The Advantages and Disadvantages of a CRM with Client Portal

An information portal within your CRM essentially made to strengthen the connection between you, your business partners, and customers is a CRM with client portal. A client portal is an extension of your CRM that enables easy access to your business partners and customers. A CRM with client portal has a web page frontend to create a client portal allowing a custom system with different access permissions for different types of users.

If you have a CRM with text messaging you can also communicate via mobile devices from the portal. Likewise, CRM with email marketing can also be advantageous for marketing campaigns, lead follow-ups, and general email communications with clients or vendors set up in the CRM portal.

The user can easily access this portal by opening your company’s website, logging in, and browning information to which they have been granted access. It could be general information, such as a list of FAQs or guidelines, or customer-specific information, such as an invoice. CRM with client portal has made interactions with customers part of a two-way relationship, creating brand trust and loyalty.

The client portal is where your customers and partners can engage and improve relationships through better collaboration. CRM with client portal allows users to interact with your business functions, and all activity is logged in your CRM. A CRM with client portal enables users to join discussion forums and chat, sign up for events and reward programs, contact representatives, pay bills, access customer support tools, and more. Comparing a CRM like Hubspot with an alternative CRM like Zoho is an important step in CRM selection, as it allows you to see which systems have the best features and pricing for your business.

Read on to learn more about the advantages of using a CRM with client portal:

Improved Communication and Collaboration

Having a CRM with client portal saves authentication time and allows the customer to quickly and easily communicate with the service provider. It also enables business owners and staff members to share tailored information with their partners and customers and improve collaboration. 

Ease of Access

CRM with client portals maintains accurate and updated information and allows easy access to customers looking for relevant information like guidelines and product details.

Cost Savings

While setting up a CRM with client portal may have high costs, it leads to cost savings, higher CRM ROI, and other benefits in the long term. Once the CRM processes are streamlined and the documentation is updated, it leads to improved productivity and substantial cost savings. 

Customized Content

CRM with client portal provides content customized for you, such as offers and packages that you wouldn’t hear about without having access to the portal.  

Improved Content Management

By centralizing company information and ensuring only updated and accurate versions of documents are shared, a CRM with client portal reduces the chance of circulating inaccurate content among customers. 

Better Customer Service

The most significant upside to a CRM with client portal is how it improves customer service, reduces response time, provides tailored interactions, and enhances customer loyalty and retention. CRM improves operations and builds efficiency in your processes.

While a CRM is important for companies of all sizes, the client portal also has drawbacks. While these aren’t essentially downsides and may not make a difference to some businesses, to others, these may be seen as hindrances in adoption. 

Unfit for Some Business Organizations

Implementing a CRM with client portal does not suit all types of business, such as businesses that have highly standardized transactions won’t get much out of this investment. However, CRM with client portal is an excellent choice for companies with complex sales cycles and multiple touchpoints that provide a personalized experience to customers, such as healthcare centers.

Higher Implementation Costs

The cost of implementing a CRM with client portal is much higher. While this may not be a hindrance for every business, it is a significant downside for companies with financial constraints and those who won’t get enough out of the software to make up for its price tag. The reason behind this is the complexity of the implementation of CRM with client portal and the need for experts’ service. To prevent getting carried away by fancy terms for functionalities and paying for what your business does not require, be prepared with a priority list of your functionalities. This may reduce costs as you choose a CRM with Client portal that you will be using to good use. 

Staff Training for CRM with Client Portal

To thoroughly utilize your newly implemented CRM with client portal, you may need to train your staff members. Since the learning curve for a CRM with client portal is steep, you may need to hire experts to familiarize your staff members with the new tech. Hiring these professionals to run training sessions may involve huge costs that can be a setback for most businesses. 

Choosing the best CRM with a client portal that meets your business’s requirements doesn’t have to be as overwhelming as it may initially seem. Knowing what you need and what features you are looking for is key to finding the best fit for your enterprise. Keep tabs on trusted reviews regarding vendors of CRM with client portal and shortlist your top choices.

Once your list is laid out, check for some basic features and functionalities that meet your unique needs. Some essential features that your CRM must have are: 

• Automated Data Entry
• Communication Management     
• Centralized Database
• Organized Contact Information
• Follow-up Reminders
• Efficient Administrative Tasks 
• Customer Segmentation 
• Automated Sales Forecasting 
• Effective Team Communication 
• Report Generation
• CRM Outlook Integrations

With the right CRM in place, your customer response and retention should significantly improve, and you should start seeing the benefits of a more significant customer base and profitability.