5 steps to choose suitable Marketing Automation system

In an international Marketing Automation market we can observe specialized and sophisticated solutions, with wide spectrum of functionality. When picking up the right tool for your business, you’ll face a tough task: to find a system, which will secure all your needs, at a fair price and ready for further development in the future. Not an easy decision to make…

The decision to purchase marketing and sales automation system is the first step towards linking all marketing activities with particular client. Right choice will facilitate sales process and marketing activities within the company. After Marketing Automation implementation, everything we do in sales and marketing will be focused on clients needs. We are able to identify them, reach them with information they need and finally help them make a purchase.

Today, Marketing Automation systems are not only the way to provide content to receivers at a right time and subject. These platforms allow to carry on multichannel marketing and gather data from potential and current clients. Thanks to this, we can efficiently analyze and optimize data to successfully increase sales in the company.

Choosing the right solution is not too easy. Not only we must take under consideration current needs but also future ones, bound to company development and marketing activities themselves. Possibility of development within the platform we choose is necessary in order to avoid further data migration and actions in between various systems. Making a decision, it’s wise to consider 5 basic steps:

Step 1: Set the goals you want to reach purchasing the system

At this stage it’s worth to ask yourself a few questions, which will help to set the goals we want to achieve right after tool implementation:

• Do we want to build continuing collaboration between sales and marketing department?
• Do we want to enhance the quality of contacts provided to sales department?
• Do we want to achieve better conversion and higher revenue?

Additionally, when setting priority goals, the list of most common reasons for Marketing Automation implementation can be helpful:

• 40% – improving the process of contact acquisition and management
• 30% – marketing and sales process automation
• 18% – craving for new and better functionality
• 11% – dissatisfaction with the current system and solutions

Ideally, once we know exactly what we want to accomplish, it’s easier to focus on smaller number of systems to choose from.

Step 2: Make a list of requirements Marketing Automation system must fulfill

Most Marketing Automation systems are available in SaaS model and are based on cloud technology. That’s why, the technical aspect of implementation is dead easy and is down to singing up client account and monitoring code implementation, which is similar to Google Analytics solution. However, it doesn’t mean it offers same functionalities. List of modules available can be very different. That’s why it’s wise to make your own list of requirements and verify it accessing system demo. There we can check if we get required functionality and see how it works. Than, it’s worth to read carefully about chosen solutions and make a shortlist.

Below’s what companies looking for Marketing Automation solutions usually need:

• Implement Lead Nurturing – 80%
• Improve analytics and reporting – 71%
• Implement contact scoring – 64%
• Pursue tailor-made, behavioral e-mail Marketing – 45%

Step 3: Test the system in real marketing conditions

Surely, it’s worth to test a few systems. One may choose contact group from own base, carry on one or two actions in systems under scrutiny and compare results afterwards. This way we’ll find out advantages and disadvantages of each of the solutions and see which works best for us.

Test Marketing Automation SALESmanago HERE

Step 4: make a list of 2-3 systems and compare their strengths and weaknesses

After the tests, 2 or 3 systems we’ll finally choose from will be left. A simple pros and cons list will be helpful and when comparing, we’ll see our ‘must have’ and find out the solutions we need. Also compare customer service, its cost, trainings available and educational materials. Sometimes they are paid for and sometime free of charge but that’s an important factor anyway.

Step 5: Make a choice

The last step might be the easiest one for some but at the same time most difficult for others. Now, we have a maximum of two systems to choose from and it’s right time to ask tough but essential questions to companies’ representatives. Looking at the list of our requirements, make sure they will be fulfilled in 100%. It’s also good to ask about functionalities available in more exclusive packages, paid extra for. At the end of the negotiations and talks, salespersons are prone to offer something extra in return for closing the deal. Now, it’s time to make a final pick.

Finding a suitable system for a business is a challenging process, during which it’s worth to ask every future user within the company about their expectations and requirements. Five steps mentioned above and careful investigation, will make it easier to pick the best option for your business.