Many readers have been asking me, “What is HubSpot and is it worth looking into for my business?”
I’ll do my best to answer that question in this HubSpot review.
HubSpot is a marketing hub with many tools and a lot of training material for people who want to improve their online presence.
The company is quite reputable and there’s not a lot of complaints about it online but it is rather expensive.
Regardless, I did find some reviews where people claim it’s a scam and other where people claim it’s the best marketing tool ever.
Who do you believe?
Well, let’s examine the evidence, and when we’re done, it will be much easier for you to make the right choice.
HubSpot Review
Product Name: HubSpot
Product Type: Internet Marketing Platform
Website: https://www.hubspot.com/
Creator: Brian Halligan & Dharmesh Shah
Price: Starting at $200/month for Beginner Package.
Best For: Medium to larger size businesses, I don’t recommend it for complete beginners.
Rating: 80/100
Summary: HubSpot is a decent marketing hub, there’s all the useful tools and features that any internet marketer will beneifit from, but the question is are you getting the best value for the services you will receive.
After working online for years I’m confident that you are not getting the best deal with HubSpot (see below for explanation).
Recommended: Yes for larger businesses but for the value and cost: No, HubSpot is expensive and there are many better and less expensive alternatives out there.
Here’s My Top Recommended Training >>
What is HubSpot?
HubSpot (not to be confused with HubPages, as they’re totally different companies) is an all-in-one marketing platform with a focus on small business owners.
The cool thing about HubSpot is that they offer a free trial and several free tools, such as a Website Grader and Email Signature Generator.
Those two tools are free but you will need to enter an email address to view the results.
The Website Grader is useful as it determines which areas of your website need improvement.
But once you create an account and enter the main membership area there are a lot of tools and features for you to use along with some training material.
The training material will show you how to use the tools and features for the best results, however, HubSpot won’t teach you how to build your own online business.
That’s important to remember; this product is not an online business training course but rather a marketing hub for people who already own businesses.
The Benefits of Using HubSpot:
Here’s what I liked about HubSpot.
First, it combines multiple tools and lets you access them from one place instead of having to login to multiple websites.
That’s pretty convenient.
For instance, HubSpot can be linked to your WordPress blog by installing the HubSpot plugin.
You can also link all your social media accounts to HubSpot and share articles or other posts without having to leave the website.
There’s one HubSpot feature that I thought was really interesting and useful, the in-website text editor, similar to WordPress’s.
While you’re writing with this editor, it will regularly provide you with helpful tips and suggestions such as…
- Keyword placement
- Keyword density
- And other tips to improve search engine rankings.
This is quite similar to the plugin I use called SEO Yoast but the notifications are more persistent.
So this helps make it easier for you to remember the simple rules of keyword placement for ideal search engine results.
And there’s another feature I liked, the ability to share your articles on all your social media accounts in one click.
When you publish the article to your website, a feature lets you share the link on all your social media accounts.
I thought that was pretty useful because it can be a hassle to sign-in to multiple social media websites and manually share the links.
That being said..
Are Hubspot’s Services Really Necessary?
If you work of one device, you’re usually logged into your social sites anyways, so once you publish, you can easily share your content socially with a click of your social buttons.
I let mine float so they stay with the user as they continue reading my posts.
Personally, I prefer the WordPress text editor for blogging because it’s just so much easier and convenient.
There’s also a lot of tips and tools that’ll make it easier for you market your content online.
Most customers have reported a boost in traffic after they started using HubSpot.
But I did notice that most of the customers rarely mention how that traffic converted.
Numbers aren’t everything as some traffic sources don’t convert at all.
As a matter of fact, I’ve created a simple system to rank content that takes about 10 minutes to learn.
This is the same system I use to rank my content quickly and build my organic traffic.
And better yet, it’s free to check out and easy to apply.
Click the photo below and sign up for free.
There are also tools at HubSpot specifically designed for lead generation such as sales pages, opt-in forms, funnels, and more.
From the looks of it, the landing page templates are not bad and I’m sure they can convert well.
I also liked how there are keyword suggestions immediately waiting for you based on your website URL.
What I Didn’t Like About HubSpot:
Overall, HubSpot seems like a decent, well-made, marketing hub.
But there are some things I didn’t like about it.
First, it’s a bit pricey and not recommended for new website owners.
The cheapest package costs $200/month and it does come with some useful features, I don’t think it’s really worth it for small-time website owners.
On the other hand, if you’re website is already making a lot of cash, and you have strong social media profiles, it might be worth checking out.
Personally, with Thrive Membership, Aweber, and Wealthy Affiliate’s services; I get all the same benefits that you get with Hubspot but for a total monthly bill of… $93.48.
That extra $106 dollars could easily buy me 2-3 keyword posts that I can use to build more free traffic.
Secondly, the sales representatives seem a little untrained.
When you create a free account you’ll need to enter a phone number which they’ll call in a few minutes.
Most of the time they’ll ask if you’re interested in upgrading to a more expensive membership, basically a sales pitch.
If I want to upgrade I’ll do so on my own, I don’t like it when people push their up-sells on me, especially over the phone.
It also seemed like the sales representatives are a little untrained as they don’t seem to be able to answer some basic questions.
Third, some of the data is inaccurate, such as CPC (cost per click) and search engine competition for specific keywords.
There is a keyword research tool that is included, but the data is often inaccurate when compared to Google’s results.
So far, I still think Jaaxy is the best keyword research tool out there, click to read our review.
Our Conclusion on Hubspot:
To wrap up this HubSpot Review, I think it’s a decent marketing hub for medium to larger size businesses, but I don’t recommend it for complete beginners.
There’s definitely a lot of useful tools and features that you can use to grow your business within the member’s area.
But it’s quite expensive, and there are many cheaper alternatives out there.
It also requires a lot of work, it’s not a system that work automatically!
If you are complete beginner and looking to make money from the internet, I suggest that you take a look at my favorite online business training course.
It walks you through all the concepts of online business and takes you from a complete beginners to an experienced online marketer.
Click the image below to create an account, and remember, there’s a free trial.
Know others who are asking what is HubSpot? Then please socially share our review and help those that need it.
Thanks,
Todd
Need Help Making Money Online?
Hey Todd,
This was a great HubSpot review indeed. I agree with you that it’s a too pricey for anyone who’s just beginning and is generating no or very low income.
$200 is indeed a lot. One can get a shared hosting account, a domain and a premium theme in $150 or less and would still be left with $50 to spend on some plugins maybe.
Moreover, it’s a monthly price which means it would cost $2400 yearly and it’s way too much for any small business website or a beginner blogger.
Though yeah, it does offer some great & useful tools but when it doesn’t fit the budget, the best bet is to stay away from it and spend on what’s gonna be helpful initially.
Thanks a lot for the review. I did know about HubSpot before this review but I certainly learned something new.
Cheers!
Thanks for the feedback on our HubSpot post, much appreciated. You make some excellent points. I think once you start making money online, the next step is to consider investing part of it to pay for needed additional services.
Most of the time I feel this should be for content. Adding original quality content will only bring more value to you in the future.
I paid a Fiverr writer to write 1,000’s word post and get over 600 new organic visitors to the post per month.
To do that, you have to know the right keywords to target and how to structure your post. If you don’t know how to do this, get our Free Traffic Ebook to guide you.
If you need a good original content source, check out Human Proof Designs.
Cheers,
Todd
Hi Todd. Hubspot does appear to have some powerful business tools, but like you said is a little too rich for my blood. Maybe one day? Lol. I could get a few different tools for that price and Jaaxy would be one of them.
One thing about Hubspot. On an initial read it appears like it could take quite a good amount of work to set up. Do you have any thought’s or experiences about that?
Oh yea. I’d also buy premium themes for all my websites and upgrade some plugins before I considered spending $200 on Hubspot. Like I said though, things can change over time and Hubspot is definitely worth knowing about.
Thanks for the educational read. Geoff.
Hi Geoff,
Most any new system is going to take a little time to learn how to use them to their full potential. I don’t have an exact number for your on the learning curve at HubSpot.
I think you’re reading the situation right though. As your online business grows, you might want to consider some other marketing tools, just make sure the tools you pay for fit you marketing model.
I love Jaaxy too, best and cheapest tool in my arsenal.
Cheers,
Todd
I have seen the HubSpot name before but never knew what it was. I like how it brings all of your different marketing efforts into one place.
However, $200 a month does seem pricey. Especially when there are cheaper alternatives like Hootsuite.
Thanks for this helpful review, I now understand what HubSpot is used for.
Awesome Jeremy, thanks for your feedback on our HubSpot review. I think the price is a bit much for most who are getting started plus there are more economical alternatives as you point out.
Cheers,
Todd
HubSpot seems pretty cool. It is an all in one marketing platform for small businesses. I think any product that has a free trail with use of tools is worth a try.
Can you leave after the free trial or is it where you have to pay then get the free trail? Key word suggestions for your specific niche sound like a worth while feature. I think $200 a month is pretty spendy.
I will need to look into this more. Do you have any other reviews that are maybe cheaper for a beginner to try?
Hey Kenny,
Great questions. I think the way to go is with a community that offers 24/7 support. I also like an online platform that offers your online business feedback in the form of your site style/overall vibe as well as site comments.
Site comments are super important for search engine results with places like Google, YouTube, etc..
So having a system like HubSpot is cool, the price is a bit much. The better alternative is the community support at Wealthy Affiliate, it’s incredible and so easy to access.
Start here and once your site is making consistent money, then you might want to add HubSpot.
Thanks,
Todd
I heard about Hubspot, but have not tried it yet. I’ve got to try Jaaxy out and I love it. I think I will stick with Jaaxy and Wealthy Affiliate for a while before I move on to HubSpot.
I am still pretty new to internet marketing. so far I have learned a ton of information, ideas, etc, that I have acquired from Wealthy Affiliate.
They have a top of the line keyword research tool such that it is so easy to use and get google rankings. I have rankings on google about 6 times in five months. I would recommend Jaxxy over Hubspot any day. Thank you for allowing me to give feedback on this site.
Louisab
Hey Louisab,
Thanks for your feedback on Hubspot, Jaaxy, and Wealthy Affiliate. I use only a few systems to streamline my online business. Jaaxy and Wealthy Affiliate are my top two programs that I use daily.
Jaaxy will give you all you need to rank quickly if you have the right training in keyword research.
Wealthy Affiliate is a must have for any online marketer. From newbies to advanced marketers, you can benefit from both programs. All it takes is to sign up for the free Starter Membership and you can check it out yourself.
For advanced marketers, you should check out the weekly webinars that teach more advanced techniques and concepts.
Thanks,
Todd
Hi Todd,
Hubspot sounds useful, but not something I’m ready for. I’m just not generating enough, despite the excellent training from Wealthy Affiliate and following all the keyword advice and the use of Jaaxy.
I still feel like there’s something missing, Oh yes, it’s traffic! – So I’ve signed up for your free ebook to see if there’s anything I’m not doing yet.
No revenue means nothing to reinvest, classic catch 22. But I’ll keep going, I’m sure I’ll uncover the secret eventually.
Jenny
Hey Jenny,
When your site’s new, it’s tough to imagine the traffic coming. I used to hear some people say that it takes at least 20 posts to get some traffic, and that can be true.
But I think you just need to focus on providing helpful content that targets your niche audience. Follow our Free eBook on Traffic and you’ll have yourself a nice little to do list for every single post you publish.
The traffic will come, once it happens, it grows and grows. Again, focus on the content for now, follow our guide and you’ll make it.
Thanks,
Todd
I have never heard of Hubspot before, but then again there are soo many marketing platforms out there. Hubspot seems too expensive unless you are already making money online. What can you recommend as an alternative to Hubspot?
I mean something that can get you rankings and traffic.
I belong to Wealthy Affiliate which I consider really great in many ways but I am looking for something that can help me boost traffic.
Thank you for a great review.
Hey Jojo,
Thanks for your feedback on our HubSpot review. Are you using Jaaxy to do your keyword research?
If not, you should get it and then just keep following Wealthy Affiliate’s training. Each post you publish is a direct target to rank for keyword phrases that you niche audience is searching.
This is how you build out your online business, provide value to your niche audience, and bring in free traffic. This site here, Learn To Grow Wealthy Online, brings in 500 to 1,000 visitors per month for free based on rankings in Google.
Later in Wealthy Affiliate’s training, you will learn how to write pay per click ads through Bing and Google Adwords as well as Facebook.
This is really the most effective way to get traffic. You can also use WA’s SiteRubix Comments feature to get comments and traffic on your site.
This will also improve your SEO. You should check out our Free eBook on How To Drive Targeted Traffic to your Website.
Cheers,
Todd
Hey Todd,
I’ve read many useful articles on HubSpot before, but never knew you could become a member and get even more out of it. How interesting. I’ll have to take a look into that, as I know from first-hand experience how useful even just the HubSpot blog posts can be.
Just out of curiosity, do they have an affiliate program?
All the best,
Ian
Hi Ian,
Good question. I’ve been looking into this. HubSpot used to have an affiliate program with Commission Junction, but when I logged in to check it out, I found nothing.
HubSpot has a partners program, but that’s a paid service they offer for businesses. So long story short, I don’t know but I’m still researching the issue.
Thanks for your feedback on our HubSpot review and your experience with them.
Best,
Todd
Hey there Todd,
Wow I never knew that there’s a difference between Hubspot and Hub Pages, all I ever did was read all the blog posts that they have as I subscribe to their newsletter.
It sounds so fascinating having to grow your blog with a Hubspot plugin, I can only imagine how it will work for your blog. Out of curiosity, how will our blogs get more visibility besides through social media if we were to join Hubspot?
Hi Riaz,
Thanks for your feedback on our HubSpot review. To answer your question, when you join a marketing group you start to network naturally. And so you meet similar minded people and you usually end up wanting to support them.
The favors are returned and you’ll naturally get more social likes and shares and this has a very positive effect on rankings. We know that Google puts a good deal of weight in finding content that’s interacted with, so this would be the benefit from social media.
I belong to Wealthy Affiliate and every time I post in Facebook, I get some likes from fellow WA members.
When you think about it, if you want to increase your rankings, having social media shares/likes and actually people commenting on your content is extremely effective in improving a post rankings.
Wealthy Affiliate’s website builder platform, Site Rubix, is awesome because you can get fresh comments on your posts by exchanging comments or buying them for $1.
This is a great advantage over the blog that has no comments. Wealthy Affiliate membership is worth it for any online business, eCommerce site, or blog for that fact alone, not to mention the extensive education and free cloud hosting for 50 sites.
Best,
Todd