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

My close friends at MarTech.org lately unveiled their latest Martech Replacement Study 2022, wherever marketers shared which apps they’ve changed in excess of the previous 18 months, what their principal inspiration was in undertaking so, and what were being their most important aspects in selecting the replacement alternative.

Promoting automation (24%), CRM (23%), Web optimization (23%), electronic mail marketing (22%), and do the job/undertaking management (19%) applications had been the most commonly replaced.

As I highlighted in blue in the chart previously mentioned, the #1 most commonly cited variable in deciding on their replacement answer was integration capabilities/open API — picked by 56% respondents, up 13% points from the exact survey in 2021.

It is a prime 5 theme of this decade in martech: platforms, networks & marketplaces.

Of training course, this isn’t to say that the other elements — cost, help, protection, and many others. — weren’t critical too. But the aspect that most entrepreneurs agreed on was integration. If it will not combine with the rest of the tech stack, all the things else is moot. It is the tree that falls in the forest without the need of everyone close to to listen to it.

The next most widespread element was facts centralization/info abilities (picked out by 50% of respondents), which is closely tied to integration. Just after all, info is the foundational layer of integrations.

Tied in second also with 50% was “ability to measure ROI” — which is going to be on the best of everyone’s minds in our tighter economic system. But to evaluate ROI, you need to have the knowledge. And to get the data, you need integrations. These 3 variables are certain collectively by atomic forces.

But what enthusiastic entrepreneurs to seek out a substitute alternative in the very first position?

When hunting to change a business application (the survey handles replacement of homegrown applications individually), the #1 inspiration was improved characteristics (53%). Of program, this tends to make perception. Entrepreneurs look to martech to give them the abilities needed to perform in regularly shifting and evolving markets. What you can do matters.

Having said that, I would have expected the #2 commitment to be charge — trying to find an choice answer to lessen fees. That was the study consequence in 2021.

But in 2022, superior/simpler integration was the next most typical commitment (24%, up 5% factors from 2021) to seek out a alternative application. Basically, a drive for greater integration activated 1 out of each and every 4 martech application alternative projects.

That’s very exceptional.

I’ve explained this many occasions right before to martech product teams: the sector is talking to you with a fantastic booming voice in the sky, “Treat integration as a very first-class characteristic!”

Significantly, the martech industry — and the SaaS universe far more broadly — have taken this to heart. A new investigation report from Pandium on the Condition of Integrations and APIs at 400 SaaS Providers demonstrates that 86% of the Best 100 SaaS businesses in the globe now have a community integration marketplace. (73% of them have an in-app market.)

Which is amazing and a sturdy testament to the significance of app ecosystems for main SaaS providers.

But what is even much more telling is that 31% of seed-phase SaaS startups now aspect a public integration marketplace way too. Just about 1 out 3 SaaS startups — which are specially strapped for time and resources, compelled to make pretty challenging alternatives about what to prioritize — have picked out to prioritize establishing the two integrations and a marketplace to make it effortless for customers to uncover and use them.

It is heartening to see martech potential buyers and sellers agree: integration is crucial.

We nevertheless have more to go on this journey of martech platforms and ecosystems. But as an field, at least’s we’re all marching in the exact route with a a great deal more seamlessly and powerfully built-in long term on the horizon ahead.