Web designers are the talented breed, who combine it all: creativity, logic, profound understanding of marketing principles, UX, and also need to be technically advanced with many software solutions to succeed.
CRM for web designers is not topping the list of web dev tools for most of the smaller players, like freelancers or mid-sized web agencies.
While it should.
This single piece of software is capable of lifting a lion’s share of administrative workload leaving you to do what you love most: create.
Before we go to the best practices of how to use CRM for web agencies and independent web developers, let’s quickly make a short detour overview of industry-specific software solutions.
Why would I want to use CRM as a website designer?
The main reason is very stereotypical, so we are not putting it in bold, but timidly hiding it in the normal font here. Please let us know if you are a walking stereotype in comments though:
The chances are, that you are a bit of a creative soul. As in zero-discipline-all-over-the-place talent. You love coming up with the concept of a website but hate mobile responsiveness tweaking. You love drawing visual abstract pieces for your new project, but you may also forget about a meeting altogether or jump into a call like a half-hour late.
If this is you – a customer relationship management tool will bring law and order discipline and system into your otherwise chaotic working routine.
It’s like implanting a pedantic gene into your overwhelmingly creative DNA if you wish.
Now, that we are past stereotypes, here come a few aspects that reveal the importance of CRM tool for web design agencies and freelancers:
- Better communication with existing clients
Based on this benefit alone, you may reach heights of the business development you could only dream of without a CRM.
When you have a multi-channel communication with your client, streamlined in one tool, as it is with Nimble CRM for example, as it is integrated with your social media accounts, you get these benefits:
- Less time spent clarifying things you didn’t get or misunderstood.
- No time wasted in the social media rabbit holes, as you are in a CRM, even though exchanging messaging via social media.
- Amazing client experience, resulting in word-of-mouth recommendations.
- Team-member access to your communication for a better account overview.
- More clients for future and business growth: prospecting
Prospecting is so much easier with tools like Nimble Prospector.
This Google extension allows you to add contacts to your CRM from social media, check their rich contact profile with 40+ data points from anywhere on the web: email, social media, 3rd party apps.
Sales and marketing people are Nimble’s most ardent fans because of this handy prospecting tool.
See how it works in this 2-minute explainer video.
- Easy work with social proof and online reputation
Web designers depend on social proof a lot.
A CRM for designers will help you get this mission adhered to. Just add an email template to your task management module that requests for a Google Business profile or Facebook review upon completion of a project.
- Frictionless subcontractor’s & team management
Managing subcontractors is a nightmarish experience. Once you add them to a deal in a client relationship management tool, you are always one click away to send an email, DM, invite, or add a task.
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- Squeeze more in your day
Calendar and scheduling is such a basic function, but in fact, it’s not that primitive at all. It is fundamental, but there is nothing simplistic about saving 90 minutes a day. This is the time we save on average to your clients, who are first time users of a CRM.
Now, that you have a brief understanding of what’s in it for you, let’s see what industry-specific tools there are, as they may need to be integrated with a CRM to reinforce each other’s efficiency.
Industry-specific Software used by Web designers
There are a few major tools pros use in the realm of website design:
Website builder software
These tools provide a framework for building a website.
Key features:
- Pre-built- templates
- Online store builder
- Landing page builder
- Drag & drop function
- Content import / export
- SEO management
- Survey/form builder
Best website builder software:
- Squarespace
- Wix
- WordPress
- GoDaddy Website Builder
- Weebly
- Web flow
- BigCommerce
Graphic design software
These tools allow the creation of visuals that can later be used in web design.
Key features:
- Image editor
- Image database
- Design templates gallery
- Data visualization
- Collaboration
- Drag & drop elements
Best graphic design software:
- Canva
- Adobe Creative cloud
- GIMP
- PicMonkey
- Crello
- Figma
- Venngage
Landing page software
This software helps to create a landing page and also enables a conversion funnel or its parts.
Features:
- Customizable templates
- Analytics
- A/B testing
- Drag & Drop
- Form builder
- Real-time editing
- SEO management
- Responsive design
Best Landing page software solutions:
- Mailchimp
- Divi
- Optmizely
- Elementor
- Unbounce
- Getresponse
- MailerLite
Best practices how to use CRM for web designers and agencies
Systemize your contacts
OK, so where’s that dude from the conference?
Did he friend me on Facebook? LinkedIn?
If you, too, keep switching between messengers, phone books, and email to find the right contact, you will love using a CRM for web developers. They keep all contacts neatly organized, tagged with custom segments, and all communications in one place.
Expand your client base effortlessly
You know how tedious it may get to fill in all the contact info.
You know how hard it can be to get contact information too and do all the research work getting ready for the first meeting with the client.
Nimble prospector extension allows users to add contacts from anywhere on the web, for example, social media platforms like LinkedIn, Twitter, email, 3rd party apps.
It reduces manual input significantly pulling all the data available on the net automatically. Prospecting has never been that easy.
Use group email feature to save time and keep in touch more often
Most people hate dealing with a full inbox. Nimblers love writing letters though.
This is because they can do so much from the inbox, including checking all the communication across many channels, controlling if the receiver got an email by monitoring open-rate stats, and sending group emails.
You can assign a custom tag to your favorite subcontracting graphic designers, for example, marking them with a tag related to professionalism [eg. God, pro, mid, sin, jun], creativity, price range. When you have a job that needs doing with that skill level set and price tag, you can send a request for proposal and availability in one click to a bunch of them. This way your tender is going to take so much less time.
Integrate your favorite tools in a few clicks
Best CRMs for freelancers will have an API to integrate with other tools in your tech stack.
On top of API connectivity, Nimble is also part of the Zapier suite, so you can integrate it with 2000+ apps in a matter of a few clicks.
Wondering if you can download all contacts with a CSV file? Sure!
Is it compatible with Google calendar and email? Absolutely!
Schedule your days & get better control of time
Life is life and things get out of control.
Things go not as planned and getting back on track may be a bit hectic at times.
Having a schedule is a basic idea, that is preached in every time-management course.
But until you start planning your day in activities by specific time slots in the calendar, you can’t find out just how efficient it is.
Employ task management for the best cooperation with subcontractors
Task management works closely with deal management and a pipeline management flow.
It allows users to create, schedule, assign, complete tasks.
Dashboard view allows seniors in an agency to have an understanding of the team’s activities and deals for a specific period.
Use reporting to see how you can optimize your working routine
Any CRM for web design agencies will have a reporting module, that allows drawing reports with pretty much any datapoint inside a system.
There are standard reports based on activity by agent, task, and deals, but users may also create a custom report and schedule it to be received at a specific time by specific users.
Nimble reporting and analytical features present trends in visual graphs and charts, that are easy to interpret even for novice module users.
Nimble CRM software for web designers: for freelancers & agencies
Nimble has been named by G2 Crowd as the “CRM Industry Leader & Top Sales Intelligence Tool for Small Business Teams”. Capterra’s 1500 genuine reviews also help keep this useful tool at the top of its rankings consistently.
Some of the things that make all those users multiply their efficiencies with the help of Nimble?
- User-friendly interface
- Lots of tutorials and webinars for those looking for best practices
- Diverse features for best synergy of processes: email, calendar, task management, reporting.
- Award-winning lead-gen tool Nimble Prospector extension
- Fixed affordable pricing (starting with $19 per user per month if billed annually).
We know how effective our client relationship management tool is, we want you to feel confident about purchasing it too. We offer a 2 weeks free trial with just your email to unlock full access. Enjoy the Nimble way of doing things.
