HubSpot: Everything We Hoped For and More
Updated April 29, 2015
HubSpot: Everything We Hoped For and More
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Software Version
Professional
Overall Satisfaction with HubSpot
We use HubSpot to host our website and our blog. As HubSpot partners, we are "drinking the Kool-Aid" by utilizing all of HubSpot's features. In addition to the website, we use HubSpot for our lead generation (calls-to-action, forms, landing pages, thank-you pages, hosting downloadable content), our email campaigns, and sales tracking (HubSpot CRM). We take full advantage of content personalization, contact list segmentation, reporting, campaign tracking, and social media management.
- The HubSpot CMS (a/k/a the COS) made it easy for us to produce a beautiful website that works well on desktop computers, tablets, and smartphones. The CMS contained all of the features we needed for our website. We had no trouble creating a custom template set giving our site a unique look, not at all cookie cutter.
- HubSpot's tools for lead generation are easy to use and well documented. For instance, it is very straightforward to create a call-to-action, link it to a landing page, create a form for the landing page, link the form to a thank-you page, and send a follow-up email upon form submission.
- HubSpot makes it relatively easy to do "hard stuff" like lead nurturing automation (HubSpot calls them "workflows"). The workflows feature is very powerful and complex. Fortunately, it is also well documented and HubSpot tech support is very willing to lend a hand when needed.
- HubSpot reporting is simple, easy to understand, and easy to manipulate. It is also easy to export full data from HubSpot, which is essential because HubSpot's reports are sometimes too basic/limited.
- HubSpot tech support is staffed by some of the most helpful people I have ever seen. These folks always go the extra mile to find the best possible answer.
- The HubSpot backend (the "HubSpot app") is slow. For instance, on a bad day you can wait 30 seconds (or more) for an updated web page to "publish" and be visible on your website. Fortunately, this slowness is limited to the backend; it does not affect our website or our blog.
- HubSpot's statistics and reports are slow to update. They often show data which are several hours old.
- We are seeing positive results in lead generation and nurturing.
- WordPress,MailChimp,MarketVolt,HootSuite Free
We had been using WordPress + MarketVolt (and previously, MailChimp) + HootSuite for our website + blog + lead generation. HubSpot offered us much more capability, neatly integrated, and a very supportive environment for jumping into inbound marketing. We are a highly technical company; we could have continued to use several loosely integrated tools for fewer dollars per month. HubSpot's tight integration of all features easily swayed us, though.
Using HubSpot
3 -
- Marketing
- Sales
- Website programming
3 - Our skill set runs the gamut from executive to down-in-the-trenches programming. The latter was only needed while we were building our custom template set; it is never required for day-to-day support.
- Marketing
- Website lead generation
- Social media management
- Email marketing
- Customer nurturing
- We have found HubSpot's email tool useful for communication status updates to our existing clients. We did not expect to integrate this functionality into HubSpot.
HubSpot Implementation
- Implemented in-house
Change management was minimal - We are a small company. This was not an issue for us.
- There was a *lot* to learn. It required significant efforts from everyone in our company to implement HubSpot.
HubSpot Support
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
Quick Resolution Good followup Knowledgeable team Problems get solved Kept well informed No escalation required Immediate help available Support understands my problem Support cares about my success Quick Initial Response | None |
Yes - It was fixed promptly.
Amazingly, I have never gotten anything other than exceptional support from HubSpot... and I'm a tough customer to please.
Using HubSpot
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
Like to use Relatively simple Easy to use Technical support not required Well integrated Consistent Feel confident using | Slow to learn Lots to learn |
- Email composition and personalization
- Creating calls-to-action
- Creating forms and collecting information. Storing the information in the contact records.
- Creating web pages and blog posts.
- Creating a custom template set for a website + blog + email messages requires a high level of technical skill.
- Creating workflows is complex but well documented and supported
Yes - There are mobile apps for iOS and Android which provide some limited functionality. For what they do, they work well.