1. Internal Expertise
Some companies have enough in-house mobile no data skills to manage HubSpot onboarding without external support. Their team either boasts experience with HubSpot or a level of technical knowledge that will allow them to learn the platform fast. In these cases, an agency may be an unnecessary expense.
Note: There is an important distinction between a team that is capable and one that is optimal. You may have enough internal resources to complete onboarding, but it’s important to ask if your team really has the requisite expertise across specialist areas such as RevOps or HubSpot development.
2. Long-Term Requirements
Partnering with an agency pays dividends in the long term, but some companies may not want that level of ongoing support. While agencies still provide clear value in the short term, you may feel it is not worth the money if the relationship is going to be one-and-done.
Note: Agencies do not typically force companies to commit to long-term contracts up-front. You can dip your toe with an onboarding engagement and decide later whether a continuing partnership will benefit your business.
3. Time and Resources
Larger companies may have a lot of internal capacity to handle onboarding. Even if they don’t have existing expertise, they may be able to dedicate enough time and effort to train their staff to the point where they are capable of handling onboarding without external help.
Ultimately, this is the crux of the matter: if you do have enough in-house HubSpot expertise, time and resources, an agency partner probably doesn’t make sense for your company. However, in almost all other cases, partnering with an agency is the most rational path to take.
This begs the question: how should you find the right HubSpot partner for your onboarding?
3 Factors to Consider When Choosing a HubSpot Partner
There are three essential factors that determine the value a prospective HubSpot partner will offer:
1. Experience
Consider the agency’s credentials across two key areas:
Platform expertise: The agency should offer expertise in multiple areas of HubSpot. Unless you have a very clear skill set in mind, look for an agency that is able to cover all bases, including knowledge of sales, marketing, development and RevOps.
Industry Knowledge: They should also have worked with companies like yours. Industries like healthcare or finance use the platform very differently, which means prior experience will help you avoid the awkward process of teaching the partner about your industry.
