Here at Growth Spurt, we love HubSpot! This robust platform is equipped with an array of tools designed to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of your sales, inbound marketing, and customer service functions all in one CRM.
However, like any software, HubSpot is not without its imperfections. And if you’re considering an investment in HubSpot software – you’ll want to know about them before you make your purchase.
In this overview, we’ve gathered some of the most frequently reported issues with HubSpot, some of our thoughts on the drawbacks, issues we’ve heard from clients, and even issues reported in reviews of HubSpot. Our goal is to empower you to make a well-informed decision with HubSpot.
Here's what's covered in this article - just click to jump to the section you're most interested in:
- Problem (+ Counterpoint): "HubSpot Can Be Expensive"
- Problem (+ Counterpoint): "Once You're In With HubSpot, You're In"
- Problem (+ Counterpoint): "HubSpot Can Be Challenging To Migrate To"
- Problem (+ Counterpoint): "HubSpot Lacks Customization"
“HubSpot Can Be Expensive”
HubSpot’s pricing structure can sometimes raise eyebrows among prospective buyers due to its potential to be costly. Depending on the scale of your operations and the features you require, HubSpot’s subscription plans can start to add up to a significant expense for businesses, particularly startups or smaller organizations with limited budgets.
Additionally, as your business grows and your needs evolve, you might find yourself needing to upgrade to more expensive plans to access advanced features or accommodate a larger customer base.
Consider the Counterpoint:
Despite the lofty upfront costs and ongoing subscription fees, it’s crucial to view HubSpot as an investment rather than just an expense. When used strategically and effectively, HubSpot has the potential to yield significant returns on investment for businesses of all sizes.
According to HubSpot, after 1 year, customers…
- Attract 114% more website traffic
- Generate 129% more inbound leads
- Close 55% more deals
- Resolve 43% more tickets per agent
One of the key benefits of HubSpot lies in its comprehensive suite of tools designed to streamline marketing, sales, and customer service processes. By centralizing these functions within a single platform, HubSpot facilitates better collaboration, data management, and communication across teams. This integration can lead to increased efficiency and productivity, ultimately driving revenue growth and enhancing the overall customer experience.
Another aspect to consider is HubSpot’s emphasis on automation. As your business expands and your customer base grows, HubSpot’s automation features allow you to scale your operations without significantly increasing your workload. Whether it’s automating email campaigns, lead nurturing sequences, or customer follow-ups, HubSpot enables businesses to maintain personalized interactions with their audience at scale. This all means you can do a whole lot more without hiring additional staff.
Sure, HubSpot may not be the cheapest option, but it’s not the most expensive either. Designed as an all-in-one tool, HubSpot’s suite of functionality can result in long-term cost savings by eliminating the need for multiple tools.
Plus, the true value of HubSpot lies in its ability to help your business attract, engage, and delight customers throughout their entire journey. By investing in HubSpot and leveraging its full potential, your business can drive long-term growth, foster customer loyalty, and ultimately get a return on investment.
Lastly, it never hurts to get a quote on pricing. That way, you can make sure you’re taking advantage of any HubSpot offers, like special pricing for startups.
“Once You’re In With HubSpot, You’re In”
Many considering HubSpot share a common concern: some believe that their all-encompassing software solution for website management, marketing, sales, and customer service implies that transitioning to it involves more than just moving one aspect of their business—it entails moving everything.
And once everything is moved onto HubSpot, many believe there’s no turning back.
Despite this potential issue, many users find that once they adopt HubSpot, they rarely consider migrating away. The convenience of having all tools in one place simplifies operations and fosters efficient team collaboration. Moreover, once teams become accustomed to HubSpot’s CRM, marketing, and sales hubs, the idea of switching to another platform often loses its appeal after users become familiar with HubSpot’s easy-to-use interface.
However, there will be cases where business needs evolve and HubSpot may no longer be a good fit. Migrating data from HubSpot to a new system can come with some challenges.
Fortunately or unfortunately, you’ll find this same challenge with any software you choose. It’s the reason so many businesses, despite benefiting from alternative software solutions, opt to stick with legacy systems rather than navigating the intricacies of data migration to new CRM tools.
Consider the Counterpoint: While many businesses find HubSpot worthwhile in the long run, it’s not a lifelong commitment. Despite the challenges of migration, exploring alternative solutions will still be an option.
“HubSpot Can Be Challenging to Migrate To”
In the last section we talked about the challenges of migrating off of HubSpot, but it can also be challenging to migrate from legacy systems to HubSpot.
HubSpot is designed to consolidate various business operations into one platform. It takes on tasks like website hosting, content creation, customer management, revenue projection, and more. Because of this, the migration process can be complex and time-consuming. Users may encounter issues like data loss, duplication, or inconsistency during the transition.
For many companies, utilizing different software and tools for various business functions, migrations can be even more complicated.
Consider the Counterpoint:
HubSpot’s appeal lies in centralizing these diverse functions under one umbrella. However, consolidating data from disparate sources into a unified, usable format is sometimes easier said than done.
We recommend using a systematic approach. Utilize planning, mapping, and testing to ensure seamless data migration.
First, map existing processes to the HubSpot platform. This may involve rebuilding integrations to ensure workflows align with the previous multi-platform setup.
Before migrating data, use thorough data cleanups and integrity checks to ensure the data you’re migrating is clean and usable.
Once data migration is complete, move to testing your HubSpot functionality to verify operation.
Plain and simple – any system migrations can be challenging and it’s always good to work with a HubSpot Solutions Partner agency to ease the transition.
“HubSpot Lacks Customization”
For your new CRM, you want to find a tool that your team can effectively utilize. Therefore, prioritizing usability is something to look for when evaluating your options. However, usability does not always equate to flexibility.
A good way to think about HubSpot is through the comparison between Apple and Android. While Apple’s iOS is user-friendly, owning an iPhone means operating within Apple’s ecosystem. It’s easy to use, but not as customizable as Android.
Apple users prioritize usability over flexibility, whereas Android users value the opposite.
Consider the Counterpoint:
HubSpot emphasizes usability. It provides a sleek, straightforward interface, which often results in easy adoption. Many appreciate its well-organized and navigable layout.
Despite that, HubSpot’s emphasis on usability comes at the expense of some flexibility. Users seeking extensive customization may find its capabilities limited. For businesses requiring highly specific CRM functionalities, a custom-built system could be a more suitable choice. However, if your priority lies in a platform that is easy for your team to grasp and navigate, you can’t beat HubSpot.
The Bottom Line
When clients ask us, HubSpot is almost always our top choice. But, it’s important to acknowledge that it’s not perfect for everyone and does come with some imperfections and potential challenges. If you spend some time reading through online reviews, you’ll see some users have encountered issues with costs, migration complexities, and limitations in customization.
However, despite these challenges, HubSpot still represents an investment in growth for businesses willing to harness its capabilities effectively. Its suite of tools streamlines operations, fosters collaboration, and provides valuable insights into performance metrics.
Plus, with HubSpot’s automation capabilities, businesses can scale without compromising efficiency.
