How to choose the right HubSpot partner

Choosing HubSpot is one decision. Choosing the right partner to help you get the most from it is another.

There are plenty of HubSpot agencies, consultants and Solutions Partners to choose from, each with different levels of experience, expertise and ways of working.

If you're looking for a HubSpot partner, the right choice isn't necessarily the agency with the longest list of services. It's the partner that understands what you're trying to achieve and has the expertise to configure HubSpot around your organisation.

Here are five things to consider when choosing a HubSpot partner.

1. Start with what you need from a HubSpot partner

Before comparing HubSpot partners, start by defining what you actually need help with.

Are you implementing HubSpot for the first time? Moving from another CRM? Looking for help with Marketing Hub, Sales Hub or Service Hub? Or perhaps you're already using HubSpot but need training and ongoing support to get more from the platform.

HubSpot covers a lot of ground, and different partners have different areas of expertise. Look for a partner with demonstrated experience in the HubSpot products and services that are relevant to you.

If you're using more than one Hub, it's also worth finding a partner who understands how they work together. Connecting your marketing, sales and customer service processes can help create a more complete view of your customers and a more consistent experience across teams.

2. Look for a partner who starts with your business, not the technology

A good HubSpot partner shouldn't start by deciding which features to turn on.

Before configuring the platform, they should understand your organisation, goals, customer journey, existing processes, data and pain points. This helps ensure HubSpot is designed around what you actually need rather than simply recreating existing processes in a new system.

Sometimes, this process can uncover a different or broader problem than the one you initially set out to solve.

When North Cottesloe Surf Life Saving Club first approached ALYKA, the initial goal was to develop a strategy to increase revenue. Through our discovery process, we identified that disconnected technology, manual processes and fragmented member data were creating broader challenges for the organisation.

That understanding ultimately shaped a HubSpot solution that brought its data and processes together in one platform.

Read the North Cottesloe Surf Life Saving Club case study to see how we approached the project.

3. Check their HubSpot credentials – and their experience

HubSpot credentials can give you a useful indication of a partner's experience with the platform, but it's important to understand what those credentials represent.

HubSpot Solutions Partners can achieve different partner tiers based on their performance and success with HubSpot. ALYKA is a HubSpot Platinum Solutions Partner, reflecting our experience helping organisations implement and use the platform.

It's also worth looking beyond Partner tier at specialist accreditations.

ALYKA holds the HubSpot Onboarding Accreditation. This is an official credential awarded by HubSpot to qualifying Solutions Partners that demonstrate advanced technical capability, capacity and a proven track record of successfully implementing Professional and Enterprise editions of HubSpot Hubs.

Not every HubSpot partner holds this accreditation, so if you're specifically looking for HubSpot onboarding expertise, it's a useful credential to look for.

We also hold the HubSpot Construction Industry Specialist badge, recognising our experience implementing HubSpot for organisations within the construction sector.

Credentials are useful, but you should also look for evidence of how that expertise has been applied.

For example, our work with Bestwest Building included implementing HubSpot across its marketing, sales and customer service processes. The solution included sales and service pipelines, custom properties, automation, integrations and lead nurturing, helping Bestwest reduce manual administration and better manage the customer journey.

Read the Bestwest Building case study to see HubSpot in action.

4. Understand their approach to onboarding and training

HubSpot onboarding isn't simply about configuring a CRM and handing it over.

A good onboarding process should start with understanding your requirements before configuring HubSpot around your processes. Depending on your needs, it may include CRM setup, data migration, automation, reporting and other platform configuration.

Your team should also be involved.

Training is an important part of successful HubSpot onboarding because even the best configuration won't deliver much value if your team doesn't know how to use it.

Rather than generic platform training, look for a partner that provides practical training based on how your people will actually use HubSpot. Marketing, sales and customer service teams all have different requirements, so their training should reflect that.

You can learn more about what a good implementation should involve in our guide to HubSpot onboarding and why it's important.

5. Find out what happens after onboarding

Your HubSpot needs won't necessarily stop once onboarding is complete.

As your team becomes more familiar with the platform, you may find new opportunities to improve processes, introduce automation, develop your reporting or use additional HubSpot functionality. New team members may also need training, while existing users may benefit from support as their use of the platform becomes more sophisticated.

Before choosing a HubSpot partner, ask what happens after the initial project.

Having access to ongoing HubSpot support means you have someone to turn to when you need help troubleshooting an issue, training your team or identifying ways to get more from your investment.

Questions to ask before choosing a HubSpot partner

When comparing HubSpot agencies or partners, asking a few practical questions can help you understand whether they're the right fit:

• Which HubSpot products and services do you specialise in?
• What does your HubSpot onboarding process involve?
• How will you learn about our existing processes and requirements?
• Can you show us examples of similar HubSpot projects?
• What training is included as part of onboarding?
• What ongoing HubSpot support do you provide?
• What HubSpot Partner tier, accreditations and specialist credentials do you hold?

Most importantly, pay attention to the questions the partner asks you. A good HubSpot partner should be interested in understanding your organisation before recommending a solution.

Looking for a HubSpot partner in Perth?

ALYKA is a Perth-based HubSpot Platinum Solutions Partner with experience across Marketing Hub, Sales Hub and Service Hub.

As a HubSpot Onboarding Accredited partner, we can help you plan and configure HubSpot around your organisation and give your team the training they need to confidently use the platform.

And our relationship doesn't have to end when onboarding does. We provide ongoing HubSpot training and support to help organisations continue improving how they use the platform over time.

Whether you're getting started with HubSpot or looking for more support from your existing platform, talk to our HubSpot team about how we can help.

Alternatively, if you are already using HubSpot and would like to know how well your portal is performing, complete our complimentary HubSpot Performance Diagnostic questionnaire.