The digital era turned the business world upside-down, and digital presence is a key to growth and progress. Considering the number of operations that are now performed online, and the applications every business uses on a daily basis, there is a need for a digital toolbox, which can keep all the instruments for successful work. Such a solution is called a web portal, and it is the fundamental part of the structure of every company that values time- and work-related efficiency.
Let’s get into the details of web portal performance and the main steps of its development.
What Is a Web Portal?
A web portal is a unified platform that provides a single access point to various types of information, resources, and applications. Typically, it has a dashboard structure, where all the content targets a specific area of performance.
A web portal is created to satisfy the informational needs of the users and provide effective communication and collaboration of all the participants. It stimulates the growth of revenue by streamlining all the operations of the company and boosting customer engagement. The efficiency of its functioning is backed up by a clear vision of the project by a customer and professional web development services, who bring these ideas to life.
The Types of Web Portals
- B2C Web Portal — aims to provide the best shopping experience for the customers, by offering them a seamless purchasing journey.
- B2B Web Portal — a more complex structure compared to B2C. It includes more participants including the buyers, suppliers, and marketplaces. The whole purchasing journey becomes longer and more personalized.
- Partner Web Portal —is designed for companies and businesses to help them manage the partner relations.
- Community Web Portal — unites like-minded people, where they can share knowledge, resources, and niche-specific insights.
- E-learning Web Portal — offers a variety of educational content including online courses, games, webinars, learning tools, etc. E-learning portals have been experiencing the rise since the beginning of the pandemic, and are now attracting more and more users.
- Service Web Portals — a platform that allows the users to access information from various sources. The common types are customer self-service portals, employee self-service portals (often a part of the HR portal), government service portals, patient portals, etc.
Basically, the web portal can be created for any kind of company, targeting different areas of performance. Regardless of the type, web portals help to create a highly organized environment, where every user can get informational support.
How to Develop a Web Portal?
1. Choice of developer
The choice of developer will define the success of further work. A web portal development company is one that possesses a great deal of expertise and experience, with a portfolio presenting its recent projects. It is also important to check up on relevant review websites like GoodFirms, Clutch, or TrustPilot, as they always include a professional view of the matter.
2. Planning
The initial stage of web portal development starts with planning and outlining all the features of the future project.
- Goals and objectives
The expected performance of the web portal can’t be measured appropriately unless there are clear and realistic goals. When specifying the goals of the project, it is recommended to follow a SMART approach, thus, making them Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound.
- Features and functionalities
A web portal is a multi-functional web solution that targets a complex of activities performed within a specific business environment, therefore, its features may include registration, search navigation, self-service options, system integration, etc.
- Design
Design is commonly taken as a visually attractive picture, however, it is also about creating a comfortable environment for the users. The designers are responsible for a web portal architecture, and intuitive navigation through all the functions.
- Integration
As a rule, the web portals can be integrated with e-commerce platforms, ERP systems, CRM systems, etc., each of them helping to streamline the functioning of the company.
3. Development
Development of the web portal may take up to five to six months to create an efficient and competitive product. It is better to avoid rushing, as it may compromise the quality of a final product.
4. Testing
Testing is an essential stage, as it helps to ensure that all the components are working according to their specification. In case there are instabilities in functioning, all the problems should be addressed by the relevant team of developers.
5. Launch
The launch, or deployment, of the web portal, makes it visible and accessible to its users for further usage.
6. Promotion
When the aim of the web portal is to reach as many users as possible, it is important to implement a marketing campaign and SEO practices, to attract more traffic, and thus, make it visible in the search.
7. Maintenance
After having launched the web portal, it is important to carry on its improvement, adding new features, boosting its effectiveness, and thus, improving the user’s experience. If the web portal is accessible to the public through the search engine, it is worth checking up on the user’s reviews and taking into account their ideas about improvements.
When the web portal is created for usage within the company, there can be further integrations and improvements.
The Bottom Line
A web portal that is created according to the requirements of a specific business, takes its performance to a new level, as all the tools of management and control will be at the tips of the fingers. A clear vision of a web portal, backed up by the skillfulness of the developers will result in a product that will streamline and systemize the performance of the company.