Frequently Asked Questions

Why would I work with CDI and not go direct to a vendor like Marketo? Won't I pay more for Marketo if I go through CDI?

First, you won't pay any more for Marketo technology by going through CDI. As a Marketo authorized agency partner, we can offer the software at the same price you would pay were you to work directly with Marketo.

Working with CDI to implement a lead nurturing solution is ideal for companies who are:

	Limited by resources or bandwidth from fast, complete, or effective implementation of a lead nurturing program, and/or
	In need of best practices, strategic counsel, or expert creative resources to help design an effective lead management strategy

Marketo is great technology, and relatively easy to use, but the software doesn't write emails or design landing pages for you, and it doesn't advise you on tone, content, offer strategy, frequency and the other critical factors that make for a successful and effective lead management program.

I already have marketing automation software in house but I need help with lead nurturing strategy, best practices, creative, etc. Can you help? What if the software isn't Marketo?

Answer: absolutely. We frequently work with clients who already have marketing automation systems in place and are looking to get the most out of that investment by developing, or optimizing, the underlying lead nurturing strategy. That assistance may involve consultation, workflow development, program design, e-mail and landing page creative, even systems implementation and management. And we have hands-on experience with other solutions besides Marketo. Just ask.

What makes Marketo better than other marketing automation solutions on the market?

No vendor has a perfect solution, and you'll find that marketing automation vendors differ widely in features, price, and other factors. We chose to partner with Marketo for these key reasons:

	The software is priced very competitively
	The company is well-backed and well-managed, with a highly-engaged user community, and a capable and responsive customer service team
	The user interface is elegant and easy to use, which better enables us to quickly design, launch, and optimize complex, rules-based, multi-step lead nurturing programs

Ease of use is a critical differentiator with marketing automation solutions. If the program is complex to set up and use, no amount of functionality will make a difference. The power of a marketing automation system is being able to quickly launch and refine programs in response to test results, market drivers, or business conditions.

I like the idea of CDI helping me get our lead nurturing strategy up and running, but I'd also like to have access to the system. Is that a problem?

We can accommodate any level of user access required. However, our turnkey solution assumes that we'll be managing the system in total, which avoids the need for us to support you, the client. If user support or training is required, additional cost may result.

One option to consider is to have CDI set up the system, design the program, run it for a period of, say six months, and then take management of the program in-house, calling on CDI as needed for adhoc creative and strategic assistance.

What if I just need help with implementation?

If implementation is your only need, CDI probably isn't a fit. Our true added value is in providing expertise, best practices, program design, and strategic counsel to help make your lead nurturing strategy as effective as it can be. Set-up and implementation is part of our solution, but only in the context of these other services.

I'm not sure we generate the volume of leads to merit a marketing automation / lead management solution. How big do we have to be?

Marketo is not an expensive solution, and the license cost is variable based on the size of your database and your ongoing usage, which Marketo measures based on 1) e-mails sent, and 2) landing page submissions. Even a very low number of leads can substantiate the investment if 1) sales bandwidth or other factors are preventing you from adequately responding to and nurturing inbound leads, and/or 2) the value of your product or service makes every incremental opportunity gained extremely valuable.

Having said that, most of our Marketo implementations involve managing a monthly volume of at least 500 leads.

If you have other questions not listed here, please contact CDI directly.