3 Digital Marketing Resources You Actually Need

There are 26 distinct categories of marketing software out there in the universe. Fifteen years ago, marketers would have killed for the capabilities we now have at our fingertips. But I think it’s safe to say that no organization wants to maintain subscriptions to 26 different platforms for its marketing needs. 

Fortunately, no organization needs to. But finding the right mix is the key so you’re not paying for overlapping features. The perfect blend for your business depends on what you sell and what type of marketing will bring the most ROI. But if you’re looking for a few tips, here are my top picks that offer our clients impressive results every time.

Tried and true marketing analytics software

B2C marketing often requires more of an investment in digital solutions. B2B companies, however, can put up some pretty big numbers using fewer tools, like these…

1. Hotjar

We use Hotjar to analyze users’ online behavior and preferences: what they’re clicking on, how far down they’re scrolling, where they pause, and where they get stuck. With that information, we can help our clients improve their websites’ user experience — and therefore, increase conversion rates. Hotjar’s basic plan, which includes data capturing and heat mapping, is free! 

Why Hotjar? 

When many of our B2B clients first come to us, they grossly underestimate what an optimized website can do for them. If you’re a sales executive or part of an internal marketing team, and you’re struggling to convince your boss that your site needs an update, here are a few statistics to have in your back pocket: 

• 48% of internet users say the number one way they decide on the credibility of a business is determined by the web design
• 33. 57% of internet users won’t recommend a business with a poorly designed website

A great website will make it much easier for your sales team to generate leads. And with tools like Hotjar, you’ll be able to see what your buyers love about your current site, and what they don’t, so you can make strategic updates.

But don’t take my word for it. We recently worked with a transportation logistics company that wasn’t getting the leads, sales, growth, or brand recognition that matched its abilities or its reputation. We completely rebuilt the company’s website to help it serve its targeted audience much better. Long story short — not only did we double the company’s website sessions per month, but visitors to the new site were six times more likely to request an online quote. 

2. Databox

Databox is a business analytics platform that pulls all data into one place to better track performance and discover insights in real-time. If your business currently uses quite a few digital marketing tools, Databox can make it much easier to make quick strategic decisions based on real-time information.

Why Databox? 

We love the fact that Databox allows us to set goals for specific date ranges, so we can see how those goals are performing. Databox is also customizable, so we get to choose exactly how we want data to be displayed.

3. HubSpot

HubSpot is an incredibly robust platform that features multiple tools to empower inbound marketing and sales. It includes social media marketing, content management, web analytics, and search engine optimization capabilities. 

Why HubSpot? 

HubSpot does have some free tools, but the best part of the platform is how all-encompassing it truly can be. Big picture — it can help align your sales and marketing efforts and make it easier for growing companies to provide more personalized, more responsive customer service. It can also add additional horsepower by automating digital marketing programs - increasing the ability to drive results exponentially. Of course, where you find powerful software, you also find a degree of complexity. So depending on which HubSpot features you’ll be using, it might take quite some time for an in-house team to get up and running.  

But here’s the good news: A platinum HubSpot partner will know this platform inside and out and can help clients get the most ROI quickly. Especially when paired with uncommon creativity and clever tactics, the platform makes it much easier to tie marketing efforts to qualified leads, and ultimately, revenue. 

What does that look like in action? One of our long-term clients, Marco Technologies, is due to hit the $6mm revenue mark this year, thanks in no small part to a 316% increase in website sessions. Click below to see how we helped them pull it off. 

Marketing reporting software — honorable mentions 

There are a number of digital tools that we often use at Vye to do what we do.  Depending on your business and its goals, you also might want to take a look at a few others that didn’t make my top three.

• Google Analytics — Google’s web analytics service 
• Google Ads — Google’s online advertising platform
• Google Trends — analyzes the popularity of top Google search queries 
• Wistia — helps you add videos to your site and track performance
• Canva — a simplified graphic-design tool 
• BuzzSumo — helps businesses research and monitor social media 
• Ahrefs — tracks backlinks, monitors URL rankings, analyzes SEO, and more
• Cision — PR and earned media software

The easiest way to leverage B2B marketing tools

You can simply buy any or all of the tools I’ve mentioned, but to make the most of them, you’ll need time and expertise. 

If you don’t have an internal marketing team, the easiest way to get the kind of results I mentioned in this blog would be to partner with an agency that specializes in inbound methodologies and B2B marketing — preferably, one that understands that the flashiest campaigns aren’t worth much if they don’t make the phone ring. Good news — you found one! 

However, if you are fortunate enough to have an internal marketing team, we also excel at creating effective partnerships, where you can get the best of your team’s insider knowledge while taking advantage of our team’s tactics. To get an idea of what just a single tool like HubSpot can do, plus a sneak preview of how we partner with companies like yours, we’d love to offer you a free demo.