B2B Connection

3/17/2015 Earlier today we announced the release of our TrustMaps™ for Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software, which rank products based on user satisfaction ratings and evaluation frequency among small businesses, mid-size companies and enterprises. Unveiled in our first Buyer’s Guide to CRM Software, the TrustMaps™ help software buyers quickly locate the solutions most highly rated and widely adopted by companies of a similar size, and therefore most closely aligned to their needs. Each TrustMap™ depicts CRM products on two dimensions – “likelihood to recommend” ratings by users and evaluation frequency on TrustRadius, as measured by unique page views—an indication of product growth or momentum. All ratings come from authenticated users of CRM tools who reviewed or rated the product on TrustRadius.com. The guide also includes common capabilities of CRM software, key factors to consider during the evaluation process and pitfalls to avoid when implementing CRM software. “While Salesforce remains the dominant player in the space, we see a lot of highly rated, small business-focused CRM tools that are simple to use and include other functionalities like marketing automation,” said Vinay Bhagat, CEO of TrustRadius. “Our CRM TrustMaps™ provide prospective buyers with a pragmatic approach to identify the best-fit solutions based on market segment, user […]

Just over a month ago, HubSpot, widely known for its comprehensive online marketing suite and as the torch bearer for inbound marketing, took many including myself, by surprise in announcing their own CRM solution at their user conference. HubSpot’s stated market focus is companies from 10 to 2,000 employees, however we estimate that 75% of their customers are SMBs with <50 employees (using the 158 reviews on TrustRadius as a guide). In recent years, HubSpot has been increasingly focused on attracting and retaining larger clients through adding more powerful marketing features. For example, in 2011, they acquired Performable, an email centric marketing automation provider, and in 2013 they upgraded their content management system (COS).  At first blush, entering the CRM category seems like a departure from this strategy as the likely initial market is smaller companies. It does however further reinforce their position with SMBs and allows them to ultimately earn a higher “share of wallet” among those customers, once they elect to charge for the offering. I caught up with Mike Volpe, CMO to ask about the move and learn more about their new offering. What drove HubSpot to launch a CRM? Our customers have been asking us to […]