Gone are the days when people considered customer relationship management (CRM) a luxury; now, it’s a necessity of a business, and in simpler terms, it’s the real reason behind many companies’ success. Salesforce is one such leading CRM platform that is used and appreciated by many companies. The platform helps businesses to connect with customers, manage leads, and close deals more efficiently.
However, what makes Salesforce CRM more amazing is its customizability. If you choose the best and most skilled development company for developing a custom Salesforce app, you can transform your standard CRM into a powerful tool that is capable of meeting all your business requirements. If you want to get a customized Salesforce app development, keep reading our guide about the right strategy for hiring a company to develop your desired Salesforce app for your business.
Why Customization
Although Salesforce offers a lot of beneficial features, keeping in mind that every business has different workflows, processes, or industry-specific needs, a generic solution isn’t helpful enough; they offer customization options in pre-built apps and also allow the creation of fully customized apps from scratch. With a custom Salesforce app, you can:
- No need to manually enter data, create customized processes as per your business needs, and automate repetitive tasks.
- Add features to increase leads, manage tasks, and forecast sales, which leads to faster deal closures.
- Customization helps integrate functionalities for faster case resolution and personalize communication channels to improve customer self-service.
- Customization brings ease and efficiency in generating reports and customized dashboards of apps according to your business metrics, which provide valuable insights for data-driven decision-making.
- Make a user-friendly app interface so anyone on the team can easily access the required data, which increases user adoption and improves efficiency.
- A custom Salesforce app also brings a lot of increase in ROI. Studies have shown that businesses using custom Salesforce applications experience an increase in the following:
- 35% in Sales Productivity
- 20% on Customer Satisfaction
- 25% in Operational Efficiency
Defining Your Business App Needs
The first step before starting any big thing is defining your objectives and needs, so before creating a business app, finalize your objectives and needs.
- If you are already running a business, check and analyze your current sales and customer service processes. Check and find any repetitive tasks and gaps in functionality that slow down your work or hinder your team’s effectiveness.
- Make a list of all functionalities you need most urgently, from lead scoring tools and opportunity management dashboards to customized reporting structures and integration with other systems.
- Who will be going to use the app? Remember to design and develop it as per their needs.
These points will help you understand whether you need a pre-built app for your business with customization or a completely new app from scratch.
Documentation of requirements is also important as it will serve as a blueprint for the development team. Remember to add the following things to the documents.
- your goals and aims regarding the app
- All the features and functionalities you need
- Define the different user roles within the app and the level of access each role will have.
- Integration if you want with existing systems or third-party applications.
Find the Salesforce App Development Company
Which company you choose for your Salesforce app development is important for the success of your project, so keep in mind that you should check the following things while selecting the company.
- A company that has experience and expertise in your specific industry will be suitable for your task. You have to check whether they have a deeper understanding of the challenges and opportunities related to your business domain.
- Don’t hesitate and feel ashamed while asking about the development company’s portfolio and case studies. It’s your right to know everything before picking them up for your big task. Check whether the company has done any projects similar to yours and what their success rate was.
- Ask the company if their team has certified Salesforce developers on board. You can also check certifications as they demonstrate their expertise and knowledge of the platform.
- Communication is always an important point, and you can’t neglect it. You must choose a company that actively listens to your needs and allows open communication throughout the development process for better decision-making.
- If you have listed several beat companies, then getting quotes from them and understanding their pricing models is a better step to pick one according to your budget.
As the development process is a collaborative effort, you should choose a company that values your input and actively asks for your feedback throughout the project. If you are successful in building a strong working relationship with the development team, there are more chances that the final product reflects your vision perfectly.
App Development Journey:
- The first step in app development is the gathering of the requirements. You have to discuss all the things you need for the app, like what you need, required functionalities, user roles, and integration requirements, which you documented earlier with the development team.
- After gathering complete information, the team will start designing the app’s user interface (UI) and user experience (UX). This whole process involves creating wireframes, mockups, and interactive prototypes to visualize the app’s functionality and layout. After designing, the team asks for your feedback and a final call; you can make changes at this point if you want; otherwise, allow the team to start development.
- The team will build the app using the Salesforce platform, add necessary features, and integrate other apps and tools.
- The team will test the app repeatedly to check its functioning. The team makes sure that the app is secure and free of bugs.
- After testing, when everything is done, the team will hand over the app to you. If you want, the team will also train your team members on how to use the app effectively.
- If you choose a beat development company, you will get ongoing support and maintenance from them also. They can address any issues, fix bugs, and implement updates whenever needed.
Remember that the development team is an expert in the field and has experience in developing apps in your industry. During the design and development stages, if they give any suggestions or ask to adjust functionalities or layouts, listen to them, understand, and then decide.
Optimizing Your App for Long-Term Success
After launching the Salesforce custom app, you have to optimize it so that it delivers long-term value.
- Encourage everyone to use the app by telling them about its benefits and giving them training.
- Have people in your organization who love the app and can help others use it, too.
- Make sure data moves smoothly between your old systems and the new app so you can find everything easily.
- Check how well the app is working regularly and fix any problems or add new things as things change.
- Look at the reports in the app to see how people are using it and make it better based on that info.
My Verdict on Embrace the Future of CRM:
If you follow all the steps mentioned above and find a skilled Salesforce app development company, you can benefit from your app. Remember that a Salesforce app is an investment that brings a brighter future for your business.
