HubSpot explained: Features, costs and use in SMEs

The most important thing about HubSpot in a nutshell:

• HubSpot is a Software platform for customer relationships (Customer Relationship Management) and mapping the entire customer lifetime cycle.
• HubSpot is based on Smart CRM as a core and six functional modules, called hubs, which are added as required: Marketing, Sales, Service, Content, Data and Commerce.
• You can in HubSpot for free with Free or cheaply with Starter Start and switch to Professional or Enterprise if necessary.
• Die expenses depend on seats (user licenses) and, in the Marketing Hub, also on contacts.
• For Professional and Enterprise packages, a Onboarding obligation, which you do directly on HubSpot or through a partner.
• Axisbits is an official HubSpot Solution Provider and helps you with implementation, website construction and automation.

How is HubSpot structured?

Smart CRM is at the core of HubSpot. All information about contacts, companies, deals and interactions comes together here. Every department accesses the same database. Marketing, sales and service therefore work with the same information.

Based on this, there is six standalone hubs. Each hub covers an area, such as lead generation, sales processes, or customer service. Together, they result in a system that represents the entire customer life cycle: from the initial enquiry to the long-term customer relationship.

To be able to use the HubSpot hubs, Seats (=user licenses) issued. A seat corresponds to a user with access to certain functions. There are different types:

• Core seats: for central modules such as marketing, content and data.
• Sales, service and commerce seats: for the respective team in these hubs.
• View-only seats: for people who view data but don't have to or shouldn't edit anything.

In addition, HubSpot awards so-called credits. These serve as quota for AI-supported functions, for example for creating texts or analyzing large amounts of data. Depending on the package you choose, there are different amounts of credits available.

What are the benefits of HubSpot?

HubSpot's strength lies in the combination of central CRM and modular hubs. In it, you work with a uniform database, save yourself the use of several individual software and can expand in small steps using the hubs. In addition, there are automations and AI functions that relieve routine tasks.

• HubSpot unites Marketing, sales, service, content, data management, and commerce in a single platform.
• All departments pick up the same customer data too. A contact who is recorded as a lead in marketing also appears in sales and service with the same information.
• You can Start with a hub and add more hubs later. This makes HubSpot suitable for both small teams and large companies.
• HubSpot builds AI features directly into the hubs: write and adapt texts, an AI agent for research and contact, a customer agent for routine inquiries and ticket sorting.
• Leads can be automatically segmented, tasks are assigned or notifications are sent.
• HubSpot provides over 1,000 extensions and integrations. This allows you to connect Gmail, Outlook or Slack as well as many other software.
• All hubs have own reports, which can be summarized in dashboards. This creates a consistent view of the customer life cycle.

Which hubs does HubSpot offer?

HubSpot consists of six modules, the so-called hubs. Each hub covers its own area of responsibility. Companies can start with one hub and add more later. All hubs use the same Smart CRM.

Marketing Hub in HubSpot

The Marketing Hub bundles tools for lead acquisition and maintenance. This includes:

• Email campaigns
• forms
• landing pages
• Social media management
• Ad control
• marketing automations

Typical use of the Marketing Hub in HubSpot: Gain new contacts, address interested parties with relevant content and develop them step by step into customers.

Sales Hub in HubSpot

Sales Hub is where your sales teams manage their pipelines and deals. It provides features for:

• Supply and forecast management
• Contact sequences
• Calling features
• Playbooks to help with the sales process

Special feature: With AI-powered tools such as the Prospecting Agent (Breeze), repetitive tasks can be automated.

Service Hub in HubSpot

HubSpot's Service Hub is focused on customer support. It comprises:

• ticket system
• Omnichannel communication, for example via email, chat, WhatsApp
• Knowledgebase
• Customer satisfaction survey tools

For larger teams, there are SLA functions and AI support, such as the customer agent, who automatically answers or pre-sorts service requests.

Content Hub in HubSpot (formerly CMS Hub)

The Content Hub in HubSpot serves as a website and content management system. You can with it WSites, blogs, and landing pages create, personalize, and optimize.

The SEO tools help you improve your Visibility in search engines to improve. With AI features, you can create texts or adapt and optimize existing content. Multi-language and multi-site setups are also possible.

Data Hub in HubSpot (successor to Operations Hub)

The Data Hub is about data quality and integration. Contacts and company data from various systems can be synchronized, cleaned and enriched.

Typical functions include deduplicating, transforming data, or importing events from external sources. This makes CRM a database for all teams.

Commerce Hub in HubSpot

The Commerce Hub covers financial and transaction processes. Here you can create offers, issue invoices, manage subscriptions and process payments.

Particularly interesting for B2B: CPQ functions (Configure, Price, Quote) and electronic signatures so that offers can be accepted directly online.

What are the limits of HubSpot?

The limits of using HubSpot are primarily financial. It's cheap to get started at first, but the monthly costs increase as soon as your requirements also increase.

• Costs of growth: HubSpot works cheaply at the beginning, especially with Free or Starter (starting at around CHF 9 per month and license). However, as soon as you need more contacts in marketing or additional seats in sales and service, costs rise. Even the Mandatory onboarding fees You should keep an eye on the Pro and Enterprise packages.
• Licensing model with seats and contacts: Billing is based on the number of user licenses (seats) and also on marketing contacts in the Marketing Hub. As your team grows or you import a lot of leads, you sometimes need to upgrade pretty quickly.

Add-ons and limits: Certain features, such as transactional emails, dedicated IPs or higher workflows, are only available at an additional cost. You should therefore check whether the standard limits are sufficient for your requirements.

Tip: You can get discounted onboarding and setup fees through our partner program. Axisbits is more certified HubSpot partnersso that we can pass on some financial benefits to you.
We are official HubSpot Solution Provider and help you choose your packages, licenses, and hubs. This ensures that you only pay for what actually helps your team move forward.

How much does HubSpot cost?

HubSpot's costs depend on two factors: licenses (=seats) and marketing contacts.

• Licenses/Seats: For every user who actively works in the system, you need a license. Depending on the hub, these are core seats (marketing, content, data) or special seats for sales, service and commerce.
• Marketing contacts: In Marketing Hub, you also pay according to contact levels. The higher your contact volume, the higher the monthly costs.

HubSpot pricing examples

HubSpot offers its prices in US dollars and in Europe in euros. Here you can find the conversion to Swiss francs.

• HubSpot Free: free, with basic features and HubSpot branding.
• HubSpot Starter: Starting at around CHF 7 per seat and month. Marketing Hub Starter contains 1,000 marketing contacts.
• Marketing hub: CHF 640 per month, 3 seats included, 2,000 marketing contacts (professional). With 5 seats and 10,000 marketing contacts, CHF 2,880 per month (Enterprise).
• Sales hub: CHF 72 per seat and month (Professional). With 5 seats, CHF 120 per seat and month (Enterprise).

In addition, there are the selected add-ons, such as a dedicated IP for emails, additional workflows or more reporting capacity. You should also pay attention to the fees in the Commerce Hub when processing payments (starting at CHF 80 per month and seat).

What is important is: The entry costs often seem manageable, but the total amount always depends on how many seats you need and how many contacts you manage in marketing.

Is HubSpot right for me?

HubSpot is built in such a way that you can start small and grow later. The best way to get started is to be guided by a HubSpot partner. In this way, you empower your team to get results much faster.

• If you run a small business: With the free or starter version, you can run your first campaigns, maintain contacts and run your website in the Content Hub. At the beginning, this is enough to set up the basics of marketing and CRM more professionally.
• If you have a growing team: The professional packages make sense as soon as you need automation, several colleagues are working together in sales, or want to scale your marketing. This shows the strengths of workflows, reporting and AI features.

If you're running a larger company: The enterprise plans give you governance features, higher limits, and more control. The extended options for rights, workflows and integrations are particularly important for larger marketing or service teams.

HubSpot pricing example for SMEs:
A machine manufacturer with 120 employees wants to integrate marketing and sales more closely and use HubSpot.
- There are 4 colleagues working in Marketing Hub Professional: three seats are included in the package, an additional core seat costs CHF 36 per month. Together, approx. CHF 676 per month.
- There are 8 salespeople in the Sales Hub Professional, each with their own seat at CHF 72 per month. Together approx. CHF 576 per month
- The managing director uses a free view-only seat to view sales and pipeline.
In total, this amounts to around CHF 1,252 per month, plus one-time
Onboarding fees of around CHF 2,400 for Marketing Pro and around CHF 1,200 for Sales Pro.

Make it easy to get started with HubSpot with a HubSpot partner

HubSpot brings that Customer relationship management as well as the entire Customer Lifetime Cycle together in one software. You work with a common database and can add hubs as needed. For SMEs, this means: a system that grows with you, from the first lead to customer loyalty.

Onboarding is mandatory for Professional and Enterprise packages. You can do this directly at HubSpot or Complete through a certified partner. The advantage with the partner:

• The setup is tailored to your existing processes.
• You only book what gives your team an advantage.
• The integrations and migrations are implemented with experience.
• You will receive initial training and then support for your team.

Axisbits is more official HubSpot Solution Provider. We'll build your entire HubSpot setup, including CRM, CMS, and Marketing Hub, as well as websites, landing pages, and A/B testing.

We at Axisbits have been working with HubSpot ourselves for years and are now an official HubSpot partner for Switzerland. Want your team to be able to get started quickly with HubSpot? Then get in touch with us!

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