A customer portal is a secure website where customers log in to access updated information and have the opportunity for collaborative features. Examples of information that should be in the customer portal are the current balance, invoices the ability to register and handle cases etc.
Usage: "A customer logs in to the customer portal to view his invoice, balance, order history, or to interact with the supplier digitally."
Customer portal improves customer relationships by giving full 24 × 7 access to current information. Customer benefits can be summarized as convenience and relevance. This because the portal contains everything that the customer needs in an online site (the user does not need to navigate across multiple sites and logins). In a well-designed customer portal, your customers only see what's relevant to their context, presented in a way that makes it easy even for an inexperienced user.
"An extension of the company's internal business solutions"
The customer portal will be an extension of the company's other business solutions, such as ERP systems, CRM systems, etc. This means that the internal efficiency achieved with these digital tools is also passed on to customers. This additional service serves several purposes:
- More satisfied customers who appreciate the extra service it means to have access to updated information
- Relief for customer service and sales that would otherwise have to respond to phone calls and emails from clients regarding, for example, billing questions
- Ability to increase the contact surface with the customers when several people at the customer may be given access to the customer portal.
- Some lock-in effect when customers do not want to be without this service if they switch to another supplier
Furthermore, the customer portal can be designed to support social functions that increase customer engagement and provide the opportunity to spread targeted information to different groups of users.
The customer portal is a complement to the traditional customer service, where digital technology provides customers with opportunities for self-service whenever and how they want. The goal of the customer portal should always be to increase customer service, thereby strengthening their positive feeling for the company.
Read more about what requirements you should put on your customer portal.
Alternative names on a customer portal:
- Client portal
- Business portal
- Customer zone
- My pages for corporate customers
- Customer Login