Build vs. Buy Client Portal: The Pros & Cons

What Is a Client Portal?

When it comes to implementing software, one of the first questions that needs to be asked is 'build it or buy it'; meaning, should you develop the software in-house or invest in a pre-built solution.

This question must also be asked when considering implementing a client portal solution. Spoiler alert: we recommend purchasing a pre-built solution in most scenarios. But let's not get ahead of ourselves. First of all, what is a client portal anyway?  

A client portal is a secure online platform that allows businesses to share information, collaborate, and communicate with their clients in a centralized location.

By providing a dedicated space for sharing and exchanging information, client portals eliminate the need for back-and-forth emails, scattered file attachments, and disorganized communication channels.

Ultimately, by implementing a client portal, businesses can enhance client satisfaction and loyalty and improve operational efficiency, while differentiating themselves from their competitors.

The Benefits of Client Portals

Client portals offer numerous benefits for businesses and their clients, including:

• Improved Communication: Centralizes data visualizations and dashboards, documentation, and reporting, enabling efficient client collaboration.
• Increased Productivity: Automates tasks and consolidates client data, reducing administrative overhead and freeing time for core job functions.
• Enhanced Customer Experience: Empowers clients with self-service access to information, fostering transparency and satisfaction.
• Customization & Branding: Client portals can be customized to match company branding, providing customers with a seamless digital brand experience.
• Better Data Security: Provides a secure environment with strong access controls and encryption, safeguarding sensitive information.
• Cost Savings: Streamlines processes and reduces manual efforts, leading to lower costs and less need for support staff.

Option #1: Building A Client Portal

When it comes to implementing a client portal, the first option is building the platform in-house. While this method has a few upsides, in our opinion, the cons often outweigh the pros, as we will describe.

Building a client portal in-house requires several key resources, including a skilled development team with expertise in web development, user experience design, and data security.

It also involves a significant investment in time and budget for planning, coding, testing, and ongoing maintenance, as well as ensuring the portal integrates seamlessly with existing systems while meeting security, compliance, and scalability requirements.

Pros of Building A Client Portal

We'll first go over the benefits of building a client portal from scratch:

Customization

By building your own client portal, you have complete control over its design, features, and functionality. This allows you to tailor the portal to your specific business needs, branding, and workflow.

You can create a unique and personalized customer experience, ensuring seamless integration with your existing processes. While many pre-built solutions offer customization, this is the only way to tailor every aspect of the portal to your liking.

Control Over Data

Developing an in-house client portal gives you full ownership and control over your data. You can implement robust security measures such as data encryption and access controls to safeguard sensitive client information.

This level of control ensures compliance with industry regulations and reinforces trust with your clients.

Developing your own security measures does come with risk, however, as it requires continuous monitoring, updates, and expertise to stay ahead of emerging threats and vulnerabilities.

Cons of Building A Client Portal

Building a custom client portal from scratch can be a significant undertaking with several drawbacks to consider:

Development Costs

One of the primary cons is the high development costs involved. Creating a robust and feature-rich portal requires substantial investment in resources, including hiring a dedicated development team, purchasing necessary software and tools, and allocating time for design and testing.

Maintenance Challenges

Another major challenge is the ongoing maintenance and updates required for the client portal. Software needs regular updates to address security vulnerabilities, compatibility issues, and feature enhancements.

Maintaining an in-house portal can be resource-intensive, as it requires dedicated personnel with the necessary technical expertise to ensure smooth operation and timely updates.

Required Expertise

Speaking of expertise, building a client portal in-house necessitates having a team with specialized skills in areas such as user experience (UX) design, application development, database management, and security protocols.

Acquiring and retaining such talent can be costly and challenging, especially for smaller businesses or those without a strong technical background.

Decreased Speed-to-Market

The development process for a custom client portal can be lengthy, often taking several months or even years to complete. This extended implementation time can delay the realization of benefits, impact client satisfaction and business operations, and let competitors get ahead.

Option #2: Buying a Client Portal Solution

The second option involves purchasing a client portal solution from a third-party vendor, like Zuar. Buying a client portal solution involves selecting an off-the-shelf software that meets your business needs and implementing it with minimal development.

This process typically includes evaluating different vendors, assessing the platform’s features, and ensuring it integrates smoothly with your existing systems.

The vendor handles most of the technical development, security, and maintenance, which reduces the burden on your internal teams.

Zuar Portal is an example of a pre-built solution that offers comprehensive customization capabilities while still ensuring extremely fast time-to-market, but we'll touch more on that later.

Pros of Buying A Client Portal

Buying a pre-built client portal solution offers several advantages over building one from scratch:

Lower Upfront Costs

Developing a custom client portal requires significant investment in design, coding, testing, and deployment. In contrast, purchasing a ready-made solution typically involves a one-time licensing fee or subscription, making it a more cost-effective option, especially for small and medium-sized businesses.

Lower upfront cost also means lower risk for businesses if the solution does not adequately meet their needs.

Faster Implementation

Pre-built client portals are designed for quick deployment, allowing businesses to get up and running in a matter of days or weeks, rather than months or years required for custom development.

This rapid implementation means businesses can start reaping the benefits of a client portal far sooner.

Vendor Support

When purchasing a client portal solution, businesses gain access to dedicated vendor support. This includes assistance with setup, configuration, training, and ongoing maintenance.

Reputable vendors typically have knowledgeable support teams to address any issues or queries promptly.

Regular Updates and Maintenance

Client portal vendors continuously update their products with new features, security patches, and performance enhancements.

This ensures that businesses always have access to the latest functionalities and remain compliant with industry standards and regulations, without the need for extensive in-house development efforts.

Cons of Buying A Client Portal

While purchasing a pre-built client portal solution can offer convenience and speed, it's essential to consider the potential drawbacks:

Limited Customization

One potential disadvantage is limited customization options. Many off-the-shelf portals come with predefined features and designs, making it challenging to tailor the portal to your specific business needs or branding requirements.

Solutions like Zuar Portal, however, are highly customizable. With drag-and-drop tools, customization is extremely easy and does not require coding experience.

Recurring Costs

Buying a client portal often involves recurring costs, such as subscription fees or maintenance charges. These ongoing expenses can add up over time and may strain your budget, especially for smaller businesses or startups with limited resources.

These costs often pale in comparison to the cost of developing and maintaining an in-house solution, which requires significant investment in development, infrastructure, and dedicated personnel.

Making the Right Choice

Deciding whether to build or buy a client portal is a strategic decision that requires careful consideration of various factors.

The right choice will depend on your organization's unique circumstances, including budget, available resources, specific requirements, and long-term goals.

For most businesses, though, we recommend going with a pre-built solution as they are more cost-effective in the long run.

Here's a breakdown comparing the options to build or to buy:

Factors to Consider

Budget: Building a custom client portal from scratch can be an expensive endeavor, requiring significant investment in development resources, infrastructure, and ongoing maintenance.

Resources: Developing a client portal in-house requires a dedicated team of skilled developers, designers, and project managers. If your organization lacks these resources or is already stretched thin, buying a pre-built solution may be a more practical option.

Requirements: Assess your specific needs and feature requirements. If your requirements are highly specialized or unique, building a custom solution may be necessary. However, if your needs align with industry standards, an off-the-shelf product is likely a better fit.

Long-term Goals: Consider your organization's long-term strategy and growth plans. A custom-built portal may offer more flexibility, but scaling an in-house solution is often very difficult and costly. Solutions like Zuar Portal are built to scale with your business, whatever the size.

Easy Client Portal Implementation: Zuar Portal

When considering the development of a client portal solution, the choice between building or buying can be daunting. However, with Zuar Portal, organizations can find a comprehensive solution that combines the advantages of both approaches.

Zuar Portal is a cutting-edge client portal platform that offers a wide range of features and functionalities to meet diverse business requirements. From secure data sharing with interactive data visualizations to rich media and document centralization, Zuar Portal is designed to streamline the client experience and enhance collaboration.

Benefits of Using Zuar Portal

Customization and Personalization: Zuar Portal allows organizations to tailor the portal to their specific brand and client needs, providing a unique and personalized experience for users.

Seamless BI Integration: Integration with existing business intelligence systems (such as ThoughtSpot, Tableau, Power BI, etc.) is effortless, ensuring a smooth transition and enhanced productivity for both clients and internal teams.

Enhanced Security: Zuar Portal prioritizes data security and privacy, incorporating robust encryption and user authentication measures to protect sensitive information. This includes secure single sign-on (SSO) integration.

Advanced Analytics Capabilities: Leveraging white-label BI tools, Zuar Portal enables organizations to maximize the impact of their visual analytics and provide easy access to key stakeholders.

Why Choose Zuar Portal?

Zuar Portal stands out as a preferred choice for organizations looking to build or replace their client portal solution.

By leveraging Zuar's expertise, businesses can experience increased engagement, improved end-user experience, and a centralized destination where analytics meet workflow.

Investing in a solution like Zuar Portal not only accelerates time-to-market but also drives engagement, increases retention KPIs, and ultimately enhances the overall client experience.

Learn more about Zuar Portal by starting a free two-week trial!