Blog - MCB

What is HubSpot?

Written by Martin Mensbo Christiansen | Jul 22, 2024 1:35:54 PM

HubSpot is a comprehensive platform designed to help businesses attract and engage customers. With tools and features across marketing, sales, customer service, and CRM, HubSpot enables companies to drive growth and improve customer satisfaction.


HubSpot is an all-in-one platform that helps businesses manage and enhance their marketing, sales, customer service, and content management. Since its inception in 2006, HubSpot has evolved to become one of the most recognized and widely used platforms in the industry—unsurprising when you consider that it eliminates the need to work in silos.

HubSpot offers a wide range of tools and features that enable businesses to attract visitors, convert leads, and build strong customer relationships. It is the ideal tool for the entire organization, often serving as the cornerstone for a more collaborative workforce.
In particular, it can closely align the workflows of sales and marketing teams.

The platform is divided into different ‘Hubs,’ each focusing on various aspects of business operations: Marketing Hub, Sales Hub, Service Hub, CMS Hub, Operations Hub, and Commerce Hub. These Hubs can be used individually or together as a unified platform, providing flexibility to tailor the solution to the specific needs of the business. Each Hub is powerful on its own, but in combination (whether you combine two or more), they become even stronger. Behind the simple interface lies a robust technical infrastructure that supports advanced features like automation, data analysis, and integrations.

And there’s no need to fear complicated workflows. HubSpot is designed to be intuitive and easy to use, allowing businesses to implement and leverage HubSpot quickly without the need for extensive training.

 

What Hubs does HubSpot consist of?

HubSpot consists of six central 'Hubs' that together form a complete solution to handle various business functions:

Marketing Hub: HubSpot Marketing Hub offers a wide range of tools to attract visitors, convert leads, and run complete marketing campaigns. Features include email marketing, social media management, SEO, blog tools, and marketing automation. With these tools, marketing teams can create targeted campaigns and measure their effectiveness.

Sales Hub: HubSpot Sales Hub helps sales departments manage their pipelines, automate follow-ups, and close more deals. It includes features like email tracking, meeting scheduling, sales automation, and pipeline management. These tools enable salespeople to work more efficiently and have better control over their sales opportunities.

Service Hub: HubSpot Service Hub is designed to enhance customer support and strengthen customer satisfaction. With features like ticketing, customer surveys, knowledge bases, and live chat, companies can quickly and effectively handle customer inquiries and deliver an excellent customer service experience.

CMS Hub: HubSpot CMS Hub allows businesses to build and manage professional websites without the need for technical skills. With drag-and-drop editors, adaptive testing features, and advanced SEO management, businesses can create engaging and optimized web experiences.

Operations Hub: HubSpot Operations Hub helps synchronize data, automate business processes, and ensure that all teams work with the same information. It includes data sync, programmable automation, and data quality tools that improve efficiency and reduce manual errors.

Commerce Hub: HubSpot Commerce Hub is HubSpot's newest addition, designed to help businesses manage their e-commerce activities. This hub offers tools for payment processing, product catalog management, and order management. With Commerce Hub, businesses can create and manage online stores, track sales, and enhance their customers' shopping experiences.

Additional features include:

  • HubSpot Forms: With HubSpot Forms, you can easily create and customize forms to collect information from your visitors. These forms can be integrated directly on your website (even if it's not set up in HubSpot) and used for newsletter sign-ups, contact requests, and more. The data from the forms is automatically stored in HubSpot CRM, making it easy to follow up on leads.

  • Lead scoring: HubSpot's lead scoring feature helps you prioritize your leads based on their engagement and behavior. By assigning points to various actions a potential customer takes, you can quickly identify the most promising leads and focus your sales efforts on those most likely to convert.

  • Analytics og reporting: HubSpot provides access to comprehensive analytics and reporting tools. You can measure the effectiveness of your website, marketing campaigns, sales activities, and customer service efforts with detailed reports and dashboards.

  • HubSpot Academy: HubSpot Academy is an educational platform that offers free online courses and certifications in marketing, sales, and customer service. The courses are designed to help you fully utilize HubSpot's features and improve your skills.

With HubSpot, you get all the capabilities you need. You can manage your website, e-commerce, marketing activities, customer service, and sales—all from one unified platform.

 

Why should I choose HubSpot?

Choosing HubSpot can help your business grow and thrive.

HubSpot consolidates your tools, meaning you can avoid complex integrations between different systems and enjoy a seamless experience where all data is centralized and up-to-date. This centralization also makes it easier to analyze data and gain valuable insights that can help you make informed decisions and optimize your strategies. Additionally, it reduces the risk of data loss and errors that often occur when using multiple different systems.

HubSpot also offers powerful automation features that can save you time and resources. With marketing automation, sales pipeline management, and customer service workflows, you can automate repetitive tasks and focus on what really matters – creating value for your customers.




On the technical side, HubSpot supports advanced integration capabilities with a wide range of third-party applications via APIs. This means you can connect HubSpot with your existing tech stack and systems such as CRM, email marketing, social media, and much more. The platform's flexible APIs also allow for custom integrations, ensuring that your specific needs are met. For example, we have developed a Danish CVR app for HubSpot and a HubSpot Visma Economic integration.

HubSpot's CMS Hub offers advanced tools for web development, dynamic content, and a robust security architecture, enabling developers to build customized solutions that can scale with your business. Even if you choose one of the many themes for your website solution, you can still personalize it to achieve a unique online presence.

 

Can HubSpot integrate with my existing systems?

HubSpot can integrate with a wide range of systems. Integrations have already been developed for 1,600+ third-party applications and systems, ensuring that you can retain the tools you already use and are familiar with while leveraging HubSpot's powerful features.

HubSpot offers integrations with popular CRM systems like Salesforce and Microsoft Dynamics, marketing tools like MailChimp, Google Ads, and Facebook, and e-commerce platforms like Shopify.
Just to name a few!

Check out the wide selection via the HubSpot App Marketplace


This allows you to centralize your marketing, sales, and service activities in HubSpot while continuing to use the specialized tools that best meet your needs.

HubSpot's flexible APIs also enable custom integrations if you have specific systems or unique needs that require a tailored solution. With detailed documentation and a Solution Partner like MCB, most systems can be integrated.

 

Who is HubSpot suitable for?

HubSpot is ideal for a variety of businesses and organizations, regardless of size or industry:

HubSpot for small and medium-sized businesses: HubSpot offers a user-friendly and cost-effective solution that helps smaller teams attract and convert leads, manage customer data, and automate marketing processes without the need for extensive technical expertise.

HubSpot for large enterprises: Large enterprises can benefit from HubSpot's advanced features and integration capabilities. The platform supports complex sales and marketing campaigns and provides robust analytics tools for in-depth insights.

HubSpot for B2B (Business-to-Business): HubSpot is ideal for B2B companies looking to enhance their lead generation, sales processes, and customer engagement. The platform's CRM features enable the building of strong business relationships.

HubSpot for B2C (Business-to-Consumer): B2C companies can use HubSpot to reach their target audience through personalized marketing, automated campaigns, and comprehensive customer data analysis.

HubSpot for SaaS companies (Software as a Service): For SaaS companies, HubSpot offers tools to attract, engage, and retain customers. With marketing automation and sales management features, SaaS companies can drive growth and optimize their subscription models.

HubSpot for manufacturing companies: Manufacturing companies can benefit from HubSpot's CRM and sales features to manage complex sales processes and long sales cycles, as well as improve customer and partner relationships.

HubSpot for educational institutions: HubSpot can help educational institutions attract and engage students, manage enrollment processes, and maintain communication with current and former students.

HubSpot for retail and wholesale businesses: Retail and wholesale businesses can use HubSpot to enhance their customer service, optimize sales processes, and run targeted marketing campaigns that increase sales and customer loyalty.

We have helped companies across all industries succeed with HubSpot. These include BIRN, Continia, Dynaudio, FRIE, Unifeeder, Freeda, Nordic Computer, Advansor, LandboNord, and many more.
See selected cases here.

 

What does HubSpot cost?

The cost of HubSpot varies depending on which Hubs and tier you choose to use, as well as the size of your business.

Free Tools: HubSpot offers a range of free tools within CRM, marketing, sales, and customer service. The free tools include basic features like contact management, email marketing, ad management, and live chat. They are ideal for smaller businesses or startups looking to get started at a low cost.

Starter Packages: The Starter packages are designed for small and medium-sized businesses and include more advanced features and greater capacity than the free tools.

Professional Packages: The Professional packages are aimed at businesses that need even more advanced features and integrations. The packages include marketing automation, advanced reporting, and customized workflows.

Enterprise Packages: The Enterprise packages are intended for large businesses with complex needs. These packages include all the features in the Professional packages as well as additional advanced features such as custom objects, predictive lead scoring, and advanced team collaboration functions.

HubSpot also offers discounts for annual subscriptions and if multiple Hubs are selected. For more precise pricing based on your specific needs, you can visit HubSpot’s pricing page.

 

How to get started with HubSpot

Getting started with HubSpot is a straightforward process that can be tailored to your company's specific needs.

Visit HubSpot’s website and sign up for a free account or choose one of the paid plans that best suits your business. Then follow the steps you are guided through – and you are ready to go. You will often need to configure your account, import data, and much more, so it is recommended to make use of a HubSpot Partner.


Using a HubSpot partner can be a strategic decision for companies that want to maximize their investment in the HubSpot platform. A HubSpot partner is a certified expert who can offer advanced solutions and professional advice, which can help your company achieve better results faster – and often with an SLA.

Additionally, HubSpot partners have access to exclusive resources and updates directly from HubSpot. This means they can provide you with insights into new features and upcoming updates, so you are always ahead of the curve.

 

HubSpot vs. Salesforce?

Both HubSpot and Salesforce are powerful CRM solutions, but they differ in several important areas.

User-Friendliness: HubSpot is known for its user-friendly interface and intuitive design. It requires minimal training and can be quickly implemented, making it ideal for small and medium-sized businesses. Salesforce, on the other hand, offers more complexity but can have a steeper learning curve and often requires a dedicated administrator to handle setup and maintenance.

Features and Customization: Salesforce is renowned for its extensive customization options and advanced features. The platform offers a wide range of modules and third-party integrations that can be tailored to almost any business process. HubSpot also offers strong features, especially in marketing automation, sales, and customer service, but with a more integrated approach and fewer customization needs.

Pricing: HubSpot offers a free version and several pricing tiers that allow businesses to scale their investments as they grow. Salesforce has a higher starting price, and costs can quickly escalate with the addition of advanced features and modules.