Incorporating new clients into the business may be difficult. Most companies often find it challenging to make it simple. E-mails get lost, documents get misplaced, and communication slows down. A client portal can come in handy and keep everything together. It helps make onboarding easier and lets businesses manage their clients more effectively. But how do you make one? And what new client onboarding software do you employ? All of this will be explained step by step in this guide.
Table of Contents
What is a Client Portal?
A client portal is a secure online platform. It enables businesses to share documents, updates, and messages with clients. This reduces emails and quickens communication. Instead of searching through emails, clients can log in and find what they need.
A good client portal should:
● Be user-friendly
● Strong security
● Document sharing
● Messaging features
● Integration with other software
Why Do You Need a Client Portal?
Most businesses handle clients through emails and spreadsheets. However, as the client base increases, this method gets messy. Information gets lost, and response times slow down. A client portal fixes this problem. It keeps everything in one place and makes the process smooth.
Companies using a client portal report:
● Faster response times
● Less missed messages
● Client satisfaction goes higher
● Teams have less manual work
According to Forrester, businesses that use client portals minimize their customer service costs by 30%. Customer support has to wait since clients realize the solutions to questions themselves.
How to Build a Client Portal
● Choose the Right Software
There are tools available to make building a client portal easier than ever. For example, a customer support, project management or secure document share tool may assist in this manner.
When selecting software, consider your business size and needs. A small company may like a simple solution with basic features. A more significant business may need an advanced system with automation and integration options. It’s essential to find a platform that offers secure access, file sharing, messaging, and task tracking to enhance good communication with clients and workflow.
● Establish User Access
Not all clients require the same level of access. Add roles and permissions. Share new clients’ access to onboarding materials. Existing clients are going to require updates for projects and invoices. Data security is crucial.
● Add Key Features
A minimal portal should consist of:
View updates on a dashboard
Messaging tool for communication
File-sharing contract and document systems
Task tracking for accessing progress
The more evolved form would be the inclusion of payment processing, automated workflows, and other integration benefits.
● Test Before Launch
Test the portal with a few clients before launching. Make sure everything works as expected. Get feedback and fix issues. A smooth experience keeps clients happy.
● Train Your Team and Clients
A great portal is useless if people don’t know how to use it. Train your team first. Show clients how to log in and find information. Provide a short video or guide to help them.
Selecting New Client Onboarding Software
Onboarding with clients builds a great relationship and should be the first step. A good onboarding system will help new clients to get started as soon as possible. This system automates several tasks, including welcome emails, document signing, and account setup.
Some useful features include:
● Workflow automation to simplify the onboarding process
● Training tools to guide new clients and team members
● Project tracking to ensure progress is smooth
● Forms and approval to reduce any manual work
Proper selection of the right software reduces onboarding time. It also saves time for the business as well as its clients.
How Client Portal Assists with Onboarding
A client portal and onboarding software complement one another. In the portal, all onboarding documents are centralised. Upon logging in to the portal, clients can be made to complete forms and trace their progress and understand the process of how to create a client portal .
● Using onboarding software, one can:
● E-mail automated welcomes
● Collect signatures electronically
● Post training videos
● Create reminders regarding pending tasks
This saves lots of time required for manual follow-ups. Experience is enhanced for clients, whereas hours of labour are saved.
Case Study: How a medium-sized Law Firm Utilized a Client Portal to Enhance Onboarding
A medium-sized law firm did not place effectively onboard new clients. They used email to ship contracts and legal documents. Most of the time, the client missed the emails or sent the forms partially. This delayed case progress.
The firm switched to a client portal with integrated onboarding software. The results were impressive:
● Onboarding time decreased by 40%
● Client document submission improved by 50%
● Fewer calls and emails related to missing documents
Now, the clients come and see all they need in one place. The firm saves time, and clients get going sooner.
The client portal does make business activities easy. This enhances communication. Emails are decreased, and the process of onboarding is expedited. There are some selection processes for good software. Testing and training result in a very great experience for both clients and teams.
If your business is growing, a client portal can help you stay organized. It makes onboarding easier and keeps clients happy. Try one and see the difference.
