You've decided it's time to integrate your CRM with HubSpot.
Your work life is about to get a lot easier with this marketing automation.
Before that can happen, however, there are a few issues that'll likely come up in the integration process. This thought often sets off headaches for digital marketers.
After all, a HubSpot integration isn't just a plain data migration. There are a few best practices to keep in mind when deciding on your integration strategy.
Click here to find out how our custom HubSpot integration can connect your apps with ease.
In this post, we share how to decide the best HubSpot integration for your business. We've gathered this advice from our years of experience with custom HubSpot integrations.
By the end, you should know how to choose the best-fit integration strategy for your business.
Let's get into the details!
Choosing the Best-Fit HubSpot Integration Strategy
Having a clear strategy will make your HubSpot integration easier and faster. We describe each of the main options in detail below.
1. Manual Integrations
Benefits:
- Gives someone a job (albeit boring)
Drawbacks:
- Expensive
- Time-consuming
- Prone to human error
Summary:
Manual data entry really is not advised. Your employees would be better off doing more productive activities. It takes a lot of time to manually move data from Excel or CSV files to HubSpot or another CRM. Eventually, someone is going to make a mistake and it's going to take forever to track it down. We concede that manual HubSpot integration gives someone a data entry job. But, your dollars would be better spent elsewhere.
2. One-Way Integrations
Benefits:
- Reasonable cost
- Setup is a breeze
Drawbacks:
- Maintenance issues
- Data not updated continuously
- 1:1 integrations
Summary:
Using one-way integration makes it easy for you to conditionally update your CRM. A perfect example is Zapier. Zapier is a tool that allows you to connect your web apps according to your defined "triggers" and "actions". This type of integration is useful for simple integration and syncing of data into HubSpot or other systems. However, one-way integration does not update your data as it changes. With the lack of continuous updates and build-up of triggers and actions, this integration can be difficult to maintain.
3. Native Integrations
Benefits:
- Low-cost (usually free)
- Data continuously updated
- Setup is a breeze
Drawbacks:
- Rigid capabilities
- 1:1 integrations
Summary:
Native integrations are native to the HubSpot platform. HubSpot has spent a lot of time building out an impressive list of software integrations. They are usually free and have clear instructions that make set up easy. However, the built-in features often don't allow you to customize these integrations to your needs. Also, native integrations typically only allow data to flow in one direction.
4. Custom Integrations
Benefits:
- Data continuously updated
- Multi-directional
- Custom API development
- Provided support/maintenance
Drawbacks:
- Higher cost
Summary:
A custom HubSpot integration is tailored to meet your unique needs. It easily connects your HubSpot account with your internal system or desktop software. Custom integrations update data continuously, similar to native integrations. But, custom integrations take it a step further by providing multi-directional feedback. With a higher cost, you have more control over your integration and get responsive customer support.
In the end, finding the right HubSpot integration depends on matching your needs to the capabilities of a single type of integration.
Next Steps for Your HubSpot Integration
HubSpot integration can be easier if you take the time to evaluate your options. In many cases, a custom integration is a strong choice because it allows you to be flexible with your data requirements.
Learn how a custom HubSpot integration can connect with your internal system, third-party system or desktop software.
Related:
-
Zapier or Custom HubSpot Integration? How to Best Automate Your Apps
-
8 Popular HubSpot Integrations for Digital Marketing Experts
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