Businesses need marketing automation to succeed. Marketing automation works as a useful tool for businesses to automate tasks, provide a great customer experience, gather insights and more. According to HubSpot, 68% of businesses use automation in some way. Automation has been proven to improve productivity among sales teams and increase in marketing ROI.
If you are thinking about getting started with marketing automation the first question would be which software to use. Choosing your marketing automation software is an important step to ensure that it helps you achieve your business goals. In this article, we will discuss some key factors to keep in mind while selecting a marketing automation platform for your business.
What is Marketing Automation Software?
Marketing automation software is a tool to help you streamline all your marketing related activities. It helps you create personalized messages for your target customers, nurture leads and analyze your campaigns.
With the help of this tool, you can deliver personalized messages to users based on their behavior and actions on your website. It can also enable you to send your automated messages at a scheduled time so that you keep interacting with your audiences. It reduces the amount of manual work you have to do which can make you more productive and efficient.
Marketing automation software also enables you to track customer behavior so that you can use those insights to create personalized campaigns. This is a great way to create customized experiences for your target customers.
Let’s look at the important factors you need to consider before selecting your marketing automation platform.
How to Choose A Marketing Automation Platform?
A friendly user interface
The first thing you need to consider before selecting a platform is how easy it is to use. If you choose a platform that is overwhelming or challenging to use, you are going to waste a lot of time and energy to figure it out. Sometimes you can also end up making mistakes that can negatively impact your ongoing campaigns and data. Many platforms will seem like they are easy to use, but that is not always the case. To ensure that you are selecting an accessible platform, you can do a free trial or demo before you invest in it.
In the demo look if the platform has a clear navigation. Test some of the features in it to determine if you can easily use it. Ensure that the platform also provides relevant information about each feature and tools so that you know how to use it. You need to select a platform that is easy to understand and does not take a long time to learn how to use it.
Features you need
Every marketing automation software will offer different features. Before selecting your platform, assess your needs and requirements. Setting your goals can be useful to fully understand what strategies you want to implement, and which tools will help you do that. Based on these findings you will be able to easily determine which platform works for you. Also consider the technology you are currently using. Ensure that all the other tools you are using can be integrated with the software you choose.
Make a list of all the features you need and then research different platforms that have all of them. In addition, the platform should be able to integrate other technologies you have been using as it can make syncing data easier.
Availability of learning resources
If you are new to using a certain platform you will need plenty of learning resources to help you better utilise it. Choose a platform that offers various resources like videos and guides that introduces you to various features and how to use them. For example, HubSpot Academy has plenty of learning resources that get you familiar with using various HubSpot tools.
When selecting your marketing automation platform ensure that it gives you resources that help you understand the platform better. Find out if these resources are free and easily accessible. The platform should provide updated resources when you purchase the services.
Reviews from other customers
Reviews from other customers can help you with your decision in selecting your ideal marketing automation software. Look for reviews, testimonials or case studies of existing customers describing their experience with that platform. Find out how the platform helped these customers get maximum results. The number of users currently using the platform can help determine its popularity.
Look at what types of businesses are using the platform, for example, if they are a B2B or B2C company. Since the type of features needed will be different for these business types, it is important to know which businesses it helps more. Also find out what users are saying about the various aspects of the software. This can help you decide if the software is for you or not.
Onboarding
When you purchase a new platform, you will need help in the set-up and onboarding process. Many platforms offer assistance and get you up to speed with your software. When researching your platform, ensure that you find out what the onboarding process is like. How do they assist you in onboarding and how much do they charge?
Migrating information from one system to another can require some help. Make sure that the platform you choose is offering all the assistance you need, especially if you have a large database.
Pricing
Last but not the least is your budget. Consider how much you are comfortable spending on your marketing automation software. Various onboarding platforms have different prices. Look at your current database and how much you expect it to grow. The bigger your database the more you are likely to pay.
When you research various platforms look at the base price and how many contacts you can have. A platform can have different tiers with different price points. If your database is growing fast, then you can expect to pay more. Moreover, look at what features, and benefits are available for each tier. When you have set a clear budget, it becomes easier to determine which platform you want to opt for.
Researching your marketing automation platform can seem overwhelming. The best way is to first determine your business goals. This can help you understand the exact tools you need to achieve your goals. When you understand your business needs it becomes easy to choose the right marketing automation system that helps you achieve all your goals.
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