Choosing the Right HubSpot App for Project Management

HubSpot is one of the world’s most popular CRMs used by small businesses and enterprise organizations alike to help automate their marketing and sales. 

HubSpot currently has more than 1,000 connected apps in its ecosystems to help its users get more out of the platform. 

As the brand says, “Your tools work better when they talk together.”

Accordingly, HubSpot integrates with the world’s most popular tools for project management with apps you can easily connect via the HubSpot Marketplace.

For HubSpot users who want to be more productive and profitable on the project management front, a solution that’s already a certified HubSpot app partner is the obvious choice.

Here are the 7 things to look for in HubSpot apps for project management. 

1. 2-way sync with project data

Above all, make sure that the app you choose or switch to provides a 2-way sync with HubSpot. If your project data cannot be relayed to HubSpot and/or your customer information can’t automatically connect to your project management tool, why get a HubSpot app at all? This important 2-way sync can make the sales-to-project handoff smoother and save time and errors on manual data migration.

2. Smart time tracking

One of the biggest reasons people get project management for HubSpot in the first place is time tracking. Agencies know they’re losing money with shoddy systems in place, and they need an intelligent fix that also provides support in other areas of project management. Make sure your project management HubSpot app offers time tracking that includes:

• Desktop app
• Mobile app
• Google/Outlook calendar integration
• Integration with your invoicing

3. Automation

Automated features are big selling points for any project management tool. These offer supreme functionality and self-driving capabilities that can save a ton of time on menial admin. Here are a few examples of automation to look for:

• Areas like billing, especially, can be automated with smart invoicing. 
• Automated alerts for budget overspending are also high on the list of features project managers look for. 
• Some tools will automatically create projects, contracts, and even detailed customer quotes from your HubSpot data.
• Any automation related to time tracking like self-driving time tracking, automatic invoice generation, etc. are highly encouraged.

4. UX

User experience isn’t a small thing when you and your team are going to spend time in that software day in and day out. Some project management tools have better UX than others, but keep in mind that this can also be highly subjective. Popular HubSpot apps like Asana are known for their high-rated user experience. PSOhub is another high-rated tool that people recommend because it’s so similar to the HubSpot interface.

5. Reviews

While it’s hard to know the UX of an app before you actually use it, you can garner a lot from verified online reviews. Definitely check out sites like G2 and Capterra, and better yet, go to the tool’s HubSpot app page which will have reviews left exclusively by HubSpot users. These people will have similar needs to your business and may be able to provide key insights into what it’s like actually using the software. 

6. Free trial

It can be difficult to get a real feel for a platform’s UX without trying it out for free, especially with something that’s so closely tied to the day-in, day-out functioning of a service business. Because project management will be something you use every day, you’ll want to make sure it’s as seamless as you want it to be with your HubSpot environment. Go ahead with a free trial before you commit to see if it’s going to be helpful or hurtful to your team’s productivity.

7. Affordability

Small businesses, in particular, need to be able to do more with less, without negatively impacting their customer experience. There are project management HubSpot apps that range from $0 to thousands of dollars per month, depending on the size of your team.

HubSpot + Project Management: Keep it together

You can use as many tools as you want to manage your projects, but it’s more effective to have a singular, more powerful solution in tow that seamlessly integrates with HubSpot. Do your homework. Check out the reviews on the HubSpot Marketplace. And see if getting a new project management tool might be a great decision for your team.