A HubSpot Checklist for Onboarding: How to Get Started

In a little over 20 years, HubSpot has become an indispensable resource for businesses to enhance marketing, sales, and customer support. Its creators are pioneers of inbound marketing and the flywheel, a more modern successor of the marketing funnel. 

Although there are a number of free, functional tools, HubSpot's premium plans are where the true power is. However, we recommend some HubSpot training and a precise onboarding process to maximize your success with the platform. In this blog, we'll talk about everything you need to know to get started with HubSpot.

Why Use HubSpot

A single CRM platform that covers many aspects of your business is a significant benefit. HubSpot's product development strategy combines the important parts of customer relationship management, including messaging, data, reporting, content, and automation, into a single platform designed to scale with your business.

Each HubSpot solution is effective by itself, but the real magic emerges when they are combined. For instance, customers who use the Marketing, Sales, Service, and CMS Hub have benefited from a 51% boost in business closed-won compared to customers who use fewer hubs.

One Account, Multiple Solutions

HubSpot not only lets you design a complete inbound marketing campaign but also stores all of your data in one place, including your contacts, buyer profiles, content strategy data, web content, sales sequencing, lead nurturing programs, help desk, and ticket automation. HubSpot simplifies things for you as a single resource to market, nurture, and grow your business. 

A User-Friendly Platform

Did you know that when a CRM is simple to use, it's easier to boost your marketing success?

HubSpot provides a better solution in one platform rather than multiple applications cobbled together. The platform was created wholly in-house so that users could benefit from unified, customizable, and simple-to-use software. 

Get Detailed Analytics

Businesses can customize the dashboard in HubSpot to show the most important metrics for a business's goals. For example, find out how many people visit your site and where they came from. Alternatively, you can examine your sales cycle to discover strategies to shorten the time it takes to close a deal.

HubSpot allows you to analyze your advertising, revenues, and customer experience to see where you're succeeding or falling short, then adjust your approach appropriately.

How to Get Started in Seven Steps

Comprehensive onboarding to get your portal up and running starts with a Hubspot checklist! Here are the seven steps to get started with HubSpot.

1. Create Your Account

Just like any other online service, you'll need to register first. The next step is to invite your advertising, sales, and support staff to join the same portal. It is crucial to make sure that everyone has access to the resources they need to do their jobs and work well within the platform.

2. Connect Your Domain

The next step is to link your domain to the service. Make sure the URL of your site is one that HubSpot can handle before proceeding. String length is limited to 64 characters and is not allowed to include any special characters.

Your present web host also needs access to the CNAME data. While this might seem much more involved than it is, HubSpot, being HubSpot, makes it simple to link your domain.

3. Import Contacts Into HubSpot's CRM

HubSpot's ability to categorize contacts according to their position in the buying process is a significant benefit for businesses. That way, leads and customers won't be bothered by generic marketing messages that don't apply to them.

However, transferring names and other data comes next. HubSpot's knowledge library provides comprehensive, straightforward guides on bringing your data into the platform. 

4. Set Up Tracking

For code installation, go to the Settings tab, then Tracking & Analytics tab, and finally, the Tracking Code tab.

5. Connect Your Social Media Accounts

According to a study conducted by Insider Intelligence, in 2021, 39% of internet users in the United States made at least one social commerce purchase. So there is no doubt that social media has become an integral part of marketing strategies for many businesses. Still, the extent to which you use it will depend on your specific industry and target buyers.

To utilize HubSpot's social media features for marketing, link your accounts. Then, schedule your posts in advance!

6. Take HubSpot Academy Training Courses

HubSpot offers many free courses through the HubSpot Academy. This is a rather comprehensive list of courses that offer HubSpot training on any aspect of the CRM, marketing strategies, and much more. Start with one or two that interest you or apply to your immediate needs, then work your way through the complete library over time. It's extensive and extremely helpful! 

7. Earn Certifications

As you work through the courses in the HubSpot Academy, you can earn certifications. These certifications help build your expertise and elevate your company with recognition. Every member of your team can take courses that apply to their roles to earn certifications.

In the end, your company will have earned credentials recognized across the HubSpot ecosystem. 

Work With a HubSpot Marketing Agency to Get Started With Your HubSpot Checklist

While HubSpot is efficient and simple to use, there is a learning curve involved due to the sheer number of features available. Yet, after some HubSpot training, you'll wonder how you ever managed your company without it.

However, if you don't have a HubSpot checklist for onboarding in place, a partner agency can help! Geekly Media is a HubSpot Diamond Solutions partner offering onboarding services for businesses in a variety of industries. Let our team help you get started in HubSpot to optimize and automate your marketing and operations. Reach out to Speak to a Geek!

Learn the fundamentals of inbound marketing with a free copy of our "Inbound Marketing Starter Kit for Any Business!"