What are my options for
converting Act! to HubSpot?
- Affordability: HubSpot offers a range of pricing plans, including free options for basic features. The cost will depend on the specific features and services you require.
- Correct approach: When it comes to transitioning to a new CRM, CRM vendors may emphasize the ease of using their import tools. However, it's important to note that the process is not always as simple as they make it sound. If you're only importing Contacts and Accounts/Companies, using the CRM vendor's tools may suffice. However, for migrating other data or functionalities, it's crucial to consider gathering additional resources or exploring alternative tools or professional services.
- Speed considerations: The speed of the migration process depends on several factors, such as the complexity and size of your data, as well as the availability of resources. It's difficult to provide an exact timeframe without specific details. Nevertheless, leveraging specialized migration tools or professional services that focus on CRM migrations can often expedite the process.
Option 1
Migrating myself
Although you have the option to transfer the data to HubSpot yourself, it's important to be aware that doing so without prior experience might present certain difficulties. The process may not be as straightforward as it appears, and there could be complexities involved that you may not anticipate.
Option 2
A wizard import tool or
an integration
You'll find great assistance in the form of ready-made software designed specifically for high-quality data transfer between CRM systems. It is meticulously designed to handle the intricacies and complexities involved in CRM data migration, ensuring the preservation of data integrity and a smooth transition between systems.
Option 3
A custom migration
Transferring your data into HubSpot requires significant effort, and entrusting this task to professionals can save you time and resources. Their expertise and knowledge will guarantee a smooth and efficient data migration, allowing you to focus on other crucial aspects of your business.
Option 1: Migrating myself and using the CRM vendor’s import tool
When it comes to data migration, it's crucial to acknowledge that data is continually evolving, and processes undergo frequent changes. This means that properties, fields, and structures are subject to additions, deletions, and mergers over time. If you decide to split your database, moving only a portion of the data while leaving the remaining 60% behind, it introduces significant risks and potential data loss. It's important to be mindful of the implications of such a decision.
To ensure a successful data migration, it's advisable to start by creating a comprehensive diagram that outlines your business processes, including all their elements and connections. This overview allows you to gain a holistic understanding of the information entered at each stage and the employees involved. It helps identify the categories of data that need to be meticulously transferred to the new CRM, while also identifying duplicates and irrelevant information that can be discarded.
It's essential to emphasize the importance of moving the data as a whole database, rather than in fragmented pieces. This approach minimizes the risks involved and prevents setbacks for your business. By maintaining the integrity of the data throughout the migration process, you can ensure a smoother transition to the new system and avoid potential complications.
Pro
BUT! This option is free and if that is important to you and you are okay with not importing activities and the rest, it is zero costs and the timeline is your own. This without a doubt is a major perk.
Con
The downside of this, other than bringing in the rest of your data, is you will be working with files of data, so make sure you know what you’re doing and feel comfortable that you are not jeopardizing the integrity of the data. Deleting rows of fields can get hairy, especially if there was something there your team needed or will need in the future, so make sure you always have them highlight what’s important to maintain.
Option 2: Migrating with a wizard import tool or an integration tool
Our service facilitates the swift transfer of data from Act! to HubSpot, completing the process in just a few hours. You don't need to possess technical knowledge as our service handles the entire migration effortlessly. By utilizing our service, you can experience a seamless transition of your data to the new CRM.
The service ensures the smooth transfer of various types of data, including products, leads, deals, events, and more, from your old CRM to HubSpot without any difficulties. Additionally, if you require the transfer of information to third-party systems, our service can accommodate that as well. We take care of the entire data transfer routine, including employee matching between systems, providing clear guidance on what data to transfer and how to transfer it, and ensuring the security of the migration while minimizing data loss.
With Trujay, you gain access to both your current and desired CRM systems. You can easily specify the field binding (mapping) and initiate the migration process. Our migration app is designed for your convenience and speed. It allows you to conduct multiple free random samples, giving you the opportunity to test the migration process in action. Trujay will transfer a limited amount of data to your new CRM, enabling you to evaluate the migration process and experience our service firsthand.
There is a robust procedure for importing data without coding skills. It does not require any software to be installed on the computer.
Pro
This option is still a level of DIY, which makes it a lower cost and the timeline is your own. Plus most of the Act! to HubSpot migration tools are connected to almost all of the standard objects you would want to migrate (emails, attachments, notes, products, calls, etc.)
Con
By doing it yourself, you will not have guidance. You’re moving into a new system here and re-design, starting fresh, understanding the logic/ functionality of the new system will not be here to aid you. Check to see if there is a level of professional services support to help you if you get stuck.
Step by Step screens of Trujay’s Self Service Migration Wizard
Option 3: A custom migration
Choosing a specialized company for data migration is the ideal option for ensuring a seamless transition. This doesn't imply that other options are incorrect, but entrusting the entire data migration process to experts will relieve you of the burden, allowing you to concentrate on crucial tasks such as training and configuring HubSpot.
Data is extensive and intricately interconnected, and relying on data experts or a dedicated partner who possesses in-depth knowledge of both Act! and HubSpot is highly recommended. Such professionals understand these systems inside out, enabling them to navigate the migration process effortlessly. By enlisting their expertise, you can save countless hours of effort and experience a smooth transition.
It's important to recognize that data migration is a complex task, and having specialists who handle such migrations regularly is invaluable. They will ensure your transition is as seamless as possible, freeing up your time to focus on the core aspects of your business. Considering the significance of data and its impact on your operations, entrusting the task to data migration experts is a wise decision.
Having a project manager or CSM guide you through the entire Act! to HubSpot migration process gives you time to consider things like fields/properties clean up, consolidation of pipelines or processes, automation, etc. Better yet the project manager/CSM can give you guidance on turning text fields into dropdown fields, so you can report more accurately on the data points you collect.
Pro
A custom migration allows you to truly customize: filter, move objects to different objects, merge data, de-duplicate, etc. The burden of the migration and integrity of the data will remain intact and not open up to risk as the data migration partner will/should be data experts. Some businesses can get caught up in migrating their own data for 6 months! You can find a data migration partner who can do it in 2-4 weeks, depending on your complexity.
Con
This option will cost more as you are paying for professional services. To thwart this, find a data migration partner who uses their own tools to automate a lot of the migration, therefore will have lower costs, and lower human effort.
FAQs
Knowledge Base
What is a Sample Migration?
Sample Migration is a process where we transfer a small part of your records (approximately 10% of all data) to the target CRM platform and estimate the price of a Full Data Migration. You can test our service using the Free Sample Import.
You can change options and rerun the sample migration as many times as you need.
How does Free Sample work?
During the Sample Migration, we take a part of your records and migrate them to your target CRM platform, along with relations between those records. The entire process may take up to 15 minutes; it depends on the specification of your CRMs.
What happens after the Sample Migration is complete?
Once complete, you can review the transferred records in the target platform. Evaluate the results to make sure they work for you.
What is a Guided Migration?
A guided migration provides you with a Trujay dedicated CSM that will complete all the mappings for you.
This is an excellent option for people that need an extra layer of support with their migration.
Included:
- Everything in Wizard
- Customer Success Manager
- Mapping Verification
- Quality Assurance
- 1 - 2 Week Delivery
What is a Record?
A Record is the data item that exists in the CRM's system
- 1 record = 1 Account/Task/Opportunity/Attachment/Note/Email, etc.
- 1 record = one entity of CRM data (no matter what type is it).
For example:
Your current CRM possesses:
- 1 account
- 2 tasks
- 3 emails
- 2 notes.
In summary you have 1 account + 2 tasks + 3 emails + 2 notes = 8 records.
What is a Delta Migration?
A delta migration is the final migration performed during your custom migration process.
It ensures that all the data you have requested to be migrated is transferred and your target CRM is up to date right before the launch.
You can clean up the data yourself in the Act! portal. This will require some effort and time on your side, however it will have no additional cost.
You can ask the data migration partner to filter the data on the way over. If you have identified bad data and can give the partner bullet points on what data you don’t want to migrate to HubSpot, they can write custom scripts to only migrate what you specify.
You can clean the data post-migration and should be relatively easy with HubSpot’s segmenting tools. Create the filters or custom views and then delete!
What are my options?
Act! to HubSpot: Objects
Act! Objects | HubSpot Objects | |
Companies | ➜ | Companies |
Calls | ➜ | Calls |
Contacts | ➜ | Contacts |
Meetings | ➜ | Meetings |
Notes | ➜ | Notes |
Opportunities | ➜ | Deals |
Product Services | ➜ | Deal Line Items |
Products | ➜ | Products |
To-dos | ➜ | Tasks |
Users | ➜ | Users |
Additional objects will need to be investigated for a Custom Migration
De-Duplicating
There are various de-duplication tools available that are all reasonably priced. Ask the data transfer partner if they can negotiate lower pricing for you because they most likely have partnerships in place.
Bad or Outdated Contacts
Using a tool like Neverbounce is great to identify which emails are invalid, unverified, or a catch-all email (hello@trujay.com or support@trujay.com). From there you can mark and remove those and these costs are pretty minimal as well.
“Great service with even greater customer service”
“Couldn't be happier, the team over there are top-notch. Ease of use with consistent delivery of product. Time from start to implementation should be communicated on the front end to set expectations.“
Ryan McConville
- President Marketing & Advertising at Kargo
“Trustworthy, effective and straight talking”
“Trujay are the people I call when I look at an implementation issue and think 'how on Earth could that issue be resolved.' They've completed fabulous work for us and our clients. Highly recommend.“
John Kelleher
- Chief Executive at ESM Inbound
“Great experience for a migration which use to keep me up at night”
“A migration between CRMs is a very painful process, you want to make sure that your sales teams are not going to lose critical information in the process badly affecting their results. With Trujay I planned the migration myself and they were ready to help me when I couldn't figures some parts out myself.“
Alexandre Gaudelet
- CEO at Hospitality Firm
Conclusion
We hope you've gained valuable insights into the Act! to HubSpot migration process.
Migrating storage systems, data to a third-party cloud infrastructure, databases, or applications is a multi-stage endeavor that requires meticulous control and monitoring. A successful CRM migration is characterized by a seamless user experience, where users can start their day, open the new program, and continue working without any disruptions. They shouldn't have to question the functionality of the new system or constantly refer back to the previous CRM for client history.
A simple export or import alone won't suffice in achieving a high-quality migration. It's necessary to transfer not just contact data and field values but also replicate all business processes, copy entities, and reproduce subordination schemes. This requires a clear and well-defined algorithm of actions to ensure a smooth and comprehensive migration.
Now that you're aware of three different approaches to tackle this challenge, you can choose the one that best suits your needs.
If you ever wish to discuss your Act! to HubSpot conversion in detail, please don't hesitate to reach out to us. We're available for a quick call to address any questions or concerns you may have.
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