HubSpot CRM Pros and Cons
HubSpot CRM Pros & Cons, in reverse order...drumroll...
The downside
But, there’s always a but, right?
Some of the instructions presume a knowledge of coding that not everyone has (including myself). If all you want to do is install the HubSpot tracking code on your website, you will need to understand what this kind of thing means:
“Place the code right before the end of the <body> tag on any page that you want to enable HubSpot on.”
And if you don’t, frustration and friction may result from having to look something else up when it could have been explained better on the first page in question.
Body tag?
Sounds like something wrestlers do.
I did find this disclaimer though (on the page detailing how to do it). Fair enough:
“Please note: because every website is structured differently, these steps may not be the exact instructions on how to access your HTML code. If you're not sure how to access the HTML code of your site, contact your webmaster, IT department, or developer and show them this article.”
I solved the problem by the way. Well, no one's perfect.
So if your company (like mine) doesn’t have a techie, you may need to ask one for a quick favor every once in a while.
(Or, it didn’t change anything that I could tell)
Is that where the journey ends?
So it’s not all good news.
What other problems should I know about? I hear you cry.
Review: I recommend that you study this list now to avoid disappointment later:
CONS: the dark side of HubSpot’s CRM tool
- We can’t go on together with suspicious minds
The transparent integration of data centralized in one place is all well and good, but do you really want everyone in the company to see every last bit of your customers’ information? Is it strictly necessary?
There are no filters so, if you’re using the free CMR tool, you will not be able to add hierarchies to your users and the information you share will be accessible to everyone in the company.
If your team is completely trustworthy, however, and you don't have any personal issues with paranoia or control freakery, then this is no biggie.
If, on the other hand, you want to limit the information you share (and wouldn’t trust your colleagues as far and you could throw them) then HubSpot, alas, may not be for you.
- Infodemic
Every appointment on the calendar that a HubSpot contact shares is added to the corresponding record, whether it is an important meeting to discuss a deal or a shared event that does not need recording. Wouldn’t it be nice if unimportant records could be ignored in order to make relevant interactions easier to read?
- Limited edition
According to Rob Sobers (a developer and designer turned marketing executive, not to mention an objective expert on using this tool), one of the main complaints about this software is that your ability to customize is very basic. So if that’s a problem for you from the get go, then you won't be able to modify much to adapt it to your business.
- Reports and analysis: at least it’s free
The free reporting tools get the job done but I wouldn’t say they were top-notch.
The reports you can do are very basic and cannot be customized as much as you would like. The information is there, but if you want to compare specific data, you will have to do it manually or with another external application.
- Less isn’t always more
What to add multiple email addresses to a single contact record? No can do.
You have situations where someone starts a conversation through their work email, right? But then they send some content through a secondary or personal email address, so being able to collect more than one email address would allow for more ways of contacting.
- Need tools to link the contact information of different organizations?
Oh dear!
The ability to merge companies would be helpful, as HubSpot CRM doesn’t let you merge contact information from other organizations.
- Looking for a sophisticated CRM, with many eye-catching features? Then this might not be the one.
Overall, I think it’s very powerful and easy for your team to implement. Yes, it has some limitations, but most of them are compensated by virtue of being free and highly adaptable to your needs.
On the whole, I would recommend it to small and medium sized companies on the up, but it can also be used by larger companies.
Report card: Good, but could do better!
Accentuate the positive
Always look on the bright side of HubSpot’s CRM
PROS
- The price is right
The best things in life are free
Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth
It's free, so any company, regardless of budget, can use HubSpot CRM at no cost.
There is no argument when you are offered a tool, with this potential, without paying a dime. If you're just looking for a functional CRM, you get it free forever (beyond that, you only pay as you go on adding extra optional tools such as marketing, service or sales hubs.)
- The extra hubs
Another great benefit of this program is that if you want to improve your sales, service or marketing area with automation, its hubs do all that.
Although the free versions are functional, if you want to implement any of these packages it’s because you need more than what the free version offers.
But if your company generates enough flow for you to consider the paid versions, then you won’t regret the investment.
- Follow up
The ability to schedule tasks is highly convenient and means you don’t forget to establish contact with your leads. It's super quick and easy to schedule a reminder for a follow-up call or email.
Something that is very clear to those who use this software is the ease with which they can follow up on each contact.
Each point of contact with your prospects and customers is recorded in the software, allowing you to clearly identify which strategies are working and which you should give up on.
Thanks to some features of the 3 main hubs (Marketing, Sales and Service), this CRM is much more than a simple contact management system.
- User Friendly
It has simple features and doesn’t require much customization, the tool is easy to implement and manage even by the least tech-savvy of your team.
It's better to have software that is not very complex, implemented 100%, than one that is very advanced, but used at a mere 20%.
HubSpot CRM is a relentless automation system that eventually helps companies close deals faster. Another way the tool perfects the art of efficient customer relationship management is with the fast order book and intuitive interface that requires no prior knowledge.
- The best thing about HubSpot CRM is that you can track all activities (emails, phone calls, meetings) and link to other documents (appointments, notes) so it provides a place where we can access any information we need to ensure success with prospects and clients.
- Integration with the HubSpot marketing platform allows us to see clearly a potential customer’s workflows, the downloads they have made and when they have interacted with your site. It's perfect for helping us know when potential customers are ready for another call or email.
It easily blends in with all ongoing sales processes because once installed, HubSpot CRM integrates with all the tools already in use. The list of available integrations is very long and includes products like Pipedrive CRM, SugarCRM, Bigcommerce, Google Chrome, Google Dynamics, Snapengage, Dropbox and many more. Basically, HubSpot is applicable in any software ecosystem and is easily built into all processes and operations.
- It's a powerful solution that helps close more deals with less work, because it organizes and tracks every aspect of the sales pipeline, and helps it grow and develop in the right direction. On top of that, it's also flexible enough to meet the needs of individuals, B2B and B2C companies, those operating in retail, accounting, real estate, construction, or any other industry.
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