For Wix, consolidating its marketing stack not only improves internal alignment but also results in an improved customer experience. The website-building company operates worldwide, and is currently scaling down from about seven different marketing automation platforms.

When you stop looking at the business as having separate products, with siloed B2B and B2C customers, and instead as one whole entity, “it really helps to streamline the processes and minimize work,” Jane Musatova, Wix’s senior marketing automation manager, said on a recent Tech-Talk Webinar.

This shift, however, didn’t become a reality without change management strategies that addressed fears, resistance, and doubt—on top of the technical hurdles.

Here are five takeaways from Wix’s transformation.

1. Get an executive sponsor

Introducing an executive sponsor, who can offer support and guidance, sets the tone for success.

• Advocates of change at the senior level can minimize roadblocks and ensure allocation of resources.
• To secure buy-in, have a plan with data to back it up. This lends credibility and authority, said Musatova.

2. Establish a center of excellence

A specialized team dedicated to the migration process helps foster collaboration and coordination between departments.

• Wix’s center of excellence looks holistically at challenges and goals for proactive troubleshooting. It also makes decision-making more efficient.
• We consult with them, said Musatova. “Thinking of better ways of reaching their goals, whether it’s with a tech stack that we already have or bringing in another platform that would be more optimal for their needs.”

3. Embrace change

Positioning change as an opportunity—not a threat—can build motivation and momentum.

• Open, transparent dialogue about the change reduces anxiety and stirs engagement.
• “When I was talking to the marketing team, I realized that a lot of them would be happy to bring in a new platform. They just didn’t know that it was possible to automate processes that they were doing manually,” said Musatova.
• Let them know they’re not alone: 24% of respondents to a recent MarTech survey said they replaced a marketing automation platform in the past year.

4. Invest in training

Commit to upskilling your team so they can keep up with evolving technology.

• Onboarding a consultant may be a good idea, especially if they can instill knowledge and confidence for your team to take over the work.
• “[This learning opportunity] is really going to help them move forward [and] grow in their career,” said Musatova.

5. Focus on the benefits

Demonstrate ROI and align team efforts to increase efficiency and improve the customer experience.

• It took Wix significant time and 20 different regional teams to schedule localized emails. Automation allowed the company to simplify the lengthy process and free up time for more complex tasks.
• Nearly a third (31%) of B2B marketers worldwide plan to integrate automation in email marketing, according to February data from Ascend2.
• Through automation, Wix also improved its customer communication by replacing broad information with tailored, personalized content.

Watch the full webinar.

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