Despite its emergence in the late 1990s, marketing automation software was not so popular among small size businesses. It was only accessible to large organizations that can afford to pay its expensive costs. However, marketing automation is consistently evolving. For that reason, more and more marketing automation companies are offering their software at a lower cost. Today, there are affordable tools in the market to meet the small businesses budget.
It is a known fact that picking the right marketing automation tool is a daunting task especially now that there are a lot of options to choose from. This is crucial because investments are at stake. However, in order for a company to thrive in the business, there are risks that must be taken and changes that should be considered. Currently, there are over thousands of small companies that are using marketing automation platforms in their business.
In a survey conducted by Gleanster research, it was found that 84% of top companies were planning to use or are already using marketing automation software from 2012 to 2015. Moreover, investments in marketing automation had risen by 33% from 2011 to 2012. By 2020, it was predicted by Gartner Group that clients will accomplish 85% of relationship without human interaction. Therefore, marketing automation is now a vital part of businesses marketing strategy. Digital marketing is becoming unstoppable and limitless when it comes to promoting products and businesses.
Due to the numerous benefits of marketing automation to businesses, there is no doubt that the marketing automation industry is booming. However, companies must be able to check-out reviews on marketing automation software first before they buy. Choosing the top marketing automation software that works for the business needs will commence the success of an efficient marketing strategy.
To guide you in your selection process, here are four marketing automation platforms and their salient features. Find out what the users are saying about these software providers.
Sharpspring
When it comes to small and medium-sized businesses, Sharpspring is a highly recommended partner for marketing automation. The most amazing benefit of it is that it is affordable to all sizes of businesses and has features that are demanded even by large enterprises. Moreover, setting up is simple and easy. Scheduling and sending personalized emails is stress-free and the interface has a professional appearance and user-friendly.
In addition to that, it allows integration of existing forms like for instance GoToWebinar to gather webinar registration. The addition of other forms can be executed by including few lines of JavaScript. Furthermore, the customer service is excellent and there are no long-term fees involved. Some of its features that attract marketers include VisitorsID which is a unique tracking code for users, form creation, Contact Manager tool, Integration with popular platforms, tracking of return of investment, and dynamic website content to name a few.
Since Sharpspring is still considered young in this market, there are some drawbacks cited by the users. First and foremost, glitches are not uncommon in Sharpspring which can be frustrating when emails are not rendered properly and timely. Moreover, the shopping integration was evaluated as complex by some reviewers. Although it works excellently with Shopify, it can be challenging when it is utilized with BigCommerce.Lastly, clients are looking for automation of responsibilities in social media that is why more social media integration is suggested. The good thing is, this marketing automation platform is constantly working on improvements to meet clients’ needs.
Overall, Sharpspring is an excellent choice for those companies which are looking for cost-effective marketing automation tools for their marketing campaigns. It is armed with essential tools that are worth the investment.
Mailigen
Mailgen is a professional marketing automation software ideal for small and mid-sized companies. The price is just right and the service provider offers a free trial as well. In fact, cash back assurance if allowed for those who do not find it as appropriate for their businesses. Moreover, it has an easy to use interface and the drag and drop editor is excellent. In addition to that, Mailigen has a very amazing customer support team who provides proficient services to its clienteles.
One of the best features of Mailigen is that it allows integration to social media platforms such as Facebook or Twitter. In fact, it is also known for integration with e-commerce platforms. The Application Programming Interface allows integration to third party software. In addition, the software provider also has SMS and mobile marketing which enables the timely delivery of messages to customers even in other nations.
However, clients had enumerated some of its downsides that need to be improved. To start with, it does not cover event management and webinars, unlike the other marketing automation software which is integrated with such platforms. In addition to that, it cannot preview emails in different formats. It lacks the preview tool which may result in a possibility of sending emails with errors. Also, it does not have the ability to section marketing campaigns according to demographics which should have been easier in targeting customers easily.
To conclude, there may be few limitations on its features, however, client based reviews are saying that they had a positive experience with Mailgen. Being included in the list of top marketing automation software proves that Mailgen delivers what is expected of it.
Marketo
It is named by clients as extremely powerful and one of the best tool for marketing. Marketo is a high-class marketing automation software appropriate for mid-sized to large enterprises. To start with, it is quick to set-up and creating and editing a page is easy too. Moreover, it has a nice interface with a user-friendly design. Its most loved features are the Search Engine Optimization and keyword tool which is very vital in gaining lots of traffic to the website and enticing leads.
In addition, Marketo is adaptable and promotes ease of use for business purposes. For one, it has a wide range of capabilities and is a great resource when it comes to press releases, analytics and other business-related facts and statistics. Furthermore, its integration solution is excellent especially with Salesforce. Other outstanding features include website personalization, email marketing, SEO, mobile engagement, landing pages and analytics, and more.
But even though Marketo has been in the marketing automation industry for quite a decade already, there is still a need for improvement just like in any other marketing automation system. One of its drawbacks is its high cost which makes it not affordable for small business owners. Moreover, there is no free trial offer so clients cannot gauge if the marketing automation software is really appropriate for their business. There may be videos about it, yet, some are still skeptic.
Another downside of Marketo is that it seems like it is meant to be utilized by power-users. It will take time mastering the software and there is a suggestion of upgrading the user interface because it is not fully developed. Furthermore, some of its features are complicated to use and there is a need to know the procedure precisely to avoid errors from being broadcasted globally.
In a nutshell, Marketo will not be considered world renowned marketing automation system for nothing. It is one of the leading providers in marketing automation industry because it offers numerous salient features proven beneficial for companies.
Act-On
Since it was founded in 2008 by Raghu Raghavan, Act-On is now serving over 3000 clients worldwide and counting. It is utilized mostly by small to medium sized businesses and is proven effective in increasing sales and revenue. First and foremost, it exhibits simplicity at its finest with its easy to use interface. Moreover, it is quick to set-up. The customer support is efficient and responds quickly. The technical ability of the staff is very high as well. Another thing is, Act-On offers a free trial for those who wanted to have a dry run of their services and they also offer month-to-month pricing structure.
The Act-On marketing automation software offers numerous advanced features. It is also multi-functional so the need for plenty of software solutions is least likely. This provider automates list management, sales alert, personalized messages and much more. It is accessible for online and mobile users. Also, integration with third party platforms is stress-free.
On the other hand, clients have few suggestions regarding the marketing automation company. For one, video tutorial should also be provided aside from the documentation guide. Although the customer support is very accessible, video tutorials make the learning process more effective. Another recommendation is about the enhancement of social media integration options. Furthermore, some clients consider the pricing offer not suitable for beginners or start-up businesses.
In general, this marketing automation software is reliable in making sales and marketing efficient. It is suited for small and mid-sized companies that require simple to operate marketing software. At a reasonable price, companies can already enjoy the huge benefits of marketing automation.
Conclusion
Before a company decides to buy marketing automation software, it is recommended that they read reviews about marketing automation, watch videos and if possible, test-run the software. This is to be certain that the chosen software is best for the needs of the business. Moreover, the price, features, accessibility of customer support, integration and personalization should all be considered.
Interested in applying automation in your business’ marketing strategy? Read marketing automation software reviews on CrowdReviews.com and find out which among the software provider are included in the list of top marketing automation software.
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