As a web developer, I usually build business websites on WordPress. Recently, one of my clients, PS Computer Academy, came to me with a simple but important problem.
They already had a WordPress website where students could submit enquiry and admission forms. The forms were working perfectly, and every submission was reaching their email. At first, everything looked fine.
But after a few weeks, the real problem started.
The Problem
Every day, students were filling out enquiry forms for different courses.
The institute received all these enquiries through email and Forminator submissions.
After some time, it became difficult to manage everything.
Questions like these started coming up:
- Which student has already been contacted?
- Which enquiry is still pending?
- Who is interested in taking admission?
- Which student needs a follow-up call?
- Where are all the old enquiries?
The staff had to open emails again and again or log into WordPress just to check form submissions.
Sometimes they even searched through old emails to find a student’s mobile number.
This process was slow, confusing, and time-consuming.
The institute needed a better solution.
The Idea
Instead of asking them to buy an expensive CRM, I thought:
“Why not build a custom CRM directly inside their existing WordPress website?”
Since their website was already built on WordPress, there was no need to purchase another software or move to a different platform.
The CRM could simply work alongside their website.
Planning the Solution
I wanted something that would be:
- Simple to use
- Fast
- Easy for non-technical staff
- Accessible from anywhere
- Fully integrated with their existing website
The idea was simple.
Whenever someone submits the website form, the enquiry should automatically appear inside a CRM dashboard.
No manual work.
No copying data.
No spreadsheets.
Everything should happen automatically.
Building the CRM
To make development faster, I used AI as a development assistant while writing and improving the plugin.
Instead of generating random code, AI helped me create the plugin structure, improve the user interface, and speed up repetitive development tasks.
The final CRM was developed as a custom WordPress plugin, so it integrates directly with the website.
How It Works
The website continues using Forminator forms.
Whenever a visitor fills an enquiry form:
- The form is submitted.
- Forminator saves the data.
- The CRM automatically imports the enquiry.
- The enquiry instantly appears inside the dashboard.
There is no need to manually copy information from emails.
Everything stays organized automatically.
Main Features
Dashboard
The CRM dashboard gives a quick overview of all enquiries.
It displays:
- Total Leads
- Today’s Leads
- New Leads
This helps staff understand how many enquiries are coming every day.
Enquiry Management
Every enquiry is stored in one place.
Staff can search enquiries by:
- Name
- Mobile Number
- Course
Instead of checking emails, everything is available in a single dashboard.
One-Click Communication
One of my favourite features is the action buttons.
Each enquiry has:
- 📞 Call
- 💬 WhatsApp
- 📧 Email
With one click, the staff can immediately contact the student.
No need to copy phone numbers manually.
Status Management
Each enquiry can be updated with different statuses such as:
- New
- Contacted
- Interested
- Admission Done
This makes it easy to know what action has already been taken.
Import Existing Entries
The client already had many old enquiries inside Forminator.
I didn’t want those records to be lost.
So I built an Import Existing Entries feature.
It imports all previous Forminator submissions into the CRM while avoiding duplicate entries.
This means both old and new enquiries stay together in one system.
Automatic Synchronization
After the first import, every new enquiry is automatically synchronized.
The staff doesn’t need to click any button.
The CRM updates itself automatically.
Frontend Login
Instead of giving staff access to the WordPress admin dashboard, I created a separate frontend CRM.
The staff simply logs in and sees only the CRM dashboard.
This makes the system cleaner, easier, and more secure for daily use.
Visit Website Button
Inside the CRM, there is also a Visit Website button.
This allows staff to quickly open the institute’s website without leaving the CRM.
Why I Chose WordPress
Many people think WordPress is only for blogs or business websites.
But WordPress is much more powerful than that.
With custom plugins, APIs, and integrations, it can become a complete business management system.
Instead of purchasing expensive CRM software with monthly subscription fees, businesses can have a custom solution built according to their workflow.
How AI Helped
AI did not replace development.
It helped speed up the development process.
I used AI to:
- Generate plugin structure
- Improve UI ideas
- Speed up repetitive coding
- Refine layouts
- Debug certain issues
After that, I tested, customized, and integrated everything with WordPress to match my client’s exact requirements.
The Result
Today, the institute no longer needs to search through emails or multiple pages.
Every enquiry is available inside one organized dashboard.
The staff can quickly contact students, update lead status, and manage enquiries without confusion.
The entire process has become faster, simpler, and much more efficient.
Final Thoughts
This project reminded me that every business has unique challenges, and sometimes a custom solution works much better than a generic software.
Building this CRM was not just about writing code—it was about solving a real business problem.
As a developer, that’s what I enjoy the most: creating practical solutions that save time, improve workflows, and help businesses grow.
About the Project
- Platform: WordPress
- Technology: Custom WordPress Plugin
- Forms: Forminator
- Development Support: AI-assisted development
- Purpose: Lead & Enquiry Management CRM
- Built by: CraftedWebs