According to Backlinko, HubSpot had 216,840 paying customers as of the first quarter of 2024. Founded in 2006, it is the go-to CRM solution for businesses across healthcare, finance, technology, education, e-commerce industries, among others.

What are the HubSpot features that make it unique and appealing to a wide range of industries? In this article, we’ll touch on the benefits, features, and key functionalities of the following modules of the ever evolving HubSpot platform:

• Marketing Hub: It helps you generate leads and automate marketing.
• Sales Hub: It helps you build pipelines and close deals faster, more efficiently.
• Service Hub: It allows you to scale support services and drive retention rates.
• Content Hub: It allows you to create, optimize, and manage content across various channels.
• Operations Hub: It helps you manage workflows, daily activities, including data management.
• Commerce Hub: It provides you the tools and features for payment collection, e-commerce reporting and subscription management.

HubSpot Features and Modules

HubSpot CRM is an all-in-one platform for optimizing marketing, sales, customer service, and content management. It is suitable for a wide range of industries but really shines in B2B businesses. Notably, HubSpot recently became HIPAA compliant which opens the tool up to be used more broadly in Healthcare related businesses.

HubSpot has a modular design, which means that it comes with multiple functionalities. All the necessary features for optimizing marketing, sales, and other operations are available through a single platform. That means, a business can deliver seamless customer experiences without compromising internal efficiency.

Key Modules of HubSpot – CRM, CMS, Marketing Automation, and Sales Automation

We’ll dive into each module separately. However, before that, we’ll overview their important functionalities to understand how they form the solid foundation that drives all the different benefits of HubSpot for businesses.

Using HubSpot, a business can track customer interactions across multiple channels. For example, HubSpot Marketing Automation allows businesses to optimize their social media outreach.

You can streamline campaigns, personalize them for relevance to each customer, and nurture leads throughout the sales process—all through a single interface.

Here’s an overview of each HubSpot module:

• HubSpot CRM – HubSpot CRM is an all-in-one platform that enables businesses to manage and optimize multiple departments, including marketing, sales, customer service, and content management, from a single interface.
• HubSpot Marketing Automation – This module provides the tools needed to automate marketing tasks. These include email campaigns, lead nurturing, SMS text, social media scheduling.
• HubSpot Sales Automation – Using this module, your business can optimize the sales pipeline.  This module includes automated email tracking, an integrated meeting scheduling app, and sales pipeline management.
• HubSpot CMS – The content management system is useful for building – and managing – website content, like landing pages and forms. This helps with search engine optimization (SEO) and comes with tools, templates, and analytics.
• HubSpot Reporting and Analytics – Using analytics, HubSpot users (i.e., your business) can get insights into all the ongoing marketing/sales/content management operation. The customizable dashboards and automated report generation features allow you to quickly and accurately report on key business metrics.

HubSpot CRM

The freemium model increases HubSpot’s popularity among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Without the hefty price tag, any business can deploy a robust CRM system and use powerful tools to deliver seamless customer experiences.

HubSpot ranked #1 on G2’s list of ‘best global software companies.’ Its user-friendly interface simplifies operations for both advanced users and beginners while integrating seamlessly with other tools and platforms for operational efficiently, including:

• Gmail
• Outlook
• Mailchimp
• Hootsuite
• Meta
• Google Calendar
• Google Analytics
• Zoom
• Zendesk
• Shopify
• WooCommerce
• BigCommerce, and more.

How Does HubSpot CRM Benefit SMEs and Startups?

Small, medium-sized, and startup businesses can benefit greatly from HubSpot CRM. These benefits enable businesses to easily and efficiently integrate this software solution into their daily operations.

Flexible Pricing Options

HubSpot offers two flexible pricing options for users: the freemium version and the paid subscription version. The free version includes access to tools like contact management, pipeline tracking, and more. The free version is typically best for startups. Established businesses typically opt for the paid version to get access to more sophisticated features and tools.

Hubspot Workflow and Automation Functionalities

In addition, the automation features of HubSpot CRM are among some of the most popular features. Growing businesses often have limited resources and time to respond to customer queries. Features like automated follow-ups, scheduling, and interaction tracking help manage these challenges.

What Are the Core Functionalities of HubSpot’s CRM Solution?

One of the main features of HubSpot is versatility. It can support a range of business types and industries, ranging from startups to large enterprises. HubSpot CRM offers a comprehensive set of tools to streamline workflows, marketing, and sales operations. Therefore, it becomes a popular choice for businesses that need an easy-to-use platform to centralize their operations.

• Contact Management – It offers you a central repository where you can store and manage content information (interactions, history, and notes too).
• Company Records – You can also create a database to organize company associations and other contacts, for B2B management, for example.
• Deal Pipeline Management – The platform lets you visualize and track sales operations (e.g. deals) so you can customize the pipeline to reel in more revenue.
• Real-Time Task and Activity Tracking – You’ll be surprised by how accurately users can create and manage a wide range of tasks through this CRM solution.
• Email Tracking – Moreover, you can create email marketing and outreach campaigns. Then, start tracking the campaign’s performance using multiple key performance indicators (KPIs).
• Mobile Access – The platform also comes with a mobile application, suitable for Android (Android 10 or above) and iOS (iOS 16 or above).

HubSpot Marketing Automation

Next, we have HubSpot marketing automation. It is a valuable tool for modern businesses as it boosts marketing efficiency, makes tracking and analysis easier.

Streamline Marketing Campaigns

The marketing automation modules offer a slew of features. It allows you to automate marketing emails by setting parameters like time, date, and recipient lists.

Additionally, it helps you send personalized messages to recipients on a scheduled timetable to drive high-quality customer experiences and revenue. From lead nurturing to email campaigns, the marketing automation platform saves time and improves the overall effectiveness of campaigns through swift automation.

Automate Lead Nurture and Operations Workflows

The marketing automation module helps you create automated workflows that continue nurturing leads, driving them toward the end of the sales pipeline. In simple words, it helps turn prospects into qualified leads and leads into paying customers!

For example, let’s say a customer downloads an eBook or signs up for a newsletter on your website, for example, they get an email. This not only boosts real-time customer interactions for positive experiences, but also increases engagement.

Boost Conversion Rates – Consistently

Using the lead nurturing tools, you can automate emails and other marketing tasks. HubSpot allows integration with third-party services like Meta and other social media platforms. As a result, you can build a personalized marketing strategy that engages prospects throughout the customer lifecycle. It allows you to schedule posts, content publications, and so on. That way, you can interact with customers at the right time, through the right content, to increase conversions.

What Are the Core Functionalities of HubSpot Marketing Automation?

Like HubSpot CRM, this module brings a range of functions to help you optimize your marketing efforts. Here’s a quick look:

• Workflow Automation – Through the Workflow tool, you can automate repetitive tasks. For example, lead assignment and contact management. You can set up custom workflows that trigger specific actions, such as sending a follow-up email when a customer downloads a resource or assigning the lead to a sales representative. Consequently, it leads to opportunities for higher engagement rates and conversions.
• Lead Scoring – You can automatically assign scores to leads based on their interactions and behaviors.
• Forms and Lead Capture – Using the marketing automation features, you can create forms that capture leads on your website. Moreover, the incoming lead information feeds into the CRM contact database.
• Ad Management – One of the key benefits of this module is ad management. You can integrate and track paid ads across Google Ads, Meta Ads, and so on.
• Social Media Management –Schedule and publish social media posts across multiple platforms. In turn, it helps you achieve consistent engagement rates and drive conversions.
• Landing Page Creation (and Templates) – With this module, you can create and optimize landing pages that boost conversions. Additionally, you can create multiple pages and A/B test them to analyze performance.

HubSpot Sales Automation

According to research done by HubSpot, nearly 88% of salespeople rank their CRM as one of the most useful tools in their sales toolbox. In fact, their research indicates that sales professionals save around 2 hours and 15 minutes thanks to sales automation features within the CRM.

HubSpot sales automation, for instance, allows you to set up automated reminders for follow-ups when a lead has reached a certain stage in the sales pipeline.

This reduces the time spent on manual entries. Hence, allowing your team to focus on high-impact activities like crafting personalized content or developing targeted lead nurturing campaigns. Furthermore, HubSpot’s reporting and analytics capabilities offer you insights into sales performance. As a result, it enables data-driven decisions.

What Are the Key Benefits of HubSpot Sales Automation?

Combining this module with HubSpot CRM leads to an even more powerful operation management system at hand. It will not only track customer interactions and send personalized emails at scale, but also manage deals and report on sales activities in real-time. It leads to several benefits:

• Automation Follow-Ups – You do not need to send reminders manually. The module offers you the features to set up automated follow-ups, for emails, SMS, and more.
• Deal Tracking (Real-Time) – Depending on the stage of ongoing deals, it automatically updates the progress and highlights it across the sales pipeline for easier overview.
• Lead Prioritization – Using sales automation, you can prioritize leads. The platform helps with that using parameters such as current lead score, behavior, and engagement.
• Streamlined Communication – Since you can send personalized emails and messages based on varying schedules, it is easier to interact with customers at crucial touchpoints during their buyer’s journey. Hence, increasing the chances of conversions.

What Are the Core Functionalities of HubSpot Sales Automation?

The benefits we mentioned above are also some of the core functionalities of the sales automation module. However, there are additional benefits of HubSpot sales modules.

• Automatic Notifications and Alerts – You get real-time notifications when a lead engages with an email, for example. They might visit a webpage, or take another specific action, for example. This notifies your team to prioritize leads based on their behavior to increase engagement and drive conversions.
• Lead Rotation – You can assign leads to sales representatives through the platform. By doing so, you can make sure the distribution occurs based on predefined criteria automatically.
• Reliable Meeting Schedules – Through sales automation features, your prospects can book meetings directly when they interact with personalized messages or other touchpoints. As a result, there is no need for back-and-forth emails.
• Document Management – Using HubSpot, you can easily manage sales documentation. It allows you to share proposals, contracts, and other docs with easy access control features and analytics.

HubSpot Reporting and Analytics

The HubSpot reporting module allows users to build a range of reports to help marketers calculate ROI across its sales and marketing campaigns. This will help you make informed decisions like refining campaigns to boost ROI or cutting back on resources to prevent overutilization.

Be it marketing, sales, CRM, or any other operation, data is key. Without data, you cannot make informed decisions, which have become the most influential factor in determining success in our competitive business environment. HubSpot analytics and reporting offers you the tools for that

The Importance of HubSpot Analytics and Reporting (And Core Functionalities)

These reporting and analytics features offer a holistic approach to tracking customer interactions within your business. For instance, you can track the website traffic and how many visits one page gets in comparison to the other.

On the other hand, you can set up real-time updates on the engagement rates, such as open rates and click-through rates, of your email marketing campaigns. The reporting tools also include funnel reports and detailed dashboards. With such features, you can easily overview campaign performance based on key metrics.

Key Benefits of the HubSpot Reporting and Analytics Module: 

Comprehensive Insights

• Holistic Tracking: Monitor customer interactions across all touchpoints, including website visits, email engagements, social media interactions, and more.
• Performance Measurement: Assess the effectiveness of your marketing campaigns, sales activities, and customer service efforts with detailed metrics.

Customizable Dashboards

HubSpot allows you to build and customize dashboards that align with your specific business needs. Whether you need to track sales performance, marketing campaign effectiveness, or customer service metrics, HubSpot’s dashboards can be tailored to display the most pertinent data at a glance.

• Tailored Reporting: Create personalized dashboards that focus on the metrics most relevant to your business objectives.
• Real-Time Data: Access up-to-the-minute data to make timely decisions and respond swiftly to market changes.
• Drag-and-Drop Interface: Easily add, remove, or rearrange widgets to display key metrics.

Automated Report Generation

• Efficiency: Save time by automating the creation and distribution of reports, ensuring stakeholders receive consistent and accurate information.
• Consistency: Maintain standardized reporting formats across different departments for cohesive analysis.

Example Reporting Scenario: Imagine running a multi-channel marketing campaign across email, social media, and paid ads. With HubSpot’s Reporting and Analytics, you can track the performance of each channel in real-time, identify which one is generating the most leads, and adjust your budget allocation accordingly. This ensures that your marketing efforts are always aligned with your business goals, maximizing effectiveness and minimizing wasted resources.

HubSpot SMS

Another valuable tool through HubSpot CRM and key modules is the short message service, or simple, HubSpot SMS. It helps you connect with customers (i.e. prospects and leads) on a more personal level.

Unlike social media posts and emails that might or might not get the desired engagement, SMS is a more “targeted” communication method. You send a text message directly to your contacts to share reminders, updates, or relevant promotions.

As a result, you benefit from more consistent (and personalized) communication tactics. You are communicating in real-time, instead of passive communication through emails or social media posts. Let’s take a look at the core functionalities of this HubSpot module:

• Two-Way Messaging – You can entertain real-time conversations with customers using SMS features. That way, you can get instant responses and higher engagement.
• Message Templates – HubSpot SMS modules have a ton of reusable SMS templates for common messages. This saves time and makes personalization even more convenient.
• Automated Texting – Like other communication methods, you can also schedule SMS alerts to customers.

Benefits Of HubSpot SMS

With the rapid increase in mobile phone ownership and use, HubSpot SMS matters for personalized communication between customers and businesses.

Statista revealed that by the end of 2023, approximately 70% of the world population was “smartphone users”.  According to Exploding Topics, an average user spends more than 4 hours and 30 minutes on their phone every day.

It allows you to connect on a more personal level with the client as you reach customers where they spend most of their time. Here are additional benefits:

• Higher Open Rates – Luisa Zhou shared that the average open rate of SMS is around 82%. That is significantly higher than emails!
• HubSpot Integrations (With Other Tools) – HubSpot CRM integrates SMS, email, social media, and more, enabling consistent messaging across all channels.

HubSpot Integration Capabilities

When talking about the benefits of HubSpot, it is important to  mention how easily it integrates with the most popular third-party software and platforms. 

For your business, it is time and resource-consuming to manage social media campaigns on multiple platforms. In addition, you have to use each platform’s unique proprietary ad management tools.

However, HubSpot CRM offers you access to ad campaign management and optimization tools via a single platform. It is user-friendly, flexible, and convenient for all types of users.

Using HubSpot’s system, you can combine platforms like Mailchimp, Zapier, or Salesforce or integrate plugins and advanced analytics features for streamlined campaign management. For example, integrating with Mailchimp will help you synchronize email marketing. On the other hand, integration with Salesforce will help you streamline lead management.

The integration features are primarily helpful because they reduce the need for managing a “disconnected” software framework, where you have to use a different tool for every function. Moreover, this integration flexibility helps businesses stay competitive by increasing workflow efficiency and data flow.

Benefits of HubSpot Integration

• Seamless Data Sync – You don’t have to keep doing manual data entries, or even pull data from different sources. The integration capabilities do that for you with reduced errors. Take Mailchimp integration, for example. Through this integration, your email campaigns will automatically get populated with CRM contacts, reducing the need for manual entries.
• Better Workflows – Since the data integration occurs in real-time, you can automate processes and make informed decisions faster. For example, automatically updating lead statuses when a customer interacts with your website. This helps you save time and increase productivity simultaneously.
• Greater Collaboration – The accurate and up-to-date data is available readily across all participating departments through a single, user-friendly interface. Think of marketing and sales teams sharing insights to enhance efforts and generate higher revenue.
• Scalability and Growth – As your business grows, you won’t have to invest and manage tools (or platforms) separately. You can integrate them, thanks to the growing third-party support libraries of HubSpot, for smoother operations. For instance, project management software like Trello integrate with HubSpot to help you align project timelines with marketing campaigns.

Final Thoughts

HubSpot stands out as a comprehensive CRM platform that seamlessly integrates marketing, sales, customer service, and content management, making it an invaluable tool for businesses of all sizes and across various industries. Its robust modules—ranging from Marketing Hub and Sales Hub to Reporting and Analytics—empower organizations to streamline operations, enhance customer interactions, and drive sustainable growth. By leveraging HubSpot’s automation capabilities, businesses can not only save time and resources but also achieve higher conversion rates and improved ROI through personalized and efficient marketing strategies.

However, maximizing the full potential of HubSpot requires more than just understanding its features; it involves strategic implementation and ongoing management tailored to your specific business needs. This is where partnering with a HubSpot Partner Consultant becomes crucial. A certified HubSpot expert can help you set up your HubSpot instance correctly, customize it to align with your unique workflows, and ensure that all modules are optimally configured to support your business objectives. Additionally, a consultant can provide valuable insights and best practices, helping you navigate the complexities of the platform and avoid common pitfalls.

Ready to take your business to the next level with HubSpot? Book a consultation with a HubSpot expert today and discover how a tailored HubSpot strategy can transform your operations and accelerate your growth.