A COMPLETE GUIDE TO WEB PORTAL DESIGN

Have you considered creating a web gateway for your company? It’s not just about coming online with a one-page website; it’s about developing a comprehensive web-based solution that will serve as a point of access for customers, a gateway to your company’s services, and a means for users to take use of them. That is precisely what a business needs in order to enhance client contact and business growth.

We have developed a substantial body of knowledge in bespoke web development and are now prepared to provide all the knowledge you should keep in mind when building a web portal. Continue reading this blog post to learn how to avoid errors and problems caused by selecting the incorrect strategy for a web portal development.

How do web portals work?

We recommend that you confirm your understanding of the definition of a web portal before moving on to the practical advice that will explain how to establish one.

What is a web portal, and how might we define it? It is a web application that offers access to many areas (such chats, email boxes, forums, user accounts, etc.) from a home page, if we need to keep it as simple as feasible. Only logged-in users have access to some of these parts.

Generally speaking, a web portal’s main function is to act as a platform for compiling data (such as articles, products, vendors, specific users, suppliers, etc.) from various sources and presenting it in an unified user interface.

Web goods of the two categories of websites and web portals can be combined. But there are some significant distinctions between them.

• Online material can be interacted with by users through web portals, whereas websites typically offer read-only pages.
• Users must register in order to access certain content on a portal. On websites, however, authentication is not necessary.
• Web portals frequently incorporate a wide variety of unique and outside technologies and services. Unfortunately, integrations are rarely found on websites.

Types of web portals

These days, there are many different kinds of online portals made to meet particular corporate demands.

• Self-service web pages: These platforms are made to gather data on the services and goods the business or organization provides. These platforms allow users to place orders, request more information, etc.
• Client portals: These kinds of portals are utilized to deliver excellent customer service and elevate the entire sales process, both of which will increase customer happiness.
• Supplier portals: All supplier and supply chain data is gathered and managed by these websites. They are frequently enhanced with features that make it simple and effective to communicate with providers.
• Partner websites: Businesses who deal with indirect sales and need to create and manage business relationships with their partners may find that this type of portal is a useful option. These portals may include features like analytics, calculators, inventory tracking, and order progress monitoring.
• Portals for patients: The healthcare sector currently makes extensive use of these portals. They provide patients with immediate access to their personal data regarding their health status, doctor appointments, therapies, etc.
• Employee intranets: These systems can be equated to internal social networks for staff members who can delegate work, interact with one another, post comments, and notify other team members of their current whereabouts (active, on vacation, busy).
• Online learning portals: These websites provide consumers a variety of educational resources in various formats.
• Governmental websites: These portals are created by governmental agencies in an effort to build stronger relationships with the people who use their services. These platforms allow users to plan appointments, make changes to existing ones, and place online service orders.
• Community websites: These solutions are designed to bring together individuals with like interests and establish connections that will facilitate future idea sharing. These platforms typically include features like blogs, forums, chat rooms, and other social functionality.

Steps and procedures for developing web portal software

How long might it take to create a web portal? Although there are many variables involved, we can identify general time ranges.

A prototype typically takes 2 to 8 weeks to construct, while the initial operational version of a portal typically takes 12 to 20 weeks. As a result, it will typically take 4 to 7 months to build a gateway.

The following stages are often involved in the construction of web portals:

• Planning and analysis of requirements: In order to establish the criteria and technical specifications, it is crucial to first understand the client’s demands and the company’s unique characteristics. A development team then designs the entire process of creating the product based on the information gathered.
• Design: Following the initial phase, it’s time to design the architecture of a portal and generate UX and UI designs.
• Development: Iterations make up most development processes, and normal releases happen every 2-4 weeks.
• Integrations: This phase focuses on connecting portal software with the required third-party or specialized tools and platforms, such as CRM, LMS, and ERP.
• Testing and QA: In order to make sure that the solution works as intended and that all requirements are met, our team often begins conducting QA processes concurrently with the development process. If possible, we can also use test automation to cut costs and shorten the time spent testing.
• Deployment: The portal is now deployed by the developers in order to be easily included into the current IT architecture.
• Maintenance and assistance: Our team will continue to support you once the portal is launched, helping you maintain the content and add new features.

Web portal development: Tools and platforms

There are two main methods for creating web portals, and you can pick one of them. Utilizing a CMS (content management system) is the first choice, and building a solution entirely from scratch on a framework is the second.

We can mention the following platforms as those that can be used for web portal application development:

• WordPress
• Joomla
• Drupal
• ZenDesk
• Sharepoint
• PimCore
• Magento
• PrestaShop

Just the most well-liked selections are listed; there are other choices as well. For building news, blogging, and e-commerce web sites, a CMS is a great concept. There are certain restrictions on customization and adding functionality, though. Additionally, problems may arise if your site experiences tremendous traffic.

It is preferable to consider starting from scratch when designing a portal with sophisticated features because you will have more room for scalability and flexibility. The technologies and techniques listed below can be used to create web portals.