HubSpot CRM is a centralized hub for managing all interactions with customers and tracking their activity on any platform. A powerful and intuitive system supports cloud integration, helps automate advertising campaigns, and manage sales.
In this HubSpot CRM review, we’ll take a look at the platform’s pros and cons, key features, and usage costs so you can determine if it’s right for your business needs. After all, the right choice of a CRM system is an important step on the way to the successful development of a company.
What is Hubspot CRM?
HubSpot CRM is a universal solution for sales and communication with company clients with a user-friendly interface. The platform provides automation, helps to track the activity of the target audience and increase sales.
HubSpot is a single interface where all team members can work. Any changes made by one member are instantly visible to everyone, allowing you to focus on improving the efficiency of departments, rather than manually managing data.
Who is HubSpot CRM suitable for?
HubSpot CRM system is actively used by:
Startups and small businesses. Due to the free version of the service and the ability to customize it for yourself, this CRM system is widely in demand among small businesses and start-ups.
B2C companies. HubSpot will allow you to automate and optimize processes for an enterprise working with customers in any business area, no matter at what stage of the sales funnel you work.
Online services. When interacting with a large number of users daily, HubSpot is simply indispensable. It will help you segment your audience and run personalized marketing campaigns.
IT companies. Such businesses usually strive for digital transformation and automation of all business processes. CRM allows IT companies to manage customer relationships at all stages of interaction – from lead generation to implementation and support.
FinTech companies. In this area, it is important to maintain complex and long-term relationships with customers, and HubSpot helps to accomplish this task with the help of APIs and opportunities for integration with all popular marketing services.
Who can’t get enough of HubSpot?
Although the capabilities of HubSpot CRM are very wide, the system may not be enough for:
Specific industries. If your area requires deep customization from a CRM system, the basic functions of HubSpot may not be enough. For example, the problem may be relevant for companies from the healthcare sector, manufacturing, and some B2B industries. In such cases, it is better to choose industry solutions that are specially designed to solve narrow, specific problems.
Large corporations. Large companies with a branched structure and complex internal processes may find it difficult to adapt HubSpot to their needs. For them, it is preferable to use more complex corporate systems of the ERP level.
Strict data security requirements. Although the service provides protection for sensitive information, this may not be enough for government or banking institutions.
HubSpot CRM Benefits
Intuitive interface. Even an inexperienced user will understand using the system. It features easy navigation for quick access to all major features.
Saving time. Through comprehensive process automation, the HubSpot platform helps you spend less time working with data, administering advertising campaigns, and working with clients.
Integrated features for integration. Synchronization for communication is possible with Gmail, Slack, Salesforce and other business applications, which greatly simplifies workflows.
Wide functionality. Using HubSpot, you can forget about most other services, because the system allows you to manage all aspects of customer interaction, from tracking interactions with advertising campaigns to reporting and sales analytics.
Scalability. If the business is constantly expanding and the current functions are not enough, you can upgrade to a higher tariff. The tariff scale includes plans for both small and large companies.
Own knowledge base. HubSpot has an extensive library of tutorials, so even a beginner can figure out how to use it.
Technical support 24/7. Customers can contact the support service around the clock for any issue that arises in the process.
An overview of the disadvantages of the Hubspot platform
Despite the extensive functionality and many advantages of the platform, our review of HubSpot CRM would not be complete without considering the main disadvantages:
Limited features in the free version. Some features in the base plan are not supported, and you will have to pay to access many features.
Difficult to set up. Although the platform is easy to use, the initial setup may require the help of a technician. Especially in cases where individualized solutions are needed.
Price. If the company grows and the free version is no longer enough, using the service can seriously hit the budget. For example, a corporate tariff for large enterprises will cost as much as $3600/month.
What features does HubSpot CRM provide?
Let’s look at the key features of the HubSpot platform that are most in demand among most users.
Tracking visitor actions
The activity of current and potential customers of the company can be monitored at all stages of interaction with the brand:
Actions on the site. You can track pages viewed, content downloaded, forms completed, and any other form of customer interaction with the website.
Traffic sources. The built-in analytical system can determine where the visitor came from – from social networks, search engines, media campaigns or other sources. This helps determine the most effective customer acquisition channels.
Email. You can analyze the percentage of open emails, views and clicks on links from the email newsletter you sent.
Live Chat
HubSpot allows you to install online chat on your site to instantly answer customer questions right on the site. At the same time, you can communicate in the convenient interface of the CRM system.
All chats are automatically synchronized with HubSpot, allowing you to save the history of communication with each client and personalize the interaction:
In addition, you can use chatbots to automatically answer frequently asked questions, provide useful information, or redirect visitors directly to operators from the right department. This frees up the team’s time for more important issues.
Built-in analytics also collects data on the number of chats, agent response time, customer satisfaction and other key metrics for further analysis by the company’s management.
Email integration
You can sync your Gmail or Outlook mailbox with CRM. In this case, all incoming and outgoing messages will be automatically pulled into the HubSpot to store the complete history of communication with each client in one place.
Also, the system has its own library of templates for e-mails, which can be used to set up mailing lists. This allows you to personalize email for each specific recipient, using data about him stored in CRM.
The platform also allows you to automate the sending of mail by setting triggers based on certain actions of buyers. In this way, you can significantly influence the conversion by increasing the engagement of the user and sending him the right messages at the right time.
Synchronize with calendar
The HubSpot platform supports integration with Google Calendar, as well as Office 365 and Outlook calendars. Thus, you do not need to separately open the calendar to see upcoming appointments and events. All information is collected in one convenient place.
You can also set up automatic appointments, then the system will display free dates from the calendar. In this case, clients or colleagues will be able to choose a convenient time for them, and it will immediately appear in your calendar.
CRM also allows you to automatically send reminders about upcoming events to all participants, add tasks and deadlines to the schedule, and generate reports on the time spent at work based on information from the calendar.
Call tracking
If you have IP telephony connected, HubSpot allows you to record and save calls so that you can later return to conversations for analysis or training new staff. The built-in analytical system collects statistics on the number of calls, their duration and other key metrics.
Using this data, you can improve the customer experience, as well as optimize conversation scripts and improve team preparation.
Without call tracking, the analysis of conversions of one or another advertising source will be incomplete, therefore, in order to optimize the marketing budget, it is important to monitor all points of contact between the client and the brand.
Sales Tracker
HubSpot CRM allows you to visualize the sales funnel, displaying all stages and the number of deals at each of them. The system allows you to add deals, set their status, assign responsible managers, and much more.
Built-in automation tools can help you automatically move deals through the stages of the funnel, send task reminders, and enforce your company’s scripts.
The platform can also build forecasts for future sales based on information about current orders and historical information. In the analytical panel, you can build a deep analysis of the total number of orders, the amount of funds earned, the percentage of conversions, etc.
Integration with social networks
Using the capabilities of HubSpot, you can both publish posts on social networks directly from CRM, and plan future publications. Thus, you can synchronize the schedule for the release of new content on different sites.
Also, using the built-in tools, you can monitor the activity of subscribers – track brand mentions, comments and reviews, which allows you to quickly respond to feedback from the audience.
All data on activity in social networks falls into the general analytics system, where you can track which site generates leads and targeted actions, as well as identify the most effective channels and content.
Cost of using the Hubspot platform
HubSpot CRM has several pricing plans, depending on the selected service package:
Free. Here are the basic features for communicating with customers – contact collection, sales tracking and email integration. Use is completely free.
Starter. Added such useful features as online chat, as well as monitoring the activity of visitors on the site. The package starts at $113 per month.
Professional. Automation, tools for SEO site promotion, as well as analytics and reporting are already being added here. Subscription price starts at $1200/mo
Enterprise. This is the most advanced plan, which includes all the features of previous tariffs. It is suitable for large enterprises with large marketing budgets and costs from $3600/mo. Sales forecasting, connection of more complex analytical systems and much more are also available here.
