To survive in today’s market, businesses must be at the forefront of new technologies and solutions, or risk being left behind. Market automation software solutions allowed marketers to engage with customers, set up workflows, and track results.
Marketers today have access to countless marketing automation platforms, but not all are equal. Choosing the right software can mean the difference between success and failure. Let’s get started.
- Advantages of Marketing Automation
- Marketing Automation Software: How to Choose
Advantages of Marketing Automation
For marketers, the digital age has brought vast opportunities, but also challenges. Businesses will use marketing automation tools for various reasons.
Regardless of your industry, you will benefit from the sales, service, and marketing advantages that a good platform will provide.
According to some estimates, businesses and organizations using marketing automation software will see increased lead volume, lead conversion rates, and overall ROI (Return On Investment). Marketing automation is a must-have for any organization that wants to succeed.
Marketing Automation Software: How to Choose
When choosing software for your company, consider the following factors:
1. UX
This is one of the most important features of this type of software because it affects your daily operations. Make sure the software you choose is intuitive, responsive, and easy to use. It should be simple enough to switch between tools, functions, tabs, marketing communications, and so on.
2. Forums and Reviews
Checking online reviews for any software product is a good way to see how well it performs. Experienced users can point out the product’s benefits and drawbacks, helping you make a more informed choice.
Check to see if they have an online community or forum, which every good software provider should have.
3. Specifications
To find out if a software package has the features you need, simply ask yourself a few questions. Was soll die Software tun? Does it stack up against your competitors’ software? Will it work well with your current tools?
If you want your software to automatically send out newsletters to your customers, it must have MVT (Multivariate Testing) and HTML drag-and-drop builder.
Form creation and posting capabilities will be required for customer feedback. Remember that new software should keep your business centralized and help decision-makers do their jobs better.
4. Prices
Marketing automation software costs vary depending on premium features, server type (on-premises or cloud), and capacity. Check what other developers are charging for similar services to find reasonable prices. Find out if you are eligible for any discounts or offers.
5. Learning Resources
Any software you don’t understand won’t help your company. In addition to manuals, make sure the developer provides training programs and other learning resources to help you get the most out of the software.
6. Technical Help
If you have any technical issues with the software, you should contact the marketing automation platform developer immediately. Help is usually obtained via live chat, email, or phone. They should be reliable, quick to respond, and available during business hours, if not 24/7.
7. Integration
Choosing a suitable platform for your organization will require careful consideration to ensure that it will integrate seamlessly with existing systems. For example, marketing automation for banks may require integration with your global operating system, CRM (or other customer data platforms), and any software used for personalized messages.
8. Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) or On-Premise
You must decide between on-premises and SaaS based on your organization’s capacity and preferences. The server location (data storage) and installation methods vary between the two.
On-site solutions are preferred in many highly regulated industries, such as banking and government, where sensitive data is processed.
On-premise solutions usually cost more because the client must pay for hardware, installation, and maintenance. Small and medium-sized businesses prefer SaaS because it is less expensive, easier to use, and requires less maintenance.
However, reduced data security and potential service disruptions offset these benefits. Before deciding which system is best for your needs, weigh the benefits and drawbacks of both.
9. Scalability
What you can achieve before needing to switch software depends on the software’s scalability. A scalable platform will grow with your company, lowering overhead costs and eliminating the need for new software onboarding and training.