Web Portal Software – A Guide [2021 Edition]

1. Web Portal Software –A Guide [2021Edition] Since the pandemic has turned every one to workremotely, the need for an online presence has increased. With that, it has become important for businesses to look for web portal software that will allow them to automate tasks, track operations, and significantly increase customer, employee, and partner engagement. But what type of web portal do you need? What will be the development cost? Whatfactors affect thecost? This article will cover web portal software, including types, development methods, functionalities, advantages, etc. Beforethat,let’sseewhatan onlinewebportalisandhowit sales@crmjetty.com

2. differs from a website. Most people still use the names interchangeably as if it’s thesame. What is an Online WebPortal? A web portal provides a single point of access to various information. You and users can consider it as a libraryof personalized and well-organized content company articles, products information, suppliers lists, andmore. consistingof vendorsand A web portal software helps in search navigation, personalization, information sharing, notifications, etc. However, to carry out these activities and look at the content,usersneedaccess.They needauseraccounttolog in. Once logged in, they can access information provided by you,i.e.,astoreowner.Whatmakesawebportalconvenient isthatitcollectsinformationfromvarioussourceslikeCRM, CMS and presents it in one place. It reduces users’ efforts. For example, your team doesn’t have to juggle between systems to get customers’ details. Apart from accessing information, it even makes communication between teams easy. Though the features of a portal look similar to that of a website, their purpose differs, and so do their characteristics. They are not interchangeable. Whilethe sales@crmjetty.com

3. website uses web pages that anyone can access, the web portal requires login credentials, and only authorized users can access it. The purpose of a website is to create a digital presence, whereas web portals provide relevant information toauthorizedusersbasedontheirroles. Common Types of Web PortalSoftware Online web portals help with personalization, document management, information tracking, collaboration, business intelligence, etc. As every business is unique, web portals are used in different ways. There are two main types: Horizontal and Vertical. Horizontal portals provide all the relevant information that users might require. Vertical, on thecontrary,providesspecificinformationonly. They are then bifurcated into various subtypes based on theirtargetaudienceandpurposes. CustomerPortal This is for businesses that want to improve their customer support and build loyalty. Customer portals allowcustomers to place and activate/deactivate recommendations, trackorders,generatetickets, services,getpersonalized managetheirtransactions,viewthe statusoftheirquery,andfindsolutionsontheirown. sales@crmjetty.com

4. VendorPortal It’s a solution for businesses having a vast number of third-party suppliers. This type of web portal software is used tocommunicate and share data with vendors. It makes vendor management easy. Vendors have the freedom to managetheiraccounts, proposals,orders,etc.Yourstaffcan manage all the vendor-related activities such as sending invites, comparing proposals, viewing suppliers’ information all in oneplace. PartnerPortal Industries such as travel, real estate, banking, logistics, or healthcare, often have to deal with multiple partners to get their work done. For instance, real-estate businesses have brokersandotherstohelpthemcrackadeal.Partnerportal helps businesses interact with their partners efficiently by giving them access to data, managing leads, viewing partner performance, speed onboarding,etc. AffiliatePortal This type of portal provides an attractive interface to affiliates. It allows them to manage custom links, channels, rewards, invoices, etc., saving your time and building long-lastingrelationships. sales@crmjetty.com

5. B2B portal, B2C portal, membership management portal are a few of the other portal examples commonly used. However, the pandemic has forced businesses toimplement new strategies, approaches, and digital tools. Thus, there are key portal types that are in demand. Let’s check them out! Portals Gaining Popularity in2021 Afewwebportalsoftwaretypesthatareindemandare: Knowledge BasePortal This type of portal automates customer support. It lets you educate your customers and employees, support them, and improve customer understanding. A knowledge base consists of blogs, FAQs, guides, tutorials, user manuals, and other relevant information. It helps users find answers on theirown. CommunityPortal Community portals help with brand building. Here, people come together to share their interests, suggest solutions, and help one another. For example, if you’re in the printing business,thecommunityportal will allowyourcustomersto discuss printing services, tools, methods, etc. If a new customer wants to try out Dye sublimation and is confused, other customers with an experience can sharetheir sales@crmjetty.com

6. insights. They can share tips, lists of dos and don’ts, and more. A community portal allows everyone to come together and share their thoughts. Since the pandemic, many people are using community portals, and hence, there’s a hugedemand. Self-ServicePortal As customers like doing everything on their own, there’s a huge surge for self-service solutions. This web portal software provides information related to products, services, and other business-related things. They allow users to handle their activities rather than wait for a support team. Self-service improves the customer service quality and relievestechsupportteamsfromstress. CustomizablePortal Custom portal development is the new trend! Gartner suggests that 85% of user interaction will start with self-service by 2022. But customer behavior keeps changing as technology advances. Hence, businesses are looking out for a customized portal that meets their business demands. A solution that can expand with the growing business is suitableforeachuserintheorganization. sales@crmjetty.com

7. E-LearningPortal E-learning is a new trend now, and so is the e-learning portal. An e-learning portal can provide access to various materials while allowing teachers, parents, and admin to handletheiractivitiesthemselves.Forinstance,aparentcan view their child’s progress report without contacting the teacheroraskingthekid. Corporations also use these kinds of e-learning portals for trainingemployeesandhelpingthemgrow. To find out what other portals are in demand in 2021, check out this article – 5 Custom Portal Solutions to Considerin 2021. Reasons to Have a Web PortalSoftware Now that you know about the types of portals, you would have got a little idea of their benefits. However, just for clarification, here are a few arguments that will convince youtogoforwebportalsoftwaredevelopment. Custom BusinessLogic Features like role-based access, user authentication help you with a dedicated exchange of information. Configuration and personalization options further enable users to configure the portal as per their needs. Saya sales@crmjetty.com

8. customerwantstoknowaboutthelatestupdatesonlogging in to the portal. They can configure the dashboard accordingly. A web portal software allows you to utilize the datatobenefityouandthebusiness. EnhancedCollaboration Third-party social sharing spaces make it easy for businessestointeractwithoneanother.However,theydon’t save time. You have to download the document and then upload it on the server. But, web portal software allows information to flow easily. For instance, a team can share the documents and work on them together without any extraeffort. Simplification ofOperations As the portal allows everyone to handle their activities themselves, it reduces the work of one person. Forexample, insurance agents don’t have to update customers’ details and documents every time. Customers can do it on their own by logging into the portal. The support team doesn’t have to waste time updating customers about their orderor ticketstatus.Theycanworkonsomethingproductive. BetterSecurity Many businesses avoid third-party tools because of data theft. Also, there are limitations to what data you canshare sales@crmjetty.com

9. with a specific team or team member based on their roles. For example, you won’t give your intern access to the CRM. Evenasmallmistakeinaninvoicebythemcancreatehavoc. But you need to provide them with limited access to view customer details if not edit. A web portal software givesyou that freedom with role-based access. Users can access the dataandperformactionsbasedontheirroles. Boost CustomerEngagement A web portal helps establish a strong relationship between businesses and customers with features like knowledge base, self-service, community support, ticket management, etc. As customers know what they are doing and can find theiranswersthemselves,theybecomesatisfiedandloyal. CentralizedManagement To access different solutions like CRM, CMS, POS, a web portal provides a single access point. It connects every systemandensuresusersgeteverythingtheyrequireinone place. You want to check a customer’s details; you can doso fromtheportalwithoutloggingintotheCRM. KnowMore About the features and other reasons to go for web portal softwaredevelopment. sales@crmjetty.com

10. How to Build a Web PortalSoftware By now, I am sure you’re excited to build a web portal. And thus, in this section, we will see the steps involved in web portal development. Let’sproceed! Create aPlan This is the first thing you need to do. Think about your business and figure out the purpose of your portal and the target audience, whether it will be for users or suppliers. Don’t forget to research. Know what kind of solution your customers require, what features they expect, and whatyou should integrate. After thorough research, list down the features along with your target audience, objective, and otherdetails. Decide your Architecture andDesign After creating a plan and deciding on features, you need to decide the feel and look of your portal. It’s important as it reflects your brand. So, while creating the portal design, check the font and theme properly, focus on images, and don’t go on experimenting with too dull or gaudy shades. Balance itwell! Don’t forget to include the search option. The button positioning, check thattoo. sales@crmjetty.com

11. Start theDevelopment • With plan and design in hand, the only thing left is to give developers a green signal. While developing, make sure that developers consider these elements – user-friendly navigation, paymentintegration, security, scalability, etc. • Test itRigorously • This is when the QA team stamps the portal to be fit to deliver, only after testing each function and modules’ workingseveraltimesusingdifferentapproaches. • If your testing is successful, it will increase your portal users’ experience. It doesn’t stop there. The post-launch period is about maintenance. You need to ensure that the portal stays up-to-date with thechanging customer requirements and developmenttrends. • You also need to consider the portal development cost in theplanning. Various factors affect the development processcost. • Factors Affecting the DevelopmentCost • Outsourcing orOn-Premise • The first factor is to choose the right development partner. Generally, outsourcing costs less than on-premises. However, it can cost you a fortune ifyou sales@crmjetty.com

12. choose a less reliablepartner. • Features • The features you decide to add to your portal affect the cost of the portal development process. The more complexthefeaturesare,thehigherthecost. • Developer’sSkills • An experienced development team will provide a quality solution though the cost would be higher. You can get the portal developed by a less experienced vendor. However, the quality and other glitches may cost youmore. • Elements toInclude • The cost of web portal software will vary based on the components you want to include. Say, you may require multiple payment methods. For that, you will require third-party API integrations, which will increase the cost. Hence, while researching, research thoroughly! Consider everything from your requirements to developmentfactors. sales@crmjetty.com

13. While we are on it, let me tell you how CRMJetty can help you in theprocess. • You can also check our case studies, portfolio, and client testimonialstogetabetteridea. • CRMJetty: An Ideal Web Portal DevelopmentPartner! • We have been serving this industry for 14+ years and know about the nooks and hooks of various industrial processes. Hence, we can help you identify if the requirements are suitablefor yourindustryandthenewtrendsinthemarket. For example, what new features are available, what you should add and what you shouldn’t. You get a one-on-one discussion with our industry experts! After deciding everything, our development team will start with the sprints, followed by the testing, of which you will be a part. Once the testing is done, we will train you on the portal’s workingandbethereforyouwheneveryourequirehelp! • AfewreasonswhyCRMJettywouldbetherightchoice: • We provide ready-to-integrate and custom solutions. Whether it’s a few tweaks or one from scratch, we will be there foryou. • We analyze your requirements and, based on them, suggestthesolution.Onlywhenthecustomizationsare sales@crmjetty.com

14. required would we suggest and go the extra mile to make thosechanges. • We follow the Agile methodology, which means there’s transparency at allstages. • Wehaveatrackrecordof70+customportal integrations. • And if you’resatisfied HireUs Source: https:/www.crmjetty.com/b2c-portal-development-guide / sales@crmjetty.com