Have customer portal created for greater control of processes
You see it happening more and more: companies using their customer portals to improve service. With a customer portal, processes become clearer and easier, you improve the relationship with your customers and you save time and costs. In this blog you will read what a customer portal is, why it is worth investing in it, what different types of customer portals exist, how security is guaranteed and how we can help you develop a customized customer portal.
What is a customer portal?
A customer portal (also known as a client portal ) is a secure online environment in which customers can access personal information, documents and services 24/7. The portal enables direct interaction between the customer and the organization. In addition, a client portal acts as a self-service tool: a client portal on your website allows customers to arrange matters themselves, without the intervention of an employee. This saves time for both the customer and the organization and at the same time creates more efficiency in the way the organization works.
Why choose a customer portal?
A customer portal provides your organization with numerous benefits. We list the most important ones for you below:
Higher customer satisfaction
With a customer portal, customers can easily manage their affairs themselves. In doing so, you can offer your customers a personalized experience, setting up the portal so that each customer only sees what is important to them. This significantly increases the user experience, making customers feel better served, get their questions answered faster and experience more direction.
Secure and centralized communication
No more separate emails containing sensitive information. Everything goes through one secure portal that meets privacy and AVG requirements. Thanks to encrypted communication, the information can only be accessed by authorized persons.
More efficient processes
With a customer portal, you can automate many recurring business processes and tasks, such as sending invoices, confirming orders or providing status updates. Thanks to these automated processes, employees spend less time on administrative tasks.
Scalability
A customer portal can grow with the organization. As your business grows or offers new services, additional features can easily be added. This makes the portal scalable and future-proof.
Better communication
Through the portal, messages, notifications and updates can be shared directly with customers. This prevents misunderstandings and speeds up communication. In addition, interaction through the portal provides valuable insights into customers’ questions and specific needs. For example, it can be an important signal when multiple customers ask the same question on the portal.
Different types of customer portals
There are roughly three types of customer portals. We explain them further below:
B2C Customer Portals
B2C refers to Business-to-Consumer: a situation where a company’s customer portal directly targets private consumers as its target audience. For example, consider the customer portal of an online store, where customers can view their data, orders and invoices, track returns or easily contact customer service.
However, this need not focus exclusively on web shops. Other organizations that serve consumers can also offer a B2C portal, such as a healthcare organization that offers a complaints portal for its patients or a gym where members easily manage their subscriptions and reservations.
B2B Customer Portals
B2B (Business-to-Business) customer portals target business customers or partners. They give companies or departments access to a central environment where they manage data, documents and processes that are important for collaboration. Think of a procurement portal for orders and invoices, an HR and payroll portal for payroll and reports or a collaboration portal for project documents and schedules.
Customer portals for governments and municipalities
In addition to customer portals for B2B and B2C, there are also portals for governments and municipalities. These portals allow residents of a particular municipality or government to quickly and easily access their personal data and services. Think, for example, of a municipal customer portal where residents can apply for permits online, report nuisance or get insight into their municipal taxes.
Security of a customer portal
With a customer portal, various technical and organizational measures are taken to create a secure environment. These may include:
- Encrypted connections (SSL/TLS): all communication between user and portal is through secure connections, so data cannot be intercepted.
- Authentication and authorization: users must log in using reliable methods, for example, via two-factor authentication (2FA) or eHerkenning (for government portals). In addition, authorization determines which data or functionalities a person may see or use.
- Secure storage: important information and sensitive data are stored encrypted in databases and backed up regularly.
- Regular updates and monitoring: to prevent security breaches, it is essential to keep the software up-to-date and monitor suspicious activity continuously.
Have customer portal custom developed
Are you looking for a customer portal that perfectly aligns with your processes and is fully customized? With our expertise, we can develop a customer portal that fits seamlessly into your organization, optimizes your workflow and provides a user-friendly experience for both employees and customers.
Our approach for your organization
We work with a clear and well thought-out approach that matches the needs and goals of your organization. During the process we provide regular contact moments for feedback, allowing you to actively contribute ideas and together we can make timely adjustments. This way we work efficiently and specifically towards the best result.
Our steps:
- Intake and analysis: We start with a thorough inventory of your processes, challenges and requirements. We look at the needs of your organization and the specific users of the portal. This way we get a clear picture of which functionalities and integrations are needed to make the portal work effectively.
- Concept and design: Based on the analysis, we design a customer portal that is user-friendly and visually appealing. Here the user experience is key: the portal must be intuitive and pleasant to use, so that customers or employees can easily find their way around.
- Custom development: Then we get to work: we develop a custom customer portal that fits your needs exactly. In doing so, we use modern technologies such as PHP (Laravel, Filament, Flarum) and JavaScript frameworks (React, Vue) in combination with Inertia.js. Which techniques and links we deploy depends on the case, the requirements and the desired integrations.
- Testing and optimization: Before delivery, the portal is extensively tested for performance, security and ease of use. This way, we ensure that everything works flawlessly and is ready to use.
- Delivery and guidance: After delivery, we guide your organization in deploying the customer portal and provide advice so you can get the most out of it right away.
- Further development: As organizations and needs change, the customer portal can easily be expanded or modified. This keeps the portal in line with your processes and your users’ expectations.
With this approach, you get a customer portal that works reliably and is tailored to the needs of your organization.
Working together?
Want to discover how we can support you with a customized customer portal or have any questions on this topic? Then feel free to contact us. We are ready to think with you and advise you on the solution that best suits your organization.