Throughout this guide, we’ll walk you through the process of using Bubble's no-code web app builder to build your own customer-relationship management (CRM) tool without code. Building a custom CRM would traditionally require the expertise of one or more seasoned software engineers. As the no-code landscape continues to evolve, however, it’s easier than ever for makers across the world to build their own powerful software.
Whether you’re looking to build an internal project tool for your team or just getting started in Bubble, this guide has useful tips and resources for you to think about as you start building your app.
How to Build Different CRM Apps
First, here is a guide we’ve put together on how to build Salesforce, one of the most well-known CRM platforms. You can potentially copy and customize this to make your own app.
Bubble Showcase: CRM Apps
Many users like you have built their CRM apps on Bubble. Here are a few examples:
- airyPRM - Where job seekers can track, schedule, and manage actions with their connections. Read our interview with the founder.
- Revetize - A CRM app that allows businesses to run reviews, referrals, and loyalty campaigns. Read the founder interview on our blog.
- BENIU - Supports event venues in managing their clients and booking event dates. Check out the founder interview here.
—Brennon Martin, airyPRM Founder
Frequently Asked Questions about Building a CRM in Bubble
Q: How much will building and owning a CRM on Bubble cost me?
A: In practice, building on the platform is free, whereas launching your app with a custom domain starts at $25/month, with the ability to upgrade as your app scales or your business grows. You can view our pricing plans here.
Q: How long will it take me to build my CRM on Bubble?
A: It depends on each person’s experience and learning style, but building with Bubble is several times faster and cheaper than using traditional programming for the same result. Some of our app founders have been able to release fully functional MVPs in as few as 100 hours after discovering Bubble.
Q: What services can Bubble connect and integrate with for my social network?
A: Bubble offers hundreds of pre-built integrations and plugins that support CRM apps, including those for customer communications (Twilio) and depicting your data visually (Simple Charts, Graph Plugin, etc). Here’s our complete plugin list.
Q: Can I scale my CRM app on Bubble if it becomes very successful?
A: Yes! With our paid plans, Bubble is equipped to handle scaling automatically, allowing you to expand and scale your app’s servers to meet your growing user numbers, traffic volume, or data storage.
Q: Can I hire someone to build my CRM for me?
A: Yes! A number of agencies build Bubble apps that are then easier for you to maintain and update than an app built-in code. You can find available Bubble agencies here.
Additional Resources for Creating Your CRM
Did you know that we offer a variety of Bubble Bootcamps that can help you hit the ground running on your CRM app? Our Jumpstart Bootcamps can help you master the basics, and our Build and Launch Bootcamps can help you build a launch-ready CRM app in just 8 weeks. From ironing out your app’s framework to mastering a specific Bubble technique to polishing your data structure, our Bootcamps are the best way to learn Bubble. For even more help building your app with Bubble, check out these resources:
- One-on-one Coaching Sessions - Structured learning with expert instructors
- Bubble Templates - See our very own Bubble Marketplace of ready-built, free and paid CRM templates. Some great options are:
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Getting Started on Your CRM with No-Code
Your CRM app will only be as solid as the planning you do in advance. We’ll start by highlighting the key things to think about:
- Create the Data Structure of your CRM app.
- Plan and design your app’s User Interface.
- Build out features and functionalities with Workflows and Plugins.
If you haven’t already, it’ll be useful to get comfortable in the Bubble editor. We recommend completing our introductory lessons and crash courses, which will guide you step-by-step through the most common Bubble features. This will help you get a running start when building your CRM app.
Configuring Your Data Structure
When kickstarting your project, you can choose to begin by wireframing your product design, or building the necessary fields within your database.
In this case, we’ll start by laying out the data types and fields that you will use throughout your various app pages. Here is an example of the core data type and fields you’d have within a CRM like Salesforce:
- User - Already exists in the Bubble editor by default; additional example fields include Name, Clients (List of Clients).
- Client - Example fields include Account Name, Client Name, Sales Call (yes/no), Sales Rep (User).
- Deal - Example fields include Deal Size, Deal Status (use option sets).
Bubble’s default database makes it easy to create different data types with unique fields. For more guidance, check out the video tutorial below on configuring your data structure, or read about it in our Bubble Manual.
Designing a User Interface and Page Structure
Next, you’ll want to wireframe your app’s user interface, and you will be mostly working in the Design tab of the Bubble Editor. Consider the below components of a basic CRM page structure as you start planning:
- Header - Where users can find your logo, a search bar, navigation menu, signup, and login/out buttons.
- CRM Main Dashboard Page - View, search for and filter clients by their respective details, navigate to specific client pages, and submit new client listings.
- Client Page - View and edit a specific client’s details.
This video tutorial walks you through the basics of designing an interface:
You can also read further about all the above concepts in these additional Bubble Manual sections:
- Bubble Manual: Creating a Page Structure
- Bubble Manual: Building a User Interface
- Bubble Manual: Setting Up Your Database by App Type
Build Out Features with Workflows and Plugins
Now that you’ve structured both the design and database for your app, it’s time to stitch it all together and make your product functional.
Some examples of the core features and functionalities you might want to build out in your CRM app are:
- Creating and editing leads.
- Displaying leads in a CRM dashboard.
- Searching and filtering for leads.
For a video walk-through on setting up these capabilities, you can watch Building With Bubble’s tutorial below:
A final consideration for your CRM would be to build out or integrate it with a customer contact system. The Bubble Twilio Integration opens up your ability to reach your users through SMS, calls, emails, and more.
There are many more resources that walk through configuring these workflows in detail, including our How To Build articles.
Launching Your CRM
Now that you are familiar with creating custom data fields, displaying dynamic content, and installing plugins, you can get even more creative and refine your CRM until it's ready to launch. Our paid plans will also let you host your app on your own custom domain.
Check out the video tutorial below to understand how to deploy your app, or learn more by reading in our manual.
A couple of last tips to leave you with:
- Talk to end users about your CRM when in the planning stage. This will help you better understand crucial features to include when you start building your MVP.
- Adjusting to user feedback and iterating after your app goes live is easy in Bubble. You can update your live version at any point and create saved versions to roll back to if needed.
- We know learning on Bubble takes a little bit of time, but our community is here to help! Head over to the Bubble forum to collaborate.
Start building with Bubble today!
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