Сustom СRM Development: Step-by-Step Guide to Build CRM Software for Bussines

It is hard to imagine the effective management of a large company without using a customer relationship management system. The modern market offers many CRM solutions tailored for different industries and business’ sizes. Why to choose a CRM that is designed specially for your company?

There are a lot of ready-made CRM systems for process automation in companies of different sizes. One of the most popular CRM systems, SalesForce, is available in over 20 configurations: solutions for banks, hospitals, sales automation, etc. Despite the rich CRM functionality, most SalesForce clients use several solutions to meet the company’s needs. Aston Martin, for example, uses four products: Sales Cloud, Marketing Cloud, Salesforce1 Mobile App and Chatter. Only the Sales Cloud operation for an enterprise company costs $160-$320 /user/month.

Advantages of custom CRM compared to off-the-shelf solutions

Research shows that 74% of users believe that CRM software improves access to customer data, allowing sales teams to personalize customer service and close more deals. But why should you choose a custom solution over an off-the-shelf one? Here's why:

1. Tailored to your needs. Custom CRM is developed specifically for your business, eliminating unnecessary features that are often present in off-the-shelf solutions.

2. Seamless integration. Unlike many off-the-shelf CRMs, a custom solution integrates seamlessly with your existing software, saving time and minimizing errors.

3. Scalability. Custom CRM grows with your business. You can add features and users as needed without the hassle of costly upgrades or migrations.

4. Full ownership. With your own CRM, you own the code and can make changes at any time. You are not dependent on vendor updates, and your data remains secure on your servers.

5. User-friendly. Custom CRMs are built according to your team's workflow, offering a simpler and more intuitive interface than often complex off-the-shelf solutions.

6. Cost-effective in the long run. Although the initial investment is higher, custom CRM saves you money in the long run by avoiding ongoing license fees and offering easier maintenance. For companies seeking flexibility, control, and long-term savings, a custom CRM is a smart choice.

Benefits of Custom CRM Software

Learn about The advantages of developing a custom ERP solution.

Quality ready-made CRM solutions are expensive, while usually, your company does not need the whole set of provided functions. The cost of a custom CRM software development also is not chip, however, in case of individual development, you pay for the functions required particularly by your company. Plus, employees will not spend a lot of time on exploring the new product, because CRM is initially created under the workflow, already established in the company.

For example, while designing a CRM system for a construction company, we were developing a solution in which functionality, colors, headings and even the typography was adjusted to the customer’s specifics. We took into account that in the service interface, numbers and small signatures are frequently used, so the font type was adjusted to a good number display and text readability.

Typography of a CRM system for a construction company

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Basic CRM modules and functions

Every business has unique needs, but most CRM systems share core functions that help manage customer relationships. Contact management is the foundation that stores important information such as names, phone numbers, email addresses, and contract details. This allows you to organize effective interactions with prospects and customers.

Lead tracking is another important feature that helps businesses nurture leads until they are ready to buy. A good CRM tracks lead sources, assesses their interest, and assigns leads to the sales team for follow-up, ensuring no missed opportunity. Next comes deal management, which helps optimize sales by tracking deal stages, value, and closing dates. This provides a clear view of the sales pipeline and helps forecast revenue.

CRMs also increase efficiency by automating tasks and handling repetitive activities such as sending follow-up emails or automatically updating deal milestones. Reporting and analytics provide valuable insights by displaying key metrics such as leads, wins, and losses over time. A visual sales pipeline shows where each deal is and what needs to be done next, and mobile access ensures that the sales team can update deals and customer information on the go, keeping everything up to date.

Things to Consider when Developing a Web CRM Software

1. Convenience

Time is money — employees should not waste time searching the necessary topic or information, as well as important documents which should always be at hand. Also, CRM users should have all opportunities for easy reports generation, for communication with each other and with customers directly in the system.

“The perfect cloud-based CRM software is flexible, accessible from any device, user-friendly and provides meaningful reporting capabilities.”(Susan Connor, president and chief CRM strategist at SquareBlue Consulting)

2. Complexity

Depending on the size and business specifics, the CRM system’s functions and the set of technologies will vary. While creating CRM for a construction company, we chose the modern, reliable framework Symfony2. Also, we used RESTful API for easy scalability and Ember.js — applications on this framework are easy to extend and maintain. The CRM project was created by the principle of a Single Page Application. This allowed us to create a rich user interface and significantly reduce the time spent on the response waiting. SPA applications don’t require reloading of all page when updating the data, plus they can work in an offline mode with real-time elements.

3. Flexibility

Your future CRM system should be flexible enough to provide the possibility to change the settings under a particular process. Also, it’s important to consider the scalability of the web-based CRM solution so that it can grow together with your company, and there will be no need for a new solution.

“The perfect online crm solution is intuitive, but flexible so that you can manage leads easily and make automated actions based on client segmentation.”( Kenny Kline, partner at JAKK Solutions).

4. Compatibility

In addition to the online analytical CRM tools, you should also consider the connection with third-party resources. For example, integration with telephony, messaging services, accounting software, email, etc.

5. Reliability

Inside the customers relationship management system you will store the important data: customer database, transactions, reports, staff productivity etc. The CRM system should be designed in such a way that the data is protected from third-party interference. Also, there should be concerned access levels for different groups of employees.

Goals and Objectives of a CRM System

Perhaps, the main goal of CRM implementation is to attract new customers and optimize the working processes within the company. Objectives can vary depending on the specifics of the industry. We list the most common issues:

• leads and their activity tracking;
• maintaining a database of clients;
• clients operating improvement;
• the business operations organization;
• relationship management within teams;
• optimization of different departments joint work;
• the improvement of labor productivity.

A thorough analysis of the goals and objectives and their prioritization will help you to design the CRM system with the optimal set of features.

Why Is It Important to Develop a Mobile Application for CRM?

The web version of the service may be enough for the interaction within the team, but when working with clients, a mobile app for CRM is necessary as the air. In the business trip, in the transport, even on the negotiations — access to the CRM system will provide the ability to be on call, to have the necessary information at hand and put changes into the system quickly.

It is essential that the application works properly and does not fail in an important moment, so we do not recommend using cross-platform development. Though a native application for Android or iOS, will cost more, will be a solid addition to the web version of a CRM, and will help to increase the business automation effectiveness.

Choosing the right technology stack

To build your own CRM system, you need the right tools. This means choosing the programming languages, frameworks, databases, and other components that meet your needs. Let's simplify this process.

Popular programming languages and frameworks for CRM When it comes to coding, here are some popular options:

• Python with Django or Flask
• JavaScript with Node.js and Express
• PHP with Laravel or Symfony
• Java with Spring
• C# with .NET

Each of them has its advantages. Python and JavaScript are flexible and easy to learn. PHP is widely used, while Java and C# are robust enterprise solutions.

Choose a language your team is familiar with, and select a framework that fits the size of your project. Consider factors such as community support, documentation, scalability, and ease of learning.

Choosing a database management system

Your CRM needs a reliable database to store customer information. There are two main types of databases:

• Relational databases (SQL), such as MySQL, PostgreSQL, and MS SQL Server, use tables, are stable, and handle complex queries well. However, they can be less flexible.
• NoSQL databases, such as MongoDB and Cassandra, are more flexible, scalable, and ideal for unstructured data, although they may lack advanced querying features.

For most CRMs, relational databases are best suited for structured customer data. But NoSQL might be a better choice if your data doesn't fit into tables.

Integration with other systems

Your CRM should be integrated with other business tools. Consider the software you use for accounting, email, project management, e-commerce, and analytics. Look for out-of-the-box integrations or APIs to simplify connectivity.

Third-party tools should also be considered for email verification, data enrichment, and payment processing. Always choose technologies that integrate easily to avoid unnecessary custom coding.

Designing MVP for CRM

There are two areas of CRM system’s application:

1. The interaction with customers

Mainly involves phone calls, e-mail correspondence, newsletters and meetings. The first three actions should be automated to form a history of customers relations. The minimum set of functions for this area:

• integration with telephony, e-mail and SMS services;
• database of customers, addresses, phones with convenient filter
• the ability of customer relationships tracking;
• the ability to generate reports
• the calendar with built-in notifications for entering information on future meetings

The interaction between employees

A CRM system should provide employees the opportunity to allocate working time and help to plan future workload. Also, the CEO should have the ability to control the workload and efficiency of subordinates. Consequently, the minimum set of functions for the area:

• levels of access for different categories of staff;
• calendar with built-in notifications, so that manager is able to inform subordinates about the news;
• the possibility of tasks’ setting and monitoring;
• the ability to attach files to the task;
• communication within the task;
• labels of tasks status and its priority;
• generation of the workload reports.

According to your business specifics and size, you may need many other features. Creating a CRM system that will help automate company’s processes and bring the business to the next level, will require significant financial and time costs. However, the result is recouped in a fairly short time: statistics reports that the CRM implementation increases sales productivity up to 29%.

Our Experience

TicketsBox

Our team was tasked with developing a CRM system designed to debut as a comprehensive platform for ticket sales across a wide spectrum of events. The product was required to address the following responsibilities:

• Event creation and management.
• Ticket management.
• Sales management.
• Preparation of diverse types of reports.
• Integration of an API for external systems.
• Integration of payment services.

As a result, our team focused on both CRM and API development. The CRM system enables event organizers to register, establish personal accounts, create employee accounts, select venues with updated floor plans, and host a variety of events.

Read the full case study

Arian CRM

We have enhanced the design and built the backend for CRM software tailored to "ARIAN," a construction company specializing in machinery and transportation rentals. This construction management software plays a vital role in customer relationship management. The process automation encompasses the following key functionalities:

• Custom machinery selection based on customer requirements.
• Real-time tracking of order status.
• Efficient grouping of machinery.
• Secure storage of customer and supplier data.

Read the full case study

Conclusion

CRM software development that will help automate company’s processes and bring the business to the next level, will require significant financial and time costs. However, the result is recouped in a fairly short time: statistics reports that the CRM implementation increases sales productivity up to 29%.

We have strong experience in delivering solutions for medium and enterprise companies. Need a CRM, a web-based solution or an android application? Share your ideas on by contacting us. Let’s bring your creative ideas into reality!

Here are more details on how to build a custom CRM.