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Top 10 HubSpot Features in BETA That You Should Start Using Now

By Arthur Rojas

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Top 10 HubSpot Features in BETA That You Should Start Using Now
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Approaching the final quarter of 2024, HubSpot continues to lead the way in innovation, consistently pushing boundaries and introducing dynamic updates to meet the diverse needs of all users. With a focus on enhancing user experience and addressing the evolving requirements of businesses, HubSpot's latest developments are meant to transform the operations of marketing, sales, and service teams. The Cat Media team has curated a list of the top 10 most exciting BETA features from HubSpot, both publicly available and soon to be live for all portals. Let's uncover these updates together.

 

1. Lead Scoring Builder

What is it?

Lead scoring is the process of assigning values, often in the form of numerical "points," to each lead you generate for the business. You can score your leads based on multiple attributes, including the qualifying information they've submitted to you and how they've engaged with your website and brand online and offline. This process helps sales and marketing teams prioritise leads, respond to them appropriately, and increase the rate at which those leads become customers.

The Lead Scoring tool gives you the power to create scores that help you easily pinpoint and prioritise your most promising leads on a large scale. This robust scoring solution allows you to determine which leads are worth the focus of your Marketing and Sales teams:

  • Utilise a score builder that offers the flexibility needed to tailor the perfect score for your business based on your leads' actions, campaign engagements, and demographic insights.
  • Create engagement scores to gauge a contact's level of interaction and fit scores to assess how well a contact aligns with your ideal customer profile based on their demographic or firmographic details.
  • Access score reporting to gain valuable insights into the factors influencing a specific score and track how a contact's score evolves over time (coming soon).

Why does it matter?

It's crucial for marketing teams to easily identify and prioritise the best leads. Companies are facing challenges in converting visitors into leads and leads into customers, with declining conversion rates and lower lead quality. Sales teams are dealing with longer sales cycles and pursuing deals that may not be the right fit, leading to wasted time and resources. Understanding which leads to focus on and why is essential today, and implementing an effective lead scoring solution can address this issue.
 

How does it work?

Previously, to implement a lead scoring system in HubSpot, you had to create lists based on behaviour and fit and then use those lists to build the score using a scoring property. This involved adding positive and negative values to qualify leads and a lot of workflows. Now, with the new Lead Scoring feature, these steps are streamlined. Let's explore how to build your scoring system with the new builder.
  • Navigate to Marketing -> 'Lead Scoring.'
  • To create a new score, click 'Create a score.'
  • Now you can select which type of score you want to create:
    • a contact engagement score that measures your contact's level of engagement based on their behaviour and interactions
    • or a contact fit score that measures how well aligned they are with your ideal customer based on their demographic or firmographic criteria
    • then click 'Create a score'
 
Source: HubSpot

  • On the next screen, you can start selecting events and properties to build your score:
    • Events such as CTA clicks, marketing email opens or form submissions for your engagement scores,
    • or contact properties such as annual revenue, company size or location for your fit scores.
  • Once you have chosen an event, you can determine the specific number of points that it or a group of events should receive.

Source: HubSpot

 

  • All events contribute to a default maximum of 100 points. In terms of engagement scores, you have the option to score it each time an event occurs or set a limit on the number of points.
  • Additionally, for engagement scores, you can establish a score decay, where the score for each event gradually decreases over time based on the percentage you set. This feature is particularly useful if you want to prioritise recent engagement over past interactions.
  • Once you have completed setting up your score, simply click on 'Review and turn on'.
  • On the following screen, you can configure exclusions for contacts you prefer not to score and customise the property where the score will be recorded.
  • Upon activation, the system will begin calculating the value for all contacts, excluding those that have been excluded, and storing it in the designated property.
  • Subsequently, you can utilise your score in various ways, such as in workflows or lists.

 

Negative points are typically used to exclude certain types of leads from being scored. E.g. if you want to make sure that someone from a competitor company who has been checking out your website doesn't get a really high score and isn't forwarded as a lead to your sales team. HubSpot has now made it easier to exclude specific leads from being scored by allowing you to exclude up to 5 lists from your score (you can do that in the settings tab). This way you will be able to keep your score clean and focus only on positive attributes that you want to score and manage exclusions separately.  Also, by not having negative scores, you prevent potential leads from getting to impossible to recover from the score.

Source: HubSpot

 

Who gets it? - Available in BETA to Marketing Pro and Marketing Enterprise

 

 

2. Company Health Score Builder

Source: HubSpot

What is it?

The company health score is a cutting-edge tool that empowers customers to assess properties and activities performed by contacts and consolidate them into a score on the company record, which is then stored for reference. By creating a health score in the Customer Success workspace, you can identify trends or potential risks within your customer base. This score can help your teams analyse data about individual companies so you can efficiently grade customers based on the score you've tailored to your business's priorities.

 

Why does it matter?

Customer success teams are eager to pinpoint trends, opportunities, and challenges within their customer base. Despite having a wealth of information on how customers interact with their company, they feel they are not utilising it effectively. Customer Success teams require assistance in consolidating and analysing data points about individual companies in an automated fashion to discern which customers are deriving significant value and which ones may be at risk of churning.
 

How does it work?

 Within the customer success workspace, administrators have the ability to access the settings menu and navigate to the Health Score tab. Here, they can establish threshold values ranging from 0 to 100 for identifying at-risk, neutral, and healthy customers. Additionally, they can specify which companies qualify for this score based on lists and company properties. Administrators can also determine how contact activities and properties contribute to the overall company score, whether through minimum, maximum, sum, or average calculations.
 
Source: HubSpot

 

Subsequently, administrators can define their score rules by selecting events or properties associated with contacts and company records. Each rule can be assigned a weight, and administrators can preview the score before implementing it.

Source: HubSpot

Once activated, eligible companies will receive a score reflecting their current status, displayed as both a numerical value and a health indicator (e.g., at-risk, neutral, healthy). These properties can be easily accessed on the company record, added to the index page, and seamlessly integrated within the customer success workspace.

Who gets it? - Available in Private BETA to Service Pro and Service Enterprise.
 
 

3. Perform Company Research on CRM Records

What is it?

Users now have the capability to incorporate a Company Research card onto their Company record page through Settings. This card provides access to AI-generated summaries of a company's competitors, technology stack, and company news.
 
 Source: HubSpot

 

Why does it matter?

In today's digital landscape, customers dedicate valuable time to researching companies online to enhance their preparedness for customer interactions and prospecting tasks. The Company Research card empowers users to access company news, competitor insights, and technology stack details directly from Company records. This streamlined process boosts user efficiency, enabling them to swiftly establish context and allocate more time to their core responsibilities.
 
 Source: HubSpot
 
 

How does it work?

  • Add the Company Research Insights card to your Company record page
    • Go into Settings > Data Management > Objects > Companies
    • Click Record Customization > Select a view
    • Click Add Cards > Standard Cards
    • Select the Company research Insights card
    • Save and exit
  • Navigate to the Company Research Insights card on your company record page
  • Explore the 3 prompts:
    • Retrieve Company News
    • Find Competitors
    • List tech this company uses
Who gets it? - Available in BETA to all hubs and tiers.
 
 

4. CRM Development Tools to build UI Extensions with REACT as Frontend

What is it?

Developers who have access to Sales or Service Hub Enterprise can now leverage CRM development tools to create UI extensions (custom cards) using a new technology stack with REACT as the front end. These extensions can be showcased on either the middle column tab or the sidebar of the record page.

e7700453-34e6-4c37-8da9-8f0d62c5594b

Source: HubSpot
 
Why does it matter?
 
This allows developers to unleash their creativity and build custom cards that not only offer flexibility, dynamism, and interactivity but also provide a truly immersive user experience. By leveraging React as the front end, customers can now enjoy fully customised interfaces that seamlessly align with HubSpot's renowned UX standards. This opens up a world of possibilities for businesses to create intricate integrations and streamline multi-step processes within HubSpot, ultimately addressing their specific needs and propelling their growth and success. With this innovative technology stack, the sky's the limit for creating tailored solutions that elevate user experience and drive business outcomes.

 

How does it work?

The UI extensions use React as the front end and continue to use server-less functions as the back end, making them a full-stack solution. They are conveniently hosted on HubSpot, eliminating the need for developers to search for a hosting platform. By using React on the front end, developers can tap into their existing skills and take advantage of the active front-end development ecosystem to master the tools.

UI extensions are also backed by a complete development process for building and deploying, along with a seamless full-stack local development experience. This seamless workflow is facilitated by the CRM development tools currently in public beta, accessible through a centralised homepage and navigation.

Dev homepage

Source: HubSpot

 

Who gets it? - Available in BETA to Sales Enterprise and Service Enterprise. To access CRM Development tools, Super Admin access is required.

 

5. Figma Design Kit for UI Components

This rollout is dependent on the public beta for UI extensions with CRM development tools
 
Source: HubSpot
 

What is it?

This new Figma Design Kit serves as a visual guide for UI components in React-based custom cards. It assists developers and designers in planning their custom card designs, enabling them to delve into deeper customisations. The tool is essential for creating demos and proposals to effectively communicate the possibilities of UI Extensibility to stakeholders. Teams can now collaborate on mocks and brainstorm designs with customers even before the development process begins.
 
Sneak peek of what this kit contains:
 
 
Source: HubSpot
 
 

Why does it matter?

  • Users will have the opportunity to plan the design for custom cards
  • Enhance communication of UIE possibilities with stakeholders
  • Access all current components, variants, and visual states in the Figma tool
  • Effortlessly duplicate components from HubSpot's Figma library for editing
  • Clearly identify customisable aspects of the UI components.
 

How does it work?

After gaining access to the Figma kit, you should feel free to duplicate it and start working on your designs. HubSpot will also allow you to refer to the original Figma Design Kit for the latest updates and the most accurate information.
 
Who gets it? - Available in Private BETA to Sales and Service Enterprise subscriptions.
 
HubSpot plans to release this to a limited number of developers initially as a preview to validate that the Figma kit meets their requirements.
 
 

6. Sales Workspace

What is it?

HubSpot has transformed the Prospecting Workspace into the Sales Workspace, offering a comprehensive platform for sales professionals to manage their entire sales pipeline and successfully close deals. This upgraded workspace caters to BDRs, Account Executives, and full-cycle reps, empowering them to streamline their sales activities efficiently.
 
Source: HubSpot
 

Why does it matter?

Today, sales professionals are tasked with generating pipelines to meet their sales goals. Whether it's the primary focus for BDRs or part of the responsibilities for AEs, the Sales Workspace from HubSpot streamlines both pipeline generation and deal-closing activities in one convenient location. This empowers sales teams to prioritise impactful sales actions and achieve their goals without the need to navigate through multiple CRM pages.
 

How does it work?

The updated Sales Workspace by HubSpot includes a handful of new capabilities:
 
  • Guided Actions in the updated Sales Workspace diligently follow buyer interactions, oversee lead and deal information throughout HubSpot, and provide sales representatives with a strategic list of prioritised tasks to enhance pipeline development and deal closures.
 Source: HubSpot
 
  • Deals provide sales representatives with an efficient method to handle their active opportunities, prepare for meetings, and follow up in a focused manner.
 Source: HubSpot
 
 
  • Selling Queues provide sales professionals with an enhanced execution experience, allowing them to swiftly gain insight into their leads or deals, take decisive actions, and advance relationships seamlessly.

Source: HubSpot

 
In the upcoming months, HubSpot will unveil a range of new features for the Sales Workspace, aiming to boost the efficiency and effectiveness of sales representatives.
 
Who gets it? - Available in BETA to Sales Enterprise and Sales Pro.
 
 
 

7. Meeting Assistant

What is it?

HubSpot's brand-new Meeting Assistant will help sales representatives prepare for their upcoming meetings within the Prospecting Workspace.
 
Prep button on a meetingSource: HubSpot
 
The meeting preparation area offers comprehensive attendee details, ensuring the rep is well-informed about who they will be meeting. It also suggests helpful activities for preparation, providing valuable insights for your upcoming conversation, including details about the company/contact you are meeting with, a summary of their CRM record, their current technology stack, and recent engagements.
 
The meeting prep arenaSource: HubSpot
 
Use ChatSpot's integrated features to enhance your capabilities further! Streamline communication with attendees who have yet to confirm their meeting attendance by using shortcuts, effectively reducing the risk of no-shows.
 
CopilotSource: HubSpot
 
Meeting insights provide a comprehensive overview of past interactions, ensuring that you are up to date with leads who have previously engaged with your company. Additionally, they offer valuable information on any challenges and opportunities that may benefit both your representative and your company.
 
Meeting insightsSource: HubSpot
 
The Meeting Assistant also identifies any necessary follow-up tasks after the meeting, including reminders to jot down notes and send a post-meeting email before concluding the interaction. For portals utilising HubSpot Calling with transcriptions/recording features enabled, the Meeting Assistant will summarise the call. Additionally, it offers the convenience of utilising AI content generation to promptly send a personalised follow-up email based on your recent discussion.
 
Follow-up actionsSource: HubSpot
 

Why does it matter?

Being ready for a meeting can truly impact its success, but getting prepared can feel overwhelming. Following up on meetings and taking action is crucial for advancing opportunities, yet it can be time-consuming and easily forgotten. HubSpot's Meeting Assistant leverages CRM context and lead history to assist representatives in preparing for upcoming discussions and efficiently following up post-meeting.
 

How does it work?

  1. Navigate to the Prospecting Workspace > Schedule tab.
  2. Click on an upcoming meeting to prepare for it.
  3. Click on a past meeting to log meeting outcomes and begin follow-up activities.
Who gets it? - Available in BETA to Sales Enterprise and Sales Pro.
 
 

8. Allbound Timeline Card on Record Pages

What is it?

The new allbound timeline card revolutionises the way users track and visualise activities on their records. With a calendar layout, users can effortlessly review past interactions, gauge engagement levels, and access key activities without the need to switch tabs or endlessly scroll through timelines. This innovative feature not only streamlines the process but also categorises outbound and inbound interactions, providing valuable insights into how prospects and customers are responding to outreach efforts. By offering a clear and concise overview of all activities, users can make informed decisions and take prompt actions to nurture relationships and drive successful outcomes.
 Source: HubSpot
 
Users can also delve into and expand each activity to view more details and stay in sync with their workflow.
Source: HubSpot
 

Why does it matter?

This time-saving feature is designed to boost productivity, in line with the customer feedback highlighting the importance of efficiently analysing timeline data for both prospecting and managing established accounts with extensive timeline entries. Managers will also benefit from this card, as it allows them to evaluate sales reps' performance and identify areas for potential improvement.
 

How does it work?

You can add the allbound timeline card to the record middle column using the page editor: Go to settings > Objects > Record customization > Choose a view > Add cards > Select "Allbound timeline."
 Source: HubSpot
 
You can interact with the Allbound timeline card in the following ways:
  • Filters:
    • All time: select a date range, e.g. this week, this month, custom date range
    • All activities: select which activities to display
    • Activity assigned to: select the HubSpot user involved in the activity
    • HubSpot Team: select HubSpot team involved in the activity
    • Clear all: clears selected filters
  • Date navigation: Use arrow buttons, horizontal scrolling, or "Today" button to navigate the calendar
  • Full content panel: click on an activity to see the content of the activity
  • Hover: if there are multiple activities on a day, you can hover to see what activities are included
Who gets it? - Available to all hubs and tiers in BETA.
 
 

9. Build App Cards (UI extensions) for Help Desk Ticket Sidebar

What is it?

This update depends on the public beta for UI extensions with CRM development tools.
 
Private app developers can build UI extensions for help desk workspace ticket sidebars to fill in the needs of integrations or custom functionality. This improves the productivity of your support teams by giving them the right information in the right place and also enabling them to take action from there without hopping around.
 
Source: HubSpot
 
Users can easily access the app cards built for the help desk sidebar from both the ticket list page and when viewing a specific ticket within the help desk. Simply click "preview" when hovering over a ticket, or use the "more information" button in the upper right corner to expand or collapse the sidebar.
 
Helpdesk sidebar
Source: HubSpot
 

How does it work?

Developers creating UI extensions for apps can set the location as 'helpdesk.sidebar' to provide extensions for help desk ticket sidebars. Admins can then easily add these cards to the necessary views using help desk customisation settings according to their requirements.
 
Who gets it? - Available in BETA to Sales & Service Hub Enterprise.
 

 

10. Multi-Step Forms

What is it?

Multi-Step Forms revolutionises the way forms are designed, addressing the common issue of form abandonment by simplifying longer forms into digestible sections. By breaking down the form into manageable parts, visitors are guided through a seamless process that not only enhances user experience but also boosts completion rates.  Website visitors are more likely to complete shorter segments of a form than a long, daunting single page. This incremental approach can significantly improve conversion rates. 

 

How does it work?

Users can easily design forms with a single step, adjust the number of steps as required, and effortlessly rearrange fields and content between steps.

Source: HubSpot
 
Who gets it? - Available in BETA to all paid subscriptions.

 

How to Opt your HubSpot account into a BETA feature?

As a super admin within your HubSpot account, you have the opportunity to explore a list of upcoming beta features and select which ones to test out on the Product Updates page. This page serves as your ultimate resource for staying informed about the latest HubSpot product enhancements and releases, providing early access options for participating in public and private betas.
 
To access the Product Updates page and sign up for beta features or view upcoming product updates, simply click on your profile picture in the top right corner and select 'Product updates'.
 
The upcoming months hold a wealth of exciting HubSpot updates that are set to transform the user experience, enhance customer satisfaction, boost sales efficiency, and elevate overall service quality.
 
These enhancements aim to simplify and enhance the HubSpot navigation experience, allowing you to concentrate on what truly matters - fostering strong marketing relationships, stronger customer service and achieving successful outcomes. Which of these updates are you most excited about?
Share your thoughts and get prepared to take your HubSpot experience to new heights!

 

 

Tags: marketing, HubSpot CMS, Revenue Operations, Marketing Hub, HubSpot Mobile, HubSpot