Marketers keep replacing major martech apps, integration #1 factor for replacements

My close friends at MarTech.org not too long ago produced their most up-to-date Martech Substitute Study 2022, wherever entrepreneurs shared which applications they’ve changed in excess of the earlier 18 months, what their major inspiration was in performing so, and what were being their most significant elements in picking the substitute alternative.

Internet marketing automation (24%), CRM (23%), Website positioning (23%), e mail advertising (22%), and operate/venture administration (19%) applications ended up the most commonly changed.

As I highlighted in blue in the chart over, the #1 most frequently cited issue in deciding upon their alternative solution was integration capabilities/open up API — chosen by 56% respondents, up 13% details from the exact study in 2021.

It’s a top 5 topic of this 10 years in martech: platforms, networks & marketplaces.

Of study course, this isn’t to say that the other components — price, assist, protection, etc. — weren’t significant much too. But the variable that most entrepreneurs agreed on was integration. If it will not combine with the relaxation of the tech stack, every thing else is moot. It’s the tree that falls in the forest without the need of anyone all-around to listen to it.

The 2nd most prevalent component was info centralization/knowledge capabilities (decided on by 50% of respondents), which is closely tied to integration. Soon after all, information is the foundational layer of integrations.

Tied in next also with 50% was “ability to evaluate ROI” — which is heading to be on the leading of everyone’s minds in our tighter overall economy. But to measure ROI, you want the information. And to get the details, you require integrations. These a few things are certain collectively by atomic forces.

But what enthusiastic marketers to find out a alternative alternative in the very first area?

When on the lookout to swap a commercial app (the survey handles replacement of homegrown apps separately), the #1 drive was far better features (53%). Of study course, this helps make feeling. Entrepreneurs glance to martech to give them the abilities essential to execute in continuously shifting and evolving marketplaces. What you can do matters.

On the other hand, I would have anticipated the #2 determination to be charge — trying to get an choice remedy to minimize costs. That was the survey end result in 2021.

But in 2022, improved/simpler integration was the 2nd most common enthusiasm (24%, up 5% points from 2021) to look for a alternative application. Effectively, a drive for much better integration induced 1 out of every single 4 martech application alternative tasks.

That is rather exceptional.

I have stated this numerous times just before to martech products groups: the marketplace is speaking to you with a good booming voice in the sky, “Treat integration as a initially-class feature!”

More and more, the martech market — and the SaaS universe additional broadly — have taken this to heart. A new exploration report from Pandium on the Condition of Integrations and APIs at 400 SaaS Businesses reveals that 86% of the Prime 100 SaaS businesses in the globe now have a public integration marketplace. (73% of them have an in-app market.)

Which is impressive and a potent testomony to the relevance of application ecosystems for important SaaS companies.

But what is even more telling is that 31% of seed-stage SaaS startups now function a community integration marketplace way too. Approximately 1 out 3 SaaS startups — which are particularly strapped for time and methods, pressured to make extremely challenging possibilities about what to prioritize — have preferred to prioritize building both of those integrations and a market to make it uncomplicated for buyers to learn and use them.

It is heartening to see martech purchasers and sellers concur: integration is critical.

We still have additional to go on this journey of martech platforms and ecosystems. But as an sector, at least’s we’re all marching in the similar direction with a substantially more seamlessly and powerfully integrated potential on the horizon in advance.