Hubspot vs RhinoSEO: Which is Better For Non-Techie Small Businesses?
Posted by Jason Hughes on Tue, Jan 11, 2011 @ 11:29 PM
Ok, so in our prior three posts comparing Hubspot to RhinoSEO we covered:
In this, the final post in the series, we’re going to cover something a little more difficult to define:
Which product is better for non-techie business owners?
I feel this is pertinent because business owners everywhere are coming to embrace web marketing, and many of them don’t know jack about SEO, web design, HTML code, or any of that “techie stuff”. They simply know they need to jump on-board before they’re left in the dust. Considering this, I thought it be good to look at Hubspot and RhinoSEO from the perspective of the business owner who’s new to web marketing. Let’s get started.
We’re going to look at four aspects of Hubspot and RhinoSEO:
- Tech Support
- Overall Ease of Use
- How-To Resources
- Inbound Marketing Resources
1. Tech Support
RhinoSEO
I spent many hours using RhinoSEO in preparation for this series, and on several occasions I encountered something in the software that I couldn’t figure out on my own. I contacted Rhino via the provided phone # on the site, and a real human answered the phone every time but one (3 out of 4 I believe)….pretty cool. They were very helpful, and very courteous. Furthermore, a commenter on the first blog of this series stated that Rhino had even adapted something in the software based on his specific request. That’s pretty strong.
Hubspot
With Hubspot, in which I’m very familiar, each account has a proper sales rep that addresses any questions or concerns that aren’t answered in their support system (we’ll cover that later). Hubspot also has a general support phone # anyone can call as well as a form where users can log a support request.
I’ve done all of the above with Hubspot and have received phenomenal support each and every time. Reps are quick to respond, support staff is friendly and knowledgeable, and support requests are normally answered very quickly.
Tech Support Conclusion: It’s a Push…both give pretty awesome support.
2. Overall Ease of Use
Hubspot
Ok, so one of the major distinguishers between these two products is that Hubspot offers its own CMS (Content Management System). A CMS is basically the tool used to manipulate the content of a website. It allows the user to add and edit content, video, images, text, colors, page layout etc. A good CMS is simply the most empowering aspect of web marketing to the non-techie, because it puts them in control of their site without the need of a webmaster. Hubpsot’s CMS in particular, allows the user to design and update their site without any knowledge of HTML code. It’s as simple as using a word processor….drag and click. With the CMS, Hubspot is an All in One Package. You’ll see why that’s important in a second.
RhinoSEO
In contrast, Rhino is a SEO toolset that doesn’t offer a CMS. Therefore, users must go elsewhere to find a compatible CMS like Wordpress, for example. There’s certainly nothing wrong with Wordpress, but if you want a program for web dummies, that ain’t it. It does require manipulation of HTML code, and is generally over the head of most web Neanderthals (fyi...I qualify as a web dummy and Neanderthal).
Ease of Use Conclusion
Hubspot’s all in one package is tough to beat for the non-techie business person. Because the CMS is integrated with the other tools, there’s no need to jump from site to site. Plus, it opens up some pretty awesome capabilities in terms of the toolset. For example, because the keyword tools, analytics, and blog are all on the same platform, Hubspot can offer some really cool features such as blog analytics and a blog optimize tool that helps the user write each blog for max SEO. Long story short, if you’re looking for a turn-key web marketing system, Hubspot’s your baby.
3. How-To Resources
These are the resources that each provides that teach and demonstrate how to use specific features of the product. Granted, the more features one has, the more resources they will need.
Hubspot
As we covered in each of the three previous posts, Hubspot does offer many more features that go into a great deal more depth. Consequently, they also provide specific instruction on how to use each of these tools on their site. This information is found in multiple resources Hubspot has developed to help the user become familiar with their product and ultimately master it. These resources are their blog, an extensive user forum, videos, archived and live webinars, etc.
RhinoSEO
Rhino doesn’t actually offer any how-to’s or user guides on their site….that I can find anyway. If I’ve missed something, let me know.
How-To Resources Conclusion
Based on my experience, Hubspot’s investment in their “How-To” resources pays dividends for the user. It’s just wonderful, and even essential to have. Phone calls are great, but they’re of little use at 1am when I’m under the gun to get something done for the next day. It’s great to perform a simple search for what I need to know and find the info in a blog post, forum, video, etc.
4. Inbound Marketing Resources
Hubspot
One of the wonderful things about Hubspot is that they not only teach the user how to use their product, but how to become an expert inbound marketer as well. The entire Hubspot site is chocked full of the best web marketing content on the internet. Users can find anything from how to create great blog content to designing a killer landing page. This info is presented via their blog with hundreds of posts, the user’s forum with over 6,000 postings to date, dozens of videos, tons of webinars, loads of free reports, and even free ebooks. It’s pretty clear that Hubspot has embraced the educational paradigm. It makes sense, the better their customers are at inbound marketing, the more they’ll show love to Hubspot.
RhinoSEO
Rhino has a pretty solid blog that is receives posts on a daily basis. It teaches general inbound marketing principals and there is certainly value there.
Inbound Marketing Resources Conclusion
While Rhino’s blog is pretty good, it’s relatively comparable to other good blogs on the web. But all it takes is a Google search for just about anything inbound marketing related to realize that Hubspot has exponentially outperformed anyone when it comes to quality inbound marketing content. The amazing thing is that Hubspot users have access to even more of their amazing content than what’s published for the general public. This is info is vital to the web marketing newbie. You could literally read for days on end with all of the content Hubspot has produced.
Well, there you have it. If you’re on a quest to tackle your own web marketing, I hope this has helped. As I stated in previous posts, users of both Hubspot and RhinoSEO are welcome to share their experiences using the products. Questions? Comments? Concerns?.....please enter them below.
Thanks so much for being here.