help you choose.

Wave vs. QuickBooks: which accounting tool is best for small businesses?

App Comparisons

wave vs quickbooks

Wave vs. QuickBooks: which is the best accounting tool?

![Small business colleagues using apps to grow their business](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/Il7wcvdKpAHMievc1KYpY/15c8706d32d7801bcd436f17d09921cb/charles-deluvio-Lks7vei-eAg-unsplash__1_-min.jpg)

With the evolution of technology and the rise in competition for similar products, there's more pressure than ever on small businesses to stand out.

The good news is that there are tons of cloud-based apps out there designed specifically to help small businesses to optimize their operations, become more efficient, and grow without breaking the bank.

However, the question is not just __how__ these apps can help your company, but __which apps__ are the best for your unique business needs and goals.

Here some handpicked budget-friendly apps to [help your small business to scale up](https://www.piesync.com/blog/7-steps-to-get-right-before-scaling-your-business/) and become the organization you know it can be. Read on for our recommended tools for customer relationship management, customer support, team communication and more.

---

## Five of the best apps to grow your SMB on a budget

&nbsp;

### 1. [Mailchimp](https://mailchimp.com/)

Mailchimp has been the leading email marketing platform for a while, but it's now evolved into an extremely capable all-in-one marketing software. This powerful tool can fulfill a lot - if not all - of your small business's marketing needs and boost growth and efficiency. 

![Mailchimp feature set 2020](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/4MusZn8YU2nLYR557M8nJc/34d1e4ab4f9a12c8966e13c559ee2cd6/Screenshot_2020-08-31_at_14.17.52.png)

&nbsp;

With Mailchimp on your side, it's simple to build digital, email and social media campaigns, gather campaign and audience insights, build landing pages, create social posts and ads, analyze customer data and engagement, use third-party integrations and much more.

It's never been simpler to run your small business's marketing campaigns like a much larger team with a much larger budget.

__Pricing:__ Mailchimp offers a very popular free plan for businesses with fewer than 2,000 contacts on their mailing list. The paid plans start at $9.99 per month if you need more power.

<RelatedPost slug="tweaks-to-grow-your-small-business" />

&nbsp;

### 2. [HubSpot CRM](https://www.hubspot.com/)

HubSpot has a huge range of applications for many types of businesses. With its free forever CRM, small businesses on a budget can streamline their contact management with one of the most reliable tools on the market.

As you grow, or as a larger business with a bigger budget, you can implement one or all of the additional paid Hubs that are currently available for Sales, Marketing, Service, and CMS.

Regardless of the department you're working in, HubSpot is an excellent solution to fulfill many essential business needs.

![HubSpot Hubs in 2020](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/6oIjACMfQFUBWBruGCW6G7/97fbc993448f7318662e720d77a59a50/Screenshot_2020-08-31_at_13.29.20.png)

&nbsp;

__Pricing:__ HubSpot CRM is free, but the Marketing, Sales and Service Hubs [require a decent budget](https://www.hubspot.com/pricing/) for the best features. 

For the Sales Hub, the Starter plan starts at $40/month, while the Professional plan jumps up to a starting price of $400/month. Similarly, Marketing Hub plans range from $40/month to $3,200/month and the Service Hub from $40/month to $1,200/month.

That said, you can also easily stick to the core HubSpot CRM and connect your other favorite marketing, sales and service apps – HubSpot has a fantastic [integrations marketplace](https://ecosystem.hubspot.com/marketplace/apps). 

[HubSpot also connects with PieSync](http://piesync.com/hubspot/) so you can seamlessly connect contact data between your apps in real time, such as between the free CRM and [your email marketing app](https://www.piesync.com/solutions/email-marketing/).

<RelatedPost slug="best-crms-for-small-businesses" />

&nbsp;

### 3. [Acquire](https://acquire.io/)

Acquire is an omnichannel customer support platform that improves customer experience by providing instant support to users across all stages of the customer journey. It's a great addition to any small business stack, and an alternative to support platforms such as Intercom and Zendesk.

![Acquire omnichannel support platform](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/1l1v3e0l1GsmnYNIgyZqou/e7679ae209c1844f022145a0cc6c3fa0/Screenshot_2020-08-31_at_13.51.40.png)

&nbsp;

Here are some of the key features you get with Acquire for your support team:

__1. Live chat software__ — In the age of [conversational marketing](https://www.piesync.com/blog/conversational-marketing/), live chat is an excellent addition to your website. If a website visitor is searching for something but can’t find it by navigating the site, they can talk directly to agents through the live chat feature on your website. It makes things easier for both your customers and your team by streamlining and speeding up query resolution.

__2. Cobrowsing software__ — With cobrowsing software, agents can interact with customers in real time by sharing a web browser in order to solve queries and facilitate smoother web navigation. [Acquire Cobrowse](https://acquire.io/co-browsing/) is one of the market leaders for this.

Whenever a user is stuck at an online process or ecommerce shipping procedure, they can request co-browsing support to get the problem solved. The tool also hides customers’ sensitive information from agents thanks to a masking feature, and the agent can guide users through a website with highlighting tools.

__3. Chatbot__ — The AI-powered [Acquire Chatbot](https://acquire.io/chatbot/) answers general and frequent questions regarding your product, which frees up a lot of your support team’s workload and enables them to focus on more complex tasks. 

In addition, a chatbot also provides users with quick answers to their queries without having to go through lengthy helpline calls or a complex site navigation process. This is an easy way to deliver a stronger customer experience.

__Pricing:__ Acquire offers customized proposals, which you can request [on their pricing page](https://acquire.io/pricing/). 

&nbsp;

### 4. [ActiveCampaign](https://www.activecampaign.com/)

ActiveCampaign is one of the most respected brands for small business marketing automation, with plenty of scope for reducing manual workload and scaling lead generation, nurturing and conversion.

Some of the most valuable features are:

* Contact and lead scoring to identify sales-ready prospects for your team to focus on
* Dynamic content to show personalized content for every website visitor

![ActiveCampaign features and benefits](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/5qHvUVy5IFAVJBvAvQZnvp/8345ade1d215638dcc36c02b9bc64ffc/Screenshot_2020-08-31_at_14.01.11.png)

&nbsp;

__Pricing:__ Get started with the Lite plan from $9/month for basic email marketing, marketing automation and forms. If you want the CRM with sales automation plus lead and contact scoring, opt for the Plus plan which starts at $49/month.

&nbsp;

<RelatedPost slug="tasks-every-marketer-should-automate" />

&nbsp;

### 5. [Slack](https://slack.com/)

Slack is an excellent platform for communication and collaboration within any size of organization, and it's now an essential part of millions of businesses. 

This platform enables real-time direct messaging to channels and individuals, eliminating the need for countless follow-up emails and confusing email chains. Companies can create channels for different departments, topics, clients, suppliers, internal stakeholders and anything else your company talks about.

![Slack for better team collaboration and efficiency](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/2XOjwwXxSeI9kOySFO3WCC/70e8ed9accd6b25f4771738126a763fd/Screenshot_2020-08-31_at_14.04.38.png)

&nbsp;

Slack also works as a knowledge directory for new employees, providing a seamless option to share onboarding information and a quick way to search previous conversations to find information and details on various topics. 

It also allows video and voice calls between team members, file sharing and third-party integrations.

__Pricing:__ Many small businesses opt for the free version of Slack, which offers the core functionality to create channels and have 1-1 conversations. If you need team voice or video calls or access to more than 10,000 of your team's most recent messages, you can choose a Standard plan for $6.25 per person per month.

<RelatedPost slug="apps-for-working-remotely" />

&nbsp;

__Looking for more apps to add to your small business stack?__

* [10 time-saving tools for small businesses](https://www.piesync.com/blog/10-time-saving-tools-for-small-businesses/)
* [11 of the best productivity tools for small businesses](https://www.piesync.com/blog/11-of-the-best-productivity-tools-for-small-businesses/)
* [How to build the strongest small marketing team](https://www.piesync.com/blog/how-to-build-the-strongest-small-marketing-team/)

----

So, now it's over to you: which apps will you choose to grow your business on a budget? Regardless of the tech you choose, make sure **to connect new apps with the rest of your stack**.

By keeping your business apps in sync, you can ensure that your contact data is up-to-date in every app, even when something changes on one platform. This is simple to do with [PieSync's syncing solution](http://www.piesync.com/why/).


cta-7-effortlessly-sync-your-apps

7 (FULL) - All - effortlessly-sync-your-apps

cta-half-7-effortlessly-sync-your-apps

7 (HALF) - All - effortlessly-sync-your-apps

Growing your small business doesn't have to break the bank. Here are five of the best budget-friendly apps to scale your business the easy way.

5 essential tools to grow your small business on a budget

Small business colleagues using apps to grow their business

![Salesperson with tablet using triggered emails to boost sales](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/4Dmyy8JmHGz3UvYq0VJToa/0c1fceab8357e442caf8d68a4f4d4719/linkedin-sales-navigator-YSQNPbBGltI-unsplash.jpg)

Digital marketing is constantly changing. In spite of that, newsletters and marketing emails have remained popular ways to nurture and inform customers, and latest innovations have created new ways to make the most of them. 

One of these ways is by using triggered emails: they work by setting up automatic emails for a campaign that is based upon a user’s actions and behaviors.

Triggered emails are instant, customized and contain relevant information for your customers. These emails have [higher opening click rates](https://www.piesync.com/blog/increasing-email-engagement) as compared to non-automatic communications. Hence, they are more likely to convert. 

A triggered email is designed and created only once; then it can be sent to your leads and subscribers according to your filters and segments.

&nbsp;

### The difference between triggered and marketing emails

Most marketing emails tend to promote products or services to customers, which is a great way to nurture. Meanwhile, triggered emails ensure that a specific action is initiated or completed. 

The ultimate goal of a triggered email is not selling, but to __provide relevant information__ to the recipient at the right time.

&nbsp;

### What the stats say

[Research](https://www.webfx.com/internet-marketing/what-is-email-marketing-automation.html) indicates that triggered emails have 70% more open rates than other marketing emails, which can increase revenue by 34%. If your goal is to increase profits, then triggered emails are a good investment.

----

## The best types of triggered emails to help you get higher sales

&nbsp;

### 1. Welcome email to new subscribers

Most people are not ready to buy when they first visit your website, but yhey show interest by subscribing to your site. Those are the perfect targets for your campaign. You can start a relationship by sending a well-composed welcome email. 

A good start can help you convince them that you are trustworthy and they might buy from you in the future. You can also offer a discount or a gift for signing up with you or offering to connect on social media. This will encourage them to carry out another action towards purchase. 

The goal here is to help them with their decision-making process and take them to your product. This may not guarantee you a 100% conversion, but it will let you tack down the success and efficiency of your [email marketing campaign](https://www.piesync.com/blog/effective-lead-nurturing-campaigns/) in the form of impactful sales.

Here's a super on-brand [welcome email from Casper](https://reallygoodemails.com/emails/welcome-casper/), the mattress company:

![Casper good example of welcome email](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/5bIcegmuhN1Pwmy2mja5jX/97a09a94171a2d45d31ad346d7ad1907/Screenshot_2020-08-14_at_13.00.37.png)

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### 2. Birthday/anniversary email to old subscribers

Greeting emails are commonly used in every marketing strategy. This is because they are among the most effective messages that can emotionally get to your customer. When people receive a promotional discount or a free voucher on special occasions, they are more inclined to make a purchase. Hence, with just one click, you may get multiple benefits, such as improving your relationship with the customer and stimulating purchase.

To add the most insights about your contacts to your email marketing app, [use PieSync to automatically sync relevant data](https://piesync.com/why/) from your other apps.

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### 3. Sending reminders to your emailing lists

After getting their email address and initiating the first purchase, the successful way to keep your relationship alive with your customer is to get in touch with them regularly. Send them reminder emails regarding deadlines of a sale or inform them of an event. These types of emails are ideal for organizations offering services related to individual needs.

Here's a good example of a [reminder email from Asana](https://reallygoodemails.com/emails/hellosmilesdavisyeah-hasnt-accepted-your-invitation-to-join-really-good-emails/), letting users know that their invite is pending:

![Good example of a reminder email by Asana](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/3A5H9PPMGcGmfU7wpXl1CL/a6d5791785a86f65e7f371d0e70397e8/Screenshot_2020-08-14_at_13.05.17.png)

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### 4. Promoting events to the list

Usually, only a limited percentage of registered participants actually attend an event when invited through emails. Still, sending constant reminders through [triggered emails makes sure that the percentage increases](https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/triggered-email-examples). If a company invests in events like meet-ups or webinars, triggered emails can save the day for them.

&nbsp;

### 5. Blog posts with calls to action

Content is still king, which is why blog posts with a well-designed CTA are the most commonly used tool in digital marketing. It is an excellent way to reach your target audience and boost revenue. When a blog post is published on a topic that customers are interested in and addresses their pain points, it has the power to engage them.

Sending these blogs to your subscribers in triggered emails can be attractive enough to get them to your point of interest: sales. A compelling subject line followed by polished content and a beautiful image is the perfect recipe for well-baked content. 

&nbsp;

### 6. Offer a course, newsletter or ebook

Offering an informative course induction or an ebook by email is an effective way to attract new subscribers, as well as teaching them about your products that they might be interested in. This can also help you build your reputation in the niche by showcasing your expertise. Add some appealing elements to motivate them to make a purchase.

![Screen Shot 2019-07-26 at 15.17.34](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/7rh1rK4NBp5XCsfytEEOhf/ae3af3cb2cbf7f9089096575db429e47/Screen_Shot_2019-07-26_at_15.17.34.png)

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### 7. Inform customers to renew a service or product

A loyal customer is an asset to the company, so it is essential to retain them. A triggered email can help you by sending customers a reminder to renew your services. It also encourages them to make another purchase if you offer them additional discounts or gift vouchers as thanks for being with you for a long time.

To make sure you send the right email to the right person, you should keep your [email marketing lists in sync with your CRM database](https://www.piesync.com/solutions/email-marketing/) and other business tools. This is also your best way to maintain consistent and enriched data everywhere. 

---

## Tips to write an effective triggered email

Like other types of email campaigns, triggered emails also need to be optimized to be effective. Here are five tips you can use to write an impactful triggered email with a lot of potential for conversion.

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### 1. Write a crunchy subject line

An appealing subject line captures the attention of the reader, which can help you achieve a higher opening rate.

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### 2. Organize your content

People don't read emails word to word. Hence, by organizing the email content into well-elaborated headings or bullet points, the reader will be able to go through all of the content more quickly and fluidly. It will also be easier for them to understand your pitch.

<RelatedPost slug="increasing-email-engagement" />

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### 3. Use interesting topics

If your goal is conversion, then you have to use compelling content that sparks interest in your recipient and makes them want to keep reading.

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### 4. Use call-to-action buttons

A marketing email without a CTA button is useless. Create your triggered email with a relevant CTA button to significantly increase your revenue.

<RelatedPost slug="10-tools-to-increase-email-marketing-conversions" />

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### 5. Measure results

It's important to keep an eye on the performance of your triggered emails through your site’s monitoring system and [automated reporting dashboards](https://www.piesync.com/blog/automate-business-reporting/).

----

## Optimize your mailing list before your next email campaign

Setting up triggered emails can be time-consuming, but it's worth it. It can save you a lot of money while allowing you to send [customized messages](https://www.piesync.com/blog/why-marketing-personalization-is-so-important-and-how-to-use-it/) to different segments of customers. Triggered email marketing helps you build trust among your customers while increasing your ROI.

To send the most impactful sales emails, you need __an updated contact list with relevant data__ to segment your audience. 

PieSync makes that easier by syncing all of your business apps so the latest and most enriched data is always available in every app.

cta-half-4-accurate-customer-data-for-the-complete-journey

4 (HALF) - Sales, marketing & support - accurate-customer-data-for-the-complete-journey

Triggered emails deliver timely information to exactly the right subscribers. Follow these best practices to boost your impact with the right messages.

7 ways to boost your sales with triggered emails 

Sales

Salesperson with tablet using triggered emails to boost sales

The PieSync Blog