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Top 50: Marketing Automation

Written by Peter Devereaux | Mar 3, 2016 6:00:00 AM

Forged in the age of the digital experience and the product evolution of customer relationship management (CRM) and other business-focused technology solutions, marketing automation offerings have quickly become an essential part of the enterprise software stack and are enabling companies and brands to deliver and drive positive results more efficiently and effectively than ever before.

Marketing automation products essentially refer to software platforms that automate tasks associated with the customer journey - the path from initial awareness to the conversions that result over time.

The benefit of their use is that they enable today's enterprises to specify certain criteria and outcomes for consumer tasks and processes (e.g. what happens after downloading a sales brochure, sharing an update on social media platforms or purchasing a product), which are then interpreted, stored and executed by the software. This ultimately increases efficiency and reduces human error, improving the relationship between consumer and brand and accelerates the success (and happiness) of both.

The goals of using marketing automation for enterprises are often to increase and improve lead generation efforts through lead nurturing, campaign targeting, performance measurability, customer engagement and general productivity. Success with marketing automation is not without its challenges, of course. Despite the obvious value they provide, most brands suffer from lack of an effective strategy and struggle with the often complex nature of these systems. They also lack relevant content and have insufficient data as well as budget constraints. These are a few of the reasons adoption has yet to reach critical mass.

For example, marketing automation (including CRM and sales automation) is used by 42 percent of companies, while email marketing technology is used by 82 percent according to an Aug. 2015 study from Ascend2. For those enterprises looking to optimize the customer journey and maximize their investment in marketing (digital specifically), however, marketing automation arguably provides the best opportunity to do so today.

Explore 50 of the most powerful and popular offerings in this month's Top 50 list and then download Website Magazine's Marketing Automation Buyer's Guide at wsm.co/buyautomate to discover which of the many solutions is best suited to your enterprise.

Inside Top 50: Tech's Big Role

Acquisition and retention is increasingly driven by technology. Find out how at wsm.co/future411.

1. Salesforce.com

2. Adobe.com

3. Oracle.com

4. IBM.com

5. HubSpot.com

6. Infusionsoft.com

7. Marketo.com

8. Teradata.com

9. Icontact.com

10. Wishpond.com

11. Act-On.com

12. Percolate.com

13. Signpost.com

14. Azalead.com

15. Bronto.com

16. ActiveCampaign.com

17. Ontraport.com

18. GetSpokal.com

19. AutopilotHQ.com

20. Aptean.com

21. Aurea.com

22. SimplyCast.com

23. ThriveHive.com

24. CallidusCloud.com

25. SnapRetail.com

26. Salesfusion.com

27. GreenRope.com

28. ConvergeHub.com

29. NowBlitz.com

30. Net-Results.com

31. Iterable.com

32. LeadSquared.com

33. ClickDimensions.com

34. Etrigue.com

35. Marketing360.com

36. V12GroupInc.com

37. Hatchbuck.com

38. Attentive.ly

39. SignalEngage.com

40. RightOnInteractive.com

41. SharpSpring.com

42. Agillic.com

43. CommuniGator.co.uk

44. Genoo.com

45. Distribion.com

46. ConnectAndSell.com

47. Leadliaison.com

48. Inbox25.com

49. ActiveDemand.com

50. SalesPanda.com