This is part two of how I selected a Marketing Automation Vendor. Part one described how I began sorting through all the potential options. This post will describe how I compared between my ’short list’ of prospective vendors. I began by modifying a list created by a Marketo customer, but then majorly augmented it to fit my needs. I suggest you do the same. Do not rely on my list, but modify it for your needs. Please make comments on decision criteria I missed as I would love to know what I didn’t consider.
Reviewing prospective vendors on these points was no easy task. And, in retrospect, there are some things I should have looked at in more detail. I’m not taking the time to count the points below, but am sure there are well over 100 features I considered. I compared these features by making the list below in a spreadsheet and taking notes about each feature during product demos. If i had additional questions about a feature I asked for information from the sales person via email. I then asked each sales rep to review my sheet and make corrections. Then I reviewed the differences between my results and the salesreps to understand what I misunderstood. In some cases I found I had made a mistake, in others I found sales reps being dishonest.
Below is the criteria I used to make my decision (broken out into categories):
Campaign Management
· Add to SFDC campaign
· Create SFDC campaign
· Auto-responder emails
· Decision steps, alternate actions
· Event based automated emails
· Report on opportunity and revenue
· 2-way synch with SFDC including all leads
· A/B List testing
· Multivariate List testing
· Advanced deduping (replace Ringlead)
· Auto add to dist list
· Auto add/remove from dist list
· Opt-down
· Build criteria based dist lists
· Database cleansing
· Dedupe list imports
· Dedupe on email
· Detailed activity profiles in Salesforce.com
· Real-time synch with Salesforce.com
· Suppression list
· Track inactivity
· Trigger tasks for sales team
· Upload from excel
· Ability for Sales to opt leads out of campaigns
· Creation (html, text)
· Deliverability testing
· Dynamic content
· Dynamic signature/sender details
· Import html
· Reporting
· Set time for batch
· Track email bouncebacks
· Track email click-throughs by individual
· Sales alert of clickthrough
· Track email opens by individual
· Trackable emails from sales users
· Hard bounces versus soft bounces
· Review email delivery by list, by campaign, etc
· Unique IP
· Outlook Integration
· Spam Review and recommendations
Forms
· Change Salesforce values
· Create, no IT help
· Field level rules for overwriting in SFDC
· Hidden fields to update SFDC records
· Integrate w/landing pages
· Integrate w/Salesforce
· Ability to host on our site
Landing Pages
· A/B testing
· Multivariate testing
· Branded
· Creation
· Dynamic content
· Edit HTML code in editor
· Import graphics
· Integrate with SFDC
· Integrated forms
· Own URL
· Reporting
· Self-publish
Lead Nurturing
· Behavior triggered
· Lead score degradation
· Lead scoring
· SFDC change status triggered
· Sales ability to adjust score
· Different score paths for different regions
Surveys
· Survey Management (depth?)- replace Zoomerang type functionality
Website
· Known visitor tracking
· Additional visits in activity history
· Unknown visitor tracking- (w/ sales access)
· Replace Leadlander- ability for sales to see companies on site
· Visitor notifications to sales
· Replace Google Analytics
· Replace Omniture
· CMS system integrated
Reporting
· Ability to create custom reports
· Dashboards
· Number of Canned Reports
Implementation
· Time to install
· Time for 100% up and running including lead scoring
· Costs of implementation
Interface
· Attractive
· Easy to Navigate
Transition
· What happens to data if we transition to a different product
Other
· PR/Communications Management
· Tradeshow management
· Invitation management
· Direct Mail Management
Training
· Training included
· Additional Training Options
· Training hours recommended
History
· Years in business
· Years with current model
References
· Available and Relevant
Pricing
· Pricing (per touch or a package)
· What is a touch?
· Number per limit
· Set Up fees
· Training fees
· What happens to pricing when additional features are added?
· What price increases can I expect?
Intangibles
· Uptime (3rd party monitored)
· Speed of Service/Scale (transactions per second)
· Work-flow based automation
· Activity Driven content
· International Character Support
· Webservices API
· Data Center SAS 70 audited?
Support
· Best-practice templates (How many)
· Best-practice Consulting (SMB specific)
· Regional User Groups
· Online Community
· User Conferences
· Tech Support
· Dedicated customer support contacts (How many? For what?)
Company Specific
· SMB Customers
· Technology Vertical Customers (Hardware & Software)
· Users
· SFDC Premiere Partner
Product Replacement (Current products I am using)
· Will Replace Leadlander (allow sales access multiple times per day)
· Will Replace Email tool
· Will Replace Ringlead (dedupe leads from salesforce and excel)
· Will Replace CMS
· Will Replace Survey Vendor (Zoomerang or Surveymonkey type)
· Will forward registration information to GotoWebinar in some way
· Includes ability to track outside events like PR, tradeshows, direct mail
