OutboundEngine

![OutboundEngine integration](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/26rWT1lj40Agn5G7AjMJHN/5d8e2707c9e0b977c8ecd63fc6d564ac/OutboundEngine-launch-thumbnail.png)

## About OutboundEngine 

[OutboundEngine](https://www.outboundengine.com/) is a super simple marketing software for small businesses. OutboundEngine users, can rely on a team of experts who help them keep their customers and generate new ones, effortlessly.

But how do you connect OutboundEngine to your other business applications?

## About PieSync

PieSync is one of the highest-reviewed [Integration Platform as a Service (iPaaS)](https://www.piesync.com/blog/ipaas-complete-guide/) in the market. With this complete sync solution, you can control the way your contact data flows between different business applications.

This solution works as a bridge to keeps your different business applications together. Instead of pushing data from one app to the other one, PieSync actually keeps it in sync. That helps you avoid isolated data (data silos).

__PieSync works in real time to make sure your applications are always up-to-date with the correct information about your contacts and subscribers.__ This means you'll never have to manually transfer data again! 

Plus, PieSync acts upon your historical data to make sure you don’t miss a thing or overwrite entries. That means no more duplicates!

> When you are out on the road and you need urgent information, then you realize why you are paying for it. I’m already used to PieSync, now I can’t imagine a world without it.- Bram Callewier, Managing Director at Stoneasy

 __You can now sync OutboundEngine with 243 other applications:__

<Widget size="compact" left="outboundengine"/>

Need another app in sync? Every Wednesday, PieSync releases a new application. If the business tool you are using is not available yet, go to the pipeline and [vote for the app you need.](https://www.piesync.com/connections/)

## Decide which contacts to sync and how

Every business has its own individual structure and its own unique blend of apps. That's why PieSync's team is developing features that allow you customize your SaaS stack and workflows. 

By using __“if-*this*-then-*that*” rules__ you can easily select which contacts you need to share and how to organize them in your other app. Here's example of a sync between [OutboundEngine and Google Contacts](https://www.piesync.com/googlecontacts/outboundengine/): 

![outboundengine and google](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/4ro4lf6IrqOmLUQ2MmX4wi/1011f2651a221003f3516f1e776c2fdd/outboundengine_and_google.png)

## Decide which contact fields to keep in sync

By default, PieSync will map together similar fields between apps:

![Sync Google and OutboundEngine](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/5Lt7YATTuFdnHgCUNc96gx/e248b59b6f76fe50b573995a56368b2f/Screenshot_2020-09-16_at_11.55.00.png)

Additionally, you can map your own customized fields, your way: 

![Integration for google contacts and outbound engine](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/7JVcqEItsQqtO4Rp9pl79j/50eb34fb2f91ae05422df87dbaebee21/Screenshot_2020-09-16_at_11.55.09.png)

<Button text="Try it now!" href="https://www.piesync.com/outboundengine/" />

## How to set it up? 

<Embed src="https://youtu.be/6QGNLcgW7gA" />

__Need help to configure your connection? You can always visit our[ Support Center](https://www.piesync.com/help/connector-apps/outboundengine/) to get extra information about this connection.__

## More benefits

### Add Teams
You can add your entire team to your PieSync account. This means everyone can access the most up to date data when they need it most.

### Multiple plans to scale your business growth
We have multiple plans to suit businesses of all sizes. When your business grows, you can simply upgrade to the next plan.

### Avoid Duplicates
PieSync hates duplicates just as much as you do. We eliminate duplicates by matching contacts based on their email addresses.

So what are you waiting for?

<Button text="Try it now!" href="https://www.piesync.com/outboundengine/" />

Sync your OutboundEngine contacts two-way and in real-time. Forget about importing & exporting lists! PieSync offers you up-to-date data across all your applications. 

Integration for OutboundEngine. It works two-way and in real time. 

Announcements

OutboundEngine integration

Now you can sync your OutboundEngine contacts with other apps!

![Increasing email engagement rates for more clicks](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/5tpFH2HtvBO7QckdjMTY3R/4e2865a5172fef059d5e8db01f273e33/domenico-loia-EhTcC9sYXsw-unsplash-min__1_.jpg)

**We all know how flooded the average inbox is today. And while email marketing remains one of the most effective tools in the marketing toolbox, millions of marketing emails go by unnoticed, unopened and unread every day.  **

So how can you avoid such a sad fate for your emails? And what can you do to increase email engagement and get those coveted clicks on your CTA buttons?

Read on for ten actions that will increase your email engagement and save your emails from ending up in the trash folder.

---

## 10 best practices to increase email clicks in 2020

### 1. Work on your welcome email

The first email you send to a customer is usually a welcome email. The [average open rate](https://www.getvero.com/resources/welcome-emails/) for a welcome email is 50%, which makes it much more effective than regular newsletters.

If we bear in mind that [76%](https://www.pushwoosh.com/blog/welcome-emails-examples/#:~:text=76%25%20of%20people%20expect%20to,to%20interact%20with%20a%20brand.) of people expect a welcome email immediately after subscribing to your list, it becomes clear that this email is an important one. Make the most of it!

[Really Good Emails](https://reallygoodemails.com/categories/welcome/) shares a great collection of welcome emails (and every other category you can think of) to inspire your strategy, including this excellent example from Postable. It delivers the discount code subscribers are waiting for, includes a beautiful graphic and keeps things super simple:

![Good example of a welcome email from Postable](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/2Y5QK8cxbjmY24LyXjZntz/14e2f59ba6602272972f260c68b0f427/your-first-postable-deal-as-promised.png)

&nbsp;

### 2. Optimize the subject lines...

[47% of email recipients](https://optinmonster.com/101-email-subject-lines-your-subscribers-cant-resist/) open emails based on the subject line alone. So yes, getting the subject line right is crucial. 

But what makes a good subject line? 

The best way to succeed is to leverage natural human tendencies such as: 

* Curiosity 
* FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out)
* Humor

![Optimize subject lines for better email engagement](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/67qW3P0TDZ5VCu7lF0re9V/c68e00feeb16f7a04ead52f504d4be82/pasted_image_0__4_.png)

&nbsp;

This is a typical [FOMO subject line](https://sumo.com/stories/email-subject-line-examples#2), where [GetResponse](https://www.getresponse.com/) is making it clear to their audience that they risk missing out on a whopping 40% off.

&nbsp;

### 3. ...and the preheader texts

The preheader text, or preview text, is the snippet of text that follows the email subject line when a reader views your email in the inbox. It’s shown beside the subject line and sender name.

These examples from beauty marketplace Cult Beauty offer a preview of the brands and discounts on offer to encourage clicks:

![Making use of preview text for higher email engagement rates](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/58hSArh403FeUg7h7cFZWC/3af8beedeaab3d7cc26db0ad1c0b8899/Screenshot_2020-07-13_at_11.27.19.png)

&nbsp;

This snippet is valuable real estate and it can even make or break your email's performance. Studies show that brands using the preview text effectively increase their open rates by a margin of up to [30%](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pPFE4wqM_w)!

<RelatedPost slug="10-tools-to-increase-email-marketing-conversions" /> 

### 4. Optimize your CTAs

The way you write and design your CTAs, or calls to action, has a significant impact on email engagement and click-through rates. Since readers are so used to being prompted to do this and do that, creativity is crucial to avoid being filtered out.

Experiment with everything from copy and design to placement and frequency to discover what kind of CTAs and buttons yield the best results with your particular target audience.

This message from email marketing software [Emma](https://myemma.com) keeps it short and sweet with a CTA that spurs the reader’s curiosity with the clever and straightforward copy "See how".

![Emma good email marketing CTA example](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/qjZYSiA2tUxoiVep80vqm/8e867f37b4bd5627dd559f0c5e5a7bfd/pasted_image_0__5_.png)

&nbsp;

### 5. Tweak your copy

Write as you talk. Nobody appreciates large, dull, jargon-heavy chunks of texts in marketing. Make it easy, fun and rewarding to read your emails. And be ultra-clear on what next step you want the reader to take.

Use active, positive language and keep sentences short and concise. And if appropriate, use humor. People like to smile!

This [email copy from Uber](https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/email-marketing-examples-list) is creative, on-brand and to the point:

![Example of good email copy for engagement](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/6weRVYRHVEP2OYsgSsJOGU/e826646d5e8c93bcff7b534963bc5e2f/pasted_image_0__6_.png)

&nbsp;

### 6. Leverage your transactional emails

After welcome emails, transactional emails have [among the highest open rates](https://neilpatel.com/blog/email-marketing-messages/#:~:text=Transactional%20emails%2C%20or%20emails%20that,to%20non%2Dtransactional%20marketing%20emails.) of all email marketing messages. And yet they rarely contain more information than that of the actual transaction. That means an opportunity for you!

By giving your transactional emails some extra love and a makeover, you will wow your customers in a way that many companies miss out on.

&nbsp;

### 7. Do A/B testing

If you’re sending emails, you should be doing A/B testing. You can test every element of your emails, from subject lines and preview tests to copy, images, design and CTAs.

The more you test, the better you will get to know your target audience. And the better you know your audience, the more you will be able to engage them with your emails.

&nbsp;

### 8. Make sure your email design is mobile responsive

Most people open emails on their mobile. This means that if your emails aren’t mobile responsive, a large portion of them will be going to waste. 

Always make sure that your design has as good or better UX on mobile as on desktop.

&nbsp;

### 9. Personalize your emails

According to [Accenture](https://newsroom.accenture.com/news/us-consumers-turn-off-personal-data-tap-as-companies-struggle-to-deliver-the-experiences-they-crave-accenture-study-finds.htm), 44% of customers are frustrated by brands who fail to create personalized experiences. This is why tailoring your email marketing to the recipient is crucial.

An email that is not personalized risks doing more harm than good. In one marketing study, [82% of marketing specialists ](http://content.adestra.com/hubfs/2016_Reports_and_eGuides/The_State_of_Digital_Personalisation_2016.pdf)witnessed a substantial increase in opening rates when they leveraged the power of personalization.

![Eventbrite 2019 year in review personalized email](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/9IglAMVprkIDkByCX79fh/ea8843efae8c59ea036bc8246cb26229/ANDROID8GMAILAPP.png)

[Eventbrite](http://eventbrite.com/) sends these personalized emails with reports on how successful their users' events have been during the past year. This type of personalized content can also be a great way to encourage social sharing and engagement within a team, multiplying the effect of your emails.

<RelatedPost slug="why-marketing-personalization-is-so-important-and-how-to-use-it" /> 

&nbsp;

### 10. Segment your email marketing

Segmenting your email list enables you to get the right message to the right buyer persona at the right time in their buyer journey. And that is *crucial* for increasing conversions.

To send segmented emails that are most likely to convert, first [integrate your email and marketing software with your CRM](https://www.piesync.com/solutions/email-marketing/) and other sources of customer data.

This gives you a 360-degree view of your contacts everywhere, including your email marketing platform. It's then easier than ever to send highly personalized emails based on your contacts' groups, memberships and other properties.

----

## Better data means better email engagement

Email communications are one of the most effective ways that you can reach out to customers and prospects. But keeping your emailing lists up-to-date - and ensuring that they have the quality data needed for you to be able to personalize communications - can be challenging.

That’s where PieSync steps in: we [sync the contact databases across your app stack](https://www.piesync.com/connections/), so you’re always working with __fully enriched, up-to-date and relevant data__.

![What is iPaaS](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/7MaF3nEPEc5Y6DwkTe9IGI/ad87caea037192e1a813684e269c6235/iPaaS_visuals__2_.png)

&nbsp;

### Sync contact data across your tech stack to enrich every app

When you start using PieSync, connecting your email marketing tool with your CRM is likely have the quickest impact on your email engagement.

With your [CRM and email tool in a two-way sync](https://www.piesync.com/solutions/email-marketing/), you can automatically send recent subscribers and leads to your email tool. You can also sync extra data for better segmentation of your marketing and nurturing campaigns, plus easy personalized outreach in every email.

At the same time, you can merge marketing qualified leads (MQLs) back to your CRM with updated data for sales to work with - all without overwriting existing data.

Here's an example of a connection between Copper CRM and Mailchimp to keep both apps in sync:

![Sync Copper and Mailchimp with PieSync](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/4t8xc8FIEriPYluMFoMVOq/a633c842e8c28b00f1d8cf7d3fd1d902/Screenshot_2020-03-09_at_11.34.48.png)

As it's set up to only sync leads with the tag "Customer", this guarantees only the right contacts are added based on the user's preferences.

&nbsp;

[Check the full list of apps you can connect with PieSync here](https://www.piesync.com/connections/), including the most popular email marketing apps and CRMs.

<RelatedPost slug="how-to-sync-data-in-your-crm-and-marketing-apps-with-zero-hassle" /> 

With PieSync, keeping your marketing, sales and support teams on the same page is as easy as pie. Everyone has access to the same data, and with a two-way sync, all of the latest changes are synced in both directions for the most reliable and consistent database that's [free of duplicates](https://www.piesync.com/blog/4-ways-to-fix-and-prevent-duplicate-contacts-for-cleaner-data/).

**To improve your email engagement rates, first improve your data.** [Get started with a 14-day free trial of PieSync to sync contacts between your apps and get the most accurate and enriched email list.](https://app.piesync.com/signup/)

Millions of marketing emails go by unnoticed, unopened and unread every day. Learn how to avoid that fate by increasing your email engagement rate now.

The complete guide to increasing email engagement and clicks

Marketing

Increasing email engagement rates for more clicks

10 ways to improve your email engagement

FreshBooks

Quickbooks

![Comparing freshbooks vs quickbooks](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/q8QHXmQ0PB8pTEAEdWnaM/7867b7132d128bbd7c1afe4692e6cc11/freshbooks_vs_quickbooks.png)

As a small business, accounting software can transform your working life. It's the easiest way to monitor money flowing in and out, bill customers, and simply process your finances at the end of the year.

If you're a freelancer or an agency, there are other benefits to using accounting software: you know exactly how much time you've spent on each client and project, and can easily process invoices when it's billing time.

Two of the most popular accounting tools for small businesses are [FreshBooks](https://www.freshbooks.com) and [QuickBooks Online](https://quickbooks.intuit.com). While they are both powerful tools and popular for good reasons, they work best in different use cases and for different types of businesses.

Read on for our summary of FreshBooks vs. QuickBooks and work out which accounting tool is best for you.

P.S. Also considering Xero? [Read our comparison of Xero vs. QuickBooks Online here](https://www.piesync.com/blog/xero-vs-quickbooks-online/). 

&nbsp;

* [Introducing FreshBooks and QuickBooks Online](#freshbooks-vs-quickbooks)
* [When to choose QuickBooks Online](#choosing-quickbooks)
* [When to choose FreshBooks](#choosing-freshbooks)
* [Comparing pricing](#pricing)
* [Summary: when to choose QuickBooks Online vs. FreshBooks](#summary)


----

## Introducing FreshBooks and QuickBooks Online{#freshbooks-vs-quickbooks}

### About FreshBooks

Founded in 2003, FreshBooks has evolved to be the "all-in-one small business invoice and accounting solution" to help entrepreneurs and small teams spend less time on accounting and more time doing the work they love.

FreshBooks offers a highly user-friendly feature set for invoicing, expenses, time tracking, projects, estimates, and more.

&nbsp;

### About QuickBooks

QuickBooks is one of the most well-known accounting platforms on the market and part of the Intuit product family founded in 1983.

When we talk about QuickBooks in this post, we're focusing on [QuickBooks Online](https://quickbooks.intuit.com/online/) (QBO), the cloud-based accounting tool from Intuit, rather than their traditional desktop version. Cloud-based SaaS solutions are always our top recommendation, since you can [keep all your business apps synced and updated](https://www.piesync.com/why/) with much less manual work.

----

## When to choose QuickBooks Online{#choosing-quickbooks}

When should you choose QuickBooks Online over FreshBooks? Here are five scenarios when the accounting software giant can make the most sense for your business.

&nbsp;

### 1. If your business sells products

QuickBooks is a stand-out accounting choice if you're selling products or retail goods, while FreshBooks is our top pick for managing clients and billing as a freelancer.

With QuickBooks, you can record your daily sales from every channel and sync sales systems like PayPal, Square and Shopify. QuickBooks also offers [inventory management](https://quickbooks.intuit.com/accounting/inventory/) to easily see what you have in stock and on order from your vendors.

![QuickBooks-Inventory TECH-GUIDE WEB Step-12F](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/1j4SDiWtI61DLtTl3XOtQu/75c72d05112f81152491fb58ab765d73/QuickBooks-Inventory_TECH-GUIDE_WEB_Step-12F.jpg)

&nbsp;

If you have a brick-and-mortar shop, take a look at [QuickBooks Point of Sale](https://quickbooks.intuit.com/point-of-sale/) to simplify your in-person transactions. As you'd expect, it integrates seamlessly with QuickBooks Online, so you can see your POS purchases alongside all your other accounting data.

&nbsp;

### 2. If you need a scalable accounting solution

QuickBooks offers fully-fledged accounting software that's built to scale. It's designed for a wider array of business types and sizes than FreshBooks – and has a very comprehensive set of features. [One Capterra review](https://www.capterra.co.uk/reviews/141374/quickbooks-online) from a long-term QuickBooks user says: "The proverbial 800-pound gorilla still works!"

![img row za cloud all devices 540 353 2x](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/5uANrQbvCwGzDRUiQja60i/5598c83329c8a42f443e9a979f099daf/img_row_za_cloud_all_devices_540_353_2x.png)

&nbsp;

### 3. If you want just one financial tool in your stack

QuickBooks is a great all-in-one solution for your accounting and invoicing needs. There are no major gaps – and if there are, other QuickBooks products like QuickBooks Point of Sale will fill many of these. This means you can get away with a **smaller app stack**.

On the other hand, FreshBooks is focused on a narrower audience: freelancers, small businesses and solopreneurs looking for simple and hassle-free software. Since it avoids complexity, you're more likely to need to [sync FreshBooks with other tools](https://www.piesync.com/connections/freshbooks) to achieve some custom outcomes, but this is simple to do.

&nbsp;

### 4. If your accountant prefers QuickBooks

While your accountant's preferences aren't the most important factor, being aligned on the tools you're using can make both your lives easier.

QuickBooks tends to be the top choice for accountants in the US, but it's also quickly grown in popularity worldwide in the last few years and now offers many country-specific bank feeds, integrations and tax compliance features.

FreshBooks is still quite focused on North America, so if you're based outside of it your tax return might be faster with QuickBooks than FreshBooks.

![011317 0125 QuickBooksO1](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/70EK9swO4LaFhXnQAEKJgw/be4ff6119ba0c8eba651b8fde22c9fd6/011317_0125_QuickBooksO1.png)

&nbsp;

### 5. If you have a mid-sized or fast-growing business

If your business is currently mid-sized or fast-growing, QuickBooks Online will likely be a better fit for you. FreshBooks has a fantastic feature set for small businesses, but when your business grows, you may need to switch tools. 

If you try out QuickBooks and love it now, you'll likely still love it when your business doubles or triples in size.

----

## When to choose FreshBooks{#choosing-freshbooks}

What about FreshBooks? Here's how to know if FreshBooks is a good QuickBooks alternative for your business.

&nbsp;

### 1. If you're a freelancer

FreshBooks is designed with small business owners in mind, especially freelancers. If you listen to entrepreneurship podcasts, you might have heard their ads and recognize their brand.

Of businesses that [reviewed FreshBooks on G2](https://www.g2.com/products/freshbooks/reviews#reviews), 20.6% are in marketing and advertising – many of which will be self-employed consultants. Most QuickBooks Online reviewers, by contrast, are accountants (what did we say earlier about accountants loving QB?)

![team-time-tracking-hero-1](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/2WRBvKuqzE3bA8LABQIrLn/48e017ced1576bb224543187b63a6591/team-time-tracking-hero-1.png)

FreshBooks makes it **easy to track time spent per client or project**, so you can check your productivity in any time period. And when it comes to invoicing, you can quickly turn the hours into an invoice or mark hours as already billed without creating an invoice from them.

Other FreshBooks advantages include simple project management, integration with Stripe to get paid online, and automated and manual invoice reminders for unpaid bills.

&nbsp;

### 2. If you're just getting started with your business

If you're working on a side hustle or just getting started with a small business idea, you may not want to go all-in with a fancy accounting software just yet.

FreshBooks is a better choice than QuickBooks Online for simplicity, although QBO's complexity has its own advantages – you can do much more with the system.

![50176](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/4TbkM0da3fKZIPs8VzklwH/2919ef141dce80a08070896fd0366ad4/50176.png)

&nbsp;

### 3. If you want user-friendly software that's quick to set up

FreshBooks' main benefit is that it's extremely easy to use. [On G2](https://www.g2.com/products/freshbooks/reviews), it has a rating of 9.2/10 for ease of use, compared to QuickBook's 8.1/10.

FreshBooks also receives consistently high feedback for ease of setup and ease of admin. If you want to reduce as much complexity as possible with your accounting processes, FreshBooks is a great pick.

![1511981711 Freshbooks dashboard redesigned(1)](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/6Mq8YAjw5IdGmAr816fX8m/f503e9d8c650d2145a73ad85bbaa341e/1511981711_Freshbooks_dashboard_redesigned_1_.png)

&nbsp;

### 4. If you prioritize quick responses from support

FreshBooks' support team gets a whole lot of love. [One long-term user](https://www.g2.com/products/freshbooks/reviews/freshbooks-review-1451127) writes that for the relatively few times it may be needed, FreshBooks support is extremely responsive. They offer a website contact form, an actual email address managed by humans and toll-free phone numbers. 

With your personal support key, you can easily give the FreshBooks team secure access to your account to make any fixes or help you set things up. FreshBooks is also known for having a great refund policy, which makes upgrades and downgrades more straightforward.

&nbsp;

### 5. If you want native integrations with your other tools

FreshBooks has a remarkably easy-to-navigate [integrations library](https://www.freshbooks.com/integrations) with the most popular tools for small business owners. When it comes to CRM integrations in particular, FreshBooks offers accessible out-the-box syncs, including tested connections with HubSpot, Capsule and AgileCRM.

Both FreshBooks and QuickBooks Online also offer [two-way syncs with hundreds of apps via PieSync](https://www.piesync.com/why/), which makes it a breeze to connect your accounting app with the rest of your app stack no matter which tool you choose.

----

## Comparing QuickBooks pricing vs. FreshBooks pricing{#pricing}

Both FreshBooks and QuickBooks are affordable accounting tools for small businesses and solopreneurs, but their pricing depends on your business size and the features you need.

__QuickBooks'__ basic plan, Essentials, starts at $25/month and ticks all of the boxes for small business accounting needs, offering core features for tracking income and expenses, capturing and organizing receipts, invoicing, accepting payments, and checking key reports and metrics. The main limitation of QBO’s Essentials is its access for only one user. 

If you want to track time and inventory and access more reporting, including for project profitability, you'll need to opt for the Plus plan, available at $70/month.

The highest QBO plan, Advanced, is offered for $150/month. This gives you access to features such as batch invoices and expenses, automated approvals and reminders, management reports and fields, and custom reporting fields. 

You can also add payroll to any plan as an add-on, which costs between $45 + $4/employee/month to $125 + $10/employee/month depending on the functionality you need.

![QuickBooks Online pricing August 2020](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/1NDd2UYSKCm2ORlbsom8yd/be00b2877a31bea47456f30b6ba5b069/Screenshot_2020-08-07_at_12.13.06.png)

&nbsp;

__FreshBooks__' entry-level plan, Lite, is offered at $15/month, making it more affordable than QuickBooks Essentials. This plan has so many advantages for freelancers and very small teams - especially the unlimited customized invoices, expenses, time tracking and estimates. If you need time tracking on a budget, FreshBooks is the perfect choice.

A disadvantage of FreshBooks is the maximum number of billable clients per plan. With the Lite plan you can only manage and invoice 5 clients, which is very limited for most businesses. 

However, this jumps up to 50 clients with the Plus plan, which is offered at an affordable $25/month, the same cost as QuickBooks's basic plan, and includes unlimited proposals and recurring invoices. FreshBooks Premium supports 500 clients.

![Freshbooks pricing versus Quickbooks](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/YIyM84F0eha3dcR9QIcP1/67166d539d90fc645c5506bbfdabb218/pricing-packaging-freshbooks.png)

&nbsp;

If __managing and invoicing many clients__ is important for your business, QuickBooks might be your better choice. QBO also offers the better solution for retail businesses that need to __track inventory__.

Alternatively, if you need to __track time__, FreshBooks offers this at a much lower price point.

----

## Summary: when to choose QuickBooks Online vs. FreshBooks{#summary}

While QuickBooks is the stronger all-round accounting tool for businesses of all sizes, FreshBooks tends to be the better choice for small and one-person businesses.


| When QuickBooks is best  | When FreshBooks is best  |
| ------------ | ------------ |
| Your business sells products  | You're a freelancer or solopreneur   |
| You need a scalable solution and aren't scared of complexity  | You're just getting started with your business  |
| You want just one financial tool in your stack   | You want user-friendly software that's quick to set up   |
| Your accountant prefers QuickBooks   | You prioritize quick responses from support  |
| You have a mid-sized or fast-growing business  | You want native integrations with your other tools  |

&nbsp;

__Looking for other accounting systems to compare with FreshBooks and QuickBooks?__

* [Wave vs. QuickBooks: which is the best accounting tool?](https://www.piesync.com/blog/wave-vs-quickbooks-which-is-the-best-accounting-tool/)
* [Xero vs. QuickBooks Online: what’s the best cloud accounting tool for your business?](https://www.piesync.com/blog/xero-vs-quickbooks-online/)

----

Whichever accounting tool you choose, make sure to integrate it with the rest of your app stack. [Use PieSync to sync your contacts two ways](https://piesync.com) between your CRM and accounting software and know exactly which contacts have changed their contact information, subscription plan, or other data in all apps.

Both [FreshBooks](https://www.piesync.com/freshbooks/) and [QuickBooks](https://www.piesync.com/quickbooks/) are supported by PieSync, as are all leading CRMs, email marketing systems, accounting apps, customer support software, and more.

&nbsp;

#### [Start using PieSync for a real-time sync between your contact data in every app, from your CRM to your email app and accounting software. Try PieSync for a 14-day free trial now.	](https://app.piesync.com/signup/)

FreshBooks or QuickBooks... which accounting software should you choose? We weigh up the pros and cons to help you make the right choice for your business.

FreshBooks vs. QuickBooks: which is the best accounting tool?

App Comparisons

freshbooks vs quickboos

![Optimizing website conversion rates for 2020](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/76XclGHGJ3oFs4zZZGsWOk/6d3476d479422a725977e39ab85ee3cf/nordwood-themes-ubIWo074QlU-unsplash-min.jpg)

Building a sustainable business depends on conversion rate optimization (CRO). It's what transforms visitors into subscribers, and subscribers into paying customers – and that's what grows a business.

Before investing heavily in marketing, you need to be sure that website visitors won't fall through the cracks in the funnel before even giving you their email address.

Otherwise, you're effectively throwing money away and burning your target audience's interest in your business, both now and potentially further down the line.

Implementing and optimizing CRO tactics is one of the most impactful things you can do for your business. It enables you to consolidate your marketing and sales funnel and streamline the path to your "buy" button.

But what really is conversion rate optimization? [Moz gives this definition of CRO](https://moz.com/learn/seo/conversion-rate-optimization): 

> Conversion rate optimization (CRO) is the systematic process of increasing the percentage of website visitors who take a desired action — be that filling out a form, becoming customers, or otherwise. The CRO process involves understanding how users move through your site, what actions they take, and what's stopping them from completing your goals.

&nbsp;

One thing to remember is that __a good conversion rate can always get better__.

Across industries, the average landing page conversion rate is around 2.35%. But the top 25% of websites are converting at over 5% and the top 10% show [conversion rates](https://www.wordstream.com/blog/ws/2019/07/15/campaign-level-conversions) of 11.45% or higher. 

Whatever conversion rate your site is showing at the moment, there is always room for improvement. To help you reach the next level, we’ve listed **15 steps you can take today to improve conversion rates** on your website.

---

## 15 CRO best practices for 2020

### 1. Blog more

Adding an informative blog is an effective way not only to drive traffic to your website but also to increase the conversion rate. Many visitors will typically browse your site before deciding to opt in or not. 

A well-written blog provides the perfect means for educating your visitor, showing you’re the right provider for them and building trust in general. When it comes to driving conversions, trust is critical.

&nbsp;

### 2. Optimize UX

Make sure the user experience (UX) on your site is top-notch. Slow-loading pages are a big no-no that will immediately have your visitors bounce back to Google. Information overload, too many ads and pop-ups, and not optimizing for mobile are other big mistakes you want to avoid. 

[Clear, appealing design that encourages the visitor to scroll](https://www.awwwards.com/7-ux-tips-for-effective-conversion-rate-optimization.html) and dive deeper — that’s what you should be aiming for. You can also optimize your website's UX in line [with a technical SEO audit](https://www.piesync.com/blog/a-guide-to-seo-in-2020-the-best-practices-and-rules-to-follow/) for the furthest reaching results.

<RelatedPost slug="marketing-on-a-budget-14-low-cost-marketing-ideas" /> 


### 3. Optimize your copy and content

When you're crafting copy for your website, use active language that encourages visitors to take action. If you can build some urgency or scarcity into it, all the better. 

"Grab your template", "reserve your seat" and "claim your free trial" are all irresistible CTAs that speak directly to the part of us that doesn’t want to risk missing out on a good deal.

&nbsp;

### 4. A/B test, then A/B test again

Since marketing results come from human behavior, there is never a bulletproof formula. Every assumption should be tried and tested. With A/B testing, you’ll quickly be able to see what copy, colors, placement and message drives the most conversions.

&nbsp;

### 5. Create urgency

The words you use and the information you share matters. Showing stock left, a ticking clock or a countdown to when an offer ends creates a sense of urgency that drives conversions.

&nbsp;

### 6. Avoid distracting elements

You want your visitor to convert. Whether that means pushing "buy" or downloading a white paper, you need to keep your eyes on the prize. Don’t distract your visitor with irrelevant information or popups that have nothing to do with the action you want them to take. 

All roads on your site need to lead to Rome. And Rome, in this case, is the conversion button.

&nbsp;

### 7. Add a guarantee

[Several studies](https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1937-5956.2012.01394.x) indicate that adding a money-back guarantee is a simple and effective way to increase conversions immediately. Other guarantees could be a lifetime guarantee or a lowest price guarantee. You could even offer a happiness guarantee, just like the sock company [Bombas](https://bombas.com/) does.

![Happiness guarantee by Bombas to increase conversions](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/s4IsQNameF2QJk3gZF5NC/883fd772762f554e2b03c42d4acf26b8/pasted_image_0.png)

&nbsp;

### 8. Add social proof

Adding social proof to your website is a proven tactic that will improve conversion rates by giving customers a sense of security. Here's [Optinmonster's](https://optinmonster.com/11-ways-to-use-social-proof-to-increase-your-conversions/) definition of social proof:

> Social proof is a psychological phenomenon where people conform to the actions of others under the assumption that those actions are reflective of the correct behavior."

Studies show that [92% of buyers look at customer reviews](https://learn.g2.com/customer-reviews-statistics) before making a purchase. In other words, adding social proof to your site is a no-brainer.

Easy ways to add social proof to your website include embedding reviews and user-generated content from third-party sites, or testimonials from happy customers.

&nbsp;

### 9. Use storytelling

In [a case study by Search Engine Watch](https://www.searchenginewatch.com/2019/12/20/how-storytelling-boosts-content-marketing/), storytelling boosted conversions by 30%. 

A great way to use storytelling is to let your customer tell their story about the experience they’ve had with your brand. That way, you get to combine the power of storytelling with the power of social proof. 

[Patagonia](https://wornwear.patagonia.com/stories) does this beautifully when they encourage their customers to share stories about their "worn wear" on their site.

![Patagonia using storytelling for conversion optimization](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/2CdLRNhMiycssSZ0OffvoN/d64a6585aef4094536e116fc107d11fc/pasted_image_0__1_.png)

&nbsp;

### 10. Add a live chat widget to your site

There’s a reason why "conversational sales" is one of the big buzzwords in 2020. And the reason is simple: it works. 

According to a [Forrester](https://go.forrester.com/blogs/retailers-without-chat-a-missed-opportunity/) survey, visitors who have used your live chat are 2.8X more likely to go ahead and push the buy button than those who have not.

&nbsp;

### 11. Add clear and compelling CTAs

Apple TV does a great job with the copy in their CTA. The button "Watch now" takes us directly to what we’re there for, instead of making the common detours via "Sign up" or "Register".

![Apple clear CTAs for conversion optimization](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/70Ozb9KAdKvg6faMz0vUEs/b8a50a92b5057da7a2c3c8c451b6cba0/pasted_image_0__2_.png)

When it comes to CTAs, any move that makes it feel easy, fun and rewarding to click that button is a good move. And again, you want to A/B test everything. Placement, copy, color - it might not be what you think that ends up being most effective.

&nbsp;

### 12. Offer content upgrades

Content upgrades are highly efficient if you’re looking for conversions in the form of opt-ins, such as to grow your email list. The idea is to offer something extra, motivating the visitor to share their contact details and subscribe to future content.

Let’s say, for example, that you’re writing a blog post about productivity. Then a checklist or cheat sheet of some sort could make a useful content upgrade.

What makes this such a great way to drive conversions is that you already know what the visitor is after since they’re reading that particular piece of content. This makes it easier to offer something perfectly targeted, which will immediately increase conversions.

<RelatedPost slug="marketing-automation-opportunities" /> 

### 13. Try pop-up forms

Yes, we know: popup forms can be super annoying. But when done right, they can also be crazy effective. The best popups with proper context have [conversions rates over 40%](https://sumo.com/stories/pop-up-statistics).

The key here is relevance. Any popup that is not 100% relevant will feel intrusive and annoying. But if you nail it, then you’ll be rewarded.

![CoSchedule popup for conversion optimization](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/4Vp2Gp60ePxe7CthZVKDNI/26963d6e7e1966b877e45a1b91968037/pasted_image_0__3_.png)

&nbsp;

This popup by [CoSchedule](https://coschedule.com/) is an excellent example. If you’ve already read a few blog posts and this pops up, your chances of subscribing are decent. For even better results, you can offer an opt-in as part of your pop-up.

&nbsp;

### 14. Segment your visitors and target them with relevant content

[By integrating your marketing automation platform with your CRM](https://www.piesync.com/solutions/marketing/) and other sources of customer data, you can serve up the content that makes the most sense for each individual visiting your site. 

[PieSync](https://www.piesync.com/) allows you to control the way your customer data flows between business tools so that you can efficiently group your audience into relevant segments and tailor your messaging and CTAs to every individual.

<RelatedPost slug="why-marketing-personalization-is-so-important-and-how-to-use-it" /> 

&nbsp;

### 15. Last but not least - make sure you’re tracking all of your conversions!

One of the prerequisites for conversion rate optimization is that you’re effectively tracking your conversions. Unfortunately, many marketers are not tracking their conversions well enough.

According to [Neil Patel](https://neilpatel.com/blog/improve-your-conversion-rate-50-percent/), one of the quickest ways to "improve" your conversion rate is to optimize your tracking and make sure you actually catch all conversions. 

So before you go ahead with optimizing your site, make sure your tracking is as good as it can be, and that you're [syncing contact data across your apps](https://www.piesync.com/why/). Only then will you be able to really see what is working and what isn’t.

<RelatedPost slug="automate-business-reporting" /> 

---

To get the best results out of the data in your marketing apps, [use PieSync to optimize conversions](https://www.piesync.com/solutions/marketing/) throughout your customer journey and seamlessly deliver the most personalized experiences. [Get started with a 14-day free trial of PieSync](https://app.piesync.com/signup/) to connect customer data between your apps for the best data insights everywhere.

<Button text="Try PieSync for free" href="https://app.piesync.com/signup/" />


Conversion rate optimization transforms visitors into subscribers, and subscribers into paying customers. Here are 15 CRO tactics to get right in 2020.

15 CRO tips to increase your website’s conversion rates in 2020

Lead Generation

Optimizing website conversion rates for 2020

15 tips to increase your website’s conversion rates in 2020

![A CSV file that has disadvantages for contact data management](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/1v6dOgcRsv3zgM08Oh6mSt/1415cbe2d69bf4174bd5c0f6b80758cb/mika-baumeister-Wpnoqo2plFA-unsplash-min.jpg)

Contact management means working with large amounts of data, often amounting to tens or even hundreds of thousands of different people's contact information.

These contacts are often stored in a lot of different tools, which means that businesses often want these contact databases to talk to each other. One of the most common ways they use to do this is by __exporting and importing contact data in CSV files, or comma-separated values file__.

This method means exporting data manually from one app, usually in the form of a CSV spreadsheet, and importing it into the other app. The spreadsheet acts as a vehicle to move your data.

Options to import and export files using CSV are present in plenty of popular apps, such as [Google Contacts](https://blog.hubspot.com/website/how-to-sync-gmail-contacts?hubs_signup-url=blog.hubspot.com%2Fwebsite%2Ftechnology-ecosystem&hubs_signup-cta=null) and Outlook. CSV is great for some purposes – such as one-off data transfers – but for ongoing contact management it can really suck. 

Read on to learn the common issues that come from using CSVs for contact management, when to avoid using them in your business, and what to use instead.

---

## Common problems with CSV imports and exports

If you're using CSVs to move your contact data between apps, there are several pitfalls that can quickly escalate to real problems for your business. You might have come up against these already, or they could surface in the future, but in any case – every business needs to avoid them. These include:

&nbsp;

### 1. CSV format can get very messy

CSV files aren't easy to work with. You might have spent hours wrangling with a CSV template to try and get your data in the right format, only to import it to your target app to find out there's an error that makes everything invalid.

In a CSV file, data is separated by commas or semicolons, and decimal separators break the structure. With this format, it's easy for long blocks of text to get corrupted, or phone numbers to turn into formulas and amounts instead. 

When you're working with a large dataset, as most companies are when managing contact data, it doesn't take much to throw off your data integrity in moments – and be faced with a lot of work to [make it reliable again](https://www.piesync.com/blog/more-reliable-business-data/).

<RelatedPost slug="more-reliable-business-data" /> 

&nbsp;

### 2. You waste a lot of your time repeating the same tasks

If you manage your contacts by importing and exporting CSVs between apps, this means your database is only up-to-date immediately after each manual update. This could be once a week or even once a month.

As CSV imports are irregular and manual, you're likely to miss new data in your apps – not just new contacts, but changes to contact data too (like unsubscribes or customer status).

Not only is the CSV method prone to errors and outdated contact information, repeating the same manual updates is time-consuming and frustrating too!

&nbsp;

### 3. Contact data is always changing

When you export data in CSV, you freeze your data in time. That's a huge risk, as __customer data is constantly evolving__.

Your systems and business processes [need to run on live data](https://www.piesync.com/why/) to provide accurate, reliable and up-to-date information to power your business operations and deliver the best customer experiences.

&nbsp;

### 4. Importing data via CSVs can get really complex

As your contact database grows with your business, managing it effectively with spreadsheets becomes impossible. There are too many variables: changing email addresses, decision-makers joining or leaving the company, and customers upgrading and changing their subscription.

You might find that you're spending your time restructuring a temporary spreadsheet that _still_ runs the risk of errors instead of __actually improving your business data__.

If managing your data has got too complex, it's a sign that you've outgrown the simple CSV and need a more [intuitive solution for syncing data automatically](https://www.piesync.com/why/).

---

## Syncing contacts between several apps

For your business to run most effectively and [deliver excellent customer experiences](https://www.piesync.com/blog/12-ways-to-improve-customer-experience-with-automation/), there are certain groups of contacts you need to keep in sync. This could be:

* Your phone contacts and CRM contacts, so you always know who's calling.
* Customers in your CRM and your customer support software.
* Syncing contacts between Google Contacts and iCloud on different phones.
* Marketing qualified leads in your CRM and email marketing app.

The best contact management strategies make sure that the data in all of these apps isn't isolated - in other words, if you want to get the most out of your available customer data, [you need to make sure your apps are integrated in real time](https://blog.hubspot.com/website/technology-ecosystem?hubs_signup-url=blog.hubspot.com%2Fwebsite%2Ftechnology-ecosystem&hubs_signup-cta=null).

When you [use a syncing tool to connect contacts between your apps](https://www.piesync.com/solutions/contacts-sync/), you have the latest information exactly where you need it – and you can enrich what you see in each app too.

<RelatedPost slug="ultimate-guide-to-contact-management" /> 

&nbsp;

### Importing vs. syncing for contact management

So when should you use CSV files to import and export data - and when should you sync your contacts instead?

__Importing data__ is about manually creating a temporary snapshot of your contacts and moving it from one app into another. It's best for one-time movements of your data between apps.

__Syncing__ is the best alternative to CSVs. It creates a direct and automateds connection between apps with one-way or two-way data flow, no spreadsheets involved. It's best for repeated syncs and constant data flow between apps, such as [your CRM and sales, marketing and support apps](https://www.piesync.com/connections/).

Here's a quick explanation from the [Getting Started with PieSync course](https://academy.hubspot.com/courses/getting-started-with-piesync) in the HubSpot Academy:

![Key features of importing and syncing contact data](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/6OS3RiQz6zWR94FS76AgcK/78ec304384979342b21a8bd536f8edeb/Screenshot_2020-07-21_at_10.13.09.png)

&nbsp;

To summarize, if you need to do a one-off transfer of data from one app to another, CSV fits the bill. However, **you should consider syncing instead of importing with CSVs when:**

* Your databases have got messy
* You spend too much time manually updating data and apps
* Your contact data is constantly evolving
* Your data imports have become too complex

In short, if you need to keep two databases in real and constant synchronization, you need another solution.

This goes back to the importing versus syncing contact data choice we mentioned earlier. __Syncing is a far better choice__ for ongoing contact data management.

We define syncing as establishing consistency between two databases and maintaining that consistency. Although [solutions like Zapier](https://www.piesync.com/piesync-vs-zapier/) enable you to create one-way data pushes based on triggers you choose, the best option for contact management is a __sync that communicates data in two directions__.

<RelatedPost slug="keep-customer-data-up-to-date-everywhere" /> 

When you [sync your contact data using PieSync](https://www.piesync.com/connections/), you __establish consistency__ with the initial sync and then __maintain that consistency__ with a continuous two-way sync.

![Syncing contact data lets you establish and maintain consistency](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/KAsgNGkVUNLwwYErAJCtb/a79f22f0d274ba7c929ed589f3b51459/Screenshot_2020-07-21_at_11.36.31.png)

&nbsp;

When you set up PieSync between two apps and tell it what to achieve, it will scan the contact databases of the two apps before the initial sync. PieSync will then know where it needs to create or update contacts to standardize your data.

For instance, say you're [syncing HubSpot and Google Contacts](https://www.piesync.com/hubspot/google-contacts/) so you can work most effectively on your phone and know when a customer is calling. 

This is what a simple sync would look like, which you could customize further by syncing to specific HubSpot lists or adding labels in Google Contacts:

![Syncing Google Contacts and HubSpot CRM two-ways with PieSync](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/3UqivfowUGhuwx3L6ujtwg/e28e5bd8699d6dbf996b3b428d121bc6/Pasted_Image_12_06_2020__09_48_2-1.png)

&nbsp;

This first step of the initial sync is similar to what importing a CSV file does, but PieSync does it two ways and you don't have to touch a CSV file or spreadsheet.

PieSync will keep those contacts automatically in sync from there on out. We call that a continuous sync, and it runs in real time, scanning your databases every five minutes. Once you've set up your sync, you won't need to lift a finger to keep your contacts in sync.

By choosing a two-way sync, your contact data in each app is __enriched__ by pulling data in from other apps, so everything is always consistent and up-to-date. This is something you can never achieve with CSV.


#### [For a simple alternative to CSVs, use PieSync to sync contact data between your apps for reliable and enriched data everywhere, with no need for manual updates. Get started now with a 14-day free trial.](https://app.piesync.com/signup/)


Importing CSV files to move contact data between your apps? There's a much better alternative. Here's why CSVs can suck and how to sync data instead.

Why CSV sucks for contact management – and what to do instead

Contact Management

Using CSV files for contact management and its disadvantages

Wild Apricot

![WildApricot Integration](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/2r5kN1DnTm0HK4sPVr1uXF/a3c9f6b35ed2a49d2e9fbb9a8bd1365b/WildApricot-Launch.png)

### About Wild Apricot 

[Wild Apricot](https://www.wildapricot.com/) is a complete membership management system, designed to fit your organizations needs. Easily manage your contacts, process payments, send out emails, register event attendees, create a website and more.

This great tool centralizes a lot of information about the members of your event, club, or association. But how is your Wild Apricot connected to your other business apps? Integration is not always an easy task. That's why Wild Apricot and PieSync joined forces to offer you a complete synchronization solution.

### PieSync: A two-way sync solution

Most apps are not natively integrated. This means you have to work out a way to get contact data from one app to another. If you are using Wild Apricot next to a marketing app, a VoIP, etc. you might end up with contact data spread across several apps. 

A lot of businesses import/export data knowing that their apps are never truly up-to-date. Others, use one-way pushes that don't act upon your historical data, often resulting in duplicates. 

__PieSync provides a two-way solution = contact synchronization.__

These are the applications you can have in sync with Wild Apricot today: 

<Widget type="piesync-widget" left="wildapricot" size="compact" />

This easy-to-use sync solution needs to be set up just once and from thereon works in the background. It will be constantly checking your connected apps for updates so whenever you add or update contact information in either app, you can have it up-to-date in the other one in real time. 

### A quick intro to PieSync

<Embed src="https://youtu.be/6QGNLcgW7gA" />

> "I am using PieSync because it saves time. Point blank, its synchronization saves me hours.” - Leonard Harrison, Owner of Beneficial Dynamics

### A customized experience

You can personalize your sync by choosing to sync your entire database or just a subset.

PieSync offers an ["if-*this*-then-*that*" set of rules](https://www.piesync.com/blog/introducing-intelligent-syncing/) that will enable you to choose the subset of contacts you need to sync. You can do so based on tags, categories, labels, subscribers lists, etc. 

![Wild Apricot Integration](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/1zxiASda5R5wr8NHZf4WkW/f7ce6c41128c44725ed08bb7f3d3f030/Screenshot_2020-09-09_at_10.51.02.png)

<Button text="Try it now!" href="https://www.piesync.com/wildapricot/" />

The dashboard will show the typical contacts' fields like first name, last name or email address mapped by default.

![HubSpot and Wild Apricot integration](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/3keS7DYsZC1SV3l4ocsESY/bb895112b707385cc6b9121c6dfdcfe8/Screenshot_2020-09-09_at_10.51.09.png)

Additionally, you can map the rest of your custom-made fields thanks to the [custom fields option.](https://www.piesync.com/blog/announcing-our-biggest-update-to-date-custom-fields-and-customizable-field/)

![HubSpot and Wild Apricot](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/5LzsNCjIrVIpjJ6Si4TX9Y/c0cb0292176eb21d93d4d569cadbffbf/Screenshot_2020-09-09_at_10.51.20.png)

### Here's an idea: Sync your unsubscribes

If you are connecting Wild Apricot to an email marketing tool, you can easily manage your email subscribers with a simple if-this-then-that rule: 

![Email subscribers Wild Apricot](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/53em1qnkCt6By59IA7kQoK/c562cc688a2413006103ccc8dc0b9580/Screenshot_2020-09-09_at_10.51.29.png)

### How is PieSync different from other integration solutions?

- Unlike most integration solutions, PieSync actually synchronize the complete database (not just the new information, but also the historical)
- Conflicting data is merged in a controlled way – fields will never be overwritten.
- Updates are also synced. So if you change something in either app, you’ll see that change reflected in the other app.
- It works in real-time.
- No coding is required. 

[Learn about the differences between PieSync and Zapier](https://www.piesync.com/piesync-vs-zapier/)

__Need help to configure your connection? You can always visit our [Support Center](https://www.piesync.com/help/connector-apps/wild-apricot/) to get extra information about this connection.__

So what are you waiting for?

<Button text="Try it now!" href="https://www.piesync.com/wildapricot/" />

From now on, you can sync your contact data stored in Wild Apricot with 243 other applications! Discover all about this solution empowered by PieSync.

Integration solution for Wild Apricot and 243 other apps

WildApricot Integration

Have your Wild Apricot members' data in sync with 243 other apps in a few minutes! 

SendinBlue

Mailchimp

HubSpot

ActiveCampaign

Prospect.io

![Several laptops on a desk in an office](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/1MaTf3frjHoFFMWST40khJ/126841297319253a3a8efd40c83ff314/marvin-meyer-SYTO3xs06fU-unsplash.jpg)

Marketing automation software can be your small business’s secret superpower. It can change the way you run your business and the results you get – and certainly for the better. 

Read on for our comparison of the best marketing automation tools for small businesses to help you choose the right tools for your team and boost your results. These apps are all super easy to [integrate using PieSync](https://www.piesync.com/why/), so you can know your data is always in sync, too.

&nbsp;

## What is marketing automation?

Marketing automation uses the data you have about your contacts and their behavior alongside your ideal lifecycle journey to deliver the most relevant content, emails and messages. 

These are sent at exactly the right time for each contact, without any action required from you. You can use marketing automation alongside [sales automation](https://www.piesync.com/blog/10-ways-to-automate-your-sales-team-you-hadnt-thought-of/), such as lead scoring and task creation, for results across your organization.

&nbsp;

## Why is marketing automation worth it?

Automation __scales your marketing__ with minimal time and effort from you. You can [nurture leads](https://www.piesync.com/blog/effective-lead-nurturing-campaigns/) to customers __without any extra work__ once your workflows are set up. 

For small businesses, this means getting better results than your small team could otherwise achieve manually. In essence, you can **perform like a much larger company** without the budget and team size.

To identify if you need marketing automation, ask if your marketing results depend entirely on you and your team’s hustle and grind. Manual work for repetitive tasks doesn’t scale!

There are countless [marketing tasks you can automate](https://www.piesync.com/blog/tasks-every-marketer-should-automate/), from email workflows to team management and lead generation. And there are a lot of marketing automation tools out there to help you implement it. However, some are just too complex for small businesses. 

We recommend ActiveCampaign, Mailchimp, HubSpot, Prospect.io and Sendinblue as five of the best tools for SMBs to automate their marketing. Keep reading for our comparison of these platforms.


---


## The best marketing automation platforms for small businesses

### 1. HubSpot

__Choose HubSpot if:__ You have the budget and want a great all-round CRM with strong automation features.

[HubSpot](https://www.hubspot.com/) is one of [the best CRMs for small businesses](https://www.piesync.com/blog/the-best-crms-for-small-businesses-pros-cons-and-what-you-need-to-know/), and it’s one of the best marketing automation platforms, too.

[![MH-Overview-INB18-5](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/44dhJRcrHbJul9Slrq6PQh/b893b399c8884b6d40bf0997591cca16/MH-Overview-INB18-5.jpeg)](https://www.hubspot.com/hubfs/INBOUND%202018%20Product%20Page%20Screenshots/MH-Overview-INB18-5.jpeg)

&nbsp;

#### HubSpot pros

__Email automation is made simple__ – HubSpot is a really handy tool to create unique workflows for email nurturing. What makes it even better is that these workflows are customized around lead behavior and properties. Once a contact gets to the end of a workflow or reaches its goal, they can be automatically moved to another workflow. This makes it simple to guide your leads down the funnel and towards converting.

__Build (nearly) anything you want with workflows__ – [HubSpot’s marketing automation ](https://www.hubspot.com/products/marketing/marketing-automation)goes way beyond just email. Workflows allow you to create nearly any “if this, then that” sequence you want. An external workflow could send an email to a lead that views your product and feature pages. An internal workflow could assign new leads to reps based on geography or annual revenue, as collected via custom properties in website forms. 

You can also use workflows to assign tasks, trigger internal notifications, send internal emails or SMS, and much more.

__Scaling__ – HubSpot is designed to grow with your small business, and you can choose to upgrade your Marketing Hub plan as you need more features, or also add their Sales and Service Hubs. However, this doesn’t come cheap, which is the main drawback of the tool.

&nbsp;

#### HubSpot cons

__Cost__ – The HubSpot CRM is free, but for HubSpot marketing automation you will need their Marketing Hub add-on (Professional Plan), which starts at $800/month for 1,000 contacts. For full sales automation, it starts at $400/month. Even if you can get their [startup program discount](https://www.hubspot.com/startups/), HubSpot Marketing Hub is unlikely to be in the budget range of most small businesses.

__Limited workflow functionality per Hub__ – With the Marketing Hub you get marketing automation, and with the Sales Hub you get sales automation. While there is some overlap, it can quickly get expensive if you need both.

&nbsp;

#### HubSpot integrations

There are many tools you can integrate HubSpot with to make your marketing team’s job easier. Here are some of our favorites:

* __[Mailchimp:](https://www.piesync.com/hubspot/mailchimp/)__ Sync your latest leads between HubSpot CRM and your email marketing list in Mailchimp.

* __[Google Contacts:](https://www.piesync.com/hubspot/google-contacts/)__ Keep a backup of your clients in an easy-access Google Contacts account. You'll also know exactly who's calling your phone.

* __[Outlook:](https://www.piesync.com/hubspot/outlook-office365/)__ Keep contact data changes reflected in real time in both Outlook and HubSpot.

* __[ActiveCampaign:](https://www.piesync.com/hubspot/active-campaign/)__ Take your marketing automation further by connecting the two tools. Or, just use HubSpot’s free CRM and sync all contacts with ActiveCampaign to handle automation.

&nbsp;

### 2. ActiveCampaign

__Choose ActiveCampaign if:__ You want powerful marketing automation features at the best price point.

[ActiveCampaign’s](https://www.activecampaign.com/) goal is to provide “true marketing automation” and we love how powerful its features are. This is the reason it’s one of our top recommendations for small businesses looking for easy-to-set-up automation software.

[![activecampaign sync](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/1kLNlLm6YHfRuovzNniyhP/a5c7e1d8f3fbe7ba79a283c1fd995012/activecampaign_sync.gif)](https://d226aj4ao1t61q.cloudfront.net/im11ilvnb_activebutton.gif)

&nbsp;

#### ActiveCampaign pros

__Strong marketing automation features__ – ActiveCampaign is designed with automation as the top focus, which differentiates it from most of the other tools on this list. If that’s your top priority, we’d recommend you start their free trial.

You can do a lot more automation with ActiveCampaign than email tools like Mailchimp and Constant Contact. Not only does it cover all the [core parts of email automation](https://www.activecampaign.com/email-marketing), but it also enables automation of your contacts, list management, and ['Deals' in their CRM system](https://www.activecampaign.com/sales-crm). With Deals, you can streamline sales appointments, direct messages, and notes.

__High email deliverability__ – In tests by EmailToolTester, [ActiveCampaign was the tool with one of the highest deliverability rates](https://www.emailtooltester.com/en/email-deliverability-test/) (90.2% in Feb 2020, compared to Mailchimp's 81.6%). 

__Price__ – Automation starts on the Lite plan, which is $9 month/paid yearly for 500 contacts. For the CRM and sales automation, you'll need to opt for the Plus plan for $49/month paid yearly for those same 500 contacts. As your contacts increase, you'll pay more – but that has advantages, too. You pay only for what you really need.

&nbsp;

#### ActiveCampaign cons

__The CRM is quite simple__ – ActiveCampaign is automation-first, and their CRM might not fit all of your requirements. It’s simpler than alternatives like HubSpot, which offers a strong CRM and automation features (albeit at a much higher price point). If you love ActiveCampaign’s automation but want a better CRM, consider using integrations to solve your problem.

&nbsp;

#### ActiveCampaign integrations

Boost the power of ActiveCampaign’s automation features by integrating your team’s other go-to tools. Some PieSync customers love these connections:

* __[Pipedrive:](https://www.piesync.com/active-campaign/pipedrive/)__ Connect your ActiveCampaign contact data to Pipedrive, the popular CRM for small businesses.

* __[Teamleader:](https://www.piesync.com/active-campaign/teamleader)__ Share your contact data between one of the most complete CRM solutions on the market and ActiveCampaign’s automation software.

* __[Intercom:](https://www.piesync.com/active-campaign/intercom/)__ Keep all customer data in sync across both Intercom and ActiveCampaign.

&nbsp;

### 3. Prospect.io

__Choose Prospect.io if:__ Your focus is on lead generation and prospecting and you already have a strong CRM.

Although [Prospect.io](https://prospect.io) is geared towards “sales automation for modern sales teams”, this might align more with your goals than some of the other tools on this list. With Prospect.io, you can speed up your email prospecting and automate outreach to these new leads.

[![prospect.io integration](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/2709bQTwnnCAyWKJCQ2nyu/5da79c7e75fefd0aa8c7cac1dce1b277/prospect.io_integration.png)](https://prospect.io/assets/features/verify-0cea25ed9c2bf2aea8f8ab8361c4a2dc70da039663cb1e81f0f3bcd8675ed6bf.png)

&nbsp;

#### Prospect.io pros

__Lead generation__ – Prospect.io is designed for [email prospecting](https://prospect.io/features/email-finder) and helps you to find contact details in a fraction of the time you would traditionally need. You can do this by using their handy Chrome extension on any website or social profile.

__Drip campaigns__ – After you’ve collected and verified new email leads with Prospect.io’s email prospecting tools, [send drip campaigns to engage with them](https://prospect.io/features/drip-campaigns). Once they reply, click or convert, you can sync them with a list in your CRM. If they unsubscribe or aren’t interested, you can end the process there without cluttering your CRM.

&nbsp;

#### Prospect.io cons

__It’s not a standalone tool__ – For best results, use Prospect.io alongside [a strong CRM](https://www.piesync.com/blog/the-best-crms-for-small-businesses-pros-cons-and-what-you-need-to-know/) like HubSpot, Pipedrive or Teamleader to organize your contacts. We recommend qualifying contacts with a Prospect.io drip campaign before [syncing them to your CRM](https://www.piesync.com/solutions/crm/) with specific properties or a list membership alongside source so you can customize communication.

&nbsp;

#### Prospect.io integrations

Sync Prospect.io with your other marketing tools and keep everything connected for better results.

* __[HubSpot:](https://www.piesync.com/prospect/hubspot/)__ Feed HubSpot CRM with fresh leads after they have been collected with Prospect.io and qualified via a drip campaign.

* __[Mailchimp:](https://www.piesync.com/prospect/mailchimp/)__ Update contact data or list membership in Mailchimp and Prospect.io based on activity or categorization in either app.

* __[Zoho:](https://www.piesync.com/prospect/zoho/)__ Immediately connect new contacts with your favorite Zoho apps, including Zoho CRM.

&nbsp;

### 4. Mailchimp

__Choose Mailchimp if:__ Your main goal is email marketing automation, such as nurturing and event-based workflows.

[Mailchimp](https://mailchimp.com/) is the most popular email marketing tool on the block, and it’s the ideal solution for small businesses with a low budget. Their free plan can fit the email marketing needs of many small businesses – and it offers basic email automation, too.

[![mailchimp synchronization](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/5Hm9DVZDk8aApTpCo7Lpjd/65bffd847693f42113a7576278f9ad69/mailchimp_synchronization.jpg)](https://embedwistia-a.akamaihd.net/deliveries/02f05fca6edcf7b02a4aeb7b2e2f378707ef281c.jpg?origin_v2=1&image_crop_resized=960x639)

&nbsp;

#### Mailchimp pros

__Free email marketing automation software__ – The biggest advantage of Mailchimp is value for money. You get a huge amount from its feature set, [including marketing automation](https://mailchimp.com/marketing-automation/), without paying a cent.

__User experience__ – Mailchimp has a great brand experience and is very intuitive to get started with as a smaller business.

&nbsp;

#### Mailchimp cons

__Limited to email automation__ – While email marketing is a big part of automation, it’s not the whole story. With Mailchimp, you won’t be able to automate tasks or notifications like you can with HubSpot or ActiveCampaign, for instance.

__Email deliverability__ – Mailchimp’s delivery rate [isn’t the best in the market](https://www.emailtooltester.com/en/email-deliverability-test/), but for SMBs this is unlikely to cause problems. If you experience issues and cleaning up your email marketing strategy doesn’t fix it, consider alternatives like [Constant Contact](https://www.constantcontact.com/index.jsp) or [ActiveCampaign](https://www.activecampaign.com/) that tend to have better deliverability.

&nbsp;

#### Mailchimp integrations

To make Mailchimp even more powerful, integrate it with the other tools used by your marketing team, such as:

* __[Nimble:](https://www.piesync.com/mailchimp/nimble/)__ Enrich your Mailchimp contacts with Nimble’s social data, or update lead status based on email engagement.

* __[HubSpot:](https://www.piesync.com/mailchimp/hubspot/)__ Connect your HubSpot CRM contacts with Mailchimp to handle automation with Mailchimp instead of via paid HubSpot automation features.

* __[Pipedrive:](https://www.piesync.com/mailchimp/pipedrive/)__ Keep lists and labels updated across both Pipedrive and Mailchimp based on contact engagement, behavior and data updates.

* __[Zoho:](https://www.piesync.com/mailchimp/zoho)__ See the full picture in either app and trigger actions in Zoho CRM based on a contact’s email activity.

<RelatedPost slug="sendinblue-vs-mailchimp-which-email-marketing-software-is-best" />


### 5. Sendinblue

__Choose Sendinblue if:__ You want to automate transactional emails or maintain a highly personalized relationship with your contacts.

[Sendinblue](https://www.sendinblue.com/) is designed for relationship marketing. Relationship marketing is about using marketing tactics and actions to create and maintain a personalized relationship with your prospects. 

With relationship marketing, you focus on your customers the whole time – right from the very first touchpoint with your business, through the conversion and purchase process, and on to long-term loyalty. 

[![sendinblue integration](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/4Rjcc3mM9Fcnx6sJRF4Wou/93fa3336256b031c51ac60ad754def87/sendinblue_integration.png)](https://resources.sendinblue.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/intro-MA-beginner-EN-2.png)

&nbsp;

#### Sendinblue pros

__Easy-access marketing automation__ – [“Do more with less using automation”](https://www.sendinblue.com/features/marketing-automation/), says the Sendinblue website. Sendinblue breaks down the common barriers to setting up automation as a small business and keeps things simple.

__Transactional automation__ – Sendinblue is a [great tool for transactional emails](https://www.sendinblue.com/features/transactional-email/) and its workflows take this further. It’s easy to create workflows based on product purchases, page views, or engagement with transactional email types.

&nbsp;

#### Sendinblue cons

__Starting price for automation__ – Sendinblue has affordable (and free) plans for email marketing, but for marketing automation, you will need to be on their Premium plan (starting at $66/month or $52.80 with annual payment). However, this is still a cheaper alternative to platforms such as HubSpot and Pardot.

&nbsp;

#### Sendinblue integrations

To get even more results from Sendinblue, integrate it with your most-used marketing tools:

* __[HubSpot:](https://www.piesync.com/sendinblue/hubspot/)__ Add contacts to Sendinblue email lists based on lead score. Or, update HubSpot based on email actions, campaigns and behavior.

* __[Capsule CRM:](https://www.piesync.com/sendinblue/capsule/)__ Keep a 360-degree view in both Sendinblue and Capsule and avoid duplicate data or errors.

* __[Salesforce:](https://www.piesync.com/sendinblue/salesforce/)__ Use Sendinblue to send newsletters and drip workflows while syncing contact data two ways to Salesforce.

* __[Intercom:](https://www.piesync.com/sendinblue/intercom/)__ Update both Intercom and Sendinblue as contacts interact with either app, keeping you and your team up-to-date.


---

### Find the best automation software for your small business

As a larger or enterprise business, you might want to check out marketing automation tools such as [Salesforce Pardot](https://www.pardot.com/) (starting at an eye-watering $1,250/month). But __as a small business, there’s really no need.__

Tools such as HubSpot, ActiveCampaign, Sendinblue, Mailchimp and Prospect.io are likely going to provide all the value you need at a much lower price point. 

ActiveCampaign is an excellent choice, as it offers the most solid automation features at the most accessible price point for small businesses.
If you have the budget, HubSpot is also a brilliant all-rounder for CRM, automation, sales, marketing and support.

Of course, we couldn’t fit every one of our favorite tools in this comparison post. Some other automation tools for small businesses that are worth a mention include:

- [Zoho Campaigns](https://www.zoho.com/campaigns/marketing-automation/) for email marketing automation
- [Zoho CRM](https://www.zoho.com/crm/workflow-rules.html?src=ft) for workflow automation
- [Ontraport](https://ontraport.com/) CRM & marketing platform to connect, automate and optimize your marketing

----

For best results, sync your contacts two ways between your apps with PieSync. By connecting your CRM, email marketing, lead gen and automation tools, you can see the latest data everywhere – including in your automated workflows. PieSync now connects [over 230 apps](https://www.piesync.com/connections/).

#### [Get started with a 14-day free trial of PieSync to sync contact data between your apps for more personalized and accurate automated workflows. ](https://app.piesync.com/signup/)

&nbsp;

<Button text="Try PieSync for free" href="https://app.piesync.com/signup/" />



Marketing automation can be a huge timesaver for small businesses. Here we compare five of the best tools, including HubSpot, ActiveCampaign, and Mailchimp.

The best marketing automation tools for small businesses (+ pros and cons)

Automation

Several laptops on a desk in an office

5 of the best marketing automation tools for small businesses

![Managing a remote sales team from home](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/2zq5gneRVYR8A7A4IUrqzu/661a6d2facb19ae06d1a6eaad0d597e0/xps-aJnHSrgSWkk-unsplash-min.jpg)

**The way we work is changing, and it's changing fast. Is your sales team ready for remote work?**

While the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the transition to remote work and helped many organizations realize it can work for them, the trend towards a more flexible way of working has been prominent for several years. 

Remote work has increased by [159%](https://www.piesync.com/blog/28-stats-about-remote-work/) since 2005, and today around [16%](https://www.piesync.com/blog/28-stats-about-remote-work/) of global companies hire nothing but full-time remote workers.

There are numerous benefits of remote work, both for employers and employees, including higher productivity, improved performance, better employee retention and increased profitability - not to mention access to top talent from all over the world without geographic restrictions.

With studies indicating that working from home half the week can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by a whopping [54 million tons every year](https://www.piesync.com/blog/28-stats-about-remote-work/), it's also the sustainable choice. And just imagine the time your team can save, opting for video instead of in-person sales meetings...

It's safe to say that __the future of work is remote__, as much for sales teams as any other part of an organization. 

[All of the technology](https://www.piesync.com/blog/apps-for-working-remotely/) to help a sales team transition to remote work is out there, but making the jump from office life isn't without its challenges.

Let's take a look at how you can help your sales team transition smoothly to remote work and keep improving your results at the same time.

<RelatedPost slug="28-stats-about-remote-work" /> 

&nbsp;

## 10 best practices for managing a remote sales team

Creating a smooth transition for your sales team to remote work doesn't just happen. It requires a conscious effort as well as a strong combination of:

* __Cloud-based apps and workspaces__. A tech stack that powers your sales operations from anywhere is a crucial component for any remote team. No part of your sales team should be dependent on being in any one location.

* __Remote-first processes__. The remote sales teams that thrive are the ones with processes that are designed for remote work, not adapted to fit it in a hurry. Take a good look at your sales operations strategy and optimize the details for remote working.

* __A remote-friendly company culture__. For your sales team to succeed, remote work needs to be a key part of your company DNA. This means valuing flexibility and trusting your team to get their work done anywhere. Without it, any team will run into challenges. 

To help you with the ins-and-outs of building and managing your remote sales team, read on for our in-depth look at these ten best practices:

1. **Support your team in creating home offices**
2. **Set clear expectations**
3. **Don't micromanage**
4. **More communication, better communication**
5. **Make time for social interactions**
6. **Go cloud-based**
7. **Sync your apps and contacts**
8. **Adopt video meetings**
9. **Agree on a sales process and stick to it**
10. **Measure and follow up on goals and metrics**

&nbsp;

### 1. Support your team in creating home offices

Without a central HQ to work from, your organization needs to make sure that every remote employee has a functional and pleasant work environment at home. Check that everyone is set up with high-speed internet connections, powerful computers with fast processors and any other tools necessary for an efficient workday.

Encourage your team to create comfortable and ergonomically correct workplaces, and avoid blurring the lines between work and private life. Boundaries are essential to get right at the start: communicating about work outside of office hours isn't fun for anyone.

&nbsp;

### 2. Set clear expectations

Clarity is crucial when working remotely. If you need your team to be available during a certain timeframe, be clear on what hours your team is expected to be working and what rules apply when working from home. 

If your company has been operating with fixed hours in the office, re-evaluate this to make sure that it's really necessary: a lot of organizations are realizing that they don't really need a fixed working schedule for everyone and can instead invest in [flexible working](https://www.piesync.com/blog/guide-to-flexible-working/).

Start by answering these questions:

* When does the working day begin and end? 
* How flexible can your team's schedules be? 
* How quickly are you expected to respond to messages? 

Remember: the more clarity, the less friction and frustration. Document and share expectations so it's clear for everyone from the get-go. 

<RelatedPost slug="guide-to-flexible-working" />

&nbsp;

### 3. Don't micromanage

Many of the benefits of remote work for employers and employees relate to the increase in freedom and flexibility.

[52% of employees](http://blog.indeed.com/2018/11/14/remote-work-survey/) who work for companies that do not offer flexible working and remote work say they wish that their employer would allow them to work from home to enjoy more freedom and less stress. 

Don't lose sight of this! If you micromanage, you ruin the freedom and flexibility that makes remote work a perk for employees.

<RelatedPost slug="work-from-home-productivity" /> 

&nbsp;

### 4. More communication, better communication

Communication from afar makes the risk of misunderstandings much greater, especially when you're communicating in writing. 

Not surprisingly, communication and collaboration are considered [some of the biggest challenges](https://lp.buffer.com/state-of-remote-work-2020) by remote workers. When you can't rely on cues from voice, facial expression and body language, it becomes difficult to read subtleties. Clarity is vital. 

Make it a habit to send follow up emails after meetings to sum up what was decided and to generally repeat things more than you think is necessary. Too little communication creates stress, while communicating more frequently helps to develop a feeling of safety. 

Remember to book regular team meetings and one-on-ones with your team members and use video whenever possible so you get to see each other's faces.

&nbsp;

### 5. Make time for social interactions

When your sales team works from home, teambuilding will be different from what you're used to. 

When you're all in an office setting together, it's natural to have a chat by the water cooler or while making a coffee. Those informal meetings are essential for bonding and strengthening your team. 

Since that doesn't happen spontaneously when your team is working from home, you need to make space for those social interactions in other ways. 

According to a [study by Buffer](https://lp.buffer.com/state-of-remote-work-2020), loneliness is one of the biggest struggles remote workers face. Virtual coffee breaks or after work get-togethers can work wonders for team spirit and morale.

<RelatedPost slug="how-to-build-a-strong-team-culture" /> 


&nbsp;

### 6. Go cloud-based

Cloud-based platforms for collaboration and communication, such as [Slack](https://slack.com/intl/en-se/?eu_nc=1) or [MS Teams](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/microsoft-teams/group-chat-software), allow your team members to work and stay connected, wherever they are and whatever device they're on. 

Meanwhile, a cloud-based CRM that is [synced with your other apps](https://www.piesync.com/solutions/crm/) will help your sales team work efficiently from home with all the data they need. 

By making sure all your marketing and sales material is stored in the cloud, you know it's accessible to your team at all times.

<RelatedPost slug="manage-a-remote-team-with-automation" /> 


&nbsp;

### 7. Sync your apps and contacts

[Integrating your apps](https://www.piesync.com/connections/) is a key part of making remote work a success. This doesn't just apply to your sales apps: for the best results, also sync your marketing and service apps for a 360-degree view of the customer journey. 

Data integration not only keeps all team members on the same page, but also enables your team to [deliver the best customer experience](https://www.piesync.com/blog/12-ways-to-improve-customer-experience-with-automation/) with consistent interactions.

<RelatedPost slug="how-to-build-the-best-software-stack-around-your-crm" /> 


&nbsp;

### 8. Adopt video meetings

Video meetings are as close to face-to-face interactions as you can get without being in the same room. They make it easier to build rapport with prospects and enable you to show slides or enablement materials as part of the sales call. 

Useful tools for setting up virtual sales meetings include [Zoom](https://zoom.us/), [Google Meet](https://meet.google.com/) and [GoToMeeting](https://www.gotomeeting.com/). Consider providing your team members with branded backdrops to create a professional impression in video meetings. 

If your team is using Zoom, reps can also use virtual backgrounds to create a professional environment. High-quality webcams and noise-canceling headphones are also a good investment.

**Tip:** Regularly have your team members record their meetings, and look at them together. Discussing actual sales calls, whether successful or not, is an excellent way for the whole team to learn and improve their sales technique.

&nbsp;

### 9. Agree on a sales process and stick to it

For any sales team, it's worth creating a standard process that everyone adheres to in order to keep quality high and prevent customers from having a disconnected experience. It's even more valuable when your sales reps are remote and can't observe how their colleagues get results.

If needed, this enables sales agents to quickly transfer calls and meetings to a colleague who will immediately know where to pick up and provide a seamless transition. 

To facilitate this, keep all communication organized in a single tool, such as your CRM. This will help you stay on top of follow-ups, next steps and overall team performance.


&nbsp;

### 10. Measure and follow up on goals and metrics

"What gets measured, gets managed." This quote is from Peter Drucker's book ["The Practice of Management"](https://extremelearners.com/what-gets-measured-gets-managed/) from 1954, and it remains equally true today. For your team to improve, they need to know how they're doing. 

Keep it simple when you decide what to measure. Deal sizes, sales cycle times and close rates are usually the most important goals for a sales team, and they're easy to track with most CRMs.

As a remote sales team leader, it's also important to create regular reports, share them with your team and discuss how to reach your goals together. 

Don't go too heavy on the number of reports, but rather opt for a few engaging and clear representations that convey the bigger picture. 

Tools like [Visme](https://www.visme.co) make it easy to create infographics for your sales presentations, and it's also easier than ever to [automate reporting workflows](https://www.piesync.com/blog/automate-business-reporting/).

<RelatedPost slug="18-ways-to-increase-your-sales-as-a-small-business" /> 


&nbsp;

## Now’s the time to optimize your transition to remote work

Happier employees, a more sustainable work-life balance and lower costs to run a business. There are numerous benefits to running a remote operation, and sales teams have a lot to gain from embracing remote work. 

To empower your remote sales team to access up-to-date and accurate data everywhere, [use PieSync to effortlessly connect all of your apps](https://app.piesync.com/signup/) and benefit from high-quality data in your sales, marketing and support platforms.

The future of work is remote. How is your sales team keeping up? Here's how to manage a remote sales team and get better results than in the office.

10 steps to build and manage a remote sales team

Sales

Managing a remote sales team from home

Trying to choose between Mailchimp and Sendinblue? Look no further. We’ve compared the two email marketing tools to help you make the best choice for your business.

 Sendinblue vs. Mailchimp: which email marketing software is best in 2020?

sendinblue vs mailchimp

 Sendinblue vs. Mailchimp: which email marketing software is best?

Customer Relationship Management, or CRM, is a vital part of any business's operations. Learn how to get it right with an effective CRM tool and strategy.

The beginner's guide to CRM (Customer Relationship Management) in 2020

Two colleagues using laptops for customer relationship management

The beginner's guide to CRM in 2020

![red and black integrated computer circuits](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/6FYrh6llmJqZufxFytXTVZ/f9b2bc30af48e768ea3318ff750cf5b0/michael-dziedzic-aQYgUYwnCsM-unsplash.jpg)

You're probably familiar with SaaS, or Software as a Service. SaaS tools like Slack, HubSpot and Mailchimp are accessible over the internet, don't require a physical or custom installation, and are instantly updated when a new version is released. They've become the norm for digital businesses.

With so many SaaS apps on the market, it's never been easier to pick and choose the best specialized apps for specific functions. And most businesses use a lot of them.

According to [Blissfully's 2019 Annual SaaS Trends Report](https://www.blissfully.com/saas-trends/2019-annual/), an average small business with fewer than 50 employees uses up to 40 apps. This can go up to 79 apps for businesses with 51-100 employees.

That's a lot of apps - and a lot of data within them. Although every app brings benefits to your stack, it's easy to run into problems with apps that don't play nicely together:

* [Data silos](https://www.piesync.com/blog/data-silos-what-they-are-what-causes-them-and-how-to-fix-them/) arise
* You struggle with [duplicate contacts](https://piesync.com/blog/4-ways-to-fix-and-prevent-duplicate-contacts-for-cleaner-data/)
* Confidence in [data accuracy](http://piesync.com/blog/what-to-do-when-you-cant-trust-your-business-reporting-data/) plummets
* Departments become disjointed, often leading to misunderstandings
* You lose faith in your reporting and wonder, *how did this mess happen?*

As a business today – especially one using many SaaS products – you must have a software integration plan, no matter the size of your company.

__iPaaS offers the best solution.__

When you sync your tools with an iPaaS solution, you can get away with using multiple systems. 

You can pick and choose your favorite apps and know they can work together, because data will flow between them to create an enriched and accurate view everywhere.

But what really is iPaaS, how can you use it, and how can it [benefit your business](https://www.piesync.com/blog/ipaas-benefits/)? Here's everything you need to know and how to get started.

&nbsp;

* [What is iPaaS?](#what-is-ipaas)
    * [iPaaS vs. native integrations](#native-integrations)
* [Benefits of iPaaS](#benefits-ipaas)
* [Looking closer at two-way iPaaS integration](#two-way-ipaas)
* [iPaaS best practices](#ipaas-best-practices)
   * [Evaluate your app stack as a whole](#whole-stack)
   * [Choose the best iPaaS for you](#best-ipaas)
   * [Set aside time for set-up](#ipaas-setup)
   * [Don't forget about maintenance](#ipaas-maintenance)
* [iPaaS trends for 2020](#ipaas-trends-2020)
* [Get started with iPaaS](#get-started-ipaas)

---

## What is iPaaS?{#what-is-ipaas}

**iPaaS (Integration Platform as a Service) is a cloud-based solution that connects your SaaS apps.** It's a third-party tool that acts as a bridge between multiple systems, allowing for integration and data sharing. 

With one subscription, you can keep your apps integrated and your data enriched and updated across multiple tools or centralized in one place.

Most iPaaS offer a __one-way integration__ that pushes data from app A to app B based on triggers. [Zapier](https://zapier.com/) and [Automate.io](https://automate.io/) are good examples of this: their trigger-action workflows can be used in a huge array of use cases, based on if-this-then-that scenarios with a wide range of data formats.

For a real-time data sync between your databases, you can use [PieSync's](https://www.piesync.com/) __two-way integration__. This means that whenever contact data changes in app A or B, it's instantly reflected in the other app. A two-way sync is best for contact and company data, as this kind of data is often changing and requires consistency.

&nbsp;

### iPaaS vs. native integrations{#native-integrations}

__Native integrations__ are offered as an in-app option by SaaS vendors. Some SaaS apps offer native integrations for all pricing plans, while others gate them behind higher-priced packages.

Native integrations often serve the most common use cases, so they will likely cover the typical workflows users expect to have between apps - however, these tend to be one-way syncs and are limited in scope for customization.

Another advantage of using iPaaS instead of native integrations is that they connect to a huge number of apps. You can sync your apps in one place, rather than one by one with disconnected native integrations.

&nbsp;

| Type of integration     | Vendors     | Function     | When to use     |
| ---------- | ---------- | ---------- | ---------- |
| One-way iPaaS       | Zapier, Automate.io       | Trigger-action       | One-way if-*this*-then-*that* scenarios, like a Slack notification when you get a new customer       |
| Two-way iPaaS       | PieSync       | Customer data sync       |   Keeping contact, company, customer and lead databases in sync between apps in real time    |
| Native integrations       | Offered by individual SaaS apps       | Usually trigger-action       | Enabling two apps to work together in specific ways, such as creating Zoom meetings in a Zendesk conversation      |
| Enterprise iPaaS       | Mulesoft, Dell Boomi       |   API management solution     | For highly customizable end-to-end workflows that process data across multiple applications on a single platform     |

&nbsp;

One thing to remember is that it's not necessarily about choosing the best integration provider, but __the right integration solution for each use case__. 

Many businesses get the best results from using different types of iPaaS and integrations layered upon each other.

For example, you could use PieSync to keep your contact databases in sync between all your apps, while Zapier alerts your sales reps when a sales qualified lead enters the CRM. Meanwhile, a native integration could enable you to embed Shopify products in your email newsletters.

Rather than looking for a one-size-fits-all integration, start by identifying exactly how each app needs to interact with others and find the best integration for each goal.

---


## Benefits of iPaaS{#benefits-ipaas}

Since organizations use so many different applications to run their business, syncing your apps can be a gamechanger, especially if you're struggling with data silos, unreliable data or manual updates on multiple platforms.

Here are just some of the [many benefits of iPaaS](https://www.piesync.com/blog/ipaas-benefits/) that can benefit every type of organization, from one-person small businesses to huge corporations.

&nbsp;

#### 1. Managing all syncs in one place

iPaaS keeps everything centralized. You can rely on a single platform for each __type of integration__, such as Automate.io for trigger-action automations and PieSync to keep your contact databases in sync. 

This keeps it simple to set up new syncs, and you can see all live integrations at a glance. That means no more losing track of unique standalone integrations, overlapping native integrations and unruly API connections.

&nbsp;

#### 2. Less tool-switching

With an integration platform in place, you don't need so many tabs open – you can do more work in your central tool and quickly find the data you need. iPaaS can also eliminate the need for manually updating several apps – after updating one tool, this change can be automatically reflected in others.

&nbsp;

#### 3. Improved communication

With an iPaaS tool keeping everything in sync, you know what needs to be discussed across departments. By looking at the same information – such as tasks, projects and contact data – your whole team can chip in with new perspectives and notice problems that could otherwise be overlooked.

&nbsp;

#### 4. More power from every app

Best-in-breed apps are even more powerful when they're integrated with the rest of your stack. 

Trigger-action automations enable an enormous range of highly customizable ways for your stack to work together, such as sending data from your productivity software to a Google Sheet to power your team reports.

And with two-way integrations for contact syncing, you can [enrich the data in every app](https://www.piesync.com/connections/) for the best results everywhere – from your email segmentation to your sales automation and company reporting.

&nbsp;

#### 5. Better customer experience

[Nearly 80% of customers](https://www.salesforce.com/blog/2019/06/customer-engagement-trends.html) expect consistency when interacting with multiple departments of the same company. For this to happen, all departments need access to the same information and view of the company. 

With an iPaaS solution in place, you know that when a customer calls, anyone who picks up the phone will be able to see the full picture and provide the best service.

By [syncing relevant tools to your CRM](https://www.piesync.com/solutions/crm/) – including your support software, ticketing tool and phone apps – you create a centralized data trail for every customer. You can also use data from all customer touchpoints to create more personalized workflows and [get better results from automation](https://www.piesync.com/blog/12-ways-to-improve-customer-experience-with-automation/).

&nbsp;


#### 6. No more silos

[Eliminating data silos](https://www.piesync.com/blog/data-silos-what-they-are-what-causes-them-and-how-to-fix-them/) helps break down barriers between departments. Instead of battling with data being difficult to access and scattered between tools, everyone in your company can find key insights and numbers. iPaaS makes for a more transparent organization.

&nbsp;


#### 7. A comprehensive bird’s-eye view of performance

While you need an overview of your customer data, your management team needs a crystal-clear view of business performance. iPaaS enables your business leaders to know exactly where the important data is – and they can be more confident in its accuracy, too.

After integrating your apps and data, it's much simpler to [set up an all-in-one reporting dashboard](https://www.piesync.com/blog/automate-business-reporting/) for management to keep an eye on key insights and trends.

&nbsp;

#### 8. Centralized contact data

By [syncing your CRM with other apps that store contact data](https://www.piesync.com/solutions/crm/), you can easily find the right information about your contacts, no matter which app you're looking at. No more looking at five versions of the same contact record wondering which is the right one.

&nbsp;

#### 9. Scalability

The sooner you set up iPaaS, the better. [As your organization grows](https://www.piesync.com/blog/7-steps-to-get-right-before-scaling-your-business/), you don't need to worry about which expensive custom integrations you should build to deal with the added complexity. 

If your iPaaS tool offers connections between all the tools you're using, your business is sorted for life. When you start using a new tool or migrate apps, you can also easily sync data to the correct new places, so you won’t have to worry about manual updates.

&nbsp; 

#### 10. Security

By centralizing your integrations with iPaaS, you can manage your apps and data from a bird's eye perspective and reduce the scope for errors and data mismanagement. This can boost your company's security and compliance.

<RelatedPost slug="ipaas-benefits" />

----

## Looking closer at two-way iPaaS integration{#two-way-ipaas}

[PieSync](https://app.piesync.com/signup/) is an example of an iPaaS solution that can sync data two ways. It offers a straightforward way to sync your contact data [between your favorite apps](https://www.piesync.com/connections/) and keep everything updated in real time.

Rather than setting up individual one-way integrations, PieSync acts as the traffic warden directing contact data two ways to the right locations.

![What is iPaaS](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/7MaF3nEPEc5Y6DwkTe9IGI/ad87caea037192e1a813684e269c6235/iPaaS_visuals__2_.png)

&nbsp; 

For example, this can mean [syncing contacts in your CRM two ways](https://www.piesync.com/solutions/crm/) with your email marketing app, or only syncing contacts with the label 'Customer' with your customer support software. 

To determine exactly how your data behaves and interacts between apps, you can set ["if-this-then-that" rules](https://www.piesync.com/blog/how-to-use-if-then-rules-for-a-more-productive-business/) to customize the sync.

Below is an example sync between Outlook and HubSpot CRM. If contacts are in the category 'Customers' in Outlook, then they're synced to HubSpot and added to a specific static list.

This sync keeps an up-to-date data view in Outlook and HubSpot, so you know you're always looking at the latest version of your contact data.

By syncing between specific categories and lists, everything's kept organized and you know where new HubSpot contacts have come from.

![Connecting Office 365 Outlook contacts with HubSpot](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/4DLGVUbXO2b4gWonddWhR5/32c50506f5cda68db416769e59eea3b2/image__11_.png)

&nbsp;

#### [Start syncing your contact data with PieSync, named by G2 as a top iPaaS product based on user satisfaction. Sign up for a 14-day free trial now and enrich your data in every app.](https://app.piesync.com/signup/)

----


## iPaaS best practices{#ipaas-best-practices}

Getting the best results from iPaaS doesn't just happen. That said, it's much simpler to integrate your business than you might think, especially if you choose [a zero-code iPaaS solution](https://www.piesync.com/connections/). 

Read on for some iPaaS practices to help you get the best results from integrating your apps, both now and longer term.

&nbsp;

### Evaluate your app stack as a whole{#whole-stack}

When you set up your iPaaS solution, take the opportunity to look at your overall marketing, sales and support app stack. 

While most teams use many apps to power their work – and that's OK – you can still benefit from simplifying your tools where possible. 

Maybe your CRM has introduced a new feature that you can try instead of getting a separate tool, or you don't really need a fancy analytics app anymore. 

A simple and connected stack can be the most powerful option for your business.

<RelatedPost slug="10-of-the-best-sales-and-marketing-tech-stacks" />

&nbsp;

### Choose the best iPaaS for you{#best-ipaas}

To get started with an integration platform, you first need to find the best iPaaS for your business. 

Some of the most popular iPaaS solutions for **tech-savvy users and IT departments** that want to manage APIs in one place are [Dell Boomi](https://boomi.com/), [Informatica](https://www.informatica.com) and [MuleSoft](https://www.mulesoft.com/).

However, iPaaS doesn't need to be technical. [PieSync](https://piesync.com) is designed to be a user-friendly iPaaS solution to connect contact data between your apps, with zero coding skills required. It fits even the __smallest businesses__. 

[Zapier](http://zapier.com/) and [Automate.io](http://automate.io/) are alternatively great options for businesses to create one-way trigger-action automations.

Remember what we shared at the start of this post: it's about finding the right iPaaS for the kinds of integration you need. 

__You can use different iPaaS together__ to hit different business needs. Apps like Zapier and PieSync layer beautifully to accomplish different integration and automation goals.

To help you find the best iPaaS provider, you can use review platforms like [Capterra](https://www.capterra.com/p/145693/PieSync/) and [G2](https://www.g2.com/compare/dell-boomi-vs-mulesoft-anypoint-platform-vs-piesync-vs-zapier) to compare what other businesses like yours have chosen. Here's a comparison of iPaaS vendors on G2:

&nbsp;

![PieSync vs Zapier vs Mulesoft vs Dell Boomi iPaaS comparison](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/Mdz4vHD5Z8yvzHeVnBXlz/92ce3d970cce7215c959bc50f8d3effc/Screenshot_2020-08-03_at_08.50.40.png)

&nbsp;

### Set aside time for setup{#ipaas-setup}

For your iPaaS solution to be a success, you need to [make sure it's set up correctly](https://www.piesync.com/blog/checklist-before-syncing/). Take some time to map out the apps you're using and where your data should flow.

Next, [set up your integrations](https://www.piesync.com/connections/). Check that everything syncs to the right places from the start, using custom field mapping to align matching properties between each app. 

To integrate contact data, you can sync any labels and properties so you know which app a contact comes from, their original source and any other important information needed across departments.

<RelatedPost slug="checklist-before-syncing" />

&nbsp;

#### Don't forget about maintenance{#ipaas-maintenance}

Every so often, set aside an hour or two to check up on your integrations. Check that all your syncs are running correctly, ensure your data is labeled and organized neatly in all apps and ask yourself if there are any new tools to connect. 

With quick and regular checks, you can be sure you're getting the most from iPaaS.

----

## iPaaS trends for 2020{#ipaas-trends-2020}

As more businesses recognize the need to integrate their app stacks and optimize their organization's data flow, we predict a few iPaaS trends for 2020 and beyond:

1. **Increasing popularity of iPaaS** and greater adoption of integration platforms.
2. **Simple and connected SaaS stacks** that are constantly optimized and upgraded.
3. Companies **paying more attention to data flow** through their organization to integrate data from sales, marketing and support.
4. More organizations launching **projects to get their data under control** and eliminate silos.

&nbsp; 

As organizations continue to use more SaaS apps for marketing, sales and support, iPaaS has become a must-have instead of a nice-to-have. It's the easiest way to keep your business connected and silo-free. How will you use iPaaS to enable your apps to be stronger together?

---

For a unified and consistent view of your contact data, get started with a free 14-day trial of PieSync and see how a two-way contact data sync can organize your data and help future-proof your business. [Start connecting your apps now.](https://app.piesync.com/signup/)

Using hundreds of tools to run your business? You’re not alone. iPaaS is your secret to keeping everything in sync, eliminating silos… and staying sane.

A complete guide to iPaaS

Software Integration

red and black integrated computer circuits

What is iPaaS? A guide to getting started & best practices

![Two salespeople with a laptop in an office building](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/478wAu9Jp3RwS1xpAwXLe8/5261858d1c811db64a827584523a5c59/austin-distel-jpHw8ndwJ_Q-unsplash.jpg)

Marketing automation is your gateway to effectively managing marketing campaigns without endless manual work and updates. However, it's not just about streamlining operations. According to [Invespcro:](https://www.invespcro.com/blog/marketing-automation/)

- Marketing automation drives a 14.5% increase in sales.
- 91% of marketing automation users confirm it is important for the overall success of the marketing campaigns.
- 4 in 5 marketing automation software users were able to increase leads. 

Although investing in marketing automation software allows companies to __generate more leads__, 25% still do not automate marketing tasks, according to [Social Media Today's](https://resources.industrydive.com/state-of-marketing-automation-2019-survey-report) 2019 report.

If you want to dive into marketing automation but aren't sure where to start, let’s explore seven of the best ways to use marketing automation to generate leads. 

---

## How to use marketing automation for lead gen

### 1. Create effective landing pages

Landing pages aren't just crucial for digital marketing campaigns, they're also an important part of marketing automation. With a great landing page, you can:

- Segment your audience and show a targeted version to each visitor.
- Direct qualified leads who complete your landing page forms to your sales team.
- Analyze the audiences that visit your website and use this data to influence future campaigns. 

Marketing automation tools like [Unbounce](https://unbounce.com/product-overview/landing-pages/) and [HubSpot](https://www.hubspot.com) allow you to create custom contact forms for every landing page or create campaign-specific contact forms. This is one of the most effective ways to [optimize conversion rate](https://www.piesync.com/blog/increase-conversion-rates/) and overall leads.

<RelatedPost slug="increase-conversion-rates" />

&nbsp;

### 2. Sync contact data for better personalization

Successful marketing automation enables you to use the data at your fingertips to deliver customer experiences at the right time, without having to lift a finger. You can compile and leverage all of your marketing data by [syncing the contact data in your apps two ways](https://www.piesync.com/solutions/marketing/).

For instance, if you’re using HubSpot for your marketing automation but collecting email addresses in Outlook, you need the latest contact data in each app so your automated workflows can keep up. 

You can [sync your HubSpot and Outlook contact databases](https://www.piesync.com/hubspot/outlook/) with PieSync so that as data changes in one app, it's automatically reflected instantly in the other. 

Here's what setting up the sync looks like, with some customization based on Outlook categories and HubSpot owners:

![Syncing HubSpot and Outlook databases with PieSync](//images.ctfassets.net/f2ysq090txql/lgNVtIxsIGZ7nHxE3spLh/536417c5ccf5c577edd49fcfc6e2083f/Screenshot_2020-08-14_at_15.22.27.png)

&nbsp;

### 3. Send drip emails

An email drip campaign is a series of automatic messages that are sent on a schedule to deliver certain information. When done well, it's a fantastic way to [nurture early-stage leads](https://www.piesync.com/blog/effective-lead-nurturing-campaigns/) and increase sales-qualified leads. 

To optimize drip emails, pay attention to:

- __Relevance.__ Successful email drip campaigns deliver emails with timely information that is relevant and valuable to your audience. You can get this right with audience segmentation. 
- __Design.__ To avoid your drip emails ending up in the trash bin, create a well-designed, engaging and relevant message. 
- __Tools.__ Top-performing drip emails require good marketing automation tools. Apps like [Customer.io](https://customer.io/features/) and [Mailchimp](https://mailchimp.com/features/email/) perform audience segmentation and determine the right time that messages should be sent. 

Also don't forget about __testing__. Over time, you can optimize your conversion rate by making both small and larger tweaks to content, design, segmentation, subject lines, and more.

&nbsp;

### 4. Use a chatbot to collect leads while you sleep

A chatbot has become essential in a world of marketing where [conversational marketing](https://www.piesync.com/blog/conversational-marketing/) rules.

[Intercom](https://www.intercom.com/blog/the-state-of-chatbots/) has found that 74% of consumers expect a chatbot to be available to provide website assistance. Not only do they take a lot of work off your customer support’s shoulders, but they also help you to redirect potential buyers to corresponding landing pages and sales information. 

<RelatedPost slug="conversational-marketing" />

&nbsp;

### 5. Use A/B testing to maximize results

Also known as split testing, A/B testing allows you to split your audience and test several variations of a campaign and determine which one performs best.

This allows you to calculate:

- Bounce rates
- Time spent on page
- Which page version generated more sales

Many A/B testing tools enable easy automation of this process, such as [VWO](https://vwo.com/features/) and [Omiconvert](https://www.omniconvert.com/ab-testing-features).

&nbsp;

### 6. Nurture leads to customers

To benefit from marketing automation, you need to do more than just generate leads – you also need to know [how to nurture them](https://www.piesync.com/blog/effective-lead-nurturing-campaigns/).

Conditioning and nurturing leads is probably the most beneficial feature of marketing automation. It can:

- Warm up your leads with information to keep them thinking about your company and your products.
- Nurture leads with upsell opportunities by sending the right message at the right time.
- Increase visitor engagement and customer retention rates.

Marketing automation also helps to re-engage passive customers with timely information that's super personalized. 

<RelatedPost slug="effective-lead-nurturing-campaigns" />

&nbsp;

### 7. Move leads through the funnel

The whole process of buying and selling can give marketers a headache – there are just so many things to consider. A typical lead goes through several stages:

1. Subscriber
2. Lead
3. Marketing-qualified lead
4. Sales-qualified lead
5. Customer

To interact with a lead during each stage of the funnel, you need marketing automation. Today, marketing automation tools make it easy to learn which stage of the funnel a lead is in and trigger the right actions and content to move them to the next stage.

<RelatedPost slug="tasks-every-marketer-should-automate" />


----

From streamlining your sales funnel to increasing personalization and engagement, marketing automation is a key part of optimizing lead generation and converting those leads to customers.

To get the best results, choose a strong marketing automation tool, use A/B testing for continual optimization, segment your contacts, and sync contact data across your apps.


#### [Start syncing contact data between your apps to enrich and personalize your automation workflows. Get set up with a 14-day free trial of PieSync now.](https://app.piesync.com/signup/)

Marketing automation is the best way to generate leads 24/7, even when you're OOO. Start automating these seven things to increase your lead gen efforts.

The PieSync Blog