Let me start by saying that we are huge fans of HubSpot at Synerge-marketing. We’re a certified partner and our on-staff inbound marketing specialists can’t say enough positive things about.
When a client or potential customer asks about what customer relationship management (CRM) and/or marketing platform we recommend, of course, we encourage them to evaluate HubSpot for their needs. However, HubSpot is not right for everyone. Even HubSpot sales will tell you that, even though they provide several packages and service tiers to meet the needs of a diverse customer base.
But if you have evaluated your options and are ready to pull the purchase trigger, there are a few things that we’d like to remind organizations to think about before getting started so they can plan for an efficient HubSpot implementation that will ultimately help them achieve a faster return on their investment.
Here are the pros and cons of HubSpot to consider for your business before making an investment, but I’ll be honest, the cons are not related to the technology itself.
1. HubSpot Features and Functionality, Oh My!
One of HubSpot’s most desirable features is that between its sales, marketing and service products, it has the functionality to support a wide array of business needs. And just when you think it doesn’t have something, a quick call to HubSpot Support may just prove you wrong.
However, this is a double-edged sword. The potential downside of HubSpot… it has features and functions to support just about any business need. For small to mid-size companies, before making the investment in HubSpot, we encourage you to think through how you plan to use most of the functionality, as you are paying for features you may not be able to use. If you make the investment and don’t find yourself leveraging a majority of its functionality, chances are you will resent your HubSpot invoices and may not renew. At some point, you may reconsider your selection, leaving you back at square one.
For example, automated workflows: You will not only manage the HubSpot technology, but you’ll need to design emails, copyright and manage contact lists. This is on top of all of the traditional components of an email marketing campaign. So it’s not just a point to adopt the new technology, it’s managing the campaigns, and the resources needed to support them, that you can enable through the feature-rich solution.
2. Consider Your Technology Stack
When you’re introducing new technology, despite how many bells & whistles it may have and how much value you can see it adding to your organization, you’ll want to evaluate the integration opportunities with your current technology stack.
HubSpot boasts over 200 certified, non-HubSpot tools that complement and integrate with HubSpot, with new integration partners joining each month. So when you are evaluating HubSpot, make sure you disclose what other technology solutions you currently use (the well-versed HubSpot sales team will always ask you this and offer integration information as well). Because HubSpot has a dedicated team that sources and certifies integration partners, you can feel confident that they’ll seamlessly integrate with HubSpot.
However, what if your solutions don’t integrate with HubSpot? That’s okay too, but that’s the information you need to know before you make a decision. Planning for this ahead of time will allow you to better plan your implementation and roll-out, as well as allow you time to source a third-party who can help with a custom HubSpot integration if needed.
3. Support Can Only Take You So Far
We can’t say enough positive things about HubSpot’s support! From phone support to the HubSpot Academy and Knowledgebase, they really do have an answer for everything. And if they don’t, they say it. But the reassuring news is that when they don’t have an immediate answer for you, you can count on them to collaborate on their end and quickly get back to you with a solution. I’ve personally been working with HubSpot for years and I have never been left hanging wondering what to do when a challenging client request or scenario has popped up.
But with great HubSpot supports comes one reality: They are HubSpot savvy but they are not experts in your business or industry, so they can only take you so far. That’s why before purchasing HubSpot, it’s wise to think about who your primary in-house resource will be that can marry HubSpot functionality to your business objectives, as that is how you will get the most out of your investment. With that inbound marketing resource in place, the HubSpot support is positioned to be your technically savvy partner in inbound success!
4. Watch out for those contacts!
HubSpot can help you generate so many new leads that it is easy to let your contact level get out of control without even knowing. And you can bet that you’ll be charged for the overage (depending on your HubSpot contract and billing cycle). To avoid contact mismanagement and billing ramifications…. Audit your database before you make the purchase and consider the sources of contacts and how much you expect it to grow. Consider any lists that have not been included/accounted for, and who is going to watch and manage this.
Should You Consider Using a Partner for HubSpot Management?
How often do you wish you had more time in your day to get everything accomplished that you need to? We definitely get it, especially when you’re just starting your HubSpot journey. HubSpot management services can alleviate the time and resource requirements of implementing, executing and managing the daily tasks and strategic support activities associated with an inbound marketing investment design of ebooks.
Hiring a certified HubSpot management team can benefit you if you’re:
1. SHORT ON RESOURCES?
Ready to roll but can’t? From technical setup, editorial calendars, landing page creation, and blog writing, to the , email communication and workflows, inbound marketing specialists and certified HubSpot users understand the HubSpot platform inside and out to help you execute the components of your inbound marketing plan.
2. LACKING EXPERTISE?
Yes, inbound marketing is rooted in data-driven decisions, but it’s the combination of keen marketing intuition and proven expertise that accelerates ROI.
3. SHORT ON TIME?
Certified inbound marketing specialists live and breathe inside the HubSpot platform on a daily basis and help customers solve a multitude of challenges using the tool, coming up with solutions to make the portal work more efficiently.
Does your business need the help of certified inbound marketing and HubSpot specialists? Click here to view our HubSpot Management Services.
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