HubSpot Onboarding: 3 Tips You Need To Know

When you get started with HubSpot, the wealth of information on the different features and capabilities can be overwhelming. Read on to learn three tips that can help you make onboarding a breeze!

Onboarding is an easy step to overlook, especially if this isn’t your first time setting up a CRM, but it sets the stage for what's to come.

In this post, we’ll focus on 3 important things you must know before diving into HubSpot onboarding.

What is HubSpot Onboarding?

HubSpot onboarding refers to the process of setting up and configuring a new account. This process typically includes training on how to use the platform, as well as guidance on best practices for using the various tools and features to achieve specific business goals. 

The goal of onboarding is to ensure that new or transitioning users are able to quickly and effectively utilize the platform to achieve their desired results, as well as ensure smooth integrations with existing tools and valuable customer data.

Is HubSpot onboarding mandatory?

If you’re simply trying out HubSpot via its Starter tier or just want to have a look around HubSpot’s free tools and capabilities, onboarding isn’t mandatory. But, if you’re looking to purchase Professional and Enterprise tier Hubs for a larger business with more diverse needs and priorities, onboarding is a requirement you need to complete. 

From our vast experience of onboarding clients to HubSpot we’ve gathered these tips to help make your own onboarding journey as smooth as possible.

Tip #1: Know Your HubSpot Onboarding Options

Getting the right onboarding solution can be a make-or-break decision for your business. It's not just an implementation project, it's an investment in your future and a decision that can determine the speed and agility with which you'll be able to hit your growth targets. 

It also pays to get it right - saving you time, money, and potential headaches along the way. This means understanding your options so that once you know what’s on the table, you can make the right call for your business.

We’ve narrowed down your options into three categories:

• Onboard with HubSpot Directly

This option is often the most cost-efficient for getting started with HubSpot. But realistically, we only recommend this option if you have an in-house CRM administrator with deep knowledge of HubSpot and CRMs in general.

This isn’t to take away from HubSpot’s world-class, award-winning onboarding team. But they’re not meant to do the work for you - their role in your onboarding is consultative in nature. You’ll get a great resource that points you in the right direction, explains HubSpot best practices, and more.

This is great, but it still leaves your team accountable for all of the building & doing in HubSpot. That means you'll be responsible for adding your own integrations with the tools you use, building your own buyer journeys, building out your email templates, configuring your workflows and automations, and onboarding the rest of your team to your new processes.

So with all of that in mind, you can probably see why it’s so important to have someone internal who has CRM experience. Because without that, you may well slow down your integration and implementation processes (the commitment time for HubSpot onboarding is 3 months), and it might leave more work up to your team than they can handle.

In short: HubSpot onboarding is great! But be sure you know that they’re consulting, not doing.

If you’d like to explore further what it means to onboard with HubSpot directly, we recommend checking out their onboarding page.

• Onboard with a HubSpot Partner (like us!)

HubSpot has thousands of partners, but what exactly is a HubSpot Partner? 

Being named “HubSpot Partner” means more than just the fancy HubSpot Partner badge.

HubSpot Partners are independent companies that have been trained and certified by HubSpot to implement their products. 

These companies have proven they know how to use HubSpot software to grow businesses, and they've earned their status as a Partner by helping other businesses spin up on the platform.

HubSpot Partners are categorized by tiers, and these tiers are awarded based on specific criteria. Digital Reach, for example, is a Diamond Partner 💎- the second-highest tier possible. Less than 2% of HubSpot Partner agencies reach this tier.

So on to the main question, why onboard with a HubSpot Partner?

Simple: with Partner agencies, you’re generally getting a team that will do (some amount of) the work for you. And you’re much more likely to get a custom experience.

Not all partner onboardings are the same. But in our onboarding packages, for example, our in-house team of HubSpot experts do ALL of the heavy lifting: running workshops to understand your current business processes, migrating your data into HubSpot, setting up basic and advanced automations, etc.; all of which frees you and your team up to focus on the other important aspects of your business.

In short, you want to onboard with a HubSpot partner not only because you want to ensure that you get onboarding done properly, but you also you want to benefit from the best of both worlds:

✔️ You get the convenience of having someone else handle all the tasks involved in getting your account configured perfectly. 

✔️You get the peace of mind that comes with having experts do the work for you

In short: HubSpot onboarding from a HubSpot Partner generally shortens your timelines, gives you customized support whenever you need it, and helps you focus on doing other things that are more impactful for your business.

• Go Hybrid: Work Together With A HubSpot Partner

Not many HubSpot Partners offer this option - but it’s one that we offer and one that we absolutely recommend! 

This option is worth exploring because it allows you to have a Partner work alongside your team to get them working on the aspects of onboarding that they’re equipped to handle while our experts take on the more technical elements of onboarding (like data migration, complex automations, etc.). 

This provides balance for both parties — your team can handle the aspects of onboarding that are in their wheelhouse (or that they're comfortable with) while having our help working through the more advanced or technical details. You don’t need to pay for a partner to help you with the easy stuff and instead get to spend a-la-carte on the technical items that you need your partner to take on for you.

Here’s everything above distilled into an easy-to-digest guide:

Tip #2: Know Your Onboarding Costs

When you’re shopping for the best HubSpot onboarding options, you’ll see a lot of prices. Some agencies charge $20k+ if they charge a dollar, while others will onboard most clients for under $10k. 

To start, there's no common formula for how agencies onboard HubSpot customers, which is why you'll see such a wide range of prices for the same service.

The question is: what should the price of onboarding mean to you? 

There are so many costs associated with running a business - your time, your money, and your sanity — so one of the key things you need to cover is the cost components of HubSpot onboarding and the pitfalls if you don't find a Partner who'll help you do it right.

So, when you’re choosing your onboarding options, whether you’re planning to go with HubSpot directly or with a Partner, remember to ask these questions first when talking about costs:

✔️ What value are you providing my business?

HubSpot Partners exist to make life easier for you and your team. When talking costs, consider the total value that your onboarding team is bringing to your business: brain power, problem-solving, project management, and experience in addressing similar challenges that you could potentially face.

✔️ How long will it take to complete your services on my behalf?

Possibly one of the most important cost components of all - time. 

When you onboard with HubSpot directly, for example, the entire process (and commitment time) will take 3 months, sometimes longer if you don’t have anyone on your team who is a CRM expert. 

With a HubSpot Partner, the duration for completing your onboarding can take a similar amount of time but it can be significantly shortened depending on your needs. This is generally because most of the heavy lifting will be done for you.

✔️ What’s included in your onboarding plan?

When talking about costs, transparency is key. Most agencies offer a basic description of their onboarding plan inclusions on their website but do not discuss to you any additional fees and other associated costs for more complex onboarding needs until after you’ve signed your contract. 

So make sure you book an initial discovery meeting, and from there, devote just a little more time to meeting with your team to make a checklist of what you need and communicate this clearly with your HubSpot partner of choice before signing over the dotted line.

Tip #3: Know How To Choose The Right Onboarding Partner

After considering your options and associated costs — you might be leaning towards onboarding with a HubSpot Partner. If so, now’s the time to get a bit granular and to  learn how to choose a Partner that best suits your needs.

These questions can be a valuable guide:

✔️ What's their experience in your industry?

✔️ How do they measure the success of the system? 

✔️ Can they provide ongoing support and optimization services after the initial onboarding is complete?

✔️ What do their clients say about their services?

✔️ Can they provide references or case studies of successful onboarding projects they have completed in the past?

✔️Do they have a clear and transparent pricing structure?

✔️Do they offer training and support for all levels of users, from beginners to advanced?

✔️Do they have good communication and project management processes in place?

✔️How long does it typically take them to onboard a new client?

If you’re hearing positive answers based on the questions above, then you may have just found the right onboarding partner.

Implementing HubSpot requires an intense amount of work and coordination. It's essential that you choose an onboarding vendor who can work well with your organization. Taking the time to do some research will help ensure you’re getting everything right the first time.