API to create leads, send emails to customers, etc

I used SuiteCRM a few years back, but then I moved over to my own homemade Google Sheets based CRM.

With Google Apps Script, I was able to set up a form, published on my website, that automatically created a new lead. Whatsmore, Google Apps Script would then send an email to the person who filled in this contact form, with relevant pricing for the option they selected on the Google form (i.e. on my website). This meant I didn’t have to publish prices on my website, but for those customers who want pricing and don’t mind supplying their details (i.e. serious leads), they could get pricing pretty much instantaneously. Also, because pricing went to their inbox, this works really well to make sure that the “not sure” type of lead can reconsider at a later date, because they might see this email again.

Finally, after additional coding and development in Google Apps Script, I was able to have my homemade CRM automatically import emails that I tagged in Gmail, and show these comms in a sidebar when I clicked on the lead in question.

It has been amazing, but the more functionality I add, the more clunky it becomes.

And I still can’t get away from this fact: all interactions with my CRM are through a spreadsheet.

I see SuiteCRM has developed considerably since I last looked. I like the sound of the Advanced Open Workflow.

My questions are below:

  • Is there a good way of automatically creating leads when a user fills in a form on my website?
  • Is there a good way of automatically emailing the customer when the lead is created?

I’m hoping to come back to SuiteCRM. One other concern I have is hosting it on my own web server. If this server is attacked, I might not know about it, but I might stop receiving emails. Or worse, the user who fills in the contact form won’t receive my pricing.

So, is there a way to do the two above things, not using email on the server, but rather connecting to e.g. Gmail to send from their servers? I have kind of forgotten what’s possible as it’s been a long time since I used SuiteCRM.

Thanks

Hi,

  1. Yes, web to lead form, you have many sample on the net. I prefer create my on form, not these created by WebToLead Form fonctionality
  2. Yes, via workflow, on new lead created, action send mail

And 3, you can too use mail via inbound email fonctionality

Your server must be “reachable” on the net.