HubSpot is a fantastic platform that can help you to improve your business but, as with all tools, you have to make sure you’re using it correctly or you could miss out on vital sales. Avoid these common mistakes during your HubSpot setup and you and your customers will be far happier.
Mistake 1 – Not having the right data
To avoid missing sales, keep all data up to date and make sure that it is properly labelled so you are sending different communications to returning customers who understand the value of your brand and your potential customers who are just getting to know you. You will need to do some housekeeping regularly to identify records for people who have retired, companies that no longer exist and duplicate records to avoid wasting time and resources where they will not be fruitful.
All records must and practises must be GDPR compliant and you should ensure that you have the best up-to-date contact information for your customers so you don’t miss out on an opportunity with them.
Mistake 2 – Not implementing HubSpot on your website
Implementing HubSpot on your website will streamline the lead-generation process, freeing you to work on providing communications that will impress your leads. This improved data capture will also make it easier to produce more personalised follow ups. The tracking cookies used by HubSpot will attempt to associate any other activity with that user to give you a more complete picture of their needs.
Mistake 3 – Logging communications outside of HubSpot
You may take down notes on a pad when you’re on the phone and that’s great but make sure you log that in HubSpot afterwards. This will make sure that you have all the important information stored safely and you’ll know whether the customer needs further communication and when. Customers can then be properly segmented according to outcomes of interactions and you can improve your sales process by knowing what actions were able to influence the buyer’s decision. It’ll also save on worries when you are about to launch into your next communication and you can’t remember if they were interested in Product A or Service B.
Mistake 4 – Not having a branded email template
Brand recognition is vital in business, even spilling over into entertainment with board games all about recognising logos! Your emails should follow your brand guidelines that are used elsewhere on your website and brochures for a more cohesive experience. This will include the language used, the colour scheme and details like appropriate fonts. Your logo should feature at least once on the email, commonly at the top of the email but you can split-test the position to find the perfect one for your customers.
An important trust signal in email communications that boosts open rates is using an email with @yourcompany.com so that your customers can be sure that the email is from you and you are a serious business.
Mistake 5 – Not having buyer personas from the outset
Buyer personas will help you to tailor your content so that people are receiving appropriate messaging from your business. Your customers will respond better to you – and your pitch – if they feel that you are interacting with them in a way that is relevant to them and makes them feel like they are special to you. Know your buyer personas to avoid mistakes when setting up HubSpot.
One way of segmenting leads is to consider their position in the sales funnel and remember that a lead who is in the ‘awareness’ stage of the funnel, where they have just discovered you, will not always be quite so ready for decisions and minute details as someone who has been evaluating their options for a while so remember to tailor communications appropriately.
When used correctly, HubSpot has the power to make a real difference to your business and to your customers. For more information on how to optimise HubSpot for your needs and a great HubSpot setup, contact our team today.
