Bitrix24 Integration with Website

It would take a long time to explain why lead capturing through submitted web forms and orders placed from a website to a CRM is a necessity. If you are reading the article, it implies you already understand why this is most important for businesses especially. 

In this article, we list the most popular methods of achieving this, if you use Bitrix24 CRM. We also assess each one and give our recommendations (or non-recommendation) for use.  Feel free to use this guide. If you encounter any difficulty, write - we’d be glad to help.

Lead Capturing in Bitrix24 using webforms

There are several ways of capturing leads to Bitrix24 CRM via webforms. Below, we list universal methods that work for any website

1. Website integration with Bitrix24 using CRM forms
   a fast, fun and aggressive method

If you need to integrate a website with Bitrix24 quickly, CRM forms are the best option.

You just create a form in your Bitrix24, set the responsible persons, create the fields and edit their appearance, and then,  insert the form code on your website.

Drawbacks:

1. Dependent fields are not supported  - when the values available ​​in the next field depend on the previous one. For example, when someone selects a district, then the regions available in that district should appear.

2. CRM form appearance cannot be edited. You can make minor adjustments to the colors and font size, but you can’t do something like arranging the fields in two columns.

Advantages:

1. They can be integrated correctly with websites without “doing a lot of work". Every form submission immediately creates leads, deals or contacts. 

2. It is reliable - we haven’t encountered any serious issues using this method.

3. Fast and affordable - CRM forms can be set up in a few hours and placed on any site.

4. Additional fields can be created.

We recommend this method for simple scenarios - no dependencies or conditional rules .

Labor intensity - from 2 hours (including testing), depending on the complexity of the modifications you make to the appearance.

2. integration with Bitrix24 using mailbox

this is like walking with crutches, but it works

Oftentimes, the forms on websites can be used to send emails. For example, to inform a client that their application has been accepted and then transfer the information they entered to your CRM.

This can be used to integrate your web form with Bitrix24. 

To do this, you need to connect your mailbox to Bitrix24. Next, set up the feedback form in such a way that this email box is copied (cc-ed) when sending notifications to a client.

It is important that the email is sent to the particular client who submitted the form. If you only forward/send emails to your email box, Bitrix24 will “glue" them all into one lead. If the client’s email address is included in the “recipients”  bar, a new lead will be created. 

It is important to add the email box from which you send emails to Bitrix24 as a “user”. Only then will Bitrix24 understand that there is no need to create a new lead for it.

If you do everything right, a new lead will be created for every form submission. When the form is copied to your Bitrix24 CRM, the title of the form will be indicated as the lead name, and all other information from the body of the email will be added to the lead card as a comment.

The major advantage of this solution is that it is very fast to set up - connecting your mailbox to the portal takes minimal time.

There are quite a number of downsides to using this method

1. All the information from the form is converted to text,  irrespective of their field types. 

2. There are no UTM tags. 

3. There could be errors in lead processing - Bitrix does not always understand what email to create a new lead with

We recommend this method as a last resort when others for some reason are not suitable.

Labor intensity - from 1 hour.

3. Integration using REST API - expensive, but flawless!

REST API is the "language" with which we can communicate with the Bitrix24 CRM (cloud and on-premise). With its help, we can receive information about existing deals, contacts, companies and leads in the portal or create new ones.

To fully "speak" this "language", you need hosting with PHP support. If your site is not built on a web constructor, most likely the hosting where the site is located will do.

Integration using REST API is the most versatile and powerful method. You can capture any data type as-is and add your own logic. For example, check that a contact already exists with similar data. If so, link the newly submitted form/application to it. If not, create a contact and link the application form to it.

Another popular desire is to assign form submissions to different responsible persons, depending on the data filled in. For example, depending on the chosen branch, or service needed.

Probably the most important advantage of using REST API is the ability to get more data about the person who submitted the form than that which they filled in. We can transfer everything that is stored in UTM tags or known about the visitor to Bitrix24. This will be the first crucial step in building end-to-end analytics. By controlling your sales funnel in Bitrix24, you can understand where the highest quality traffic comes from and adjust your business model accordingly.

On one of our projects, we created a section in leads, companies, and deals, where we recorded UTM tags, user region,s and other specified information. This was then used in making reports for marketers and managers.

There are many advantages to integration using the REST API, but only one disadvantage - unlike the methods described above, it requires a programmer!

We can set up a standard transmission using REST API in 10 hours. This is $350.

We recommend this method if you plan to conduct analytics using the information you capture from visitors who submit forms or you need to include some logic in the forms.

4. Integration with a Bitrix24 site

You’re in luck (or are you?)

If your site is built on Bitrix, there is a chance that the integration will be quick and easy. To do this, you need to check how the feedback forms are made. If you find them under Services -> Web Forms, then you're in luck.

To integrate the form with your CRM, it is enough to specify the login and password of an employee who has access to the CRM and then configure the corresponding fields.

Do not forget to specify that all fields in the result are copied to the comment. So nothing will be lost for sure.

The configuration takes about 10 minutes, after which all submitted forms will create Bitrix24 leads.

We recommend this method as it is quick and hassle-free.

5. Integration with websites made on website builders

To integrate your WordPress, LP-Generator, Squarespace, or Wix website with Bitrix24 CRM, you need to install an application from the Bitrix24 marketplace.

Such applications either work or they don't. For example, when integrating landing pages created on LP-Generator with the on-premise version of Bitrix24, we always experience difficulties - loss of leads who use mobile devices. Technical support could not proffer a solution to the problem, and eventually, we had to abandon the application.

If your website builder doesn't have a ready-made application to help with integration, you'll have to implement integration from scratch. This isn’t cheap - from 20 hours upwards ($1000).

6. Integration with an online store

Transferring order data from an online store to a CRM system is a popular task. The work is clear, but not easy. The tricky part is that an order is a composite entity. Together with the order information, data about the buyer and the goods is transmitted. Plus, exchange of order statuses is usually required.

If you add marketing and statistics for end-to-end analytics here, it gets even more interesting.

A popular scheme looks like this:

1. The buyer places an order on the online store;

2. We check if such a buyer already exists in Bitrix24 *;

3. We check if Bitrix24 has such products *;

4. If there is n pre-existing buyer or product, then first we create them;

5. Next, we create a deal in Bitrix24, linking the buyer and products to it;

6. We add all marketing and statistical information to the deal ( for analytics )**;

7. When the status of a deal in Bitrix24 changes, we send notifications about this to the client;

8. When the status of the transaction in Bitrix24 changes, we change the order status on the website ***.

* This is optional. But in this case, it will not be possible to analyze sales by product, and there will be no sales history by buyer.

** This is also optional, but we recommend that you do it - Having analytics will greatly improve advertising efficiency and help reduce costs.

*** If the site serves only for receiving orders, order statuses cannot be returned.

Managers usually work with orders in Bitrix24. We can automate the sending of alerts and control deadlines using robots in CRM or business processes to keep them informed of every change in orders/deals.

Now that the task is clear, how can we achieve the integration?

1. Integration with an online store - a universal method

Universal method - to develop a module with the online store. Once again, the Bitrix24 REST API comes into play.

Using the capabilities of the CMS system on which your online store is developed, we control the order event and initiate sending information about it to Bitrix24. At the same time, we send marketing data and check whether the buyer already exists in Bitrix24.

Depending on the CMS system on which the site is made and the complexity of the exchange itself, this task often takes 10 to 40 hours($500-$2000)

This method entails using email

After a buyer places an order, you send him an email confirming the order. In the body of the email, indicate all the necessary information. The email-box of the company is placed in a hidden copy of such a letter (This email-box must be connected to Bitrix24).

With this, new emails will create leads in Bitrix24. If you can attach information about a client to a letter in vCard format, then you can create a contact using it.

Drawbacks of this method

1. All information about the order will be converted and sent as "text" to your CRM. That is, there will be no binding to products, the data will all be mixed up, instead of being separate fields, arranged by type.

2. You cannot create a deal, only a lead or a contact. However, you can set up automatic conversion of such leads into deals.

Advantages of this method

Of the advantages, one can single out only the price and speed - configurations can be done in a few hours (This does not take into account the very implementation of sending an email from an online store, as this is usually a standard function).

3. Integration of a Bitrix online store/site with Bitrix24 CRM - an almost perfect method

There is a ready-made integration scheme for Bitrix online stores. As usual, with its own characteristics.

Orders from the online store are transferred to Bitrix24 in the form of transactions with a contact attached to them. Even goods can be transferred. On the outside, everything looks great, but there are certain nuances.

If you try to follow the product link, you will see a red "product not found" message. It means that although the product was created, there is no access to it. This is due to the limitations of the cloud version. Bitrix promised to fix this.

It would seem that there is no access to the product and it's okay - we see the name, the price is there. But we will run into problems if we want to transfer this order to another department. For example, in the form of an account in the 1C accounting system. When we tried this, only empty lines were transferred instead of goods. 

Another popular request which cannot be achieved using this method is - change of order statuses. Online shop owners usually want that when a payment is received or when a transaction stage is changed by a manager, this is synchronized with the site.

In conclusion, the standard exchange between an online store created on Bitrix and a Bitrix24 corporate portal makes your work a whole lot easier.

To find out more about possible integrations and customizations in Bitrix24, or to make inquiries about our BUSINESS MODULES for Bitrix24, write us at info@intervolgaru.com  leave a message in the form below.

We have a wide range of Bitrix24 competencies and would be glad to help you. 

We also have a new module to help you build automated document approval workflows with internal and external participants right in your CRM.
Memos, invoices, designs, applications for leave, vacation, business trips, business proposals, contracts, and more.

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