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ActiveCampaign
by ActiveCampaign
by ActiveCampaign
Profile Information Last updated on: 6 August 2024
Profile Information Last updated on: 6 August 2024
We help make selecting a software for your business effortless, economical and efficient.
by ActiveCampaign
by ActiveCampaign
Profile Information Last updated on: 6 August 2024
Profile Information Last updated on: 6 August 2024
1. Initial Setup and Configuration: The first step involves setting up your ActiveCampaign account, which includes configuring basic settings such as user profiles, permissions, and integration with other tools. This setup is crucial for tailoring the software to meet specific business needs.
2. Data Migration: For businesses migrating from another platform, transferring existing customer data into ActiveCampaign is a critical step. This may involve importing contacts, leads, and other relevant data. ActiveCampaign provides tools and support to facilitate this process, ensuring data integrity and minimal disruption.
3. Customization and Workflow Creation: ActiveCampaign offers powerful customization options, allowing businesses to tailor the platform to their specific processes. This includes creating custom fields, tags, and automated workflows. The drag-and-drop interface makes it easy to design complex automation sequences tailored to various business operations.
4. Training and Onboarding: Proper training is essential for ensuring that all users are comfortable and proficient with the software. ActiveCampaign includes resources such as tutorials, webinars, and documentation to help new users learn how to use the platform effectively. Additionally, some businesses may opt for personalized training sessions to address specific needs.
5. Testing and Adjustment: Before fully launching ActiveCampaign, it’s important to test the system to ensure everything works as expected. This testing phase may involve running pilot campaigns and adjusting workflows as necessary based on the outcomes.
6. Go-Live and Ongoing Support: Once testing is complete and the system is configured correctly, the business can go live with ActiveCampaign. Ongoing support is available to address any issues that arise post-implementation, and businesses can continue to refine and expand their use of the platform over time.
1. Custom Integration Options: ActiveCampaign collects information during the signup process to offer customized integration options based on the user's industry type, number of employees, and other basic questions. This approach aims to enhance the user experience by tailoring the platform's setup to the specific needs of the business.
2. Custom Objects: ActiveCampaign allows for the creation of Custom Objects, which are unique data structures that enable businesses to define and organize custom data relevant to their operations. This feature extends data management capabilities beyond predefined objects like contacts and deals, allowing for a more comprehensive and tailored view of customer information. Custom Objects can be used in various practical use cases, such as real estate CRM systems for managing property listings, bug tracking in software development, membership management, and more.
3. Email Marketing Customization: ActiveCampaign provides a drag-and-drop editor for email campaigns, allowing for easy customization of emails with a personal touch. The platform offers over 125 pre-designed email templates, enabling users to find a design for any email need. Additionally, ActiveCampaign supports email personalization and segmentation, allowing businesses to send targeted emails based on specific actions or triggers.
4. Automation Hub: The platform serves as a task-doer, automating tasks to smoothen workflows. It features a visual automation builder that lets users create personalized customer journeys and targeted emails based on specific actions or triggers, efficiently nurturing leads throughout the sales funnel.
5. CRM Integration: ActiveCampaign integrates seamlessly with CRM systems, acting as the missing link that brings all customer data together. This integration makes life more organized and supports the management of customer relationships more effectively.
6. User-Friendly Interface: The platform is designed to be user-friendly, ensuring that businesses of all sizes can easily navigate and utilize its features without needing extensive technical knowledge. This accessibility is crucial for startups and smaller businesses that may not have dedicated IT support.
7. White-Label Feature: Regular businesses can utilize ActiveCampaign's white-label feature to customize the platform further, adding their own branding and messaging. This feature allows for a more branded experience when using the software.
8. Integration with 870+ Apps: ActiveCampaign integrates with over 870 apps, allowing businesses to connect their best-in-class tools with ActiveCampaign's powerful marketing automation capabilities. This extensive range of integrations enables businesses to build a complete customer experience by connecting software platforms for a seamless journey.
Setup Fees:
ActiveCampaign does not charge any setup fees. This includes free migration services for your contacts, workflows, and email templates, which is a significant cost-saving feature compared to some other platforms that may charge for these services.
Maintenance and Support Costs:
Ongoing maintenance and support costs should be considered when using CRM and marketing automation software. While ActiveCampaign itself does not explicitly mention ongoing maintenance fees, it is common in the industry to have associated costs for regular updates and technical support.
Premium support packages, which may include more in-depth assistance or faster response times, can also add to the overall cost. These are often available for an additional fee and provide enhanced support services beyond the standard offerings.
Training Fees:
ActiveCampaign offers training sessions and in-depth onboarding to help with the implementation process. While the source does not specify if these are included in the subscription or come at an additional cost, training sessions can sometimes be an extra expense in the CRM industry.
Hidden Fees:
The sources warn about potential hidden fees that can occur with CRM implementations. These might include charges for adding users, customization, data migration, staff overtime during implementation, minimum contract terms, ongoing training, and customer support. It's important for customers to ask clarifying questions to uncover any such hidden costs before finalizing a contract.
Premium Add-ons:
Additional costs can arise from premium add-ons that are not included in the base plan of the software. These could include advanced customization options, additional integrations, or enhanced analytics capabilities. Users should verify what is included in their chosen plan and what would entail additional charges.
1. ActiveTraining Webinars and Workshops: ActiveCampaign provides a series of live webinars and interactive workshops that cover key features of the platform. These sessions include topics such as basic account setup, contact management, segmentation, form strategy, campaign strategy, automation building, and CRM organization. The webinars are designed to help users quickly become proficient with both marketing and sales tools offered by ActiveCampaign.
2. Onboarding Services: For all paid customers, ActiveCampaign offers free onboarding services after completing ActiveTraining. This includes 1:1 virtual sessions with an onboarding team member, strategic planning, and guidance on using ActiveCampaign to achieve business goals. Additionally, there is a migration service that helps new users transfer their lists, templates, automations, and forms/landing pages from other platforms.
3. Education Center: The ActiveCampaign Education Center provides training, tutorials, and tips for using the account more effectively. It's a resource for ongoing learning and improvement, helping users grow their business with the platform.
4. Support Options: ActiveCampaign offers several support options including live chat, support email, and 1-1 calls. The 1-1 calls are particularly highlighted as a favorite feature, where ActiveCampaign will walk through issues with users on a Zoom call, including screen sharing and a recording if needed. These calls must be scheduled in advance.
5. Community Engagement: Users can join Facebook groups in their preferred language and connect with other users globally. This community engagement allows users to share knowledge about ActiveCampaign and ask questions, enhancing peer-to-peer support.
6. Free Training Resources: There are free training resources available, such as the ActiveCampaign Academy with Kay Peacey, which offers courses, resources, and expert advice to help users maximize their use of email marketing and automation features. This training is particularly beneficial for those who are new to ActiveCampaign or want to enhance their understanding of its capabilities.
1. Data Classification and Separation: ActiveCampaign classifies and restricts all customer data, prioritizing sensitive information. The platform uses a single tenancy architecture, meaning each customer's data is kept separate from others, enhancing data security.
2. Access Control: The platform ensures that personnel have the exact level of access required for their roles. User access is regularly audited, and data access is protected through multi-factor authentication, password control, keys, and adherence to best practices as per National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) requirements.
3. Secure Data Centers: ActiveCampaign utilizes secure, world-class data centers to store data. This infrastructure supports the separation and security of customer data.
4. Security in Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC): Security is integrated into every stage of the software development lifecycle at ActiveCampaign. Developers use security scanning tools and code analysis to address potential vulnerabilities, misconfigurations, and issues with open-source packaging.
5. Continuous Penetration Testing: The in-house Red Team at ActiveCampaign engages in continuous penetration testing, attempting to break their own production systems daily to identify and address potential security issues before they can be exploited.
6. Compliance with Major Regulations: ActiveCampaign complies with major data protection regulations such as GDPR, SOC 2, and HIPAA. This compliance ensures that the platform adheres to stringent standards for data privacy and security.
7. Incident Response and Breach Notification: ActiveCampaign has protocols in place to respond to security breaches. This includes notifying clients of any security breach and any third-party legal processes related to the breach, helping clients investigate, remediate, and take necessary actions as required by applicable law.
1. Frequency of Updates:
ActiveCampaign's updates are rolled out regularly. The platform's release updates page and other communications channels, such as blogs and emails, provide information on the latest changes and new features. This frequent update cycle helps in continuously improving the platform and addressing user feedback.
2. Management of Updates:
Communication: ActiveCampaign keeps its users informed about upcoming updates through various channels. This includes detailed blog posts, emails, and release notes that describe what's new or changed. This communication strategy ensures that users are well-prepared for any changes that might affect their workflows.
Training and Support:
Following updates, ActiveCampaign provides training and support to help users adapt to new features or changes. This might include webinars, detailed documentation, and direct support through customer service. This approach helps users to quickly leverage new functionalities to improve their marketing and sales efforts.
Testing and Feedback:
ActiveCampaign encourages feedback on new updates and features. This feedback is crucial for ongoing development and helps in refining features to better meet user needs. The platform often runs beta tests for major updates, allowing a subset of users to try new features before they are widely released.
3. Update Rollout Strategy:
Staged Rollouts: For some updates, especially significant ones, ActiveCampaign may use a staged rollout process. This means updates are first made available to a small group of users before a broader rollout. This strategy helps in identifying and addressing any issues in a controlled environment, minimizing the impact on all users.
4. User Customization and Integration:
Updates are also managed with consideration for user customization and integrations. ActiveCampaign ensures that updates do not disrupt existing user customizations or integrations with other platforms. This is crucial for maintaining a seamless user experience across all functionalities of the platform.
Data Ownership: According to the Conversations Terms and Conditions, customers retain ownership of all Contact Data and Customer Data they submit to the platform. ActiveCampaign processes this data solely to provide and maintain the Conversations Platform and related services to the customer and their contacts.
Data Portability: ActiveCampaign supports the right to data portability, which allows individuals to receive their personal data in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format. This right enables them to transfer their data to another service provider if they choose to do so. This is in compliance with Article 20 of the GDPR, which is specifically mentioned in their GDPR overview.
Processing and Transfer of Data: ActiveCampaign acts as a Data Processor for customer contact data, processing this data on behalf and under the instructions of the Data Controller (the customer). The platform ensures that any transfer of personal data to third countries or international organizations adheres to GDPR requirements, using mechanisms like the Privacy Shield or Standard Contractual Clauses to ensure the protection of data rights during transfer.
1. Flexibility and Responsiveness: Scaling a change management plan requires flexibility and responsiveness to evolving organizational needs. This involves adapting to feedback and changing environments, ensuring that the change management plan remains relevant and effective as conditions change.
2. Assessment of Readiness and Capacity: Before scaling up or down, it's crucial to assess the readiness and capacity of the organization. This includes analyzing the current state, the desired state, and identifying potential barriers, challenges, and opportunities that might affect the scaling process.
3. Clear Communication and Leadership Involvement: Effective scaling requires clear communication and active involvement from leadership. Leaders should champion the change, demonstrate commitment, and align their actions with the desired outcomes. This helps in managing the scale of change and ensuring that it aligns with organizational goals.
4. Understanding the Nature of Systems Change: Scaling involves understanding the extent, breadth, depth, and type of systems change required. This includes determining whether the changes are incremental, reformative, or transformative, and whether they affect one or multiple systems. The type of systems change (organizational or institutional) also influences the scaling strategy.
5. Resource Allocation: The resources available to support change, including financial and organizational resources, play a critical role in determining how to scale. The approach to scaling should align with the size, scope, and urgency of the problem as well as the resources available.
6. Stakeholder Involvement: Involving stakeholders in co-creating and co-delivering the change is essential. This includes empowering stakeholders to participate actively in the scaling process, which can enhance the effectiveness and acceptance of the change.
7. Measurement and Adaptation: Measuring the impact and effectiveness of the change is crucial. This involves defining and tracking key indicators and metrics to assess progress. Based on the feedback and data collected, the scaling strategy may need to be adapted to better meet the organizational needs and objectives.
Contract Renewal:
Automatic Renewal: ActiveCampaign operates on a subscription basis, typically billed monthly or annually. Subscriptions automatically renew unless the customer cancels before the next billing cycle.
Notification Period: Customers must give notice of cancellation before their next billing cycle begins to avoid being charged for another cycle.
Fee Changes: ActiveCampaign reserves the right to change fees or applicable charges and to institute new charges and fees upon thirty (30) days prior notice to the customer, which may be sent by email.
Contract Cancellation:
Cancellation Process: ActiveCampaign does not have a straightforward cancel button. Customers need to contact customer support to initiate the cancellation process. This can be done through the 'Contact Support' option within the 'Help' menu or by sending a direct cancellation request to ActiveCampaign’s support email address.
Refund Policy: ActiveCampaign generally does not offer refunds for cancellations partway through a billing cycle. Customers planning to cancel should be aware of this to avoid unwanted charges.
Data Recovery Post-Cancellation: It is important for customers to export all necessary information before proceeding with the cancellation, as databases, emails, campaigns, and other data might not be recoverable post-cancellation.
Confirmation of Cancellation: Customers should follow up on their cancellation request to ensure it is processed in a timely manner. Persistence is key to making sure the cancellation is acknowledged and confirmed by ActiveCampaign.
Options to Put Account on Hold:
Suspending Subscription: Suspending an ActiveCampaign subscription might be a better alternative to outright cancellation for those hoping to return. This option allows for greater flexibility and can save time and effort in reestablishing services later. Customers should review ActiveCampaign’s policy on pausing accounts, as not all subscription types may offer this feature
HIPAA Compliance: ActiveCampaign is HIPAA compliant but only for Enterprise users. This compliance is crucial for healthcare organizations that need to ensure the security of protected health information (PHI). ActiveCampaign offers security features that align with HIPAA regulations, such as multi-factor authentication (MFA) and audit controls. However, it's important for users to ensure they are using the software in a HIPAA-compliant manner, and ActiveCampaign is willing to sign a Business Associate Agreement (BAA) with its Enterprise clients.
GDPR Compliance: ActiveCampaign is heavily focused on GDPR compliance, ensuring that it adheres to the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation. This includes providing users with control over their data, supporting the right to data portability, and implementing various security measures to protect personal data.
SOC 2 Compliance: ActiveCampaign also meets SOC 2 compliance standards, which are related to the management of customer data based on five "trust service principles"—security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality, and privacy. This compliance demonstrates ActiveCampaign's commitment to maintaining high standards for data security and management.
By ActiveCampaign