Questions To Ask Before Purchasing a Marketing Automation Solution

A marketing automation tool can be invaluable to an organization that wants to deliver target campaigns that drive sales and shorten the customer life cycle. Given that you’ve done an in-depth analysis of your marketing needs, have identified your internal team and elected success criteria you are probably ready to evaluate your options. To ensure that your solution is scalable and to avoid unexpected costs and functionality limitations, ask these key questions before moving forward with your choice of technology and implementation partn

Data and Integrations

1. How many tables of data can I import into your system? Can the system handle data from multiple sources?

2. Is the ability to add additional data tables included or is it an extra software licensing cost? Can the software deal with data from multiple regions, and locations?

3. Does your platform support relational database tables (is there the ability to link tables of data together in a 1-to-1, 1-to-many, or many-to-many scenario?)

4. Does the system have core services to integrate with upstream or downstream marketing technologies such as CMS, DAM systems, and Analytics?

5. Can I pull in data from external data sources to use in queries or triggers I have set up for behavioral messaging? If so, what are the restrictions, and what are the available methods of integrating your platform with my various data sources?

6. Does the system have open APIs to be able to integrate with other technologies in the future?
   

Implementation

7. What, exactly does your implementation service include?

8. Has your implementation partner reached the maturity where they have a formal implementation methodology?

9. What are the step-by-step tasks for the implementation?

10. Are there any plug-ins or customization I’ll need to install in order to meet all my objectives like sending messages through direct mail or to mobile, or integrating with my CRM system or data warehouse? If so, is the configuration of these modules included in your implementation service or will it be extra?

11. Is there a CRM connector listed in my software license? Can it be configured around the means of my business or is it prescriptive to the software?

Understanding the answers to these questions will help your organization avoid some common pitfalls when shopping for a marketing automation vendor.