Technical HubSpot Consulting

How a Seamless HubSpot Migration Reduced Labor Intensive Tasks By 20%

MS 25 | Case Study - Cars.com

About the Client

Cars.com is a prestigious and reputable online automotive marketplace that connects car shoppers with local dealers across the United States. With millions of online visitors each month, Cars.com provides a wealth of resources, reviews, and tools for both car buyers and sellers.

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Solution
Complex Data Migration, Full Stack Integrations, and Customized HubSpot Solutions.

Industry
Online automotive marketplace

Timeline
November 2023 - Present

HubSpot Products
HubSpot Sales Hub, HubSpot CRM

 


Situation

A Disjointed & Inefficient Tech Stack

Cars.com was struggling with an outdated and disjointed Salesforce-based tech stack. On one side, they had two instances of Salesforce Marketing Cloud, and on the other, they had two instances of Salesforce Pardot.
That’s four instances operating individually in a disconnected ecosystem of sales and marketing platforms. This caused severe inefficiencies and data silos. These challenges prevented Cars.com from executing cohesive and measurable marketing and sales strategies built on reliable data. 

Cars.com recognized that their situation was untenable. To solve this problem, they partnered with Mole Street to develop a new systems architecture to enable full alignment across sales and marketing functions with a single instance of the HubSpot Customer Platform. 

 

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Limited Automation Flexibility

Salesforce Marketing Cloud´s strict limits on triggers and frequencies hindered marketing automation.

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Complex Attribution & Reporting

Salesforce´s complex and manual attribution reporting obscured the complete customer journey. 

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Manual Processes

Lead tracking and attribution required extensive manual work, increasing operational burden and error risk.

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Disjointed Systems

Managing multiple instances of Salesforce Marketing Cloud, Pardot, and CRM created data silos and inefficiencies.

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Lack of integrated CRM Functionality

Salesforce Marketing Cloud´s absence of CRM features made linking to marketing activities to sales outcomes difficult.


Goal

Unify the Marketing & Sales Ecosystem

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Enhance Automation

Improve automation capabilities to increase flexibility and efficiency in marketing campaigns. 

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Integrate CRM Functionality

Combine CRM features to link marketing activities with sales outcomes.

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Simplify Attribution & Reporting

Make reporting processes more straightforward and accurate to track the customer journey.

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Eliminate Data Silos

Consolidate multiple instances into a unified platform to ensure seamless data integration. 

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Reduce Manual Efforts 

Minimize manual work required for lead tracking and attribution to lower operational burden and errors.

Scope of Work

Implementing a Comprehensive Migration to HubSpot’s Customer Platform:

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Migrate Data from Salesforce Marketing Cloud & Pardot

Review and map existing data architecture to transfer clean and accurate data into a unified marketing platform. The process involved mapping Salesforce objects (Leads, Contacts, Accounts, Opportunities, Products) to HubSpot objects (Contacts, Companies, Deals, Products)

Goal: Ensure data integrity and seamless migration to HubSpot.

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Implement HubSpot Marketing Enterprise & Onboard Teams

Set up initial accounts, integrate HubSpot with current systems, and rebuild email marketing and automation processes from Salesforce Marketing Cloud and Pardot within HubSpot. The objective was to ensure a seamless transition to HubSpot´s Marketing Hub Enterprise.

Goal: Equip the marketing team with the necessary tools and training for effective and efficient use. 

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Set Up Bi-Directional  Integration Between 

Configure and optimize the integration to ensure real-time data synchronization between the HubSpot and Salesforce CRMs.  Map relevant objects and properties to establish data syncing rules and support ongoing marketing and sales activities.

Goal:  Ensure consistent and up-to-date information across platforms.

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Automate Workflows in HubSpot

Implement and optimize workflows in HubSpot to automate repetitive tasks and boost efficiency. 

Goal: Streamline processes such as lead nurturing, follow-ups, and data updates.

 

 

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Provide Ongoing Technical Support for HubSpot Optimization.

Offer assistance with platform optimization, troubleshooting, and continuous improvement initiatives to ensure that Cars.com  fully leverages HubSpot capabilities.

Goal: Provide ongoing technical support to maximize the effectiveness of the HubSpot platform. 

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Conduct Personalized HubSpot Training Sessions for Internal Team

Conduct comprehensive training sessions focused on key features such as email marketing, marketing automation, and CRM integration, tailored to the specific needs and roles of Cars.com team members. 

Goal: Empower the Cars.com team with the knowledge and skills to effectively use HubSpot


Solution

Technical HubSpot Consulting

Building a Unified Cars.com Systems Architecture on the HubSpot Platform

A series of discovery calls were conducted to understand Cars.com’s existing infrastructure, challenges, and specific needs. This was crucial for identifying the pain points and objectives of the migration project.

With this information, the Mole Street team created a tailored and comprehensive project plan. Timelines, resources, and key milestones were clearly defined to ensure a smooth migration from a disjointed Salesforce Marketing Cloud and Salesforce Pardot to a single, unified HubSpot instance.

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Seamless Data Integration for Improved Accuracy

Once implemented, our solution consolidated all disparate data sources into a single, unified platform. This eliminated data silos, ensuring seamless data integration and enhancing overall data accuracy.

Leveraging Native Integration: Utilized HubSpot´s robust native integration with Salesforce CRM to facilitate a seamless and efficient data sync between the two platforms. This approach minimized the risk of data loss and ensured a consistent data flow. 

Comprehensive Data Migration: Migrated all standard and custom object and field data from Salesforce CRM to HubSpot. This included detailed mapping of fields of fields and objects to ensure all relevant data was accurately transferred.

Data Cleaning and Validation: Ensured all data was cleaned and validated before migration to maintain data integrity and accuracy. 


Enhanced Automation for Increased Efficiency

By leveraging HubSpot´s advanced automation capabilities, we improved the flexibility and efficiency of Cars.com marketing campaigns. This allowed for sophisticated lead nurturing, follow-ups, and data updates, significantly reducing data labor. 

Workflow Automation Setup: Implemented and optimized workflows in HubSpot to automate processes such as lead nurturing, follow-ups, and data updates. The flexibility of HubSpot´s automation triggers and criteria provided Cars.com with improved marketing efficiency and reduced manual effort.


Unified CRM Functionality for Better Sales Outcomes

Integrating CRM features in HubSpot linked marketing activities directly with sales outcomes. This unification allowed for real-time data synchronization, ensuring consistent and up-to-date information across platforms.

Data Architecture Review: Conducted a thorough review of Cars.com´s existing data architecture within Salesforce. This involved mapping Salesforce Objects (Leads, Contacts, Accounts, Opportunities, Products) 


Continuous Collaboration for Adaptable Solutions 

We maintained regular and open communication with the Cars.com team, adapting our approach as needed. This ensured that any emerging challenges were promptly addressed and the project stayed on track, leading to successful completion and continuous improvement. 

Strong Communication: Maintained regular and open communication with the cars.com team throughout the project. This collaboration ensured that any emerging challenges were promptly addressed and that the project stayed on track. 

Adaptation to requirements: Adapted to the project plan and approach as needed to accommodate evolving requirements and ensure the successful completion of the migration. 


Customized Solutions for Personalized Marketing

Integrating custom objects and managing new data types within HubSpot enhanced Cars.com´s marketing capabilities. This customization allowed for more personalized and targeted marketing efforts, leading to better engagement and outcomes.

Custom Object Integration: Integrated custom objects and managed new data types within HubSpot to enhance Cars.com´s marketing capabilities. This customization allowed for more personalized and targeted marketing efforts.


Simplified Attribution and Reporting for Clear Insights

Our approach simplified the reporting processes, making them more straightforward and accurate. This enabled Cars.com to track the complete customer journey from initial contact to a closed sale, providing clear insights into marketing performance. 


Ongoing Technical Support for Continuous Improvement

Our team delivered continuous technical support to address any issues or questions that arose during and after the migration. This ongoing assistance ensured that Cars.com could fully leverage HubSpot´s capabilities. 

Continuous Improvement Initiatives: Identified and implemented continuous improvement initiatives to optimize the use of HubSpot and ensure Cars.com fully leveraged the platform´s features.


Additional Tasks

New Data Types Management: Ensured that new data types were correctly integrated and utilized within HubSpot, further enhancing Cars.com´s marketing capabilities.


Results

A Consolidated Tech Stack that Reduced Manual Labor by 20%


 

"Mole Street´s expertise in Salesforce migration and CRM data integration has been invaluable to our marketing efforts. Their dedication to delivering exceptional results has made them a trusted partner in driving our success."

 

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Jacob Wittler 

Sr. Director Solutions Marketing, Cars.com

No longer does Cars.com have to chase leads, suffer from inconsistent data quality, and grapple with complex reporting processes. The migration created a ripple effect of benefits, including: 


Seamless Data Integration for Improved Accuracy

  • Unified data sources,  eliminating silos, and enhancing data accuracy
  • Efficient data sync between HubSpot and Salesforce, minimizing data loss.
  • Accurate transfer of standard and custom data with detailed mapping. 
  • Maintained data integrity through cleaning and validation.

Enhanced Automation for Increased Efficiency

  • Improved marketing campaign efficiency with advanced automation
  • Automates lead nurturing, follow-ups, and data updates, reducing manual effort

Unified CRM Functionality for Better Sales Outcome

  • Real-time data synchronization linking marketing to sales outcomes
  • Mapped Salesforce data to HubSpot for consistent information flow

Customized Solutions for Personalized Marketing

  • Enhanced marketing capabilities with custom objects and new data types

Simplified Attribution & Reporting for Clear Insights

  • Simplified reporting processes for complete customer journey tracking
  • Clear insights into marketing performance for informed decisions

Continuous Collaboration for Adaptable Solutions

  • Regular communication and adaptive approach to address challenges
  • Continuous improvement initiatives to optimize HubSpot usage

Comprehensive Training & Support for Optimal Utilization

  • Personalized training on key HubSpot features, empowering the marketing team
  • Continuous technical support for optimal platform utilization

Ongoing Technical Support for Continuous Improvement

  • Ongoing support for continuous platform improvement
  • Implemented initiatives to fully leverage HubSpot features.

 

If you want to experience the same success as our client´s team at Cars.com, then schedule a call with our team today.