Jack Sparrow once said, "The problem is not the problem. The problem is your attitude about the problem."
However, using the wrong marketing automation system may lead to a host of problems. On the other hand, choosing the right system and using it correctly can work wonders for your business: warming up leads, guiding them through the marketing funnel, maintaining constant awareness among existing customers, and facilitating additional sales through cross-selling and upselling.
The market offers dozens of MA systems with varying capabilities, prices, and target audiences. Unfortunately, choosing the right one is not as simple as it seems.
Where do companies go WRONG?
Often, businesses choose MA systems based solely on their reputation or price. However, this approach can lead to disaster. Opting for an expensive system that doesn't align with the business's needs can result in excessive costs and limited success, resulting in marketing automation disillusionment. Similarly, selecting a cheap system that doesn't cater to the business's requirements may lead to manual workarounds, few positive outcomes, and hours spent seeking support. This may result in disappointment.
So, how do you find the perfect fit for your business? Here are three primary scenarios:
1. eCommerce and Marketing Automation Sites
For eCommerce sites, tracking user actions is crucial. Look for systems specifically designed for eCommerce, offering features like cart abandonment automation, displaying purchased/abandoned products in customer emails, personalized product recommendations based on purchase history, and eCommerce-centric reports. Some systems even provide plugins for seamless integration with popular eCommerce platforms like WordPress/WooCommerce, Magento, or Shopify. If your website runs on one of these platforms, it's wise to choose an MA system with built-in integration to save money and effort on custom development.
2. Marketing Automation Systems and Applications
Marketing automation systems are typically well-suited to the web environment, including tracking purchases and website visits, as well as distributing content via email and SMS. However, businesses primarily relying on applications must choose an MA system that offers a full interface to the application. Look for systems with Software Development Kits (SDKs) enabling deep integration between the application and the MA system. Critical capabilities include push notifications in various formats, geo-location targeting, and personalized screens based on user actions or information.
3. Additional systems
Certain industries may require specialized MA systems. For example, the finance sector may prioritize increased security, while streaming services may seek SDK support. To make the right choice, businesses must carefully identify their specific needs and select systems tailored to their industry.
Important points
When evaluating different MA systems, consider numerous parameters, including e-commerce support, available features like popups, forms, landing pages, and personalization, AI capabilities, SDKs, integration with advertising systems, custom object/tables support, user-friendly editing interfaces, scripting support, GDPR compliance, quality of customer support and more. Implementation complexity, system updates frequency, and ongoing development investment should also be assessed.
Before searching for an MA system, clearly define the features that align with your business requirements. Then, evaluate how various systems measure up against those needs.
Final thoughts
In conclusion, remember two crucial points while selecting an MA system for your organization:
- No One-Size-Fits-All Solution: Every business is unique, and the right MA system for one company may not be the most suitable fit for another. Seek advice from an objective company with broad knowledge of multiple systems, and ensure they recommend a solution that aligns with your specific needs.
- The System is a Tool: Regardless of the system you choose, its price, or its extensive features, success relies on how effectively you use it. Define customer journeys at different stages, collect relevant data, and establish key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure each journey's success.
By keeping these considerations in mind, you can make an informed decision and leverage marketing automation to achieve remarkable results for your business.
