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Getting Started
Quickstart Checklist
Quickstart Checklist

Follow these ten easy steps to database setup!

Support Team avatar
Written by Support Team
Updated over a week ago

Getting started doesn’t have to be a headache. We’ve compiled a list of ten easy steps to ensure BenchmarkONE success!

*Please note that not all features are available on the Lite and Free Forever Plans

✔ Activate your Account.

  • Check your inbox for a “Welcome to BenchmarkONE” email and click the link to activate your account. If you are unable to find the email, search your junk folder and be sure to add us to your safe sender list. This will ensure you don’t miss important emails and updates from your consultant or the BenchmarkONE team.

✔ Authenticate your Email with BenchmarkONE

  • Simply put, email authentication verifies you are who you say you are when emailing through a third party. Email authentication improves your overall deliverability and increases inbox placement. Your BenchmarkONE Consultant will provide you with everything you need to authenticate your email. For a more technical explanation, check out the resources below.

    Resource: What is Email Authentication and Email Authentication In-Depth

✔ Track your Conversations

Quickly bring email conversations into BenchmarkONE from your inbox. The below methods will store contact email communication on the contact's record as an activity or as a note.

  • Gmail Integration: Ensure that contacts, tasks and conversations won’t fall through the cracks by bringing BenchmarkONE directly into your Gmail inbox.

    Resource: Step-by-Step Guide to Gmail Integration

*Not available on the Free Forever Plan

  • Outlook Add-in: Bring BenchmarkONE into your Outlook inbox by using our Microsoft add-in for Outlook to ensure that contacts, tasks and conversations won’t fall through the cracks.

    Resource: Step-by-Step Guide to Outlook Add-in

*Not available on the Free Forever Plan

  • BCC Email: Account Settings > My Info > BCC Email
    If you don’t use Gmail or Microsoft Exchange, no worries. Simply place your “Personal BenchmarkONE Email Address” in the BCC field of any email you send from your email client, and it will be recorded as a note on the contact’s record. The BCC method will also allow you to create new contacts in BenchmarkONE automatically.

    Resource: BCC Email Integration

✔ Customize Your Database

Make BenchmarkONE your own! Head to Account Settings > Customizations and update the following fields prior to importing your contacts.

  • Contact Status: All contacts in your database must have a contact status which should represent broad stages for the overall customer lifecycle. We recommend statuses like lead, prospect, opportunity, customer, not interested, etc. Remember, you can always get more granular using the other customizations listed below.

  • Deal Stages: These represent the stages in your sales pipeline. Use deal stages that indicate the steps a qualified lead completes to become a customer or a lost sale. If you aren’t ready to track your sales in BenchmarkONE, not a problem. Skip this step and let us know when you'd like some help. *Note: Deals + Deal Stages + Deal Custom Fields are not available in Lite and Free plan accounts.

  • Tags: Use tags to segment your contacts based on their general interest and behavior. Tags will keep score, allowing you to trigger automations based on those interests and behaviors.

  • Lead Sources: Knowing where to apply your marketing dollars is super important. Customize your lead sources to track where your contacts come from and if your marketing spend is paying off.

  • Custom Fields: Custom fields are the perfect way to store additional data on your contact, company and/or deal records.

    Resource: Customizing your Database

✔ Organize your Spreadsheet

  • In order for an import to be successful, make sure your file is organized and saved as a .CSV, .XLS or .XLSX file. Take time to clean up your data prior to importing – it will pay off!

    Resource: Organizing Before Import

✔ Import your Contacts

  • Our easy-to-use import wizard will allow you to upload a file of your contacts into BenchmarkONE quickly. Remember to create custom fields where needed.

    Resource: Guide to Importing

✔ Track your Website Traffic

  • If a contact has filled out a BenchmarkONE form or clicked a link in an email sent from BenchmarkONE, tracking their activity on your site is a breeze. Simply grab the tracking script from Tools > Webpage Tracking > Tracking Code and place it in the constant header or footer of your website.

    Resource: Webpage Tracking Walkthrough

✔ Build an Online Form and Landing Page

  • Forms are an ideal way to capture leads or gather more information from your contacts. You can quickly embed forms on your website or landing pages, and then trigger automations when a form is submitted.

*Not available on the Free Forever Plan

  • Landing pages can increase conversions and generate more leads! You can create a landing page in a matter of minutes with our builder.

    Resource: Create a New Landing Page

✔ Create an Email Template

  • Create beautiful, engaging emails using a pre-designed template or create your own with our drag & drop builder. Using the basic editor you can create text-based emails that will appear more personal to your contacts. You can also craft your own HTML email using the Basic Editor.

    Resource: Step-by-Step Guide to Creating Emails

✔ Send an Email

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