8 Obvious Oversights That Almost Everyone Makes When Buying HubSpot

We all know what it feels like to dive in when something new and exciting comes along, especially when that new and exciting thing tells you exactly when a contact returns to your website and which pages they visit.

But technology is rarely the solution on its own, right? For you to get the most value from HubSpot, it’s important that it’s aligned with your business objectives, organisational setup, and processes from the get-go.

Often, people overlook these key considerations, taking the plunge without having properly assessed how deep the pool is, so to speak. Imagine how much more the platform could be delivering if it was tailored to your precise requirements.

Imagine how much faster/better/more efficient your sales, marketing, and service functions would be if you’d just asked a few more questions when buying the software to begin with?

By the time you’ve finished this article, you’ll know the top eight questions you should make sure you ask before saying 'yes' to HubSpot, so the software delivers the most value to your business.

8 oversights people make when buying HubSpot8 Obvious Oversights That Almost Everyone Makes When Buying HubSpot


1. Goal. What goal?

HubSpot and its various Hubs have a huge range of functionality. Seriously; if we went through all the platform’s capabilities, you’d be here till Brexit. The key to getting the most from the platform is buying for the functionalities you need to hit your goals.

You already know how important it is that everything you do is goal-oriented, so we won’t bore you with that here. Whether you’re buying direct through HubSpot or one of their solutions partners, can you confidently say you’ve communicated those goals to your contact — and can they demonstrate that they’ve understood them and what they mean for your business?

Get this right, and they’ll be recommending the right Hubs, onboarding priorities, training, and potential solutions partners to see you flying.

2. Not making the very most of the data at your disposal


You wouldn’t make any big decisions at work without consulting the data, so why should buying a new software suite be any different?

Before you sit down to a conversation about goals and strategies and what you want from the HubSpot platform, make sure what you’re saying is grounded in what is happening. Review your content strategy. Conduct a CRM audit. Carry out a deep dive into SEMrush or Google Analytics.

You’re about to tell HubSpot that you need X to be able to achieve Y, but does the data tell a different story?

Need help turning your data into actionable insights? Read our guide, ‘From Data to Insight to Action’.

3. Going in alone


By virtue of the fact that you’re reading this article, you’re already an agent for change, taking all the right steps to adopt an integrated Growth Suite capable of bringing your whole business together. How’s that for a use case?

But an integrated platform that the whole business can use should be bought with the whole business in mind. Because you probably can’t read minds, the safest and most productive way to get to grips with sales, marketing, and service’s needs is to bring them into the conversation.

"Too often, HubSpot is bought in isolation by a small team without consulting with the rest of the business. If people in the business don’t understand the objective of HubSpot and how it will help them, ultimately, it won’t be used to facilitate communications with the customer and make those relationships better. Like any technology system, if it isn’t used to do the job it was intended for, problems will occur." Eric Murphy, Head of Revenue

We’re talking about a full-business-flywheel, so that everyone on the call (including the person helping you to buy the technology) knows what functionality your different business units need to be able to work together towards your unified goal.

Learn more about choosing, migrating and rolling out a new CRM by downloading  our ebook


4. Overlooking the free CRM’s incredible features


It’s easy to jump straight to HubSpot’s flagship Hubs, but whether you’re on the sales or the marketing side of the fence, spare a thought for the free HubSpot CRM, too.

HubSpot CRM has many tools and features that make it easy to efficiently organise, track, and nurture leads and customers. You can manage your pipeline, view your entire sales funnel, log every activity, and see everything about a contact in one place including their interactions, emails, calls (recordings), and meetings. Sync the CRM with Gmail or Outlook and schedule personalised emails, track customer interactions and come up with valuable insights for your business.

"Know exactly when a prospect opens your emails and what they read. See the precise pages they’re visiting on your website and how long they spend there."

Best of all, it’s integrated with the rest of the HubSpot platform, so whichever Hubs you’re considering, it makes sense to migrate to a CRM that speaks with them directly, so you can build stronger one-on-one relationships with your prospects and customers. 

5. Importing contacts incorrectly


A tidy house is a tidy mind. The same Mary-Sue logic applies to your contact records.

Data-driven marketing depends on clean data. Incorrectly imported contact records means dirty data riddled with inconsistencies. This applies to any contact record that hasn’t been properly maintained, such as duplicates or those populated by unstructured data. You could have 10,000 contacts that have never engaged or five-year-old emails that are no longer pertinent, making the data irrelevant to your business. Some contacts might not even be within your ideal buyer profile anymore. 

It’s important to organise your contact records prior to buying HubSpot. Carry out an audit to work out which are still active and worth keeping in your database. 

Learn more about how you can clean your CRM data in 7 simple steps

6. Not calling out integration opportunities 


We’ve already used the ‘I’ word further up but it’s a big one, easily worth flagging up in its own point.

One mistake many people make when buying HubSpot is that they don’t consider it for their primary data source. It becomes complicated when company data is stored elsewhere in different systems or spreadsheets, and the technology doesn’t talk or share this information across departments.

A data audit will reveal where your data sources can be found outside of HubSpot, who is responsible for them, and where those valuable integration opportunities sit. 

Need a hand? Request your free HubSpot CRM audit.

7. Forgetting to download the mobile app


Phone time doesn’t have to be downtime. The HubSpot mobile app allows you to stay connected to campaign performance and data monitoring wherever you are and whenever you need to, so your finger’s always on the pulse.

You can even manage and close deals, access contacts instantly, update deals, and stay connected with your team. (What are you waiting for?)

8. Skipping on a conversation with a HubSpot solutions partner


There’s really no need to go it alone. HubSpot supports a global community of solutions partners, all helpfully tiered by experience and reputation.

The right solutions partner is perfectly placed to help you get the most from HubSpot and any underlying strategy you’re keen to set up. With a partner in tow, you’ll feel much more confident about the campaigns you’re rolling out and you’ll see faster returns on your initial investment — win win, right?

Explore how you could generate leads that close and grow better with an Elite-tier HubSpot Solutions Partner.

Getting the full value from HubSpot


You’re standing at the edge of the pool again, ready to jump. Instead, pull on those armbands, dip in a toe, and take the temperature with these eight questions designed to make your first choice the right choice when buying HubSpot.

Along the way, you’ll uncover lots of opportunities for you to streamline your strategies, improve your results, and grow your business, never mind how HubSpot can help you get there faster. You’ll be lapping your competitors in no time.

The HubSpot CRM is a great entry point to the world of HubSpot. To find out everything you need to know about how this free CRM could benefit your business, download our CRM ebook — simply click the image below.

Learn more about choosing, migrating and rolling out a new CRM by downloading  our ebook

 

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