Marketo claims to be a high end, quality marketing automation software, and for good reason. With some of the most in-depth analytics and seamless integration, Marketo is hard to beat. Marketo may be the cream of the crop, but with a costly price tag and a high learning curve, it isn’t for everyone. Below are some pros and cons to help you decide if Marketo is right for your company.
Marketo has a variety of strategic tools to help analyze your campaigns. For instance, they have a “Success Path Analyzer” that shows the correlation between marketing efforts and revenue fluctuation over time. You can also perform predictive analytics and modeling. Nearly all marketing automation software have tools to analyze, but Marketo dives into the depths of analytics.
When it comes to email marketing, Marketo knows that A/B testing is effective. It allows users to try out new techniques and formats, and receive feedback on which changes work best. Marketo has fairly simple A/B testing for its emails and landing pages. Because they store individual visitor behaviors, marketers can choose which recipient behavior is desired, and use that to determine which is better.
Marketo was developed using Salesforce.com, so the integration between the two is seamless. Anything entered in either Salesforce.com or Microsoft Dynamics will automatically update in Marketo. They have two-way synchronizing every five minutes so your sales team is always on the same page, minimizing confusion and miscommunication.
Marketo’s biggest downfall is its price. Compared to other marketing automation software, it’s pretty expensive. For that reason, it is made more for mid-size and enterprise companies. Marketo offers three price tiers, $895, $1,795, and $3,175 per month. As you can see, the base price is more than most others. What’s more, with every new, more expensive tier, you only receive a handful of extra features.
One of the most unfavorable aspects of Marketo is its learning curve. Its intricate features go more in-depth than most other software out there, but only if you know how to use it. Many online reviews and conversations say, “Marketo is great once you know how to use it,” but getting over the initial learning curve can be difficult.
Blogging is one of the most essential parts of marketing and Marketo does not offer a blogging tool. Blogging allows you to produce content that attracts consumers to your website, helping to build trust between you and possible clients. Unless you know how to blog and use SEO, your website traffic is going to take a hit without a blogging tool.
Marketo has many quality features that go deeper than most other software. If you have the know-how and your business is in need of that extra boost in marketing automation software, Marketo is right for you. If not, then not to worry! Not all software is complicated and costly. Keep looking to find the right fit for your business.