When I first got HubSpot, I was pumped. This was going to seriously level up my business. Easy marketing! Seamless automations! Beautiful reports! I rolled up my sleeves, opened my portal… and promptly fell into a black hole.
What started as a “quick setup” turned into months of trial and error, duct taped workarounds, and more than a few why isn’t this working?! moments.
Sound familiar?
If you’re staring down HubSpot implementation and wondering whether to keep it in-house or call in a partner, this post is for you. I’ll walk you through what implementation really involves, why it’s trickier than it looks, and how to make the smartest choice for your team (and your sanity).
What is HubSpot Implementation?
HubSpot Implementation is the process of getting your HubSpot set up for your organization. Sounds easy on paper, but there’s a lot that goes into it. Implementation typically includes:
- Configuring your account settings
- Migrating data (via manual imports and syncs)
- Creating or confirming data architecture
- Defining and mapping internal processes
- Creating pipelines based on processes
- Creating workflows and automations
- Creating reports and dashboards
- Setting up any additional HubSpot Hubs beyond the CRM (Marketing, Sales, Service, and/or Content are the most common)
- Extensive testing
A typical HubSpot implementation process for a medium-sized organization is about 3-4 months. However, implementation can take anywhere between one and six months, depending on the complexity.
Is implementation the same as onboarding?
No. While implementation goes hand-in-hand with onboarding, the two are separate processes in HubSpot lingo.
Onboarding focuses on getting familiar with HubSpot's functionalities. You'll log in, poke around the system, and start to learn how it works.
Implementation focuses on setting up HubSpot so you can actually use it. It's a much more in-depth and strategic process of integrating HubSpot into your existing systems, importing contacts into your CRM, and setting up all the customizations & automations that make your portal unique to your company.
Is HubSpot hard to implement yourself?
I’m going to have to say yes, implementation is really difficult to do in-house. The best case scenario is having a database manager already on your team, but even if you have someone very familiar with database architecture, HubSpot has its own unique quirks that they’ll need to learn. If you don’t have a database manager and you’re going to delegate implementation to marketing or IT - it’s going to be extremely challenging.
One of the reasons I started getting HubSpot certifications and eventually pursued a partnership for my organization was because I was a customer first. I was trying to do the implementation myself for our HubSpot portal. To say it was challenging and time-consuming is an understatement. I started learning more about the system so I could set it up properly, and quickly realized why this was a whole career.
So, technically, CAN you implement in-house? Sure, you CAN. But is it likely to be the most effective use of your time, resources, and employees? Is it likely that your portal will do everything you want when you're done? No and no.
What is a HubSpot Implementation Partner?
A HubSpot Implementation Partner is an organization that specializes in HubSpot tools, and specifically in implementation. To be able to call themselves an actual HubSpot Solutions Partner (the official name of HubSpot’s partner program), the organization must prove competency with:
- Tech implementation - including CRM, system integrations, and IT services
- Hands-on services - including marketing, sales, or customer service
- Consulting - including on business technology, sales, marketing, or customer service strategy
BizzyWeb is a Diamond Tier Solutions Partner, which is one of the highest partner tiers. This means that we’ve proven to HubSpot that we have demonstrated success in complex HubSpot implementations.
Is an implementation partner the same thing as an implementation specialist?
When you purchase a HubSpot Hub at the Pro or Enterprise tier levels, you'll likely get paired with an Implementation Specialist for the first 90 days. An Implementation Specialist is there to provide tutorials, guidance, and fast-track support questions during the onboarding process, but they won't actually execute any actions on your behalf.
This is not the same thing as working with an implementation agency. Think of your HubSpot-assigned Implementation Specialist more like a dedicated customer support agent - they can answer routine questions and point you in the right direction, but they can't create architecture, troubleshoot issues, or do stuff for you. An implementation agency actually does architecture, mapping, syncing, importing, and troubleshooting on your behalf.
Related Content: HubSpot Direct or Through a Partner Agency?
Why Work with a HubSpot Partner?
Why work with a partner for your HubSpot implementation? Well, there are a few good reasons….
1. Save your employees’ sanity
As I discussed above, the implementation process is extremely complex. Even highly experienced teams with deep database experience struggle with HubSpot implementation. Putting this burden on a marketing or IT department to handle creates additional stress and eats up a ton of their time. Your team doesn’t need to be an expert to use HubSpot - but to do implementation right, they have to become experts. That doesn’t happen overnight.
I often work with HubSpot clients who attempted implementation in-house before throwing up a white flag. One major unintended consequence of trying to handle implementation internally is employee burnout. They spend so much time trying to learn the complexities of HubSpot implementation, dealing with friction, and troubleshooting technical issues that they get to the point where they don’t even want to use HubSpot anymore. Which is a huge problem, because often the team members tasked with doing the implementation are the ones who will benefit the most from the system once it’s up and running. This process kills forward momentum. And it’s not those team members’ faults - it’s an extremely challenging and draining process for anyone not already a HubSpot implementation expert.
2. Make sure everything is set up right
A majority of HubSpot implementation is maintaining data cleanliness, defining architecture, mapping data points, and setting up custom data flows. Every single one of those steps has to be done meticulously and methodically.
If it’s not, you run into problems like…
“I tried to send an email with a discount just to open leads, but a bunch of customers got it as well and now they’re upset.”
“Why can’t I see how much revenue my sales team generated last month?”
“The system is supposed to send a happy birthday note to my clients, but it’s not. What gives?”
“People are trying to book meetings with me and it’s not working.”
“Someone said they filled out a form but I haven’t gotten any notifications and I can’t see it anywhere in HubSpot.”
“Why are there 3 different job title fields for this one person? Which one is the right one?”
You get the idea. And yes, these are all actual conversations I’ve had with clients who attempted in-house implementation. Do implementation right the first time, and you won’t have to spend extra time troubleshooting and fixing issues every time you want to do something basic.
3. Be able to hit the ground running and do cool stuff right away
One of the biggest benefits to offloading the implementation process is that you get to reap all the benefits of HubSpot at a fraction of the effort. During the implementation process, your partner will be communicating with you and keeping you up-to-date on your implementation process. While they’re doing all the heavy lifting, you’ll have time to watch tutorials and explore what you can do with HubSpot. If your partner is like BizzyWeb, they’ll also give you in-depth training once the implementation process is done.
This means that when you’re handed the keys back to your CRM, you can floor it. You have the confidence that your system is ready to go, which means you can finally start doing a lot of the cool stuff HubSpot lets you do. Set up automations, create complex workflows, start simplifying daily tasks: whatever you’ve wanted to do, now you can do it.
Since you worked with an experienced partner, you shouldn’t have to spend any time fixing errors. And if you or your teams do run into points of friction, you have someone who will identify the problem and fix it for you.
How to Find a HubSpot Implementation Partner
HubSpot has a robust partner directory where you can search for specialists by location, industry, and more. Of course…if you’ve found your way to this blog then I’m going to recommend my team’s HubSpot services.
BizzyWeb is an accredited HubSpot Diamond Partner. For our customers, this means:
💎 We're in the top tiers of the HubSpot Solutions Partner program - there are around 200 or so Diamond partners worldwide
💎 We walk the walk - we've proven to our clients and to HubSpot that we effectively manage HS Portals
💎 We have a fantastic reputation & reviews: showcasing that we do right by our clients!
💎 We KNOW HubSpot inside and out
Want to see what we can do? Check out our case studies and HubSpot reviews!
At the end of the day, HubSpot is only as powerful as its implementation. While it’s technically possible to handle setup in-house, the process is complex, time-consuming and full of potential pitfalls that can derail your success before you even get started.
Working with a certified implementation partner like BizzyWeb takes the stress, guesswork, and technical overwhelm off your plate so you can focus on what really matters: growing your business. From strategic setup to hands-on execution, we ensure your HubSpot portal is built to perform from day one.
HubSpot Implementation Services
As a Diamond HubSpot partner, we provide onboarding, implementation, service, HubSpot web design, marketing, and automation for the most powerful sales and marketing tool available. BizzyWeb is actively invested in making a solution that works for you, not just a standardized tool or an off-the-shelf install.
Our HubSpot team will complete a deep dive into your current CRM, sales, and marketing tools. We work with you to:
- Review your current processes
- Determine your growth goals
- Assess data and documentation
- Create a custom implementation plan
Learn more about our HubSpot partner services here.
BizzyWeb is a Minneapolis-based digital marketing and web design agency that helps companies get the high-quality leads they need to grow and thrive. Our tactics include inbound marketing, SEO, advertising, web design, content creation and sales automation. We are an accredited HubSpot Diamond Partner and we offer full-service HubSpot onboarding, enablement and strategy for new and current users.
