Automation is the Future of Small Business Relationship Growth
October 30, 2013

Automation is the Future of Small Business Relationship Growth

Chris LeBrun, MBA, CFRE | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review

Software Version

Standard

Overall Satisfaction

  • In the Campaign Builder module you can create custom automation sequences to provide your customers with a more personalized, relational experience. By creating real-time segmentation sequences, customers can receive targeted messages from the first time they visit your website or interact with your sales team.
  • Infusionsoft brings all of your marketing and sales functions into one software package, eliminating the need for 4 or 5 solutions that don't always work together. This allows for a seamless work environment and greater efficiency when coordinating marketing campaigns.
  • With strong support for API, Infusionsoft allows you integrate with your existing website, mobile apps, and other software solutions you need to run your business.
  • Infusionsoft has very strict rules about the importing of email addresses. I know several users who have had issues importing and mailing to lists that Infusionsoft didn't deem to be suitable for marketing purposes.
  • Because Infusionsoft is such a powerful solution it's easy to be overwhelmed when starting to use it. Because of this, many customers don't take advantage of all the features Infusionsoft offers.
  • I think one of the biggest impacts has been seen in customer service. When you can deliver the right information on the right day to the right customer you have more satisfied customers!
  • Employee efficiency and effectiveness is another positive impact. Without automation, too many tasks are put in the hands of employees to accomplish manually. While automation takes the negative aspect of the human element out of the picture, Infusionsoft allows messaging to still have a personal touch.
I truly believe in the power of automation for lots of businesses and couldn't imagine going back to a situation where I didn't have that powerful tool at my disposal. With all the strategy and work that goes into a successful implementation of Infusionsoft, it would be unwise to move away from something that is providing such good results.
Let's be honest: Infusionsoft isn't right for every business. But if you want to deliver personalized communication to prospects, customers, and staff on a timely basis based on their preferences and interactions, you owe it to yourself to check out the power of automation.

As an Infusionsoft Certified Consultant (ICC) I highly recommend that you work with an ICC to help you through the implementation process. To become an ICC one must demonstrate a advanced level of Infusionsoft knowledge. ICCs can provide you with a hands-on implementation process, allowing you to continue running your business while Infusionsoft is being customized for your specific needs. It also helps you tap into more of the power of Infusionsoft from the beginning.

Product Usage

1 - As an ICC I work with clients on implementing Infusionsoft and creating and managing their campaigns. I'd say on average, most companies I work with have around 4 people using Infusionsoft.
  • The CRM feature is something that is essential for most companies that use Infusionsoft. This is the foundation of all the rest of Infusionsoft's functionality.
  • The Broadcast Email feature is very useful as well, replacing your need for other email solutions like Constant Contact or aWebber.
  • One client is using Infusionsoft as a sales manager, to track the activity and progress of their sales staff.

Implementation

Don't let the fear of implementing a new software solution keep you from unleashing the power of automation that Infusionsoft provides. With the right implementation partner, the process can not only be smooth and painless, it can actually help you get a better understanding for how your current communication process can be improved upon.
  • Professional services company
I always recommend having an Infusionsoft Certified Consultant (ICC) handle your Infusionsoft implementation. I've seen too many people get overwhelmed with running their business, trying to learn Infusionsoft, and build their automation sequences all at the same time. Unfortunately, some of them give up and feel like Infusionsoft isn't what they expected.

An ICC can put their knowledge of Infusionsoft to work from day one, cutting down the time of the implementation, allowing you to continue managing your business, and helping you capitalize on the full power of the software. I am a strong advocate of business owners and managers learning to use the software as well, but this becomes easier once their campaigns are already up and running.
Yes - Implementation can be customized to your needs and done all at once or over time. One of the first steps is to import your current contacts into the CRM feature of Infusionsoft. During this process, you'll create a number of custom fields and tags to help you track the data you need and segment your customers. If you are using the e-commerce features of Infusionsoft, you'll also want to import your products and set up your storefront or shopping cart.

Next you would want to utilize Infusionsoft's branding center, to make sure all your communication pieces have the same look and feel as your website, contain links to all your social media sites, etc. The next phase would be to begin creating custom automation campaigns. Depending on the number of campaigns you need, this can be done over time as well. Many companies start with just one or two campaigns and then expand.

By working with an ICC you can easily strategize how and when to implement each important phase of the implementation process.
Not sure - Change management can be a major issue with the implementation process if you haven't had meaningful input from all aspects of your team. Problems arise when people don't understand why a new tool is needed or think this is going to make them irrelevant. Involving the key players of your team from the beginning, and keeping them involved in the strategy sessions usually equates to fewer issues with change management.
  • You always want to make sure that data is imported correctly, tags get applied to the right contacts, and that your custom fields are configured correctly. The old saying still rings true: Garbage In, Garbage Out!

Support

Again there is so much online support that users can find on Infusionsoft. From the corporate website and call center, to users groups located around the country, and ICCs who provide online resources, coaching and more, finding support for Infusionsoft is an easy task!
ProsCons
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
No - Infusionsoft does offer premium support in the form of coaching. But they offer so much support online, through great documentation, videos, and more, that often it is not needed. Additionally, if your implementation is done by an ICC, you often receive a form of premium support from your ICC. Often this support is included in your implication package or costs less than coaching from Infusionsoft. And because they are certified by Infusionsoft you know the support you are getting is just as good!

Usability

Infusionsoft is certainly powerful enough to do anything you need it to do and for the average computer-user it should be easy to figure out. Anyone who has used other CRMs should have no problem adapting to Infusionsoft.
ProsCons
Like to use
Relatively simple
Easy to use
Technical support not required
Well integrated
Consistent
Convenient
Feel confident using
None
  • One of the features I love about Infusionsoft is editing contact records right from the search results screen. You can customized the fields shown in your search results and edit those fields without even opening up the contact record. Very efficient!
  • The Campaign Builder is great for providing a visual map of your communication plan. This is great, especially for businesses who are looking to build upon their communication strategies.
  • Sometimes, knowing where certain settings are controlled can be difficult. While it's great that settings are split up into categories like Contacts, Marketing, E-commerce, some settings reach across categorical boundaries and figuring out where they are located can take some time. This is overcome by regular use, however.
Yes - You can access Infusionsoft from your phone or tablet but at this point I don't believe that some features, such as Campaign Builder, are compatible with mobile platforms.