In the digital world, a few months can sometimes feel like a lifetime. Content, UX , or technology trends can quickly take the internet by storm, only to vanish just as quickly. Typically, all that remains are abandoned sections in tool panels and archived articles by marketers who, as if out of principle, express pharisaical enthusiasm for every new thing.
There is no other way – the dynamics of digital require tool creators to constantly look for new ways of development, and send projects that are not developing (or are developing in the wrong direction) to the business graveyard.
Over the past few months, HubSpot, one of the world's most popular CRM platforms , has introduced several significant new features. You won't find them in the aforementioned graveyard! We've outlined them below.
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HubSpot – new features in 2022. What's new at HubSpot?
The modifications mainly concern Service Hub, but it is also worth paying attention to new possibilities regarding integration with the Hubspot API.
Hubspot stops using API key
Instead, we're switching to private apps, which guarantee greater security. This is achieved by granting selected apps specific access to system modules. Private apps provide a special access token, generated individually for each app. This functionality allows access to be granted only to the data used by the app, while limiting it to all other apps.
For developers, this means they'll be using a different authentication method than before. All applications using API keys will no longer function, so it's crucial to transition to a different authentication method well in advance.
If HubSpot's API-based software is to be used by multiple HS accounts, it should not be used with private applications. In such a case, it should be equipped with the OAuth 2.0 authorization standard, which allows the HubSpot account to be connected to another external application.
SLA (Service Level Agreement)
HubSpot's feature allows you to calculate how much time has passed from the creation of a ticket to the first response or to the ticket being closed.
We will establish a separate SLA for each individual inbox that receives requests. Depending on the priority, we will select a time limit after which the request will become time-barred.
Time to ticket closure can be measured continuously (24/7) or during pre-defined business hours. These options allow you to tailor the SLA to your business profile and the individual needs of your organization.
We'll record the time in protocols and in specially configured HubSpot reports. This will allow supervisors to know whether service agreements are being met.
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Customer portal
Another new feature in HubSpot Service Hub is the Customer Portal. It allows you to control communication regarding support or service matters, view tickets, their statuses and view messages from conversations with a consultant.
Inside the portal, we will see messages directly related to our reports, the source of which may be emails, chats or form completions.
When setting up a customer portal in HubSpot, we need to choose which HubSpot-connected domain we'll host it on. We also need to connect it to the appropriate service funnel(s) so that customers can see the tickets assigned to them.
In addition to the funnel, we can apply other filters to tickets, which allows for much more advanced ticket management (in the case of tickets made available for customer viewing).
Additionally, we can create accounts for our clients on the portal or grant access only to a pre-selected list of contacts. We can also configure ticket access for all users associated with a single company, or through special settings, the ticket will be visible only to a single contact.
Finally, we can customize the appearance of the portal and make it available to end users.
More from HubSpot
You can read more about HubSpot and its advantages in various aspects of business management and marketing in separate articles:
The text was created in cooperation with Adam Kubaszewski.
FAQs about what's new at HubSpot
HubSpot is a platform in continuous development, but the most important strategic changes and new feature sets are now presented in the form of seasonal releases – so-called HubSpot Spotlights (e.g., Spring Spotlight or Fall Spotlight at the INBOUND conference). This replaces scattered announcements, giving users a comprehensive overview of innovations in one place.
HubSpot's new features are heavily focused on work ergonomics. They've introduced refreshed navigation and dedicated workspaces. Instead of having to navigate through multiple tabs, employees in specific departments (e.g., salespeople or support agents) now have a single, central dashboard that aggregates all their daily tasks, priorities, and essential tools.
For sales departments, the implementation of Prospecting Workspace was a true revolution. This centralized command center for salespeople allows for rapid lead lifecycle management, meeting scheduling, and contact prioritization. All of this is supported by artificial intelligence, which can summarize long email threads and suggest next steps in negotiations, among other things.
In the customer support area, HubSpot has implemented a completely redesigned Help Desk. The new inbox consolidates communication from all channels (email, live chat, ticket forms, and even instant messaging like WhatsApp) into a single, clear view. The SLA (guaranteed response time) management system has also been improved, and intelligent bots have been introduced that, drawing on the company's knowledge base, can autonomously resolve routine customer issues.
Data quality management (so-called database hygiene) has been largely automated. The new Smart CRM has built-in mechanisms that scan the database in the background – the system can automatically detect and merge duplicate records, correct formatting (e.g., capitalization of names), and independently enrich company profiles (Company Insights) with up-to-date data downloaded from the internet.
HubSpot is gradually moving away from simple charts to advanced Customer Journey Analytics. New features allow marketers and salespeople to track every, even the smallest, touchpoint between a customer and their brand—from viewing a social media post, to opening an email, to completing a transaction. This allows for even more precise calculation of the real return on investment (ROI) of individual campaigns.
Summary
The above article covers the following topics:
- HubSpot changes and features in the Service Hub area, changes in API authorization, SLA management and the use of the customer portal in handling requests,
- additional materials to expand your knowledge about HubSpot.
