![Woman in business updating lead data on laptop in office](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/5XROi1lwmU72Laq2QtUguy/97a792e9c1cc6d7ba10cba7fcb43ebcf/christina-wocintechchat-com-1Kf3jFemsPk-unsplash-min.jpg)

Effective lead management is one of the core principles of any successful business. It means __helping the right people to become your customers__ and making it easy for them to buy from you again in future. 

When you get lead management right, you can:

* Convert more prospects into customers
* Streamline operations
* Improve sales experiences

But it's not always clear how to create an effective lead management process. 

Is it about quickly responding to leads, keeping your CRM neat and tidy, or using the right tags and lists? 

The short answer is that it's about all of the above. 

There are lots of moving parts, but lead management is ultimately about **data management plus relationship building**. One of the best ways to view your lead management strategy is through the lens of [Data Lifecycle Management](https://blog.hubspot.com/website/data-lifecycle-management) (DLM). DLM consists of five stages:

* Data collection
* Data storage
* Data maintenance
* Data usage
* Data cleaning

Every lead passes through the same stages with your business, so it's important to get each one right for effective lead management.

To help you maximize your lead management at every stage, here are some of the top best practices to implement in your business.

----

## Your guide to effective lead management at every stage of the funnel

&nbsp;

### 1. Collecting leads

#### Adjust form fields for accurate data entry

Lead management starts with adding new leads to your database. It's a crucial part of the process: after all, how you collect leads determines how organized things will be further down the line. 

Do your future self and colleagues a favor by __collecting leads in a standardized, organized and accurate way__. This starts with adjusting form fields to collect the best data in the right structure.

&nbsp;

#### Remember data protection regulations

One core part of the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) in Europe is data protection _by design_. This means building data security and ethical use into the foundations of your business. 

Make sure every lead you add to your database has given __clear consent__ for their data to be stored and that you only store it for the time and purpose you say in your terms and conditions.

----

### 2. Storing leads

#### Centralize all leads in your CRM

You can't manage your leads effectively if they're scattered between multiple platforms or in an outdated system that's not designed for contact management (we're looking at you, Excel sheets). 

To stay on top of all leads and not let anything fall through the cracks, [choose a CRM system](https://www.piesync.com/blog/best-crms-for-small-businesses/) that helps your team to provide the best customer experiences.

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

&nbsp;

#### Create secure backups

If all of your lead data is centralized on a single platform, it's important to create regular backups. One effective way to do this is with an [automated sync to another cloud-based system](piesync.com/solutions/lead-sync/). This can also make it easier to ensure data protection and your contacts' privacy than with CSV exports.

----

### 3. Maintaining lead data 

#### Make lead management easy for sales

A lead management process that relies on your team to input things correctly and follow specific steps isn't efficient. It's a recipe for human error. 

To minimize errors, make lead management as intuitive as possible for your team. You can do this with:

* Automated processes
* Data entry restrictions to ensure the right format is used
* [Syncing lead data](https://www.piesync.com/solutions/lead-sync/) from your most authoritative app

&nbsp;

#### Enrich your data

High-quality lead data is _enriched lead data_. What does this mean? It means that your sales reps aren't just given a name and email address to work with, but rather a comprehensive and high-def view of every prospect. 

This can include a lead's industry, company size, and even goals and pain points based on previous interactions with marketing content and progressive forms. Data enrichment apps like [Clearbit](https://clearbit.com/) are also a handy way to include more insights on every contact record.

<RelatedPost slug="how-to-capitalize-on-customer-data" /> 

&nbsp;

#### Segment your leads

Segmentation is important for every department. It enables marketing to [send the most relevant messages](https://www.piesync.com/blog/why-marketing-personalization-is-so-important-and-how-to-use-it/) and advertising. Salespeople can use it to create a tailor-fit buying process. And service teams can ensure that customers know about the most valuable features for them.

With tags, labels, groups and list memberships, you can organize your leads into the most relevant segments for your entire customer journey.

&nbsp;

#### Sync leads between your apps

Most businesses use a lot more than one app to manage lead data. Marketers might input and update contact data on a different platform than their sales colleagues, and it's standard to have several platforms for different purposes within a single department. 

You can avoid the headaches of manual updates and contradictory data by creating [an automated sync between your apps](https://www.piesync.com/solutions/lead-sync/). With a tool like [PieSync](https://app.piesync.com/signup/), you can ensure that everyone is always looking at the latest and most enriched lead data in every app.

<RelatedPost slug="keep-customer-data-up-to-date-everywhere" /> 

&nbsp;

#### Use lead scoring

One of the quickest ways to make your lead management more effective is with lead scoring. This is a common feature of advanced CRMs (although often gated behind higher plans) that __instantly assigns positive or negative points__ to a lead based on the information they give and the interactions they have with your company. This enables your sales team to instantly identify the most sales-ready leads at any moment.

----

### 4. Data usage

#### Use automation for the fastest outreach

Much of the heavy lifting of lead management can be achieved with automation. Some of the [best ways to automate lead management](https://www.piesync.com/blog/10-ways-to-automate-your-sales-team-you-hadnt-thought-of/) include lead scoring, assigning and rotating leads, and [syncing lead data](https://www.piesync.com/solutions/lead-sync/) between apps.

&nbsp;

#### Create insightful reporting dashboards

By visualizing your lead data, you can understand exactly how your team is performing. For the best insights, create reports that __break down performance by funnel stage__ so you can understand where your team is thriving or where efficiency is breaking down.

<RelatedPost slug="what-to-do-when-you-cant-trust-your-business-reporting-data" /> 

&nbsp;

#### Nurture your leads

Effective lead management keeps leads engaged and moving through the funnel. This is where **lead nurturing** comes in. You can achieve this with timely and relevant email sequences that guide each lead towards a set goal, such as requesting a sales demo or becoming a customer.

&nbsp;

#### Automatically assign leads to the best owner

One other handy way to use automation is automatic lead routing, which directs each new lead to the right salesperson or support agent based on their location, product requirements, business size or other attributes.

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

----

### 5. Cleaning lead data

#### Have regular cleanups

Frequent housekeeping is an essential part of managing lead data. It keeps your data __fresh and reliable__ and without it, decaying data can quickly get unmanageable and expensive to fix.

<RelatedPost slug="top-4-clean-data-tips-for-your-database" /> 

&nbsp;

#### Avoid duplicates

Having duplicate contacts in your database is a real barrier to effective lead management. To avoid duplicates, focus on:

* **Preventing** duplicate contacts with [a two-way contact sync](https://www.piesync.com/blog/fix-and-prevent-duplicate-contacts-with-piesync/) between your apps. This doesn't delete duplicates, but it enables you to sync the cleanest data to avoid duplicates and intelligently merges data.
* **Fixing** duplicate contacts with a built-in feature offered by your apps, or with a third-party solution. [Here are some of the best tools to eradicate duplicates](https://www.piesync.com/blog/apps-for-removing-duplicate-contacts/).

----

Effective lead management depends on __how you collect, store, maintain, use and clean your lead data__. With the help of a great CRM, solid processes for nurturing and automation, and regular housekeeping, you should be well on your way to streamlining your funnel.

To keep your leads updated with the latest data in every app, start by syncing lead data automatically and in two directions with PieSync. Get started with a 14-day trial to start syncing your apps for free.


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Effective lead management hinges on how you collect, store, maintain, use and clean your data. Here's how to convert leads more efficiently with simple best practices.

The complete guide to effective lead management

Contact Management

Woman in business updating lead data on laptop in office

![Business owner collecting and managing customer data in an office](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/5tvFmZfAAuEtjbrqEoXjsR/4d698590bd0da293b00cc735cd490748/blake-wisz-GFrBMipOd_E-unsplash__1_-min.jpg)

Customer data is the most valuable asset in your organization. Your sales, marketing and service teams all rely on the insights you hold about your customers to deliver the right experiences at the right time, all the way from lead generation to long-term customer retention.

Maintaining an [accurate and up-to-date customer database](https://www.piesync.com/blog/ultimate-guide-to-contact-management/) is essential for delivering personalized interactions at scale: without it, there's no way for your team to remember everything they need to know about thousands of leads and customers. 

But which customer data do you actually need to collect for each department, how should you store it, and what's the correct way to use it? 

Here's our guide to customer data that will walk you through everything you need to know.

----

## The customer data to collect and use for different departments

&nbsp;

### Marketing

Marketing is where it all begins for your customer data. You're creating content and lead magnets that draw attention to your brand, using forms and other [lead gen tools](https://www.piesync.com/blog/10-best-lead-generation-tools/) like live chat to convert those visitors to contacts, and nurturing those contacts to (hopefully) becoming sales-ready leads. Here's the customer data to collect in your marketing team

&nbsp;

#### 1. The basics: name, email, business name

Marketing is usually the department that brings in the highest proportion of new leads, which means the pressure is on to make that information valuable for the rest of the customer lifecycle. This starts with the basic contact data that should be [smoothly organized in your CRM](https://www.piesync.com/blog/guide-to-crm/) as well as [synced two ways with other key apps](https://www.piesync.com/solutions/contacts-sync/) such as your email marketing platform. This keeps all customer information up-to-date everywhere, ready for everyone in any department to locate the latest insights.

&nbsp;

#### 2. Website engagement

At the early stages of a new lead's time with your business, it's important to make sure your website analytics enable you to understand how they are interacting with your business and how you can best deliver the experiences they're looking for. If you're an ecommerce business owner, for example, you could use website activity to recommend other similar products each person might like via email or retargeting ads on social media.

&nbsp;

#### 3. Segmentation data

Information that enables you to segment a contact into the right groups and lists is one of the most valuable types of data to collect early on. This can include data such as team size, industry and role. Not only can this data enable the most personalized messaging and automation, but it also helps to calculate lead scoring.

&nbsp;

#### 4. Subscription preferences

In the very first form that a lead fills out on your website, make sure there's a clear checkbox for them to opt in to marketing communications. This is a crucial part of data protection regulations, but it also enables you to send the most relevant content if you offer a range of options to subscribe to.

&nbsp;

#### 5. Lead scoring

Lead qualification data such as lead scoring is one of the most impactful ways for marketers to help out their sales colleagues. With automated lead scoring in place, points are awarded for positive metrics and behavior and deducted for negative indicators. It's the fastest way to instantly assess how likely a prospect is to buy your product and be a satisfied customer, and ideally starts as soon as a visitor converts to a lead.

Examples of lead score boosters:

- High engagement, such as webinar signups and content downloads
- High amount of time spent on your website
- Visiting high-value pages, such as pricing pages, demo pages and feature pages
- Identification as decision-maker
- High-value market or industry
- Adequate budget
- Team size matches personas
- Annual revenue matches personas

&nbsp;

Examples of lead score deductors:

- Very low engagement with website pages
- Not the decision-maker
- Market or industry you struggle to serve
- Inadequate budget
- Team size doesn't match personas
- Annual revenue doesn't match personas

----

### Sales

Salespeople create and strengthen the bridge for interested leads to become happy customers, guiding each prospect to the right product or service for them. Whether your team works with an [account-based approach](https://www.piesync.com/blog/the-ultimate-guide-to-account-based-sales/) for high-value deals or a more automated strategy that's effective at scale, customer data is crucial. Here's the data that's most important for your sales team to collect and some pointers on how to put it to use.

&nbsp;

#### 1. Deal information

For each closed deal, make sure to create a clear record of all information associated with it as soon as possible. This includes data such as billing amount and frequency, which you can easily [sync from your CRM with your accounting app](https://www.piesync.com/solutions/crm/). It also helps to make sure there's an easily accessible copy of the latest version of the contract in your CRM.

&nbsp;

#### 2. Customer lifetime value (LTV)

Calculating a customer's lifetime value is a really useful metric to forecast long-term revenue. You can measure this by multiplying their purchase value by purchase frequency over your average customer lifespan. With a CRM like HubSpot that has [calculation properties](https://knowledge.hubspot.com/crm-setup/create-calculation-properties), you can keep this updated automatically for your active customers.

&nbsp;

#### 3. Information about decision-makers

Your salespeople get an unmatched view into how each client's company functions. This includes who is involved in the decision-making process. As this same group of people will likely be involved in future onboarding sessions and upgrading discussions, make sure to store relevant information in your CRM. This helps to avoid the awkward scenario of them remembering you while you look anxiously at a blank contact record, or passing the deal to a colleague who has even less background information.

&nbsp;

#### 4. Granular, verified segmentation data

As a sales team gets to know a prospect better, it's a great opportunity to verify their contact record. Check their industry, company size and other key metrics are correct and make sure to [instantly sync this data to other apps](https://www.piesync.com/solutions/crm/) such as email marketing and automation tools that use segmentation.

&nbsp;

#### 5. Closed won and closed lost data

One of the most important metrics for salespeople to collect is why they successfully close a deal or not. Ask for standardized answers to store in your CRM and use this to optimize your product, messaging and targeting, and sales process.

<RelatedPost slug="keep-customer-data-up-to-date-everywhere" />

&nbsp;

----

### Customer service

Customer data collection doesn't finish when a deal is closed. Throughout a customer's time with your company, you can optimize and update their contact record to create the most accurate view of how your company can best serve them. Here's the best customer data to collect in your service team

&nbsp;

#### 1. Customer happiness metrics

Metrics such as NPS (Net Promoter Score) and CSAT (Customer Satisfaction Score) are incredibly useful for any organization to reduce churn and optimize customer experience with a stronger product, strategy and team. These metrics give you a snapshot into how a customer feels about your company and products at any point in time, and with repeated surveys at set intervals, you can monitor how that sentiment changes with time.

Many customer happiness metrics are extremely quick to collect. As one of the most popular examples, NPS simply asks: “On a scale of zero to ten, how likely are you to recommend our business to a friend or colleague?” You can measure NPS and CSAT with tools such as [Wootric](https://www.wootric.com/).

&nbsp;

#### 2. Support ticket data

An insightful way to gauge both individual and overall customer happiness and satisfaction towards your product and support is with your support ticket data. This includes general metrics such as ticket volume, topic and time to resolution, but it's also worth automating data properties for each customer record, such as:

- Last ticket submitted
- Number of tickets submitted

[With automation in your service team](https://www.piesync.com/blog/12-ways-to-improve-customer-experience-with-automation/), you can create instant triggers that let your team know if satisfaction scores drop below a certain threshold or a certain amount of tickets are submitted within a timeframe. Your team can then reach out fast to check how the customer is doing and reduce their likelihood of churn.

&nbsp;

#### 3. Churn risk

By combining metrics such as customer satisfaction and support ticket data, you can create a tailored formula for calculating churn risk. With a [calculation property in your CRM](https://knowledge.hubspot.com/crm-setup/create-calculation-properties), you can then automatically measure this and keep an up-to-date and intelligent view of the customers at the highest risk of churn.

&nbsp;

#### 4. Customer churn reason

It's unfortunate, but it happens: you can't keep every customer forever. If a customer does have to say goodbye, try to understand and record what's behind it in your CRM. Keep these answers standardized (such as "too expensive" or "problems with product") so you can easily create actionable reports instead of sifting through unstructured data.

&nbsp;

#### 5. Customer happiness reason

On the other hand, if a customer loves your company, learn why! Create a standardized set of satisfaction reasons that you can ask your customers with high NPS scores to choose from. 

<RelatedPost slug="how-to-capitalize-on-customer-data" />

----

Collecting, maintaining and utilizing customer data is a job you're never finished with. But when you have **relevant, accurate and up-to-date customer data**, you make everything else easier and more impactful for sales, marketing, service and beyond.

To maintain the highest quality data in every app and enable your departments to seamlessly collaborate on insights, [use PieSync for a two-way contact data sync between your apps](https://app.piesync.com/signup/). From your CRM to your email marketing software and support platform, bring your apps together for the smoothest data-driven operations in your organization.

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10 (HALF) - Data & analytics - more-reliable-data-everywhere

Customer data is behind everything in your company. Learn the best practices for collecting, maintaining and utilizing customer data in sales, marketing and service.

The customer data guide for businesses: what to collect, maintain and use

Data & Analytics

Business owner collecting and managing customer data in an office

Customer data: what to collect and how to put it to work in your company

rapidmail

![Rapidmail integration](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/Noq278W9OWoi3m8xNYqtL/b447e5beaa4b05719bf83dfc744e2ece/Rapidmail_launch.png)

[Rapidmail](https://www.rapidmail.com/) is a cloud-based software for professional email marketing. With Rapidmail, you can create and send professional newsletters or automated emails with no prior knowledge.

Additionally, you can connect your shopsystem with rapidmail to send your transactional emails like order confirmations and invoices via rapidmails transactional infrastructure to combine highest security with best deliverability. 

If you are using Rapidmail to interact with customers, you are probably gathering unique customer data within this marketing tool. That data could be interesting for your sales and customer support teams. It could also be perfect for other marketing campaigns you are running from different marketing apps. But, how do you keep your data in sync with other applications? 

## Connect Rapidmail with 253 apps:

Most apps are not natively integrated. This means you have to work out a way to get contact data from one app to another. If you are using Rapidmail next to other tools, you might be familiarized with the challenges it implies. 

The general feeling is that you have customer data everywhere!

A lot of businesses import/export data knowing that their apps are never truly up-to-date. Others use one-way pushes that don't act upon your historical data, often resulting in duplicates.

__PieSync provides a two-way solution = contact synchronization.__

This easy-to-use sync solution needs to be set up just once and from thereon you'll have it working in the background. PieSync will be constantly checking your connected apps for updates so whenever you add or update contact information in either app, you can have it up-to-date in the other one in real time.

These are the applications you can have in sync with Rapidmail today:

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

### PieSync in 60 seconds

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

So... PieSync is the glue that keeps your different business applications together. Instead of pushing data from one app to the other one, PieSync actually keeps it in sync.

That helps you avoid isolated data (data silos) and duplicates. Plus, PieSync keeps in mind historical data to make sure you don’t miss a thing.

> It works in all directions... So, let's say I am out of the office and I meet new contacts and add them to my phone. PieSync will syncs them to my other systems instantly! Bob Peterson - WSI Internet Consulting

### Rule-Based Sync

When you are working with big contact lists, it can happen that you don't need all that data in sync. Thanks to PieSync's ["if-this-then-that" rules or conditions](https://www.piesync.com/blog/introducing-intelligent-syncing/) you can choose which contacts to sync and how; according to attributes, tags, labels, lists, etc. 

![rapidmail and google contacts integration](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/1paWTB0cT0LKwEzh2LEjle/ee85a4baf817717333afb9dec73a46a8/rapidmail_and_google_contacts_integration.png)

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

__Do you need help setting up your sync? [Learn more about Rapidmail's set up in our Help Center.](https://www.piesync.com/help/connector-apps/rapidmail/)__

### Custom Mapping

PieSync will automatically map most of your contacts' information fields: name, email, address, phone number, etc.

![Rapidmail integration with google contacts](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/3FXXwsAE6EyG42cIsg6Idy/4a637e487bf5c43c9507504025664809/Rapidmail_integration_with_google_contacts.png)

If you've created custom fields, [you can also manually map as many fields as you wish](https://www.piesync.com/blog/announcing-our-biggest-update-to-date-custom-fields-and-customizable-field/).

## Top Syncs 

Some popular syncs for Rapidmail are: 

### Rapidmail + CRM

- [Rapidmail and HubSpot](https://www.piesync.com/rapidmail/hubspot/)
- [Rapidmail and Salesforce](https://www.piesync.com/rapidmail/salesforce/)
- [Rapidmail and Pipedrive](https://www.piesync.com/rapidmail/pipedrive/)

### Rapidmail + Customer Support apps  

- [Rapidmail and Zendesk](https://www.piesync.com/rapidmail/zendesk/)
- [Rapidmail and Intercom](https://www.piesync.com/rapidmail/intercom/)
- [Rapidmail and Freshdesk](https://www.piesync.com/rapidmail/freshdesk/)

### Rapidmail + Other tools

- [Rapidmail and Google Contacts](https://www.piesync.com/rapidmail/googlecontacts/)
- - [Rapidmail and EZ Texting](https://www.piesync.com/rapidmail/eztexting/)
- [Rapidmail and Rapidmail](https://www.piesync.com/rapidmail/outlook/)
- [Rapidmail and Shopify](https://www.piesync.com/rapidmail/shopify/)

__These are only some examples, the combinations and workflows you can create are limitless! Keep your software stack in sync, your way!__

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

cta-14-collaborate-better-with-synchronized-contact-data-grey

14 (FULL) - Remote work, productivity & collaboration - collaborate-better-with-synchronized-contact-data-grey

You are sending out amazing newsletters from Rapidmail. But how do you keep those email lists up-to-date with data of your CRM? And how do you share subscription info with your other tools? Exporting/importing CSV files is never an efficient process! Here's a sync solution for you... 

Rapidmail Integration Solution By PieSync

Announcements

Rapidmail integration

Have your Rapidmail contact lists in sync with 253 other apps! 

Xero

Quickbooks

Wave

Sage Accounting (formerly Sage One)

FreeAgent

FreshBooks

Zoho Books

![Businesspeople working around a desk looking at accounting information](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/4LOKt4tTyomqyey44ueo4q/a13fa960235447a4fbdee2c0ed393161/accounting_11.png)

You've started a small business, you're full of creative ideas, and you have customers lining up to work with you. You're ready to [face the world of entrepreneurship](https://www.piesync.com/blog/7-steps-to-get-right-before-scaling-your-business/), but there's one thing standing in your way: accounting.

Let's be honest, most people don't start a business because of the accounting. It can be a real drag to stay on top of every single expense and track your invoices perfectly. But while accounting is here to stay, cloud-based software has made it infinitely easier to stay on top of your books. 

Here are some of the __best accounting apps for small businesses__ on the market today. They're all easy to use and budget-friendly, freeing up your time and keeping life simple when tax time swings around.

&nbsp;

|      | Pros     | Cons     | Starting price     |  |
| ---------- | ---------- | ---------- | ---------- | ---------- |
| Xero       | User experience and minimalist design      | Lower price plans have very limited functionality      | $9/month       | [Learn more](#xero) |
| QuickBooks       | Accountants love it       | Can get more complicated than competitors      | $25/month       | [Learn more](#quickbooks) |
| FreshBooks       | User-friendly; perfect for creatives and freelancers     | Can be too straightforward       | $15/month       | [Learn more](#freshbooks)|
| Sage Business Cloud Accounting       | Very intuitive with everything a small business needs      | Features still catching up with bigger competitors  | $10/month       | [Learn more](#sage)|
| Wave       | It's free!       | Limited functionality; not a great fit if you're outside North America       | $0       | [Learn more](#wave)|
| Zoho Books       | Financial reporting; very budget-friendly       | User interface is a bit clunkier than competitors       | $9/month       | [Learn more](#zoho-books)|
| FreeAgent       | Great for European businesses       | Limited if you're in US and Canada       | $12 /month for 6 months, then $24 /month       | [Learn more](#freeagent)|

&nbsp;

## The best small business accounting software for 2021

&nbsp;

### 1. Xero – beautiful accounting software{#xero}

&nbsp;

![Xero business performance dashboard](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/3PMMyiSfD0FBFIHvHqLWXL/42bb902dffe93562f0ce98c5f993d9bd/Business-Performance-Dashboard__1_.jpg)

&nbsp;

__Pricing: starts at $9/month__, but most features are available from $30/month.

There's one thing that many [Xero](https://www.xero.com/) customers will tell you: it manages to make accounting _enjoyable_. Xero's goal is to provide "beautiful accounting software" – and they deliver.

It's an extremely user-friendly accounting software to navigate, and once you've set up your automatic bank feeds you're good to go. It can take a while to get your head around the Chart of Accounts to correctly reconcile transactions, but this often comes down to your individual business and your accountant's preferences if you have one.

We love Xero's new Business Snapshot and Cash Flow pages that offer an instant view of income, expenses, profit margin and forecasted cash flow. Xero is a fantastic small business accounting software to get started with early on and stay with as you grow.

__Popular features__

- Business Snapshot reporting
- Multi-currency invoices
- Built-in payroll
- Bank reconciliation with instant feeds for many partners, including TransferWise

Check which apps you can [two-way sync with Xero](https://www.piesync.com/xero/). If you're also considering QuickBooks, see [how it stacks up with Xero](https://www.piesync.com/blog/xero-vs-quickbooks-online/).

----

### 2. QuickBooks Online – the US market leader for cloud accounting{#quickbooks}

&nbsp;

![QuickBooks full accounting suite](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/5uANrQbvCwGzDRUiQja60i/5598c83329c8a42f443e9a979f099daf/img_row_za_cloud_all_devices_540_353_2x.png)

&nbsp;

__Pricing: starts at $25/month.__

[QuickBooks](https://quickbooks.intuit.com/) is the accounting software giant, especially in North America. Some people still associate the brand name with desktop versions of the software, but QuickBooks Online is cloud-based and extremely user-friendly.

It's easy for small businesses and freelancers to quickly send out invoice links, receive payments by credit card, and tick every other box to coordinate their finances.

As it's such a popular software, there's a huge range of bank integrations to ensure an instant bank feed for easy reconciliation. With [Quickbooks Point of Sale](https://quickbooks.intuit.com/desktop/point-of-sale/), ecommerce stores can also integrate their shop with contactless payments and multichannel inventory management.

__Popular features__

- Inventory tracking
- Mobile app
- Super simple invoicing
- Time tracking

Check which apps you can [two-way sync with QuickBooks](https://www.piesync.com/quickbooks/). Read our comparison of QuickBooks with [FreshBooks](https://www.piesync.com/blog/freshbooks-vs-quickbooks/) and [Wave](https://www.piesync.com/blog/wave-vs-quickbooks/) to decide which software is best for you.

----

### 3. FreshBooks – popular accounting software for freelancers and creatives{#freshbooks}

&nbsp;

![FreshBooks accounting dashboard](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/4TbkM0da3fKZIPs8VzklwH/2919ef141dce80a08070896fd0366ad4/50176.png)

&nbsp;

__Pricing: starts at $15/month.__

[FreshBooks](https://www.freshbooks.com/) is another perfect fit for small businesses. It's a great choice for entrepreneurs and small teams, especially for service and creative industries.

It's simpler than alternatives like Xero and QuickBooks, which can be a downside if you want more customization, but positive if you want a straightforward accounting solution.

FreshBooks stands out from better-known competitors with features such as built-in time tracking that's available with every plan, plus an engaging dashboard to give you a simple and quick glance of performance.

You also get unlimited invoices, estimates and expenses with all FreshBooks plans, starting from $15/month. This is different from alternatives like Xero that are very limited at the lowest price point.

__Popular features__

- Unlimited invoices, estimates and expenses on all plans
- Built-in time tracking on all plans
- Straightforward feature set and user experience

Check which apps you can [two-way sync with FreshBooks](https://www.piesync.com/freshbooks/), or read our [in-depth comparison of FreshBooks vs. QuickBooks](https://www.piesync.com/blog/freshbooks-vs-quickbooks/).

----

### 4. Sage Business Cloud Accounting – professional cloud-accounting to fit any budget{#sage}

&nbsp;

![Sage Business Cloud Accounting](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/61Tzdq6yfTYy5hKMXTvGvs/2c3f19a11fe2d07c1a428e121c0d5a32/Sage_Business_Cloud_Accounting.png)

&nbsp;

__Pricing: starts at $10/month.__

[Sage](https://www.sage.com/en-us/sage-business-cloud/accounting/) has a reputation for being extremely reliable, especially via its ERP solutions. However, it also has a popular cloud-based accounting software that's a perfect fit for many small businesses.

Sage Business Cloud Accounting, previously Sage One, offers everything a small business needs to stay on top of accounting.

Their product is especially popular with traditional small businesses that are choosing their first cloud-based accounting software. The brand doesn't have the same lighthearted fun feel as FreshBooks or minimalist beauty as Xero, but it's __reliable, professional and straightforward__. And there's much to love about that.

__Popular features__

- Manage inventory 
- Invoice in multiple currencies 
- Advanced and real-time reporting

Check which apps you can [two-way sync with Sage Accounting](https://www.piesync.com/sage-financials/).

----

### 5. Wave – a free accounting platform for freelancers and small businesses{#wave}

&nbsp;

![Wave accounting for small businesses](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/4VscjOiNwW6riyDbIbFmTW/38543ace5d9a09f6dbf64ac18e5bddbb/Screenshot_2019-10-04_at_17.40.03.png)

&nbsp;

__Pricing: Wave Accounting is free__, although there are charges per transactions, payroll and expert support.

[Wave](https://www.waveapps.com/) stands out from the other accounting systems on this list with a tempting selling point: it's free. 

You can sign up without a credit card to get instant access to the accounting platform, including unlimited invoicing and receipt scanning, which is a major advantage for very small businesses and freelancers who are just starting out.

The disadvantage is that Wave lacks complexity and customization, which is fine for many freelancers and small digital agencies, but more problematic for more established small businesses. 

Wave also focuses heavily on the US and Canada, so if you're outside North America you'll struggle to set up instant bank feeds and keep your accounting and tax reporting efficient and in line with local regulations.

__Popular features__

* Free and unlimited
* Free accounting, invoicing and receipts 
* Run multiple businesses in one account 
* Fully functional double-entry system to be tax-ready for year-end

Check which apps you can [two-way sync with Wave](https://www.piesync.com/wave/) or read our [comparison of Wave and QuickBooks](https://www.piesync.com/blog/wave-vs-quickbooks/).

----

### 6. Zoho Books – the straightforward accounting solution from Zoho{#zoho-books}

&nbsp;

![Zoho Books accounting for small businesses](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/7D1zQ2lTkJmQfpoIAQpjEJ/7e69f79f627b8f7b7a48a011ae7c07f6/Zoho_Books_accounting_for_small_businesses.png)

&nbsp;

__Pricing: starts at $9/month.__

[Zoho Books](https://www.zoho.com/books/) is another budget-friendly choice. Although it's not free like Wave, it starts at a very accessible price.

The product is part of the Zoho family alongside other popular platforms such as Zoho CRM, Zoho Mail and Zoho Projects. Zoho offers seamless integrations between their products, which is a big benefit if you're already using others.

Zoho Books is a bit clunkier than alternatives such as Xero and Sage, but its clear focus on small businesses comes through in its simplicity and straightforward feature set.

__Popular features__

* Automated workflows 
* Budgeting 
* Zoho Sign Integration 
* Projects and timesheets

Check which apps you can [two-way sync with Zoho Books](https://www.piesync.com/zohobooks/).

----

### 7. FreeAgent – a fast-growing accounting system that's born and bred in Europe{#freeagent}

&nbsp;

![FreeAgent accounting software for small businesses](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/6Sjw4qzYqozM1HhuA5Cv9x/d751080ff0365e63cac5ab98b44db0ee/FreeAgent_accounting_software_for_small_businesses.png)

&nbsp;

__Pricing: starts at $12/month for 6 months, then $24/month.__

Scotland-based [FreeAgent](https://www.freeagent.com/) has quickly evolved into one of the most popular accounting platforms in Europe over the last few years.

FreeAgent is extremely simple to get up and running with, making it an excellent choice for new business owners or those who want to switch to a more straightforward system. There's everything you need to manage your accounting online, and its handling of multi-currency invoices stands out from even top players like Xero and QuickBooks.

There's only one price plan, so you get unlimited everything as soon as you sign up. Also, when you can pay upfront you get six months for half price, which is a great way to check if the software suits you before committing long-term.

__Popular features__

* Unlimited everything
* Multi-currency invoices
* Sales tax reporting for the US, Europe, or UK
* Award-winning support

Check which apps you can [two-way sync with FreeAgent](https://www.piesync.com/freeagent/).

----

**Still can't decide? Here's our comparison of some of the best accounting apps to help you make the most informed decision.**

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

&nbsp;

After choosing the right accounting app for your business, it's time to [connect it with the rest of your tech stack](https://www.piesync.com/why/). PieSync joins the dots between your apps with a two-way data sync. Ensure the latest information about your contacts reaches everywhere you need it, no matter which device or platform you're looking at.


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Every small business needs an effective accounting system to stay on top of their books. Here are seven of the best small business accounting platforms for 2021.

A complete guide to accounting software for small businesses

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Accounting & Billing

Businesspeople working around a desk looking at accounting information

7 of the best accounting software for small businesses for 2021

BombBomb

Follow Up Boss

ActiveCampaign

![house with real estate for sale sign](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/4nmnneOpyIOJSjvNsMAXSS/33149feab725466fce65e9971905ae9e/Depositphotos_2814393_s-2019.jpg)

A top-performing real estate tech stack has a few vital ingredients. [At the center of all operations is a CRM](https://www.piesync.com/blog/crm-for-real-estate/) to manage contacts, deals and pipelines. You probably also have an email marketing app to engage your audience and a phone address book so you can easily call your leads.

That said, it's not always easy to choose the best real estate apps for your business. There are so many to choose from that some people decide it’s too difficult and don’t bother, or they just go with what their friends or colleagues are using. However, choosing the right apps for your real estate business is absolutely worth the time and energy. 

To streamline the process, here are some of the __best apps for any real estate business__ to consider.

---

## Best apps for real estate businesses in 2021

&nbsp;

### 1. [Follow Up Boss](https://www.followupboss.com/) – real estate CRM and lead management software

&nbsp;

![Follow Up Boss integration](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/6x8EoVkUkAM9ea8HxJoxOi/1c7f3119d5baa2672af7ef137b395928/Follow_Up_Boss_integration.png)

&nbsp;

An omnichannel CRM is the most powerful app for any real estate stack. [Follow Up Boss](https://www.piesync.com/followupboss/) is one of the most popular choices with hundreds of connections to lead providers, including Ylopo, Realtor.com, Zillow, Facebook Lead Ads and Homes.com.

The CRM offers built-in features including integrated calling, texting, email and lead routing so it's extremely simple to collect, contact and manage leads via all the most important channels in one place.

<RelatedPost slug="crm-for-real-estate" />

&nbsp;

### 2. [BombBomb](https://bombbomb.com/) – record, send and track video

&nbsp;

![Video marketing for real estate with BombBomb](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/416cICR0YvchyG4RwncsD8/7987790896612aa59cd83021d8d142c4/Video_marketing_for_real_estate_with_BombBomb.jpg)

&nbsp;

[BombBomb](https://www.piesync.com/bombbomb/) is the best app for real estate businesses to build better business relationships using video messaging. It helps you to communicate with your clients more effectively by sending personal videos from your computer or smartphone. Thousands of realtors use it for great results.

&nbsp;

### 3. [Canva](https://www.canva.com/) – a simple way to design graphics

&nbsp;

![Canva for real estate templates](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/4Hs95F9cWFBxayX8d0DbSy/f6746c7a9767a9ba30b69b7caefe0eb1/Screenshot_2020-10-12_at_14.08.58.png)

&nbsp;

If designing social media posts and other graphics fills you with stress, takes up way too much of your time, and never really produces the results you want, Canva is a nifty tool to turn everyone into a designer. 

Templates make it simple to create anything you need to design for your real estate business, and for most tasks you won't even need a paid subscription.

&nbsp;

### 4. [Google Analytics](https://analytics.google.com/analytics/web/) - the easiest way to monitor website performance

&nbsp;

![Google Analytics for real estate](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/1mI7b6JAuJEe7bzcPN5pgj/b10270bb2dcb071f133c87ef24fd255c/Google_Analytics_for_real_estate.png)

&nbsp;

Reporting is important for any type of business, and that includes real estate. Google Analytics is the go-to tool to track website traffic and understand how you're generating visitors over time. 

For an easier glance at your key insights, many website management systems include an integration with Google Analytics. If your website is hosted on WordPress, [Exactmetrics](https://www.exactmetrics.com/) offers a fantastic premium Google Analytics plugin that displays the most important metrics on your dashboard.

&nbsp;

### 5. [Trello](https://trello.com/) - simple and free project management

&nbsp;

![trello homepage best productivity tools](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/50i68tS8Fya83JCnozRGMy/6557c65f76b7b090bc306ae49c64a83e/trello_homepage_best_productivity_toos.png)

&nbsp;

If you're struggling to juggle several different projects and priorities at once, Trello is a wonderfully simple cloud-based project management tool.

Trello is structured in a simple Kanban board format, which in its simplest form follows the “To Do”, “Doing”, and “Done” workflow. However, it's extremely customizable and you can even add automations that trigger actions based on conditions you define.

<RelatedPost slug="remote-work-for-realtors" />

&nbsp;

### 6. [Buffer](https://buffer.com/) – easy social media scheduling for every channel

&nbsp;

![Buffer for real estate social media scheduling](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/1XLY1dPzPMhVMhGM8g1wVO/fb525046a924b296df390c4ce2967c6f/Buffer_for_real_estate_social_media_scheduling.jpg)

&nbsp;

Social scheduling has been around for a while now. However, it's not just Facebook and Twitter that you can easily schedule posts for. You can now easily schedule Pinterest content as well as Instagram posts and stories using Buffer, and there's even an option to include the first comment to pop your hashtags in. 

Everything is organized on one simple dashboard, and you can repost the most effective content based on what analytics show has performed best. 

<RelatedPost slug="12-unique-real-estate-marketing-ideas-for-your-strategy" />

&nbsp;

### 7. [Ahrefs](https://ahrefs.com/) - top SEO software for monitoring your rankings and competitors'

&nbsp;

![Ahrefs for real estate](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/5Wn9r0bD1Tg4QMPJJUzSZX/1e6616f44ee7bc9e94d4cfc75ace911e/Ahrefs_for_real_estate.jpg)

&nbsp;

Ahrefs exists to help anyone rank higher in searches and get more traffic, not just the SEO pros. The SEO software strikes a balance between being powerful yet easy to master with keyword research, site audit and rank tracker features. 

It has a higher price point at $99/month for just the Lite version, but with a $7 7-day trial, you can carry out your first site audit, keyword research and competitor analysis on a budget.

&nbsp;

### 8. [ActiveCampaign](https://www.activecampaign.com/) – for automating more of your real estate business

&nbsp;

![ActiveCampaign automation for real estate](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/6A6ZViK87zPSfvqVw8PSxh/79e02c727bc7a86f1fe6bc5d57de8253/Screenshot_2020-10-12_at_16.05.53.png)

&nbsp;

There are [so many ways that real estate businesses can automate their busywork](https://www.piesync.com/blog/ways-to-automate-real-estate/) and free up time for one-to-one interactions and strategy. One of the most effective first steps is adopting marketing automation software like [ActiveCampaign](https://www.piesync.com/active-campaign/).

ActiveCampaign is one of the most popular automation platforms on the market to create highly personalized email workflows and other automated customer experiences.

<RelatedPost slug="ways-to-automate-real-estate" />

&nbsp;

### 9. [Aircall](https://aircall.io/) – cloud-based calling connected to your other apps

&nbsp;

![aircall ease of use](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/01NfH7MOeTdAIN0AbZnFK5/b648e938163e7221a192100cd39114d5/Screenshot_2020-01-27_at_09.37.48.png)

&nbsp;

Calling leads is one of the key parts of any realtor's job, which means you need the right tools to support you. Aircall is one of our favorite recommendations for taking calls from anywhere. 

Not only is it extremely user-friendly with a beautifully minimalist interface, but it also integrates seamlessly with your other real estate apps. For the most customizable syncs, [use PieSync to connect your apps two ways in real-time.](https://www.piesync.com/aircall/)

&nbsp;

### 10. [PieSync](https://app.piesync.com/signup/) – for syncing contact data between your apps

&nbsp;

![PieSync to integrate real estate apps](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/3ieuZamEhqsy06I72b8p8m/dbcd972e254f1e702369a8c3bee972e6/Screenshot_2020-10-12_at_15.13.56.png)

&nbsp;

For a fully functional real estate app stack, you need your tools to play nicely together. Having different lead data in every app can cause major headaches, but it's an all too common problem for busy realtors.

With PieSync, it's easy to keep all of your apps in sync automatically. [Connect your real estate apps](https://www.piesync.com/solutions/real-estate/) like Follow Up Boss with other business tools like Google Contacts and keep your leads updated instantly in both places whenever anything changes in any app – including your phone contacts and email account.

Every realtor needs an app stack that supports their business and helps close more deals. Here are the best real estate apps to adopt for 2021.

10 of the best apps for real estate businesses in 2021

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Real Estate

house with real estate for sale sign

Cliniko

![Cliniko-launch-thumbnail](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/59dIYdNEO0vCkwKJ7QhKEA/13fb97295d632f2d3fcd002095d7080c/Cliniko-launch-thumbnail.png)

[Cliniko](https://www.cliniko.com/) is a practice management system for clinics and allied health practitioners.

Your Cliniko account stores valuable information about your patients and other contacts. That's why it's so important to keep it connected to other business applications that also gather data or that ship messages to your patients, employees, or providers. 

### PieSync: A two-way sync solution

Most apps are not natively integrated. This means you have to work out a way to get contact data from one app to another.

A lot of businesses import/export data knowing that their apps are never truly up-to-date. Others, use one-way pushes that don't act upon your historical data, often resulting in duplicates. 

__PieSync provides a two-way solution = contact synchronization.__

These are the applications you can have in sync with Cliniko today: 

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

This easy-to-use sync solution needs to be set up just once and from thereon works in the background. It will be constantly checking your connected apps for updates so whenever you add or update contact information in either app, you can have it up-to-date in the other one in real time. 

### A quick intro to PieSync

<Embed src="https://youtu.be/6QGNLcgW7gA" />

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

### 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](https://www.piesync.com/blog/introducing-intelligent-syncing/) 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. 

![hubspot cliniko integration](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/44ZJxBChXCVOP00fdcpGVA/512f6530922a1ad90e321abbaeb70921/hubspot_cliniko_integration.png)

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

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

![cliniko hubspot integration](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/5OZmEHdyMtt8nFtmo98cXb/4c115793343511416cbd7e865674e5d7/cliniko_hubspot_integration.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/)

![Cliniko patient integration](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/4yXhkOTo5zESMD3zObXhRm/36435efc876dc3b25d539dc5d80f5485/Cliniko_patient_integration.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/cliniko/) to get extra information about this connection.__

So what are you waiting for?

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

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Sync your patient and contact data with 253 other applications! Learn about this solution empowered by PieSync right here!

Cliniko integration via PieSync

Cliniko integration 

Have your Cliniko patient and contact data in sync with 253 other apps! 

Stripe

Square

![stripe vs square](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/1JSBCROF3GGJijyKeev6ku/b10b6b14000f184e63f1d58e0203dba2/stripe_vs_square.png)

It's never been easier to start a business from anywhere in the world. Entrepreneurs can use cloud-based software to manage their business remotely and collaborate with team members they've never met in person. And with payment technology, anyone can instantly accept payments from customers on the other side of the globe.

Two of the most popular payment gateways are Stripe and Square. Stripe is the most well-known brand of the two and popular as a go-to choice for online payment processing, often as an alternative to PayPal. It's also highly customizable and scalable.

On the other hand, Square is best known for making payments accessible for businesses of all sizes and levels of tech-savviness. Square started with an affordable card reader that quickly became popular with brick-and-mortar stores and has since expanded to much wider payment functionality.

But how do Stripe and Square stack up, what's the difference between them, and how can you make the best choice for your business? Here's our head-to-head comparison of the two platforms.

* [Introducing Square and Stripe](#square-and-stripe)
* [When to choose Square](#choosing-square)
* [When to choose Stripe](#choosing-stripe)
* [Online payments](#online-payments) 
* [Point of sale](#point-of-sale)
* [Stripe vs. Square pricing](#pricing)
* [Quick summary: when to choose Stripe vs. Square](#summary)
* [Sync Stripe and Square with your other apps](#sync-other-apps)

---

## Introducing Square and Stripe{#square-and-stripe}

&nbsp;

|      | Square     | Stripe     |
| ---------- | ---------- | ---------- |
| Best for       | Small businesses and brick-and-mortar stores      | Startups, software platforms, ecommerce platform users      |
| Excels at       | POS  with a quick set-up for straightforward online sales    | Highly customizable payment flows for online sales  |
| Billing       | Pay-as-you-go, no monthly charges or lock-in    | Pay-as-you-go, no monthly charges or lock-in       |
| Complexity       | Low unless you opt for Square's developer tools and API  | Mid-to-high if you want customization     |
| Customer service       | 9am-5pm, Mon-Fri      | 24/7       |

&nbsp;

### About Square

[Square](https://squareup.com/) believes everyone should be "able to participate and thrive in the economy" and that no one should be left out because the cost is too great or the technology too complex. This has been their ethos from the beginning, when they started out with a little white card reader popular with small retail stores and cafes that didn't want to lose a large chunk of their profits to payment processing costs.

They now enable sellers to accept chip and PIN and contactless payments, as well as offering a Cash App to allow people to send money instantly to family or friends. Square's CEO and Co-founder is Jack Dorsey, also CEO and Co-founder of Twitter, who launched the company in 2009.

&nbsp;

### About Stripe

[Stripe](https://stripe.com/) offers "payments infrastructure for the internet". Millions of businesses of all sizes – from startups to large enterprises – use Stripe’s software and APIs to accept payments, send payouts and manage their businesses online. Irish entrepreneur brothers John and Patrick Collison founded Stripe in 2010.

&nbsp;

----

## Comparing Stripe vs. Square in 2020 – which is the best payment solution for you?

Both Stripe and Square are two of the biggest names in payment platforms. But they're not always the best fit for the same types of businesses. Here's how to tell the difference and decide which is the best choice for you.

&nbsp;

### When to choose Square{#choosing-square}

#### 1. You want ease and affordability

Square's philosophy is that anyone should be able to participate and thrive in today's economy – which means providing an alternative to other more complicated solutions, including Stripe.

It's a fantastic choice to start accepting payments through multiple channels quickly and easily without any coding or unnecessary hassle.

![Square multichannel payments](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/5jtuIXd95Un6vaMs3xYaxI/e47e9ff95d3c087594aba80ba663ae60/Screenshot_2020-10-02_at_17.47.06.png)

&nbsp;

#### 2. You have a brick-and-mortar store

Square is an excellent fit for retail stores, cafes and restaurants. With the Square ePOS (electronic point of sale) system, you can accept every way your customers want to pay and link your transactions seamlessly with your online store. This includes credit and debit cards, Apple Pay and Google Pay, digital gift cards and invoices.

Square also offers Square Appointments, an appointment-scheduling POS system. There's also Square for Retail plus Square for Restaurants, offering a specialist POS for front-of-house and back-of-house operations including pickup and delivery.

Square is much more accessible globally than Stripe's point of sale solution, Terminal, which is currently only available to businesses in the US and Canada.

&nbsp;

#### 3. You process occasional online sales

If your business generates some online revenue, especially as a secondary revenue stream to a physical store, Square can be a great choice to power your online payments.

Square stands out from Stripe by offering an all-in-one online shopping experience, including a store website builder and seamless functionality for online food ordering with pickup or delivery, online retail, and donations for fundraising. In comparison, Stripe only offers a checkout experience.

![Square website builder for restaurants](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/5wziRvxFfHYKuIvSLd6mGl/b9a1f2a697ee934acb361c210e1f557c/Screenshot_2020-10-02_at_17.47.45.png)

&nbsp;

If you already have a website, you can simply integrate [Square Online Checkout](https://squareup.com/gb/en/online-checkout) with easy checkout links to streamline the payment experience for you and your customers.

However, for ecommerce stores that are operating at scale, Stripe tends to be a better choice than Square due to its huge scope for customization.

&nbsp;

### When to choose Stripe{#choosing-stripe}

#### 1. You want a highly customizable solution or API

Stripe is trusted by many of the world's biggest brands to power their online payments. Its major selling point is flexible integration options that fit your desired complexity. 

To keep things super simple, you can just choose a quick hosted payment page with [Stripe Checkout](https://stripe.com/payments/checkout). 

But if you have the tech know-how, you can design your payments process with fully customizable flows via [Stripe Elements](https://stripe.com/payments/elements), their prebuilt UI elements. You can also contact them to build a fully API-based integration with your own UI.

To stay on top of your sales, Stripe has a user-friendly dashboard where you can see how every channel is performing at a glance.

![Stripe user dashboard for reporting](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/2NxLm6IPOvgSgVRLI9wipX/9b1d88db17ccbbea6b71595067416046/Stripe_user_dashboard.png)

&nbsp;

#### 2. You have an established ecommerce store

Because of its level of customization, Stripe is a great choice for growing ecommerce stores that want a payment flow that thrives at scale.

Ecommerce businesses can choose to create their own payment flow or benefit from Stripe's huge range of third-party integrations. For the many ecommerce stores using [Shopify](http://shopify.com/) to power their business, Stripe integration is a piece of cake and often one of the first steps after setting up a store.

Stripe is also an extremely common integration for online course platforms such as [Kajabi](https://kajabi.com/) and [Teachable](https://teachable.com/), making it a go-to choice for online business owners and solopreneurs. Stripe's recurring billing tends to be cheaper than Square's, which is another perk here for subscription-based service providers.

&nbsp;

#### 3. You have a fast-growing startup

[Stripe Connect](https://stripe.com/connect) offers a set of programmable APIs and tools to facilitate payments on a software platform or marketplace, making it a go-to choice for fast-growing startups.

You can use prebuilt or custom flows to onboard users, accept payments in 135+ currencies, and process payouts quickly and control how funds flow. On the Connect dashboard, you can monitor exactly how your business is doing.

![Stripe connect dashboard for marketplaces and software providers](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/12nt159V5sA5ZusgqpQjTz/d8032e685ffe355daaf6fbe824d58282/Stripe_Connect_for_platforms_and_marketplaces.jpg)

Stripe also handles compliance and risk management, offering card data tokenization to help with PCI compliance and verification systems to manage KYC checks among other value-adds.

----

## Feature comparison

### Online payments{#online-payments}

__Stripe__'s core focus is on online payments, and it's here they really thrive. There's a complete stack of payment options to choose from including simple checkout pages and embeds, subscriptions, and recurring payments and solutions for SaaS platforms and marketplaces.

![Stripe online payments flow](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/6udLi6Mrx4Jha0Ic9cKEYX/a0697c796624c34029cc8205d5a9a2f3/Screenshot_2020-10-05_at_13.36.31.png)

&nbsp;

The disadvantage for some smaller businesses is that Stripe offers a checkout solution, not an all-in-one storefront. It needs to be connected to another website or ecommerce platform, like Shopify. If you want everything in one package, take a closer look at Square instead.

With __Square__, it's extremely straightforward to start selling online with easy checkout links. Even if you don't have a website, you can give whatever you're selling a name and price and create a link to sell it online. 

On the Square dashboard, you can see how your online and offline channels are performing in one place.

![Square online payments and reporting dashboard](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/64hDt1Uo7V1JCrsWa35qcD/1a697da78abbb02b50ea3eb7cb473c8b/Screenshot_2020-10-02_at_17.43.53.png)

&nbsp;

If you want to build a website, that's simple with a Square Online Store. You can use the website builder to create a site that looks great on all devices with zero code required and launch for free with no monthly fee. You will only pay when you make a sale at 2.5% per transaction. 

With the services Square for Retail and Square for Restaurants, it's also an excellent choice for businesses in these industries.

&nbsp;

### Point of sale{#point-of-sale}

[Terminal](https://stripe.com/terminal) is __Stripe__'s point of sale solution, which offers flexible developer tools, pre-certified card readers and cloud-based hardware management. The key characteristic of Terminal is that it *extends* your online presence into the physical world: it's the best fit for businesses that are online-first, rather than the opposite. 

Stripe's main limitation for in-person payments is that Stripe Terminal is currently __only available to businesses in the US and Canada__.

Stripe hardware includes pre-certified card-readers with cloud-based fleet management. This starts at $59 for the BBPOS Chipper™ 2X BT and $299 for the Verifone® P400.

![Stripe hardware for POS payments](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/3qoW3fMO81ucexGeU0M71Q/2498d20f997047d40aebae51f9a205ca/Screenshot_2020-10-05_at_13.28.21.png)

&nbsp;

__Square__, on the other hand, was initially built for customer-facing small business merchants, especially in retail. Although their feature set has grown a lot since then, this is still the use case where they stand out from competitors.

With the Square ePOS (electronic point of sale) system, you can accept every way your customers want to pay. This includes credit and debit cards, Apple Pay and Google Pay, digital gift cards and invoices.

Square gives shops, restaurants and other customer-facing small businesses everything they need to create a straightforward and connected payment infrastructure, from in-person sales to subscriptions and online payments.

Square hardware includes a Square Register for $799, Square Stand for $169, and a Square Terminal for $299. These are also available with affordable monthly plans to distribute the cost across three, six or twelve months. There are also extremely budget-friendly Square Readers from $10 to $49.

![Square hardware for POS payments](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/5VXVWdSqhp8Wo1j1eWatPc/e5ea4f3c25ac309ea6efeadd6f06b8b9/Screenshot_2020-10-05_at_12.14.10.png)

![Square hardware for POS payments](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/45J3pK8dIXoNMCkZsxjUbu/52afbf26ea4e23adb2ec80e77f4d245c/Screenshot_2020-10-05_at_12.15.25.png)

&nbsp;

|      | Stripe     | Square     |
| ---------- | ---------- | ---------- |
| Overall       | Accept payments, send payouts and manage your business online.       | Whether in person or online, take all kinds of payments quickly and securely.       |
| Online payments       | Highly customizable checkout and payment flows. <br><br> Need to connect it with a website or ecommerce platform.       | Choose between a free online store for an all-in-one solution, or simple checkout links.       |
| Online Store       | -       | Accept payments, send payouts and manage your business online.       |
| Mobile payments app       | -       | Accept payments on your smartphone or tablet alongside the card reader or with manual entry.       |
| Point of sale / in-person payments       | Stripe Terminal offers flexible developer tools, pre-certified card readers and cloud-based hardware management.       | ePOS enables payments by credit and debit card, Apple Pay and Google Pay, digital gift cards, invoices, and more.       |
| Payments for platforms       | Stripe Connect offers programmable APIs and tools to facilitate payments on your software platform or marketplace, process payouts, and manage compliance.       | Build commerce solutions for your own business with the Square API and developer tools.       |
| Subscriptions and invoicing       | Use Stripe Billing to bill customers with subscriptions or invoices. Benefit from flexible billing logic, free trials, prorations, overages, and smart retries.       | Use the Card on File feature within Square Invoices to process recurring or subscription-type payments.       |
| Payouts       | Standard [payout timing](https://stripe.com/docs/payouts) depends on country and account type. <br><br>With Connect, programmatically send payouts as soon as the next working day to your sellers, freelancers or service providers and offload KYC and verification requirements.       | With Square’s standard transfer schedule, transfers are initiated every weeknight for payments taken Monday-Friday before midnight.       |
| Fraud and risk management       | Offload KYC and verification to Stripe. Stripe's Radar machine learning is included in all plans and offers powerful fraud-fighting tools with billions of data points across the Stripe network.       | All plans include free fraud monitoring and detecting. For more fraud prevention, Square now offers Risk Manager as a customizable risk management system. From 6¢ per online transaction you can assess risky payments, block repeat fraud, quickly identify trends, and make your own rules.       |

---

## Stripe vs. Square pricing{#pricing}

Is Stripe or Square cheaper? Both Stripe and Square offer very similar pricing, but there are some subtle differences.

Stripe stands out by letting you accept ACH direct debit payments (or bank transfers) and also works out cheaper for recurring or card-on-file transactions, making it a better choice for larger businesses with a subscription model.

&nbsp;

|      | Stripe     | Square     |
| ---------- | ---------- | ---------- |
| Online card transactions       | 2.9% + 30 cents       | 2.9% + 30 cents       |
| In-person card transactions       | 2.7% + 5 cents       | 2.6% + 10 cents       |
| ACH direct debit transactions     | 0.8% with $5 cap       | -       |
| Recurring / card-on-file transactions       | From 0.5% for Starter or 0.8% for Scale       | 3.5% + 15 cents       |

---

## Quick summary: when to choose Stripe vs. Square {#summary}

What's the difference between Stripe and Square? While customizable online payments is Stripe's jam, Square exists to make payment technology more accessible to businesses of all budgets and tech-savviness, especially brick-and-mortar stores.

For highly customizable online payments, Stripe is a fantastic choice. For straightforward in-person payments with occasional online sales, Square is one of the best on the market.

Here's our quick summary of Square vs. Stripe:

&nbsp;

| When to choose Square     | When to choose Stripe     |
| ---------- | ---------- |
| You want ease and affordability       | You want a highly customizable solution or API       |
| You have a brick-and-mortar store       | You have an established ecommerce store       |
| You process occasional online sales       | You have a fast-growing startup       |

----

## Sync Stripe and Square with your other apps{#sync-other-apps}

For the best results from Stripe and Square, make sure to **integrate your payment platform with your other business apps**. With a two-way sync via PieSync, you can connect your contact data to all the right places in your business, so you're always looking at the most up-to-date and reliable information.

See your options for syncing [Stripe](https://www.piesync.com/stripe/) and [Square](https://www.piesync.com/square/) with PieSync or get started with a free 14-day trial.


Two of the most popular payment solutions are Stripe and Square. To help you decide which one is right for you, here's our head-to-head comparison.

Stripe vs. Square: which is the best payment gateway for your business?

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App Comparisons

stripe logo square logo on yellow background

stripe vs square

Stripe vs. Square: which is the best payment platform for your business?

![Two people working on digital marketing hacks on laptops](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/5qtGxU4KXeDsud6JgWJrrJ/5ebd1a4bfbba7bf697b3d76230a8fa1b/kaleidico-gVtJgTyi2iI-unsplash__1_-min.jpg)

Digital marketing trends are changing constantly. Each year brings new marketing strategies based on user preference that need to be identified and integrated into the strategies of large and [small business marketing](https://www.piesync.com/blog/marketing-strategy-for-startups/) strategies alike, otherwise there's serious money left on the table. 

When it comes to online search, [Google is way ahead](https://www.bluecorona.com/blog/2017-seo-statistics/) of the competition, being responsible for 94% of total organic traffic and 96% of all smartphone search traffic. This makes __getting your business on the first page of Google__ the single most important factor for your digital marketing success. 

The good news is that whether you are a small home-based business or a large organization, when it comes to Google’s search engine algorithm, only those who use the best techniques that have been approved by Google get to see their website on Google’s prime real estate – the first page. 

Let's take a look at some simple hacks that digital marketers can use to make sure their business websites get ranked higher on the SERPs (Search Engine Results Pages) and make the most of those leads.

----

## Simple digital marketing tips to embrace in 2021

&nbsp;

### 1. Optimize your email strategy

Email has been around for years, but it's not going anywhere just yet. According to [HubSpot](https://www.hubspot.com/marketing-statistics), roughly 80% of marketers have reported an increase in email engagement over the past twelve months.

Another exciting statistic for all those who are thinking of using more emails in their marketing campaigns is that email marketing has the [highest return on investment](https://www.hubspot.com/marketing-statistics) for small businesses. Of course, that’s only going to be possible with a well-crafted email with [concise copy and engaging message](https://www.piesync.com/blog/increasing-email-engagement/). 

One of the most effective marketing tools is the ability to [segment your email marketing strategy](https://www.piesync.com/blog/why-marketing-personalization-is-so-important-and-how-to-use-it/) to match your customer base - for example, marketers constantly use the holiday season to offer incentives to their customers, such as discount codes to a customer who left their website with an item in the shopping cart.

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

&nbsp;

### 2. Use the AIDA formula

AIDA stands for __Attention, Interest, Desire and Action__. Here's a [description from Lucidchart](https://www.lucidchart.com/blog/what-is-aida-model) to show how it can be used in marketing:

![AIDA marketing model visual explanation](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/1EIY9VgIRVqw2U9QwCcaHS/81a4d0b5499445a360f7483167e68a8e/aida-model.png)

&nbsp;

This marketing strategy has been around for a while - since 1898, to be exact. And guess what? It still works. 

In fact, AIDA works extremely well on almost all marketing channels to grab the reader’s attention, create a sense of want, pull on their heartstrings and provide them with a solution to their problem. This proven formula has been used in the past, is still being used today, and should definitely be used when marketing a small business in the year ahead.

<RelatedPost slug="marketing-on-a-budget-14-low-cost-marketing-ideas" />

&nbsp;

### 3. Embrace video marketing

Video has grown into a driving force for digital marketing, and this trend doesn’t seem to be going anywhere. In fact, according to research, videos will account for [nearly 82% of consumer internet traffic](https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/solutions/collateral/service-provider/visual-networking-index-vni/white-paper-c11-741490.html) by 2021. 

Live and branded videos are two of the most popular trends in video marketing at the moment, and people are continuing to find new and interesting ways to engage their audience with video content. 

The beauty of using live video is that it’s interactive and allows the audience to be part of the conversation by calling in or leaving a comment that can be answered during the live session, so this is a great tactic for audience engagement. It’s estimated that by 2021, [live video will account for 13% of all video traffic](https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/solutions/collateral/service-provider/visual-networking-index-vni/white-paper-c11-741490.html), which makes it an excellent strategy for businesses that are constantly thinking outside of the box. 

<RelatedPost slug="10-best-lead-generation-tools" />

Contrary to popular belief, creating an explainer, how-to or product description video does not cost you an arm and a leg. All you have to do is invest in a good camera and microphone, or you can even use your smartphone. Rather than spending large amounts of money on expensive editing tools, you can use apps that are powerful enough to create a professional-looking video. 

To enable the video to generate more search traffic for your website, remember to make it well-thought-out, contain informational content and __address a defined problem__ that your ideal customer is facing. 

Optimizing the video you upload on YouTube with relevant keywords will increase the chances of your video getting more views. And pay extra attention to the video’s title - it should sound unique and engaging. For example, “Learn how to tie a bow tie” does not sound as good as “Learn how to tie the perfect bow tie.” 

While there may be many videos on a similar subject matter on YouTube, the idea is to make your content __stand out from the rest__. 

&nbsp;

### 4. Create novel content

The content that you put out will act as currency for your marketing strategies. While creating the usual blogs and articles is good for generating traffic, simply writing content that informs your audience just won’t do. More and more businesses are learning the importance of engaging with their audience. In fact, many successful brands are already using content that engages their audience along with content that educates.

One type of content that is growing in popularity is novel content. This is the content that is put alongside the conventional content of blogs, articles, ebooks and videos. Similar to videos, creating content that engages your audience is also possible via __polls, quizzes and contests__, where the audience gets to vote or share their opinions on a particular subject. Try to keep this content relevant to your business. 

__Expiring content__, which seems to have been inspired by the Snapchat model, is also continuing to gain popularity amongst the younger crowd. Expiring content remains on your website or social media for a certain amount of time before being removed. This creates a sense of urgency in the readers that can encourage them to take action. To entice your audience while using expiring content, you can include a discount code to your content that’s displayed for a limited amount of time before being removed. 

&nbsp;

### 5. Know the difference between marketing and branding

Those who are investing in online marketing need to understand the difference between marketing and branding. While these two terms are sometimes used interchangeably, their meanings are very different. 

When it comes to the consumer, your brand is not going to be the product or service you provide, but rather the logo, website design, and the message across all platforms that you send to your customers. In other words, __branding is how the audience will perceive your business__. 

On the other hand, digital marketing uses tactics that are designed to reinforce your branding efforts. This means that your __marketing efforts should enhance your brand’s message__ and not have an opposite effect. However, this is where many small businesses fall flat, as they use marketing campaigns that focus more on their product or service instead of building interest and nurturing a community on social media platforms. 

Blatantly promoting your product or services on social media will not help you create your community of loyal followers. It may also have a negative impact on your brand’s overall appeal for your audience. 

&nbsp;

### 6. Make good use of Local Services Ads (LSAs)

LSAs, or Local Services Ads, are similar to Google Ads, but are very different when it comes to their effectiveness in promoting your products or services or increasing your sales. In short, Local Services Ads are pay-per-lead ads that have now begun popping up at the top of Google search results. Initially released in 2017, LSAs are slowly gaining ground and rolling out to small markets as well. 

![Example of Google local services ad showing cleaners in Boston](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/1CRzVQt1hEY9ZYIkiFq17C/b1a9ba12447ab234c597120e088a9590/Screenshot_2020-09-13_at_20.08.22.png)

&nbsp;

Currently, LSAs seem to focus more on home service providers, such as electricians, locksmiths, painters, house cleaning and plumbers. If you provide any of these services, it’s time you used LSAs to increase your reach. However, there is little doubt that their use is going to spread to other businesses as well. 

Until a year or so back, most search results produced some obvious ads right at the top of Google’s search results page, which people seldom clicked. Unlike Google Ads, you don’t have to pay for clicks, but rather for leads that are relevant to your business. 

Here’s how Local Services Ads work:

- You get to set a weekly budget that is based on the average amount of leads you expect to receive. 
- Leads can be disputed if you think they are irrelevant or not useful. If successful, the leads are credited back to you later.
- While you might end up spending more than your average weekly budget on LSAs, the model makes it unlikely that you spend more money each month, which is going to be the average budget in a week that’s multiplied by the average amount of weeks in any given month. [Setting up your Local Services Ads](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/7434558) is also relatively easy and does not come with a steep learning curve. 

If you have patience, using LSAs could be useful in generating leads, however, if you are a startup or small business on a shoe-string budget, then testing the waters of LSAs might not be for you right now. 

<RelatedPost slug="a-guide-to-seo-in-2020-the-best-practices-and-rules-to-follow" />

&nbsp;

### 7. Be smart with SEO

Some people say that SEO is dead. We beg to differ. In fact, [search engine optimization is more important than ever](https://www.piesync.com/blog/a-guide-to-seo-in-2020-the-best-practices-and-rules-to-follow/) when it comes to getting your website indexed on Google. While SEO trends continue to change, one area that Google seems to be focusing on is differentiating between search and intent. 

For instance, using terms such as “web design Miami” could display web design companies while “web design company in Miami” could start displaying job boards.  

![Google places snippet example in search](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/1uEdHAC6tRDsCEzXtW2lzy/f4e25a8030da0ba69ff023bd2598e7ba/Screenshot_2020-09-13_at_20.24.06.png)

&nbsp;

This means that to succeed with your SEO strategy, you need to segment queries that you want to rank for and make competitor analysis a big part of your SEO strategy.

If we’ve learned anything from the past, it's that when it comes to online marketing, the proven methods of marketing are still around, and __keeping your marketing strategy simple really does work__. 

Tried and tested methods of digital marketing provide small businesses with a guideline of what strategy should be used where to improve your digital marketing results. But that being said, these formulas are not written in stone, which means you need to keep on tweaking your digital marketing strategy to get the best ROI. 

----

For the best digital marketing results, you need your apps to work in tandem. Use PieSync to [connect data across your marketing tools](https://www.piesync.com/solutions/marketing/) and with your sales and support stacks for the most accurate view of your leads everywhere.


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Digital marketing trends are changing constantly and each year brings new strategies for large and small businesses alike. Here are some simple hacks for digital marketers to thrive in 2021.

7 simple digital marketing hacks to boost leads in 2021

Marketing

Two people working on digital marketing hacks on laptops

7 simple digital marketing hacks for 2021

KWCommand

LionDesk

Podio

Contactually

![Yellow door of house for real estate marketing](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/2bnrrVDm5n0vGf6NrMqeo7/52aba823da9a56c3ad81be5fa8cbb49c/evelyn-paris-QR_vT8_hBZM-unsplash-min.jpg)

In real estate, we typically talk about lead generation as the primary focus. However, how we __convert and maximize those leads__ is just as important. 

To maximize your real estate leads, you have to understand how to convert potential customers in all aspects of the sales funnel, not just those ready to act.

Since real estate is a relationship-based business, leads can take time to develop and ultimately turn into a conversion. The flip-side of this is with the volume of leads that come in, you may not have time to cultivate a relationship with all of them. 

So how do you create relationships with potential leads without running out of time? This guide will walk you through how to optimize your lead generation as a realtor to top up your funnel and convert the most leads to buyers.

---

## Understanding the real estate sales funnel{#real-estate-funnel}

![image RESales](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/3YXnFQK7M4q8guQmGU8UKW/28a50b3579ca2e30a25bdfec5c9f92db/image_RESales.png)

In order to understand how to maximize your real estate leads, it is essential to understand the sales funnel and how it works. 

A [sales funnel](https://cseo.com/blog/sales-funnel-will-build-your-ecommerce-business/) is the multi-step process by which real estate professionals lead a customer or client to purchase a product or service. The process is multi-stepped because it takes time from the moment a potential client enters your funnel to the time they decide to use your service.

The sales funnel is broken down into four phases: __awareness, interest, decision and action__. 

Real estate professionals must get as many qualified potential clients into this funnel as possible through our marketing efforts. Once the prospect has entered the funnel, there need to be systems in place to retain these leads all the way through to the action phase. Understanding each phase of the real estate sales funnel and how to maximize each phase of the funnel will allow you to retain more leads and ultimately convert them into clients.

&nbsp;

### The four phases of the real estate funnel{#funnel-phases}

#### 1. Awareness

The awareness step is where a potential client becomes aware of you or business through various forms of marketing. This can be through [SEO](https://www.piesync.com/blog/a-guide-to-seo-in-2020-the-best-practices-and-rules-to-follow/), PPC, social media, direct mail, content marketing, or word of mouth. 

It’s important in this step to be able to __offer something of value to your prospective lead and capture their contact information__ from it. This could be a free evaluation of what their home would sell for or a free ebook download, for instance.

One of the best forms of marketing is advertising your free ebook or home evaluation as opposed to how great of a real estate professional you are – they are much more likely to care about the former. People like to get things for free, and if you provide tremendous value to them upfront, they will want to learn more about you and how you can help them.

&nbsp;

#### 2. Interest

Once a lead has given you their contact info, you need to guide the lead to the next step in the funnel: interest. That's when you can set up a campaign to send them free information about their local area. 

This could be through articles about their city, events going on this weekend, a housing report of their area, or any other relevant content. The bottom line is you want to be in front of your prospective leads as much as possible and drive them to your website to learn about you or your company.

The interest phase is __where potential clients want to learn about you or your company__. Make sure your “about us” page is filled out and contains information about you, your accomplishments and your team. If you are accredited by any local organizations, make sure those are visible as well.

&nbsp;

#### 3. Decision

If you’ve provided tremendous value to potential leads and have glowing reviews and testimonials, a lead picking you or your company should be easy. If you find yourself still trying to sell potential leads on your service or product, go back and __address the value you are providing__:

* Is this something everyone in your market is offering? 
* Do your competitors offer something better? 
* Do your competitors have more reviews than you? 
* Does your website have enough content about your target market?

All of these things can affect converting a lead into a client. According to [Crazy Egg](https://www.crazyegg.com/blog/optimize-sales-funnel/), if customers are receiving your emails, visiting your page, but deciding to go with another candidate or company, they are not perceiving you as a candidate or company they trust. This comes down to value and trust. 

Remember, it’s not about what you think is valuable, it’s what the customer thinks is valuable.

&nbsp;

#### 4. Action

The final stage of the real estate sales funnel is action. This is where the prospective lead __decides to pick you__ and you find out how effective your sales funnel truly is. Again, how well you move leads through this funnel will determine how successful you are as a real estate professional.

Whew! Now that we covered the sales funnel, it’s time to focus on ways to maximize your real estate leads.

----

## How to maximize your real estate leads{#maximize-real-estate-leads}

### 1. Access more channels

To maximize your real estate leads, first start by making sure you're using the __most relevant channels__ for your business. This includes signing up for popular lead providers such as Zillow, Realtor.com and Ylopo.

To boost your lead gen, here are some [marketing ideas](https://www.piesync.com/blog/12-unique-real-estate-marketing-ideas-for-your-strategy/) to boost your strategy including the best tools to adopt.

<RelatedPost slug="12-unique-real-estate-marketing-ideas-for-your-strategy" />

&nbsp;

### 2. Centralize all leads in an omnichannel CRM

If lead gen isn't an issue for you, the main challenge probably lies in managing the leads you collect and not letting anything fall through the cracks. To successfully manage leads from a multitude of different channels, use an __omnichannel CRM__ that's optimized for real estate.

Some of our favorite CRMs for real estate include:

* Contactually
* Follow Up Boss
* LionDesk
* BoomTown

For the strongest lead management, use PieSync to [sync leads between your real estate apps and other tools](https://www.piesync.com/solutions/real-estate/) so you always see the latest leads and information on every device.

<RelatedPost slug="crm-for-real-estate" />

&nbsp;

### 3. Automate follow-ups to save time

If real estate professionals personally sent emails to every lead that filled out a form, they would never get anything accomplished. Thankfully, there are ways to automate your follow-up. 

When a potential lead fills out your form, you should be capturing both their email and phone number. Ideally, you should set up a follow-up sequence for both phone and email. The initial contact needs to be as soon as a lead fills out your form. They are thinking about you currently, and you want to get your information in front of them as fast as possible.

<RelatedPost slug="ways-to-automate-real-estate" />

&nbsp;

### 4. Be available and responsive

The WAV Group did [a study](http://waves.wavgroup.com/2014/01/13/agent-responsiveness-study-reveals-critical-flaws-in-real-estate-lead-response/) on the responsiveness of real estate agents and found that 48% of buyer inquiries were not responded to. 

As a real estate professional, it’s essential that you respond to your leads. I’m sure you hear this frequently: “I chose you because you answered the phone”. As simple as it seems, a lot of real estate professionals don’t answer their phone calls or emails. Potential clients want to know you’re a real person that can actually solve their problem. How will they know that if they don’t speak to you?

Ideally, you need to answer phone calls directly, but having a “filter” is a great option. If you have an assistant, they can help filter calls from telemarketers or other solicitors that keep you from taking the important calls. With the technology available today, assistants no longer have to be in the office to be effective. Virtual assistants are becoming very popular and a necessity if you’re serious about your real estate business.

&nbsp;

### 5. Add a personal touch

One of the things that sets a great real estate professional apart from a good one is the ability to connect with their potential clients. Sending personalized notes after you’ve met a potential client is a great way to show them that you appreciate their time and look forward to working with them. 

People want to feel special and that their time is valued. By sending small personalized reminders, you can create a great relationship with your prospective clients, and since real estate is relationship-based, hopefully, they will tell their friends and family about you.

Another personal touch is to meet in a less formal setting such as a coffee shop. Some people don’t feel comfortable coming to an office, especially if they work in one all week. Meeting at a local place for coffee or lunch is a way to get to know your prospective clients and address their concerns.

----

## How can you optimize your lead gen as a realtor?

Driving potential clients to our real estate funnel is very important, but what we do with those potential clients is even more important. Following the strategies outlined above to maximize your real estate leads will help you to convert more potential leads into clients and establish long-term relationships in your market for years to come.

For the strongest lead gen strategy for your real estate business, make sure to keep your apps in sync. Realtors use PieSync to [connect their real estate apps with the rest of their tech stack](https://www.piesync.com/solutions/real-estate/), including sales and marketing apps. Check the [real estate apps you can connect](https://www.piesync.com/connections/real-estate/) and get started with a free trial.

To maximize your real estate leads, you have to understand the sales funnel. Here's how to attract, convert and close more deals in your real estate business.

The complete guide to real estate lead generation

Yellow door of house for real estate marketing

Lever

![Lever Integration ](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/5g9KUuKEyYaskJhCZ6vkGl/f6886e3bab751422d756aca562232d1d/Lever-Launch.png)

### About Lever

[Lever](https://www.lever.co/) is a modern Recruiting Software that will help you tackle the most strategic problem your company faces; growing your team. This well-designed, real-time app allows you to source, interview, and hire top talent at ease.

Within Lever you collect the contact information of your candidates, but it's through emailing tools and VoIPs you communicate with those candidates. Additionally, you use their contact information on document management and accountancy apps. But how do you keep Lever connected to all these other business tools? 

That's where PieSync steps in! 

## What is PieSync?

Many of your software applications gather valuable data for your business in their own database. The problem is that most apps don’t really communicate with each other. That gap results in isolated islands of data in each app, which affects your customers and employees' experience.

__PieSync’s Contact Sync engine integrates 253 cloud apps in real time.__

PieSync is constantly checking Lever for updates. Which means that whenever you add or update candidates information Lever, you’ll have it up-to-date in the app one in real time.

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

Here are the applications available today for a sync with Lever:

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

This easy-to-use sync solution needs to be set up just once, from thereon you'll have it working in the background. 

### Here's a quick intro to PieSync

<Embed src="https://youtu.be/6QGNLcgW7gA" />

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

### 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](https://www.piesync.com/blog/introducing-intelligent-syncing/) that will enable you to choose the subset of contacts/candidates you need to sync.

![hubspot and lever integration](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/2UocdxsjeEfVXUmfVL766G/ce21b19262318ee0d919ecd6866d7841/hubspot_and_lever_integration.png)

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

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

![lever hubspot](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/1CG7atHrYEiqUdypnBpDx7/ab32a74b96a3c7621d9b63e5f39835c1/lever_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/)

![integrate lever and hubspot](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/5GMgEIhAOclK9L5PTgIqF4/5ca9b9f61500e689e0f19ade8231e98d/integrate_lever_and_hubspot.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/lever/) to get extra information about this connection.__

So what are you waiting for?

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

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

13 (FULL) - Remote work, productivity & collaboration - collaborate-better-with-synchronized-contact-data-blue

Connect Lever to 253 business applications and have your candidates' information available where you need it! 

PieSync's two-way sync engine is now syncing Lever candidates

Lever Integration 

From now on, you can sync your candidates' information to 253 other apps

Google Contacts

iCloud

Outlook

![Different iPhones used for contact management on a table ](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/4Wejs4Aa23bb9zlW702DNJ/24fbeaf8793355e5a1df2491cbf56f1f/arnel-hasanovic-4oWSXdeAS2g-unsplash-min.jpg)

__Some of the most commonly used apps in any business are contact management apps like Google, iCloud and Outlook.__

These apps are a valuable way to keep your latest address book accessible on any device and synced with your email, calendar and cloud storage.

However, when it comes to making sure they play nicely with your other business apps... it's not always simple.

Let's say you collect contacts in Outlook, but want to move subscribed customers into Mailchimp, your email marketing tool, to send them your weekly newsletter.

To solve this in the past, you might have manually exported and imported CSV files between your apps before sending each email.

But that can be a real headache. There is a much better solution, and it involves __zero manual updates and spreadsheets__: integrating your contact apps and email marketing tool with [an iPaaS (integration platform as a service)](https://www.piesync.com/blog/what-is-ipaas-a-guide-to-getting-started-and-best-practices/).

An iPaaS sync is the most effective and straightforward way to keep your [email marketing lists and contacts apps connected](https://www.piesync.com/solutions/email-marketing/) with your latest data. And it requires no code or advanced tech know-how.

To show you the ropes, let's outline how to sync your data and put your Google, iCloud and Outlook contacts to work in your email marketing app.

---

## How to sync Google, iCloud and Outlook contacts with your email marketing platform

Some email marketing providers offer __native integrations__ with Google Contacts, iCloud and Outlook, but these tend to have limitations. Often it's only a one-way sync, meaning that changes in app A are synced into app B, but not the other way around. Or, you can't customize the sync to include the exact fields you need to map.

Instead of wrestling with CSVs and native integrations, your __best bet is to use an iPaaS__ like PieSync to manage all of your syncs in one place. After plugging in your apps, you can choose all the different ways you want them to talk to each other.

For instance, you might use PieSync to:

* Sync contacts labeled 'Customers' in [Google Contacts with Mailchimp](https://www.piesync.com/google-contacts/mailchimp/)
* Sync [iCloud and Outlook](https://www.piesync.com/icloud/outlook/) address books for a perfect match between them all the time
* Sync all [address books with your CRM](https://www.piesync.com/solutions/crm/) for a centralized view

<RelatedPost slug="6-ways-to-optimize-your-saas-stack-with-piesync" />

For each sync you want to set up in PieSync, you can follow these easy steps:

1. Choose your apps and grant access.
2. Select ["if-this-then-that" rules](https://www.piesync.com/blog/how-to-use-if-then-rules-for-a-more-productive-business/) for the sync to follow.
3. Check default field mapping.
4. Check everything's prepped and ready to go [(read our pre-sync checklist here)](https://www.piesync.com/blog/checklist-before-syncing/).
5. Sync!

To dive deeper, here are some of the best practices to keep in mind when syncing your contact apps with your email marketing platform.

---

### How to organize your lists and sequences: automatic segmentation

Some people organize their contacts into completely different clouds, especially if they want to keep personal contacts and business separate. That's totally fine and it can be a great way to keep things simple.

But if your contacts for different purposes overlap, you can also automatically segment them to keep things tidy.

You do this by organizing contacts with labels or tags in your address book, and matching these up with labels, groups or lists in your email marketing app in your sync.

Let's look closer at [ConvertKit](http://piesync.com/convertkit/) as an example.

In this example, I have a segment called 'Marketing Leads' and another for 'Customers' and I want to send specific communications to each group. Both segments are automatically populated based on contacts with tags of the same name.

![Convertkit segments to sync with other apps](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/l4kw2RryenjldmtGfxXsK/76fb3a85bc810082f51224304431c1df/Screenshot_2020-08-04_at_11.10.13.png)

&nbsp;

To automatically send contacts in [Google Contacts](https://www.piesync.com/google-contacts/) to the right group, I can configure my sync to add them to ConvertKit with the tag 'Customers' which will add them to that segment.

![Automatically sync Google Contacts to ConvertKit with tag](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/ZSZIyznOop1RyZuzqTzzb/fd16eea065882fcab3386acec50fa4b6/Screenshot_2020-08-04_at_18.03.31.png)

&nbsp;

Now when I go to send a message to that group, all of the right recipients will be there. That means more time actually sending emails, less time worrying about which contacts should receive them.

In another scenario, if I want to sync all contacts from Google Contacts __except my family contacts__ (as realistically, they don't want my business emails), I can exclude the label 'Family' from my sync:

![Sync Google Contacts without family label to email marketing app](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/7rTbu60VYRmgplW6eLDXEl/b71acee7097a7dfd8151eececd088701/Screenshot_2020-08-04_at_11.46.14.png)

&nbsp;

### How to sync subscription status between apps: subscription management

If you're using multiple apps to contact your email marketing list, knowing who actually wants to hear from you can be a real headache. You don't want to risk contacting contacts who have unsubscribed in another app, nor ignore contacts who do want to be contacted.

Your answer to this is **subscription management**, and it's made possible when you connect your apps. 

As you sync your contact data, you can enable each contact to travel between apps with a 'subscribed' or 'unsubscribed' tag. When the time comes to send your next email, all of the right people will be in (and out) the list.

To best comply with data protection regulations, some PieSync users also add a ‘trash’ tag to the customer’s records in their preferred apps so they know exactly which data needs to be deleted to comply with customer privacy and data requests.

&nbsp;

### How to enrich your data in your email marketing app: sync customized fields

It's not just subscription status that you can sync between your apps. You might want to sync other fields too.

Let's look at [syncing contacts from Outlook with HubSpot](https://www.piesync.com/outlook/hubspot/), which you could use to send marketing emails. 

To ensure the right info is synced with each contact, you can check PieSync's default feed mapping to make sure everything lines up:

![Outlook and HubSpot default field mapping for contact sync](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/3M0vFwgWYBeRTudmGBMphD/b1b81f5488b877c4357af1a617f9e0c4/screenshot-2019-07-03-at-10-26-03.png)

&nbsp;

If a field isn't included in the list by default, custom fields give you more freedom. As an example custom field, you could map the 'Department' field in Outlook with a HubSpot property for the same data. For custom fields to map correctly, they need to be compatible across both apps.

![Outlook sync contacts with custom fields to HubSpot ](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/6KJ1ITeVpEFEWDFVKwYCMw/6c2051709efab43b94c1bf26e2c4803b/Outlook_map_custom_fields_to_HubSpot_in_contact_sync.png)

----

So, that's how to easily sync your address books in Outlook, iCloud or Google Contacts with your email marketing app. After setting up your sync, you can rest easy and send top-converting emails knowing that your lists are in tip-top shape.

Once syncing your email marketing app with your contact address books, you can then also decide which other apps to sync – such as [your CRM](https://www.piesync.com/blog/how-to-sync-data-in-your-crm-and-marketing-apps-with-zero-hassle/) or [customer support software](https://www.piesync.com/solutions/customer-support/). Remember, the best software stack is an integrated one!


cta-8-get-the-latest-contact-data-in-every-app

8 (FULL) - Contact management - get-the-latest-contact-data-in-every-app

cta-half-8-get-the-latest-contact-data-in-every-app

8 (HALF) - Contact management - get-the-latest-contact-data-in-every-app

There's an easy way to sync contacts between Google Contacts, iCloud and Outlook and your email marketing app. Here's how to implement it.

How to add Google, iCloud and Outlook contacts to your email marketing app

Different iPhones used for contact management on a table 

Sakari SMS

![Sakari integrations](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/5iwvW6IdbcvOByVzbzr3V8/21cc8752d970194cf5d1f3ed2168e77a/Sakari-Launch.png)

[Sakari](https://sakari.io/) is a business text messaging service to send SMS reminders, alerts, confirmations and marketing campaigns.

From now on, you can have Sakari in sync with other applications such as a CRM, customer support app, marketing software, among others. 

### Sakari + 253 apps:

Most apps are not natively integrated. This means you have to work out a way to get contact data from one app to another. If you are using Sakari next to other apps, you might have different customer data in each one of them. That situation comes with lots of challenges such as:

- Data Silos
- Out-dated data
- Duplicates
- Poorly segmented email campaigns
- Conflicts between databases 

To solve this, some businesses import/export data knowing that their apps are never truly up-to-date. Others, use one-way pushes that don't act upon your historical data, often resulting in duplicates. 

__PieSync provides a two-way solution = contact synchronization.__

These are the applications you can have in sync with Sakari today: 

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

This easy-to-use sync solution needs to be set up just once and from thereon works in the background. It will be constantly checking your connected apps for updates so whenever you add or update contact information in either app, you can have it up-to-date in the other one in real time. 

### Here's a quick intro to PieSync

<Embed src="https://youtu.be/6QGNLcgW7gA" />

### 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](https://www.piesync.com/blog/introducing-intelligent-syncing/) 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. 

![Google Contacts and Sakari](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/4ShnRAwSk5WATGmoUDDlgS/b838e6b1fc802a248ddc709f285cd9e5/Screenshot_2020-11-04_at_13.13.06.png)

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

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

![Google contacts integration with google contacts](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/3QBbCSK1YG0iDPlNUKwuaM/b1841dc9ac7f4c29ebc0fbd851ebc575/Screenshot_2020-11-04_at_13.30.57.png)

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

## PieSync Vs. Zapier

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

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

PieSync is constantly checking for updates in your data. You can also choose which app is your “source of truth” so you won’t accidentally sync the incorrect information. PieSync is great for when you want to continuously sync correct, up to date, error-free information across your cloud apps.

Learn more about the differences between these two great tools.

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

So what are you waiting for?

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

With PieSync you can now connect Sakari with 253 apps. Have your Sakari contact data in sync with your entire software stack two-way and in real-time! 

Sakari contact integration via PieSync works two-way and in real time

Sakari integrations

Sakari SMS is now connected to 253 apps via PieSync! 

Mixpanel is an advanced analytics platform for mobile & web. It helps businesses grow by helping them understand how their users behave and use their products by tracking actions people take rather than page views. Mixpanel's mission is to help the world learn from its data.



logomixpanel

Mixpanel

Our connector for Mixpanel has been equipped with the ability to connect to the eu.mixpanel.com - if you happen to have your data stored specifically within the EU territory. 

mixpanel regio

EU based Mixpanel accounts

[HubSpot CRM](http://hubspot.com/piesync) is an all-round customer relationship management tool that offers an incredible range of features for all businesses, from small startups to large enterprises. This complete CRM platform helps companies increase leads, accelerate sales, streamline customer service, and much more.

hubspot logo

HubSpot

[Available since today](https://www.hubspot.com/marketing-contacts), the HubSpot Marketing Hub features __marketing contacts__ - contacts that are able to receive marketing emails and be targeted with ads. In contrast, __non-marketing contacts___ cannot be marketed to... but also do not count against your contact tier. 

This means that you can now, with much greater comfort, store __all of your contacts data__ inside of HubSpot Marketing Hub. 

The PieSync filters & mappings now also reflect this new feature in HubSpot.


hubspotmarketing

HubSpot Marketing Contacts available in filters and mappings

Constant Contact is a marketing platform, giving your team the tools to create highly effective email marketing, social media campaigns, online surveys, and event marketing. Availability of hundreds of templates and extensive resources will make your lists grow!
Don't have Constant Contact, start your [free trial](http://www.constantcontact.com/signup.jsp?pn=piesync) now.


constantcontact

Constant Contact

We've applied a considerable update to our [Constant Contact sync](https://www.piesync.com/constantcontact). 

As Constant Contact are in the process of refreshing their user interface -  rolling this out throughout the next months - we already wanted to make sure the elements in our sync correspond to the new field and naming conventions. 

It's more than a happy accident that this unlocked a whole series of new sync functionality for you! Custom fields and more!

constancontact updated field mappings

Custom fields for Constant Contact and more

Contacts+ is the most powerful fully-connected contact management platform for professionals and enterprises who need to master their contacts and be awesome with people. Contacts+ cross-platform suite of Apps and APIs enhance contacts with 360-degree insights, while keeping them organized, in-sync, up-to-date, and safe.


Phone & E-mail

Sync Phone & Email apps you use everyday to automate your business and be more productive. {{ connectorCount }}+ Phone & Email contact sync integrations currently available. Click on your favorite app to get started.

Contacts+ Logo Mark (1)

Contacts+

Nimble shows you detailed customer profiles in just a single view so you can get to know your customers in person. Sales and marketing features, activity management tools and a responsive social listening system will make sure you have all the insight you need!


nimble

Nimble

For many of its [CRM connectors](https://www.piesync.com/connections/crm/), PieSync applies ownership automatically, [or at least gives you control through the rules as to how it should be transferred in the sync](https://www.piesync.com/help/faq/can-i-sync-contact-owner-source-fields/). 

Two popular supported contact management tools, namely Nimble and Contacts+, featured a concept of ownership since quite some time, but only recently have we updated our sync connectors for you to control this too.

Use the sync rules to control ownership. Set up multiple rules if you need multiple owners synced with one another. [More info](https://www.piesync.com/help/faq/can-i-sync-contact-owner-source-fields/).


ownership in nimble and contactsplus

Sync ownership

[Google Contacts](https://contacts.google.com/) is a free, easy-to-use contact management tool that allows you to organize your contacts in a simple interface with fields and segmentation. It has native integrations to other Google products such as Google Calendar, Google Drive and Gmail.

google contacts logo

If you are using the 'Star' feature in Google Contacts I bring good tidings to you.

You can now include rules in your Google Contacts sync to take into account the fact that someone is starred or not!

The PieSync Blog