Every business needs to build and expand their customer database, and software can help you do so. At JDR Group, we often recommend HubSpot – a platform that implements intuitive, practical tools and has an impressive track record of enabling successful growth for thousands of diverse businesses. We are a HubSpot partner, and as an inbound marketing agency we see it one of the best possible tools available to track, measure and optimise inbound marketing for a small business.
Companies that invest in HubSpot benefit from software designed around inbound marketing – an educational, content-led approach to sales, marketing and customer service. HubSpot provides a platform which allows a small business to manage its website, social media, email marketing, lead generation, online advertising and customer service all in one place – while providing a CRM system to keep track of each and every contact, plus a powerful analytics engine to track and measure every element of sales, marketing and customer service.
Regardless of how dependent a company is on the Internet to conduct its business, most organisations now have a digital presence. This incorporates websites, social media presence, blogs, industry publications, and interactions with forums - and this is essential for lead generation for most companies today.
Online interactions with customers and prospects generate a lot of data. HubSpot gathers this information into a single accessible database, which can then be integrated with other software platforms. This creates a rich knowledge-base that organisations can use to learn more about the prospects and clients who have visited their website.
There are four key methods by which HubSpot can access this information.
1) Integrate & Consolidate
HubSpot allows you to quickly integrate your existing contact lists into a single, easily accessible database. Often these are little more than email addresses, which might have little meaning by themselves. However, HubSpot pads out this list with any additional information that the contact has made available, such as their Twitter feed, plus it pulls in useful company data from LinkedIn such as location, phone number, annual revenues, industry, and much more.
2) Add The Traditional Way
It is a digital era, but there is still value in being able to connect telephone enquiries and walk-ins with your software. HubSpot has a straightforward ‘add contact’ function. An email address is enough to connect a company to the client’s information hub.
3) ‘Prospects’ – The Tool (Like Lead Forensics) That Tells You Who Is On Your Website
The HubSpot ‘Prospects’ tool allows you to see who has visited your website, even if they do not leave contact details. It keeps a record of visiting IP addresses and connects these to the information that companies have already made public. By knowing companies and organisations that have visited your site, you can gain a deeper understanding of your audience and gives your sales people an opportunity to reach out to potential clients.
4) Customer Engagement
When customers choose to engage with a well-optimised website, there are plenty of opportunities for them to give their details. When they complete a landing page form, respond to a CTA, fill out a pop-up form or engage with live chat, HubSpot can automatically add them to the database and send them marketing material or resources.
Making The Most Of It
HubSpot is not just designed to gather information; it is structured to help you use that information to increase lead generation and conversions. Ultimately, it’s what you do with your data that counts. The platform is filled with tools that help companies sort through their clients and potential clients and apply filters. This can quickly identify and isolate audience segments so that time is not wasted on unnecessary contacts.
This is ideal for organisations operating in niche industries. For example, bespoke engineering firms might have audiences in very different industries, each requiring different marketing tactics. With HubSpot, the marketing response can be tailored to each one. These are powerful tools, and are situated in three hubs:
The Marketing Hub is focused on growing traffic. It uses advanced analytics to help companies tailor their sites to different visitor streams. It achieves this by:
- Website analytics/data tracking
- SEO optimisation
- Website personalisation
- Website conversion rate optimisation tools
- Live chat
- Social media marketing tools
- Online advertising tools – for Google AdWords, Facebook Ads & LinkedIn Ads
- Email marketing – including automated email workflows
- Traffic and lead reporting
The Sales Hub is focused on closing deals as quickly and efficiently as possible. It automates many of the tasks that salespeople find laborious, while offering deep insight into customer behaviour. Of over 44 available tools, core applications include:
- Personalised email pathways
- Automated quotes and follow-ups
- Smart notifications and send times
- Sales pipeline tracking, forecasting & reporting
The Service Hub is where inbound marketing flourishes. It helps companies connect with clients so they can exceed expectations and build lifetime value. This builds positive rapport and grows businesses through positive recommendations.
How Easy Is It To Use?
With the correct training and guidance, very. HubSpot is highly intuitive and accessible. However, getting the most out of HubSpot involves learning how to optimise the system to translate the data into meaningful returns. A HubSpot partner agency (like JDR) will have the highest level of HubSpot training. This not only enhances utilisation by reducing the learning curve; it also provides greater expert manpower – allowing you to spend fewer resources on marketing and more on operations.
What Next?
When used to its full potential, HubSpot offers an excellent ROI. If you don’t believe it, just take a look at our case studies to see how JDR has used HubSpot to help sales skyrocket in a diverse range of industries. To harness this energy for your company, ask for a free inbound marketing audit today.
