Businesses today face several challenges in digital marketing, which only robust enterprise marketing automation software can answer. These issues stem from the growing need for advanced marketing automation during daily operations because digital technology is rapidly changing the industry. Today, engaging with your customers requires a complex data-gathering process across multiple online channels. Companies must invest in digital outreach campaigns to generate sales through emails and personalized brand messaging. Without marketing automation, companies can expect a 40% drop in productivity from manually switching processes across different platforms.   

Enterprise marketing automation software can help businesses prevent this loss of revenue without reducing productivity. However, several moving parts are involved in choosing which automation platform is best for your business needs. Vonazon has prepared an easy-to-follow guide to help you eliminate the stress of finding the best marketing automation software for your business.  

 

What is marketing automation software? 

Enterprise marketing automation software is a digital tool that businesses utilize to improve daily operations by minimizing repetitive tasks. 72% of successful companies integrate enterprise marketing automation software to streamline workflows, manage contacts in their database, collect accurate customer data, generate leads, and track the results of marketing campaigns. Processes that used to take marketing teams hours now occur within seconds. This means marketers can prioritize producing personalized customer experiences by taking feedback on what leads liked, then shaping their content around those ideas. 

How to choose the best marketing automation software  

Ultimately, choosing the best automation software comes down to what you need right now to be successful. There is no ‘one size fits all’ solution—what works for one organization might not work for yours and determining your personal pain points can be tricky at times. Here are some essential considerations that will help you make the best investment possible:  

Compare Costs   

When investing in enterprise marketing automation software, you’ll want to consider the financial risks. The best way to achieve that is to compare the different industry pricing models. Specific companies will charge you based on an average cost per 1000 registered contacts. Others will calculate a precise price on the number of emails you send. Some vendors lure you into an annual subscription service with low prices and then charge increased costs later. Other tools make you pay licensing fees based on how many need to access the software.  

Be on the lookout for hidden fees, which are expenses never explained to you beforehand. Typically, those are installation fees or additional features you need to run critical parts of your operations. Ideally, you need a cost-effective option that improves efficiency and scales your business around your needs.  

Evaluate the Software’s Ease of Use  

Integrating advanced marketing automation systems is easier said than done. You’ll want to prevent a series of trials and errors when selecting an interface that will benefit you the most. Compare the pros and cons of as many software providers as you can. Ask yourself these questions: will it be easy to install, simple to learn, and is this so complex that I need a third party to run it for me? Remember, the purpose of automation is to ease workload, not increase it. 

Review Feature Sets  

The best automation software is the one that aligns with your business goals. Which areas of your marketing processes are you trying to improve? Do you want to convert more leads into sales prospects? Maybe you need support drafting emails using a customizable template. Is the platform you’re interested in flexible enough to grow with your needs when they begin to change? Asking yourself these questions will give you a better idea of what to look for in a marketing automation platform. 

Explore Analytics and Reporting Options  

An advanced automation system’s defining feature is the ability to produce accurate marketing analytics. Successful marketers need analysis tools to centralize customer data in one accessible location. Then track which key performance indicators (KPIs) matter most to their campaigns. KPIs can range from return on investment (ROI), site traffic, open and click-through rates or the number of emails sent. With those KPIs, they’ll need to use dashboards to create custom reports and compare them against customer insights and behaviors. Marketers should then make informed decisions on which changes need to occur with that data.  

Check Integrations and API Access  

Marketing automation software for agencies needs to integrate all your systems efficiently if you want to see improvements. Integrations allow marketers to manage their data better while expanding the reach of their existing sales tools. These API tools connect one business software application to another and grant them API access to the marketing data needed to produce emails or launch campaigns. Invest time and resources into researching which providers have the API access you need to link your platforms together for better results.  

Explore Limitations  

Automation software is necessary for successful online marketing, but it can’t solve every problem. Go into negotiations with a provider knowing how many contacts you have now, what kind of content you produce, and what the software needs to achieve. Database size or actions per month will limit the coverage of these automated services. Knowing how to work around these factors will save you money when deciding on the final cost of the software. 

Request a Demo 

Once you’ve considered all the facts, reach out to each specific automation software provider’s sales or marketing teams personally. Ask if they can give you a product demo or a free service trial. From there, play around with the marketing tools within that demo and see if it provides the kind of automated service that you need to take your company to the next level. Walk away from negotiations if none of the demos feel right. You want the correct answer, more than a quick solution.  

Finding the right automation for your marketing has never been simpler. We can provide free consultations showcasing how easily HubSpot’s software can integrate into your business, working within your established limits to help you effortlessly boost productivity without breaking the bank. 

Conclusion 

Marketing automation software isn’t a competitive advantage anymore—it’s vital for competing successfully in online marketing. Knowing how to sort through the hundreds of different software providers and selecting the automation tools best for your business can be tricky, especially when integrating advanced marketing automation requires navigating several moving pieces. Your best chance to make these choices easier is by educating yourself. Know the financial risks, what pain points your software must solve, which marketing features you do and don’t need, and what kinds of integrations will need to be supported by your new software. There is no “quick and easy” way to find the perfect automation software, but the fewer mistakes you make now. The more time and money you’ll save later.