While variability always exists between organizations—and therefore variability in their technology systems—building a MarTech stack to support current business goals with an eye on future growth requires careful planning. In this article, we lay out the combinations of systems to use at different levels of revenue to achieve efficacy and success while preparing for future scale.
Before we begin naming names, we want to set a critical lens that we look at these decisions through. Integration. We’ve seen organizations recently opt for smaller, cheaper systems in an effort to save a little money or get up and running faster, but such shortsighted decisions will come back to haunt them. To have a strong foundation, data needs to integrate between all touchpoints. If we can leave you with one tip, do not skimp on this front.
Under $10 Million
If your business hasn’t reached $10 million in revenue, don’t splurge on extensive technology yet. Invest in the systems that will give your business what it needs now, and will prepare you for the future:
- Salesforce – We’re big proponents of investing in Salesforce early because it helps create a data-driven culture and future tech investments will integrate easily down the road, all while being cost-effective.
- Salesloft – At this stage, most companies won’t be ready for a robust marketing automation platform. Instead, use a sales enablement solution like Salesloft to send mass emails and drive engagement.
- WordPress – For websites, use WordPress. Pick a template, write some killer copy and call it a day.
- Drift – Do without forms and grow a database through Drift using an easy email subscription pop-up. Create bots to handle frequently asked questions and connect reps directly to prospects, if needed.
- ZoomInfo (or a data vendor in your vertical) – This system will be expensive, but salespeople need names which will waste a lot of time if created by hand and researched manually without a vendor
- Zoom – Cheap and easy to manage, Zoom is great for virtual communication. And, the webinars feature can be added at a minimal cost.
- Google Analytics – Business relies on reporting information and, at this size, Google Analytics provides sufficient data.
- CrazyEgg – Add in Crazy Egg for website tracking, because in this early stage your website must convert. This tool helps to heatmap websites and will identify where prospects engage with content so adjustments can be made as needed.
Between $10 and $50 million
Once the company crests $10 million in revenue and starts edging closer to $25 million, use Google Analytics to decipher what’s been working. With that information you will know where to allocate more investment. For example, does the company get a lot of organic search? If so, double down. Or, getting a lot of traffic and conversions from demand gen activities?Invest in marketing automation, for the single best way to scale demand gen.
The list below consists of what to add in as the business moves up in revenue and identifies which areas could benefit from furthering the budget:
- Marketo – No marketing system plugs into Salesforce better than Marketo. Plus, Marketo has rich integrations with approximately everything needed for now and later.
- Workfront – Don’t go without a solid project management tool. This one will integrate with existing data beautifully.
- LeanData – As a Salesforce AppExchange product, this software will help route and lead merge management.
- Yoast or Moz – Both value as the best options in elevating any search game. Especially if search has already been performing well at this point, one of these puppies will take it to the next level.
- 6Sense – Eager to tap into intent signals? Plug in 6Sense next and it will ingest data from Marketo, Salesforce, and your company’s website, making it all the more beneficial to a tech stack.
PRO TIP: Naomi Liu from EFI also loves Ringlead for merging records and overall data management and normalization. Check out other favorite technologies in our webinar replay.
$50 to $150 million
After the $50 million mark, business needs will continue evolving. If your company didn’t adopt 6Sense in the previous revenue range, do that now. Don’t wait any longer. Additionally, some other systems to consider:
- Adobe Real-time CDP, Segment, or Tealium –At this stage of your business, invest in the future of Customer Data Platforms (CDPs) .
- Bizible – This tool provides a more robust tracking feature. Go with their base product for tracking first but eventually, purchase their data warehouse product and integrate it with a CDP
- Sendoso – Get a direct mail system to help scale moments that matter for prospects and customers.
- Seismic – Seismic uses AI to give sales folk the tools they need, helping them pick the right content for the right stages of the buyer’s journey.
As the business continues on its growth path you’ll also want to invest in some niche strategies. SMS works really well (Twilio owns this space), and video does too (We like Vidyard).
So there you have it, the most perfect MarTech stacks available for these revenue ranges. If you build a strong foundation as we talked about at the start of this article (and prioritize systems with stellar integration abilities), your businesses growth journey will be all the more seamless and optimized.
THE AUTHOR
In a universe of marketing and sales information, we chart the constellations of insight, technology and creativity, helping organizations grow revenue and transform customer experiences. Our team of more than 250 marketing professionals has partnered with thousands of organizations, bringing together a breadth and depth of knowledge unlike anywhere else. With full-service capabilities, we deploy the best mix of consulting, agency and analytic services to ensure strategic alignment and executional excellence. We bring possibilities into focus, shifting the traditional paradigms of sales and marketing to create truly meaningful relationships with customers. Meaningful shifts driving meaningful results.
