arketing software saves us a lot of work and makes our marketing much more precise – provided you’ve found the right software for your own requirements. And that is a challenge. An important final step to master this challenge is the testing phase. Since the course is set here for long-term work with the software, you should approach the trial period in a structured and focused way.
We’re therefore giving you a few questions you should ask the software and the provider while trying it out.
If you’re looking for software, you need to be clear about which functions the product should fulfill. Basic factors such as support, use by different team members, and success measurement are essential.
We recommend the following approach: First, create a wish list of requirements your marketing software should meet. Then you can compare different providers and specifically check whether the respective software is a good fit.
Software manufacturers offer many helpful resources such as tutorials, blog posts, e-books, interactive tools, and videos. This usually makes working with a trial version much easier.
Here you’ll find a list of smart questions for the testing phase of software that is to be integrated for the long term. Of course, there are very different types of software, but the following questions are relevant for (almost) types of MarTech solutions.
What is this software’s unique selling point?
What features does the program offer?
How does the software fit the requirements of my company and my team?
Will the software really help us move forward in marketing and open up new opportunities for us?
Is the program easy to use?
What are other customers’ reviews like?
Can all team members use the software?
If necessary: Can employees from other departments (e.g. Sales) work well with the software?
Has any team member worked with the software before?
How much does the software cost in total?
Are there any hidden costs?
Is there also a training offering included with the program?
Are there customized versions of the software, and how much of it can be tailored to my needs?
How easy is it to connect my other systems via interfaces—especially critical systems such as the CRM or marketing automation software?
How easy is it to connect the software to my existing data sources?
Are there any limits on the database?
What about data protection: Where is the data stored and is the software GDPR-compliant?
Can I conclude a data processing agreement (DPA) with the provider?
How secure is my data? What happens in the event of a hack?
Is the server infrastructure stable?
How meaningful are the system’s internal reports, analyses, and performance measurements (ROI)?
Is there a proof of concept to measure potential performance and scalability?
Do I need IT support already during the test, or can the marketing team manage everything independently?
For international teams: Does multilingual support work?
How accessible is the software?
What type of customer support is included?
Can issues be reported by phone, email, or live chat?
About how quickly are support tickets processed?
Do customers get dedicated account managers and technical support?
Does the provider accept requests for product changes, and how flexible are they in dealing with them?
Does the provider have Customer Feedback Management?
What new features are planned?
What does the long-term roadmap for the software look like?
And last but not least, a not entirely unimportant question: Is the software also fun (for all team members) to use?
Even when watching demonstrations of various software solutions, it’s important not to let yourself be thrown off balance. Insist on getting clear answers to all your questions. This way, you’ll identify the best product and will quickly realize that the effort is worth it. We wish you every success with testing!
You’re still one step away from testing the software and are first looking for candidates to test? Stop your time-consuming research and start matching with Matchilla! You tell us your software requirements, and we’ll suggest the three most relevant providers with whom you can move straight into testing or negotiations.
Simply use our form, briefly indicate above which software you’re looking for, and we’ll take care of the rest for you. Save time, resources, and nerves on your way to new marketing software!
Till Zier is CPO at Matchilla and, as a MarTech expert, reports in the MatchZINE on news and trends in marketing, automation, analytics, and data.
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