# Native functionality vs integration needs for Marketing Automation platforms

When evaluating Marketing Technology platforms and their connected technologies, what are some of the ways that you evaluate what a Marketing or CRM or connected platform can do when making a purchasing decision? How do you evaluate what the platform can do in its own functionality vs. what needs to be done via integration? What sources do you consider or consult?

##### Post Metadata - Posted at: about 3 years ago - Author title: 20-year Marketer and Marketing Automation Expert - Net upvotes: 6 ## Comments ### Comment 1 When evaluating a Marketing Technology platform, I typically look at its native functionality and compare it to the specific needs of my business, then assess what additional functionality I might need to integrate through third-party tools or custom development. To do this, I consult a range of sources, including vendor websites, customer reviews, industry analysts, and peer recommendations. ##### Comment Metadata - Posted at: about 3 years ago - Author title: Digital Marketing Consultant | Data Analyst and Strategic Planning - Net upvotes: 4 ### Comment 2 <p>Like @mattcorkum, I usually look for "all-in-one" platforms in a specific niche and then adjust from there. Whatever it does lack, I look for integration with Integrately or Zapier. I make sure my core programs have native email integration with MooSend, my esp.</p> ##### Comment Metadata - Posted at: almost 3 years ago - Author title: The Slide Chick - Net upvotes: 3 ### Comment 3 Obviously to save money, I always look at what we currently have or can access for minimal extra cost. But I find that a lot of platforms are trying to be the ONE TRUE PLATFORM, which means they are putting some effort into a bunch of different pieces, and often losing focus on what they do best. So most of the time, I end up looking elsewhere and finding another company who focuses on that one thing, doing it better. A good example right now for me is Canva. We are loving the team options and it's been very beneficial for social posts. However, the document management features are in their infancy. For instance, you can't insert page breaks! So that means we currently cannot use it for sales document templates for our sales team. I am currently trying out Craft, as well as a few other options, but in the end we are still using Word and Office365 for that purpose. ##### Comment Metadata - Posted at: about 3 years ago - Author title: Digital Content Creator. Tech Geek. Dad. - Net upvotes: 3 #### Reply 1 Saving money, always nice. That written, consistency in product development, proper support and the "we got your back" relationship, (to/ for me) is worth "a lot". Which translates into, it is not always about saving money. ##### Reply Metadata - Posted at: about 3 years ago - Author title: Managing Partner at Huf Consultancy and full time Autist ### Comment 4 <p>Hi Stephanie,</p><p>Overlooked this post it seems 🧐</p><blockquote>Re: </blockquote><blockquote>"When choosing a platform, how do you evaluate what it can do natively vs what needs to be integrated?"</blockquote><p><br></p><p><span style="color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">2023-07-09</span></p><p><span style="color: rgb(85, 85, 85);">Get a (prolonged "all features unlocked") trial and mimic an operational environment (or a proof of concept) and "take it for a spin".</span></p><p>Best,</p><p>Mark</p> ##### Comment Metadata - Posted at: almost 3 years ago - Author title: Managing Partner at Huf Consultancy and full time Autist ## Related discussions - [How well does Trello scale into a larger team?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/1-how-well-does-trello-scale-into-a-larger-team) - Posted at: almost 13 years ago - Comments: 6 - [Can we please add a new section](https://www.g2.com/discussions/2-can-we-please-add-a-new-section) - Posted at: almost 13 years ago - Comments: 0 - [Quantifiable benefits from implementing your CRM](https://www.g2.com/discussions/quantifiable-benefits-from-implementing-your-crm) - Posted at: almost 13 years ago - Comments: 4