Choosing a client portal to simplify your client management

I love the word ‘portal’. It conjures up an air of fantastical mystique.

But a client portal is simply an online space where you and your client can privately share information and resources.

It’s intended to make it easy for your clients to access everything they need from you, without storing it all in emails or other communication channels.

Client portals are used with 1 to 1 clients, and tend to be either password protected or available via a unique link for each client.

If you decide to use client portals, they can give both you and your clients the confidence that all documents and information are in the right place.

Let’s first think about at what you might put in them, and then we’ll look at your software options.

What can you put in your client portal?

There are two types of resources you can share in a client portal: static and dynamic.

If you mainly share static resources with your clients, then you can use a simple portal which they only access occasionally. Static resources can include:

invoices
contracts and proposals
business policies
company information
a welcome packet or video
instructions and How To documents or videos…

If you only have a couple of static resources to share with clients, then a client portal probably isn’t worthwhile for you.

But if you want to share dynamic resources, i.e. ones that change regularly, then you may need a different style of client portal. Dynamic resources could include:

task lists
a collaboration tool
appointment bookings
meeting notes
regular reports
support tickets
client exercises (though these could be static documents instead).

What to consider when exploring client portal software

When considering any sort of client portal you want to think about:

How easy it is to access and use, including mobile access
What customisation and branding options you need
How secure it is – because you’re going to store private client details inside it
Your industry: for example, if your work is visual, the most important element of a portal may be a way for clients to view graphics or photos. Whereas for a coach, it might be more important to share notes from client calls and have clients complete homework exercises inside the portal.
What integrations are available with other software you use with your clients (because you don’t want to confuse them with messages and notifications arriving from multiple systems).

Read this post for more tips on choosing the right software for your business.

Now, let’s look at the types of client portal software available:

DIY client portals

DIY portals are great for flexibility, simple access and they’re easy for clients to get comfortable with how they work. The downside is that you either have to operate them manually or use an automation tool like Zapier to add resources at certain steps in your client process.

You can create a client portal in Google Drive or Dropbox by making and sharing a new folder for each client. You can also add sub-folders to keep it neat. This is a straightforward option because many people already know how Google Drive and Dropbox work.

You can also use your project management software to create a client portal, which keeps life simple for you. Software like Trello or ClickUp do this well, but your clients will need to create an account and to learn how the software works.

Notion is another great tool for creating and collaborating with clients. You can set up a template portal with your preferred information structure which you copy for each client. Notion has a nicer look and feel than Google Drive or Dropbox, but it’s not everyone’s cup of tea.

All of these DIY options make it easy to collaborate and comment on files.

Ready-made client portals

Some CRM systems, such as Dubsado, Bloom, Bonsai and Moxie, come with built-in client portals. Some of these have a lot of features, while others are more basic. Alternatively, you can use a standalone portal like SuperOkay, Kahootz, Clinked and Copilot. A ready-made portal can look more professional than a DIY option.

Your clients will need to save their access link and set up a password, which can be an extra barrier to them actually using the portal. If it’s going to make working with you easier, then show them how to use it and make opening the portal a regular part of the process for them. You don’t want to end up sharing documents by email as well because your client isn’t using the portal.

Even if you’ve decided to create a DIY portal, spend a bit of time exploring some ready-made portals to spark ideas of easier ways to work with your clients in your own portal.

So there you have some options for creating client portals for your 1 to 1 clients. If you’re still not sure of the best option for you, or how best to set yours up, then this is a topic I can support you with during a Focus Day.

Client portals can be a great way to make your clients’ lives easier whilst working with you, and give them confidence that you’re fully in control of your processes and systems.