Editor’s Score: 9.7/10
Keap CRM is an all-in-one platform combining CRM and automation designed specifically for small businesses. It offers powerful features including contact management, sales pipeline management, marketing automation, and robust reporting. Its focus on small business workflow success makes it our pick for the best CRM and marketing automation for small business.
Pros:
- All three Keap pricing plans, Ignite, Grow, and Scale get the same all-in-one CRM, powerful automation tools, and customization workflows.
- Keap CRM provides excellent customer support and has a mobile app for managing your CRM on the go.
- You can streamline your sales process by automatically collecting and scoring leads.
Cons:
- Contact-based pricing means costs increase as the contact list grows.
- Many integrations require an additional fee.
What is Keap?
Keap is a powerful CRM platform designed with small businesses in mind. It combines sales automation, marketing tools, and reporting features into a single, user-friendly package. The platform aims to help businesses grow by automating repetitive tasks, organizing customer information, and providing valuable insights into sales and marketing performance.
A Quick History Lesson
Before we dive deeper, let’s take a quick look at Keap’s history:
- Founded in 2001 as Infusionsoft
- Rebranded to Keap in 2019
- Focus on simplifying growth for small businesses
Editor’s Keap CRM Rating: 9.7/10 Features and functionalities: 9.8 Customer support and knowledge base: 9.8 Pricing: 9.5 Integrations: 9.7 Ease of Use and customisation capabilities: 9.7
Keap Features: Why It’s The Best CRM and Marketing Automation for Small Business?
Small business CRM and automation is how Keap defines itself, and rightfully so. The platform is a perfect match for small businesses looking on saving their time and resources through the latest automation capabilities.
Below are the top Keap features that the best CRM and marketing automation for small businesses offers:
1. Contact Management
At the heart of the Keap CRM functionality is its robust contact management system. You can store and organize all your customer information in one centralized location.
- Each contact record includes:
- Basic contact details (name, email, phone, etc.)
- Communication history
- Purchase history
- Custom fields for additional information
(Source: Keap.com)
One of the standout features is the ability to view all interactions with a contact chronologically or by category. This gives you a comprehensive overview of your relationship with each customer, enabling more personalized communication and targeted sales efforts.
2. Sales Pipeline Management
Keap CRM offers an intuitive sales pipeline management tool that helps you track and nurture leads through your sales process. Some key aspects include:
- Customizable pipeline stages
- Drag-and-drop interface for moving deals between stages
- Automated actions triggered by stage changes
- Visual reports on pipeline performance
The platform comes with pre-built pipeline templates, making it easy for new users to get started quickly. You can then customize these templates to match your specific sales process.
3. Marketing Automation
One of Keap CRM’s strongest features is its marketing automation capabilities. The platform allows you to create sophisticated automated workflows that can:
- Send targeted email campaigns
- Trigger follow-up actions based on customer behavior
- Segment your contact list for more personalized marketing
- Schedule social media posts
The automation builder uses a visual, drag-and-drop interface, making it accessible even for users without technical expertise. You can create “when-then-stop” scenarios to automate various tasks, saving time and ensuring consistent follow-up with leads and customers.
4. Email Marketing
Keap CRM includes a powerful email marketing tool that integrates seamlessly with its CRM functions. Key features include:
- Customizable email templates
- A/B testing capabilities
- Performance tracking (open rates, click-through rates, etc.)
- Automated follow-up sequences
The email editor is user-friendly, allowing you to create professional-looking emails without needing design skills. The integration with the CRM means you can easily segment your list and send highly targeted campaigns based on customer data and behavior.
5. E-commerce Tools
For businesses that sell products or services online, Keap CRM offers a range of e-commerce features:
- Invoicing and payment processing
- Shopping cart functionality
- Upsell and cross-sell options at checkout
- Abandoned cart recovery automation
These tools can help streamline your sales process and potentially increase revenue through features like checkout upsells and abandoned cart follow-ups.
6. Appointment Scheduling
Keap CRM includes a built-in appointment scheduling tool, which can be a big time-saver for service-based businesses. Key features include:
- Online booking pages
- Integration with popular calendar apps
- Automated reminders for clients
- The ability to collect payments for appointments
This feature eliminates the back-and-forth often involved in scheduling meetings or consultations, improving efficiency for both you and your clients.
7. Reporting and Analytics
To help you make data-driven decisions, Keap CRM offers a variety of reporting and analytics tools. You can track:
- Sales performance
- Marketing campaign effectiveness
- Revenue trends
- Lead source ROI
The reports are visually appealing and easy to understand, giving you quick insights into your business performance.
8. Mobile App
Keap CRM offers a mobile app for both iOS and Android devices, allowing you to manage your CRM on the go. The Keap mobile app provides access to key features like:
- Contact management
- Task tracking
- Pipeline management
- Basic reporting
While not as comprehensive as the desktop version, the Keap mobile app is useful for staying on top of your business when you’re away from your computer.
Ease of Use
One of Keap CRM’s biggest selling points is its user-friendly interface. The platform is designed with small business owners in mind, many of whom may not have extensive experience with CRM software. Here are some aspects that contribute to its ease of use:
Intuitive dashboard
The main dashboard gives you a quick overview of your most important metrics and tasks.
Guided setup
When you first sign up, Keap CRM walks you through the setup process step-by-step.
Video tutorials
Many features come with short video tutorials to help you understand how to use them.
Drag-and-drop interfaces
Many of Keap CRM’s tools, including the automation builder and email editor, use drag-and-drop interfaces that are easy to navigate.
Pre-built templates
The platform offers a variety of templates for pipelines, automation sequences, and emails, giving you a head start on setting up your systems.
While there is still a learning curve, particularly for more advanced features, most users find Keap CRM relatively easy to get started with compared to more complex CRM systems.
Keap Pricing
The Keap pricing structure is based on the number of contacts in your database, which is somewhat unique among CRM providers. As of this review, there are three main Keap pricing plans:
| Plan | Starting Price, Min. users | Best For | Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ignite | $249/ month, 2 users | New or small businesses | 1500 contacts 5 proven automations Build unlimited custom automations |
| Grow | $329/ month, 3 users | Growing businesses | 2500 contacts 10 proven automations Build unlimited custom automations |
| Scale | $499/ month, 5 users | Large teams with complex needs | 5 users minimum 5000 proven automations Build unlimited custom automations |
All three Keap pricing plans offer additional seats for $32/month per user. As your contact list grows, the base price increases. For example, the Ignite plan for 25,000 contacts costs $277.83/month.
It's worth noting that while the pricing may seem high compared to some basic CRM tools, Keap includes many features that often require separate subscriptions with other providers (like email marketing and payment processing).
The good news? Each plan comes with a Keap free trial, so you can test the waters before diving in. Plus, you can save 17% with annual pricing!
Integrations
Keap offers productive integrations with other business tools, which can help you create a more comprehensive business management system. Some notable integrations include:
- Google Workspace (formerly G Suite)
- QuickBooks
- Shopify
- WordPress
- Zapier, which opens up connections to 5000+ other apps.
While the variety of integrations is impressive, it’s important to note that many of them come with an additional monthly fee. This can add to the overall cost of using Keap CRM, especially if you rely on multiple integrations.
Customer Support
Keap CRM stands out in terms of customer support, offering more comprehensive assistance than many of its competitors. Every plan includes:
- A dedicated customer success manager
- U.S.-based phone support (available weekdays)
- 24/7 chat support through the Keap app
The customer success manager is particularly valuable, as they can help you set up your account, provide personalized advice, and ensure you’re making the most of the platform.
In addition to direct support, Keap CRM offers a variety of self-help resources, including:
- A comprehensive knowledge base
- Video tutorials
- Webinars
- A community forum
These resources can be particularly helpful for users who prefer to troubleshoot issues on their own or want to deepen their understanding of the platform.
Pros of Keap CRM
According to our Keap CRM review, there are many shining points that made us choose this platform as the best CRM and marketing automation for small businesses:
1. All-in-one solution
Keap combines CRM, marketing automation, and e-commerce tools in one platform, reducing the need for multiple software subscriptions. The best part is that all three Keap pricing plans offer the same features.
2. User-friendly interface
The platform is designed to be accessible to small business owners who may not have extensive tech experience.
3. Powerful automation capabilities
Keap’s automation tools can save significant time on repetitive tasks and help nurture leads more effectively.
4. Comprehensive e-commerce features
Built-in invoicing, payment processing, and shopping cart functionality make Keap a good fit for businesses that sell products or services online.
5. Excellent customer support
The inclusion of a dedicated success manager and multiple support channels sets Keap apart from many competitors.
6. Flexible customization
The ability to create custom fields and automate workflows allows you to tailor the platform to your specific business needs.
7. Mobile app
The availability of a mobile app allows you to manage your CRM on the go.
8. Regular updates
Keap frequently releases new features and improvements based on user feedback.
Cons of Keap
Like every software, there are a few points where Keap CRM has a road for improvement:
1. Contact-based pricing
As your contact list grows, so does your monthly fee, which can make costs less predictable.
2. Limited free integrations
Many integrations come with an additional monthly fee, which can increase the overall cost of using the platform.
3. Text message limits
The plans come with a limited number of text messages (150-250 per month), with additional messages incurring extra charges of $0.015 per content message. Moreover, text marketing using the Keap Business Line is currently available only in the U.S. and Canada.
4. No built-in social media management
Unlike some competitors, Keap doesn’t offer comprehensive social media management tools.
Who is Keap CRM Best For?
Keap CRM is particularly well-suited for:
1. Small to medium-sized businesses
The platform is designed with the needs of smaller organizations in mind, for instance, if you’re company has 2 – 5 employees.
2. E-commerce businesses
The built-in payment processing and shopping cart features make it a good fit for online sellers.
3. Service-based businesses
Features like appointment scheduling and invoicing are particularly useful for service providers.
4. Businesses new to CRM
The user-friendly interface and guided setup make Keap accessible to CRM newcomers.
5. Companies looking to automate marketing and sales processes
The powerful automation features can significantly streamline operations.
6. Businesses with a growing customer base
The scalable nature of the platform can accommodate businesses as they expand.
Ideal Keap CRM Industries
Keap CRM has all the required sales and automation features best suited for the following industries:
- Accounting
- Health and Wellness
- Coaches
- Consultants
- Financial Advisors
- Gyms and Fitness
- Insurance
- Marketing Agencies
- Photography
- Nonprofits
- Real Estate
- Professional Services
- Startups
Who Might Want to Look Elsewhere?
Keap may not be the best fit for:
1. Very large enterprises: The contact-based pricing can become expensive for businesses with extremely large customer databases.
2. Companies needing advanced sales forecasting: While Keap offers basic reporting, it may not meet the needs of businesses requiring in-depth sales analytics.
3. Businesses on a tight budget: The all-in-one nature of Keap comes at a price that may be too high for some small businesses.
4. Organizations needing complex customization: While flexible, Keap may not offer the level of customization required by some specialized businesses.
5. Companies heavily focused on social media marketing: The lack of built-in social media management tools may be a drawback for some. If you’re looking for a project management software, check out our detailed monday Sales CRM review.
Getting Started with Keap
If you decide to give Keap a try, here’s a quick overview of the setup process:
Step 1: Sign up for a free trial
The platform offers a 14-day Keap free trial, allowing you to test the platform before committing.
Step 2: Initial setup
You’ll be guided through the basic setup, including adding your business information and importing contacts.
Step 3: Choose a pipeline template
Select a pre-built sales pipeline or create your own to match your business process.
Step 4: Set up automations
Start with basic automations, like welcome emails for new contacts, and gradually build more complex workflows.
Step 5: Customize your dashboard
Arrange your dashboard to display the metrics and information most important to your business.
Step 6: Integrate other tools
Connect Keap with your other business applications to create a more comprehensive system.
Step 7: Explore advanced features
As you become more comfortable with the platform, start exploring more advanced features like lead scoring and complex marketing automations.
Remember, your dedicated success manager can assist you throughout this process, helping you make the most of the platform from day one.
Conclusion
Keap is the best CRM and marketing automation for small business. Its strength lies in its combination of contact management, marketing automation, and sales pipeline management features, all wrapped up in a user-friendly interface.
Keap CRM’s emphasis on automation can be a game-changer for businesses looking to streamline their operations and provide more consistent customer experiences.
However, the contact-based Keap pricing model means costs can escalate as your business grows, and the additional fees for many integrations should be factored into your decision. The learning curve for some of the more advanced features may also require an investment of time to fully leverage the platform’s capabilities.
Take advantage of the Keap free trial to explore the platform and see if it aligns with your business needs. Embrace automation, streamline your processes, and focus on what truly matters – delivering exceptional value to your customers.
