Build Your Own Keap: Custom CRM & Marketing Automation
Stop forcing your business into a one-size-fits-all box. Get a platform designed around your exact sales and marketing process.
Are you tired of paying high monthly fees for Keap (Infusionsoft) features you never use? Frustrated by its rigid workflows that just don't match how you do business? It's time to stop renting your most critical business tool and start owning it. We build powerful, scalable, and intuitive CRM and marketing automation platforms from the ground up, tailored specifically to your growth strategy. Get the exact functionality you need, a system your team will love, and a competitive asset that grows with you—not against you.
Trusted By Global Leaders and Innovative Startups
Why Build a Custom Platform with CIS?
Radical Workflow Alignment
We don't force your process into our software. We build software that mirrors and enhances your unique, proven workflow for maximum team adoption and efficiency.
Escape Per-User Pricing
Stop penalizing your growth. With a custom build, you escape the tyranny of escalating monthly costs as your team expands. Your investment is in an asset, not a rental.
Own Your Asset, Don't Rent It
Every dollar you invest builds equity in a proprietary software asset that you own completely. This becomes a competitive advantage and increases your company's valuation.
Launch an MVP in 8-12 Weeks
You don't need to wait a year. We focus on building your Minimum Viable Product (MVP) with core features first, getting you operational and generating ROI quickly.
AI-Powered Automation
Leverage AI to not just automate tasks, but to predict customer behavior, optimize campaigns in real-time, and provide intelligent recommendations to your sales team.
Bank-Grade Security
As a CMMI Level 5 and SOC 2 certified company, we build your platform with enterprise-grade security from day one, protecting your most valuable asset: your customer data.
20+ Years of Expertise
Since 2003, we've delivered over 3000+ successful projects. We bring decades of experience in building scalable, reliable business applications to your project.
Seamless System Integrations
Your CRM doesn't live in a vacuum. We specialize in creating robust integrations with your existing tools—accounting, ERP, support desks—for a single source of truth.
Fanatical On-Going Support
Our partnership doesn't end at launch. We offer comprehensive maintenance and support plans to ensure your platform runs smoothly and evolves with your business needs.
Build Your Perfect Platform: Features & Modules
Think of your custom platform as a set of building blocks. Start with the essentials you need to solve your biggest challenges today, and add new capabilities as you grow. We build modular, scalable systems designed for evolution.
Unified CRM
A central hub for all customer data, interactions, and history, accessible to your entire team.
- Custom fields and objects for your data.
- 360-degree view of every contact.
- Activity tracking and communication logs.
Marketing Automation
A visual campaign builder to create sophisticated, automated workflows that nurture leads and engage customers.
- Trigger-based email and SMS sequences.
- Behavioral targeting and segmentation.
- Lead scoring to identify hot prospects.
Email & Landing Pages
An intuitive drag-and-drop editor for creating beautiful, on-brand emails and high-converting landing pages.
- Reusable templates and content blocks.
- A/B testing for optimization.
- Personalization and dynamic content.
Sales Pipeline Management
A visual, Kanban-style pipeline that gives you a clear overview of your sales process and helps your team close deals faster.
- Customizable deal stages and fields.
- Automated task creation and follow-ups.
- Sales forecasting and performance reports.
Appointment Scheduling
An integrated scheduling tool that eliminates back-and-forth emails and lets leads book meetings directly in your calendar.
- Syncs with Google, Outlook, and Office 365.
- Automated reminders and follow-ups.
- Team scheduling and round-robin assignment.
E-commerce & Payments
Seamlessly integrate payment processing and order management directly into your CRM and marketing campaigns.
- Stripe, PayPal, and other gateway integrations.
- Abandoned cart recovery sequences.
- Subscription and recurring billing management.
Investment Overview: Custom vs. Keap
Building a custom platform is an investment in a long-term asset, not a recurring expense. While Keap's monthly fees seem low initially, they quickly add up and offer no equity. Here’s a typical breakdown for a custom solution.
MVP / Starter Platform
Ideal for startups and small businesses needing core CRM and basic automation features to replace spreadsheets and multiple disconnected tools.
- Core Contact Management (CRM)
- Basic Email Campaign Builder
- Simple Sales Pipeline
- Landing Page Builder
- 1-2 Key Integrations
Growth / Business Platform
Perfect for growing businesses that need sophisticated automation, sales tools, and deeper integrations to scale their operations effectively.
- Everything in MVP, plus:
- Advanced Automation Builder
- Lead Scoring & Segmentation
- Appointment Scheduling
- E-commerce/Payment Integration
- Custom Reporting Dashboard
Enterprise / Full Scale Platform
For established businesses requiring a fully custom, enterprise-grade solution with AI features, complex integrations, and high scalability.
- Everything in Growth, plus:
- AI-Powered Campaign Optimization
- Multi-Currency/Language Support
- Advanced API Development
- Custom ERP/BI Integrations
- Full Compliance & Security Audits
Head-to-Head: Custom Platform vs. Keap
| Feature / Aspect | Keap (Off-the-Shelf) | Your Custom Platform (Built by CIS) |
|---|---|---|
| Workflow Fit | Generic, forces you to adapt | 100% tailored to your exact process |
| Pricing Model | Recurring monthly fees per user/contact | One-time investment, no user limits |
| Ownership | You rent the software | You own the IP and the asset |
| Scalability | Limited to their feature roadmap | Infinitely scalable and adaptable |
| Unnecessary Features | Pay for bloated features you don't use | Only build and pay for what you need |
| Integrations | Limited to their marketplace | Integrate with any system via custom APIs |
| Competitive Advantage | None, you use the same tool as competitors | Creates a unique operational advantage |
| Initial Speed | Instant access, but long setup | MVP launch in 8-12 weeks |
From Concept to Conversion: Our Success Stories
Case Study: E-commerce Growth Engine for "Artisan Coffee Co."
Industry: Retail & E-commerce
Client Overview: Artisan Coffee Co. is a fast-growing online retailer of premium coffee beans. They were using a combination of Shopify, Mailchimp, and spreadsheets to manage customers and marketing. This disconnected system led to missed opportunities, particularly with abandoned carts and repeat purchases. They needed a unified platform to understand their customers better and automate personalized marketing.
"Building our own platform with CIS was a game-changer. We finally have a single view of our customers. The automated campaigns they built for us run on autopilot and have directly increased our revenue. We're no longer just guessing what our customers want."
- Jenna Raynor, Founder, Artisan Coffee Co.
The Problem
The client's marketing was generic and inefficient. They couldn't segment customers based on purchase history or engagement, and their abandoned cart emails had a low recovery rate. They were paying for three separate tools but lacked a cohesive strategy.
Key Challenges:
- Inability to track customer lifetime value accurately.
- High cart abandonment rate with ineffective follow-up.
- Difficulty launching targeted promotions to specific customer segments.
- Wasted time manually exporting and importing data between systems.
Our Solution
We developed a custom CRM and marketing automation platform built around their Shopify store data. The solution provided a unified dashboard with all customer information, purchase history, and marketing engagement in one place.
- Developed a deep integration with the Shopify API to sync customer and order data in real-time.
- Built a visual automation builder for creating multi-step, behavior-triggered email campaigns.
- Created a dynamic segmentation engine to group customers by purchase frequency, average order value, and product preferences.
- Implemented a sophisticated abandoned cart recovery sequence with timed discounts to maximize conversions.
Case Study: B2B Sales Automation for "InnovateTech Solutions"
Industry: B2B Technology Services
Client Overview: InnovateTech provides managed IT services to mid-market companies. Their sales team of 15 reps was struggling to manage a high volume of leads from various sources (website, LinkedIn, events). They were using a basic CRM that lacked automation, leading to inconsistent follow-up and leads falling through the cracks. They needed a system to automate lead assignment, nurturing, and pipeline management.
"Our sales cycle was chaotic. CIS built us a platform that brought order and predictability. The automated lead nurturing and task management ensures every prospect gets the right attention at the right time. Our sales team can now focus on selling, not on admin work."
- Michael Harper, VP of Sales, InnovateTech Solutions
The Problem
The lack of automation meant that lead follow-up was manual and often delayed. There was no standardized process for nurturing long-term leads, and management had poor visibility into the sales pipeline and individual rep performance.
Key Challenges:
- Slow lead response times, resulting in lost opportunities.
- Inconsistent nurturing for leads not yet ready to buy.
- Difficulty tracking sales activities and forecasting revenue.
- Sales reps spending too much time on data entry and administrative tasks.
Our Solution
We designed and built a custom Sales CRM focused on automation and visibility. The platform automated the entire top-of-funnel process, from lead capture to qualified appointment booking.
- Created an automated lead routing system that assigned new leads to reps based on territory and workload.
- Built a multi-channel nurturing sequence that engaged leads with educational content via email over several weeks.
- Developed a visual pipeline dashboard with drag-and-drop functionality and automated task creation at each stage.
- Implemented a reporting module with detailed analytics on conversion rates, sales cycle length, and team performance.
Case Study: Client Management Platform for "Momentum Coaching"
Industry: Professional Services (Coaching & Consulting)
Client Overview: Momentum Coaching is a boutique executive coaching firm with a team of 10 coaches. They were managing client onboarding, scheduling, and invoicing through a patchwork of Google Calendar, Typeform, and QuickBooks. This manual process was error-prone, time-consuming, and provided a disjointed experience for their high-value clients.
"We sell a premium service, but our back-end process was anything but. CIS built us a single platform that handles everything from the moment a client signs up. It looks professional, saves us countless hours, and lets our coaches focus on what they do best: coaching."
- Emily Snow, Managing Partner, Momentum Coaching
The Problem
The firm's operational inefficiency was hindering its ability to scale. Onboarding a new client required multiple manual steps across different systems, scheduling sessions was a constant back-and-forth, and tracking client progress was difficult.
Key Challenges:
- Time-consuming and unprofessional client onboarding process.
- Scheduling conflicts and manual appointment reminders.
- Lack of a central repository for client notes and session history.
- Difficulties with recurring invoicing and payment tracking.
Our Solution
We created an all-in-one client management portal that automated the entire client lifecycle, providing a seamless experience for both the coaches and their clients.
- Built an automated onboarding workflow with digital contract signing and intake forms.
- Integrated a self-service scheduling tool allowing clients to book, reschedule, and cancel sessions based on their coach's availability.
- Developed a secure client portal where clients could access session notes, resources, and track their progress.
- Integrated Stripe for automated recurring invoicing and payment collection, drastically reducing administrative overhead.
Our Technology Stack: Built for Scale and Performance
We use modern, robust, and scalable technologies to build your platform. Our AI-enabled developers are experts in creating secure, high-performance applications that can grow with your business.
Don't Just Take Our Word For It
"We outgrew HubSpot but weren't ready for the complexity of Salesforce. CIS built us a 'just right' solution that automated our entire marketing and sales funnel. The project was on time, on budget, and the result is a system that's 10x more effective for our specific needs."
"The biggest win for us was owning the asset. Instead of a perpetual line item on our P&L, our CRM is now a valuable piece of IP. The CIS team understood our vision from day one and delivered a platform that has become the backbone of our operations."
"I was hesitant about a custom build, fearing the time and complexity. CIS proved me wrong. Their MVP approach got us a working product in three months, and their agile process meant we could adapt and refine features based on real feedback. It's far more flexible than any off-the-shelf tool."
"Our old system was a mess of integrations that barely worked. The team at CIS built us a unified platform with seamless API connections to our accounting and support software. For the first time, we have a true 360-degree view of our customers. The data clarity is incredible."
Frequently Asked Questions
It's a different investment model. While the upfront cost is higher, you eliminate recurring monthly fees that grow as your team and contact list expand. Over 2-3 years, a custom solution often has a lower Total Cost of Ownership (TCO). More importantly, you're building a valuable company asset, not just paying a subscription.
We can launch a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) with your most critical features in as little as 8-12 weeks. This gets you operational and generating value quickly. A more comprehensive platform with advanced features might take 4-6 months. We work with you to define a phased approach that aligns with your timeline and budget.
We offer flexible and affordable ongoing support and maintenance plans. This covers everything from security patches and server management to bug fixes and performance monitoring. We also provide retainers for adding new features as your business evolves, ensuring your platform never becomes outdated.
Data migration is a core part of our process. Our team are experts at extracting, cleaning, and securely importing data from various platforms like Keap, HubSpot, Mailchimp, and even complex spreadsheets. We ensure a smooth transition with zero data loss.
Absolutely. This is one of the biggest advantages of a custom build. We design the User Interface (UI) and User Experience (UX) specifically around your team's workflow. By removing unnecessary clutter and tailoring the system to their tasks, we achieve much higher adoption rates than complex, one-size-fits-all platforms.
Ready to Own Your Growth Engine?
Stop letting off-the-shelf software dictate your business process. Let's have a no-obligation chat about your goals, your frustrations with Keap, and how a custom-built platform can become your most powerful competitive advantage. See a demo and get a detailed proposal for free.
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