Small and Mid-Sized Businesses Leave Marketo for Act-On to Deliver Results, Not Anxiety

PORTLAND, OR–(Marketwired – August 04, 2016) – Act-On Software, the leading provider of marketing automation for fast-growing businesses, today announced that customers of Marketo, a Vista company, are switching to Act-On to improve marketing performance more quickly and with significantly less resources and overhead. Businesses like investment firm Resolve Asset Management, payment solution provider BillingTree, and customer retention provider Bluenose recently left Marketo for Act-On. All of these companies cited Act-On’s easy-to-use interface, out-of-the-box functionality, powerful reporting, and world-class customer support as the reasons for leaving the Marketing Nation.

Today’s modern marketers want a marketing automation system that enables them to innovate faster without the constraints of IT or consultants, and they’re finding it in Act-On. The G2 Crowd Report scores Act-On higher than Marketo in every platform rating category, including usability, setup, maintenance, and support — factors which matter greatly to fast-growing businesses like BillingTree. Chad Ashbaugh, BillingTree’s marketing manager, recognized that Act-On had both the power and intuitive interface he needed. And he saw its user-friendly design and dedicated customer support as a sign that Act-On cared about his success.

“One of the biggest reasons we chose Act-On is for its ease-of-use,” Chad said. “Act-On’s templates for landing pages and emails are simple to implement and edit without any HTML expertise. Act-On’s pricing model fits our small-medium business much more effectively than Marketo’s, and Act-On’s customer support was far more personable and accessible.”

Resolve Asset Management also left Marketo because they viewed Act-On as a long-term partner invested in their future success. Emerging businesses like Resolve have small marketing teams that can’t afford to waste time troubleshooting issues generated by complicated marketing automation systems. Ani Yildirim, Resolve’s director of marketing programs and communications, experienced these hassles firsthand when the company’s founders brought her on a year after purchasing Marketo. They had wanted the system in place before they opened their doors, but even after hiring an outside Marketo consultant, they struggled to make it work efficiently — until Ani recommended they switch to Act-On.

“Marketo is difficult to leverage unless you have an in-house developer and a full-time marketing operations person maintaining it,” she said. “Having to run Marketo reduced the time I actually spent as a marketer. Everything is much calmer with Act-On, and their support staff is incredible — they’re like my extended marketing team. Act-On is ideal for young companies that want to quickly build their business. Marketo pulls people into a dark forest, and then abandons you when you get lost.”

Act-On’s reporting capabilities provide easy access to a wealth of insights about marketing performance. The G2 Crowd survey also rated Act-On higher than Marketo in Basic Reporting, as well as in every analytics category, including Web, ROI, Revenue, and SEO/Keyword. Keri Keeling, Bluenose’s vice president of customer success and operations, knew she wanted to replace Marketo two weeks after she started using it, and appreciates how much easier it is to measure the performance of her campaigns in Act-On.

“With Marketo, I felt like I had to spend an entire day doing something I should be able to accomplish with three clicks,” Keri said. “Act-On has given me the freedom to work faster and with greater independence. I love that Act-On provides a dashboard of my results that’s easy to digest, and the option to click through for a deeper view. When our CEO and I reviewed the results of our first email, it was like Christmas.”

Marketo’s recent acquisition by Vista Equity Partners is likely fueling the exodus as well. Customers worry that the Vista acquisition will negatively impact Marketo’s product roadmap and customer service, and they’re probably right.

“We understand why enterprises of all sizes are leaving Marketo, and we’re proud they’re embracing Act-On and thrilled they’re rediscovering their love of marketing,” said Kevin Bobowski, Act-On’s chief marketing officer. “When a marketing automation system is too complex, it stifles innovation and performance. But when it has powerful features and a modern design, it serves as the engine that transforms a business. Act-On’s goal is to put the fun back in marketing, and the power back in the hands of marketers. We’re here to help our customers do the best work of their careers.”

About Act-On Software

Act-On Software is a marketing automation company delivering innovation that empowers marketers to do the best work of their careers. Act-On is the only integrated workspace that powers the customer experience from end-to-end, from brand awareness and demand generation, to retention and loyalty. With Act-On, marketers can drive better business outcomes and see higher customer lifetime value. Act-On is squarely focused on the success of its customers and offers consultant-level quality with everyday customer support. Act-On has been recognized for its superior product and rapid business growth by Deloitte, Forbes, and Inc. Magazine. For more information, visit Act-On Software

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