• Data Security
• Easy to Manage
• Responsiveness
• Enhancing client experience

Short Answer: It's fast, safe, easy to use and provides a positive experience for customers.

It's 2020 the year has been a crazy one and digital tools are becoming even more prominent than what they were previously. Client portals allow businesses to interact with customers in many ways depending on the market they are in. Regardless of the market the rules for selecting a top solution remains the same. Picking a 'not so great solution' could be the difference in a bad review or a great one, a satisfied or frustrated consumer. Lets get into what to look for in this type of software, helping avoid bad experiences for your customers.

Data Security

Within the last decade technology has evolved. Forms are becoming PDF's, receipts are becoming emails, letters and other correspondence are becoming Word documents. Everyday more of our sensitive information becomes digital securing it is incredibly important. As a business you don't want to use a solution that could leave your information or worse your customer's data vulnerable. It is becoming common to hear about data breaches in the news. Events like the Marriot 2020 Breach or the MGM Data Dump which exposed over 140million people's information. Business owners bear the responsibility to use a Client Portal Software that's secure when storing their customer's sensitive data.

Easy to Manage

Businesses both small and large have one huge commodity, Time. Wasting this precious resource is a simple key to success. Selecting a portal software that is cumbersome or has a steep learning curve for new employees, is something to steer clear of. Make sure the software displays up front it's usability, does it do what you need quickly and easily? Pay attention to flashy features or things you won't use it'll cost you money and slow you down. Clicking 35 buttons to share a secure file with your client is unacceptable. Can you drag and drop files? What about uploading an entire folder? These are all small details but combined they account for large portion of time if ignored. The flow again, should be quick and easy, the UI readable and straightforward. If they don't demonstrate that or you have to dig to find that information won't fit the criteria we just covered.

Responsiveness

Hypothetically speaking let's say you run into this scenario. A client calls in and needs you share a file, but they need it right now. You chose some flashy client portal software that is slow and takes FOREVER to load information. Because of the slack of responsiveness in the product that you chose, you decide to email the file instead. Not only are you jeopardizing the security of your client's information, you are paying for a software solution that costs money and your time. Just because a computer software performs well at the start doesn't mean it will stay that way. Scalability is essential to computer software and if it's performance can not scale parallel to the growth of your business look for another solution. It's not worth the headache a year or two down the road.

Enhancing Client Experience

The bottom line is that a client portal will help you to provide enhanced and more responsive customer experiences. In today’s highly competitive marketplace this represents a huge advantage over the competition. Your clients will be able to connect and interact with your business even outside of standard office hours and on the weekend. What’s more, the client portal can easily be customized with your company logo and colors so that it feels like a natural extension of your existing website and brand.

https://www.myhubintranet.com/client-portal/

Such a great little snippet from article I found. It all comes down to the customer and making them feel connected not confused. They should know they are still dealing with your business not another one. Giving them a positive experience to go along with the hopefully great customer service you have already provided. It's not worth it to use a subpar Client Portal solution that complicated and frustrating. It'll just create more work for your business and jeopardize ruining the entire interaction you have had with them. Knowing exactly what they are going to see and what they can expect when using the customer portal keeps you in the driver's seat.

Summary

Quick and Easy keep repeating it. Don't fall for features that you aren't going to use that are just going to drive up the cost. Make sure they talk about security of the data you are entrusting them with. Don't be afraid to ask questions about scalability, just because something works for a business doesn't mean it will work for yours. Make sure you know upfront what the actual portal is going to look like. The customer experience is one of the most integral parts of selecting the best client portal out there.

‍