As you likely know, HubSpot can be an exceptionally powerful tool for your business. It can supercharge your marketing, boost sales, provide access to a world-class CRM, and much more.
However, HubSpot is only powerful if you regularly check to ensure you maximize its features. A regular HubSpot audit can ensure that you are using all features correctly, embracing proper security procedures, and that information in your HubSpot account has been updated.
Why is a HubSpot Portal Audit Important to Your Business?
There are many reasons that a HubSpot audit can be vitally important for your business. These includes:
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The initial settings you used during onboarding may have changed and require updates.
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You may have security features or questions that are out-of-date and require updating to prevent unauthorized access.
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Your customers or products may have changed.
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The HubSpot platform may have updated, allowing you access to new features and automation of which you were unaware.
It's probably safe to say you would never use any software without periodically checking its settings to ensure you receive the highest functionality possible. This principle also applies to HubSpot.
How Often Should You Conduct a Portal Audit?
An annual audit is critical. Being able to conduct an audit yearly ensures you capture and remedy any immediate issues. Additionally, yearly audits give you time to ensure you can get the most out of any features or programs you identify needing help to get them working properly for your business.
To be clear, conducting a HubSpot audit is time-consuming. It requires an in-depth, under-the-hood examination of your HubSpot settings and KPIs. There is also significant pre-audit and post-audit work, including setting goals and managing any cleanup or problems you identify. However, it's still a crucial task to make part of your annual processes!
What Are Some Best Practices for a Successful HubSpot Portal Audit?
HubSpot and its staff are the leaders in inbound marketing. However, as noted above, regular audits can ensure that you get the most out of the program.
To maximize the success and efficiency of your audits, there are a few broad questions to answer. These include:
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What are the goals of your audit? Are you looking to update security, discover new automation, or maximize new products?
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What are the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) you use to evaluate the success or failure of your HubSpot usage?
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Do you have a process to manage the cleanup and follow-up? Who is responsible for managing and executing that clean up?
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What naming conventions are you using to find such issues?
Taking time to set goals and follow best practices sets you up for a successful HubSpot audit!
11 Questions to Answer During Your Portal Audit
HubSpot's ability to improve your business has a direct correlation with conducting annual audits. As such, there are many questions you need to ask during such an audit. Below are eleven of the top questions!
1. Is My Access to HubSpot Support Turned On?
HubSpot support access gives you easy access to the various support tools that HubSpot offers. Turning this access on ensures you get the most out of the platform.
2. Who Gets Notifications?
HubSpot allows for customization of who receives different types of notifications. However, your staffing may have changed since your last audit. A portal audit is an ideal time to alter this feature to ensure staff receives the proper notifications.
3. Is Admin Access Correct for Team Members?
Admin access ensures that critical data is secured properly, with only trusted staff having access. If staff changes have occurred, update admin access accordingly during your HubSpot audit. 
4. Is 2FA Enabled?
2FA is short for "two-factor authentication." It's a necessary security measure to confirm that only authorized individuals can access your account.
5. Are Your Account Details Correct?
Account details include critical contact information, who gets certain emails, and billing information. You'll want to ensure that the data is correct when conducting a portal review.
6. Is My Buyer Persona a Perfect Match for My Ideal Client?
A buyer persona (or several buyer personas) will make it easier for HubSpot to identify potential clients and inbound marketing opportunities. Your ideal client may change over time; as such, you may need to update your ideal client to ensure that HubSpot works most effectively for your business.
7. Have I Verified My Lead Scoring Model Is Up to Date?
Your ideal client may have changed or expanded. Updating your scoring model can better reflect these changes.
8. Do My Workflows Work as They Should?
HubSpot workflows can enhance automation and create an easy-to-manage process. However, if you make staffing or organizational changes, your workflows may be running into a dead-end. Checking these workflows can prevent this from occurring.
9. Is it Time to Rotate the API Keys?
Rotating API keys means that you change how other programs access your HubSpot portal. Like a username and password, you should rotate your API keys regularly. Doing so reduces the odds that unauthorized individuals can access your HubSpot portal.
10. Are Your Social Connections About to Expire?
You must ensure that your social accounts are correctly connected to HubSpot to automate posts and manage alerts. Check for any connections that have expired or will expire soon to keep them connected.
11. Do we Have a Smooth Marketing-To-Sales Handoff?
You can automate or manually operate the marketing-to-sales handoff. Either way, work with both departments to ensure they have a smooth process and that your HubSpot tools are updated accordingly.
Work With a Diamond Partner Agency to Run Your HubSpot Portal Audit
A HubSpot portal audit can help you get the most out of HubSpot. However, it can also be a complicated and time-consuming procedure. As a result, many businesses find that partnering with a HubSpot Diamond Partner — like Geekly Media — can ensure the audit is managed correctly and identify any potential concerns. If you're ready to run your next portal audit, Speak to a Geek to learn how we can help!
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