Before we get into the key characteristics of good portals, let’s review the purpose of a portal.

A portal is a Web site that enables organizations to provide clients, customers, vendors, employees and other stakeholders with access to timely and relevant personalized information via self-service applications. Ultimately, a portal is a fancy name for a “portable” Web site. It is built to be accessed over a variety of platforms, such as a desktop computer or the latest iPhone.

Consider AICPA’s portal on International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). We are now familiar with IFRS because the standards are all over the news, but many may be under the impression that the portal can only be used for the Big 4 and large clients. This assumption could not be more incorrect! The site offers a specific section designed for accounting firms, including non-Big 4 firms.

Let’s dissect the IFRS site to learn about the different pieces used to create the portal and why it is successful.

A Web portal should cater to the audiences that would be using its information. IFRS.com provides information to many different audiences. Knowing that IFRS has many stakeholders, the site’s navigation system ensures the different audiences have, and use, only the portions they need.

The site developers also understand that some audiences only need basic foundational information that defines the topics. For other audiences, the portal developers know that different audiences need different levels and types of information. In addition, the portal is designed to offer information, training and publications to educate the various audiences that it is targeting. The portal designers are of the opinion that people learn in different ways, so there are videos for image-based learning and pointers to self-study, as well as conference venues.

The IFRS site is a prime example of a quality portal. It caters to several audiences by providing information to those different audiences and is able to perform in many different venues. Most importantly, it has a clear theme and goal in mind.

If you’ll recall my column from the July/August issue of InfoTech Update, I wrote about the MINI Cooper and the CRM system that enabled the company to perceive my needs. Since that time, I’ve also become a fan of the company’s Web site. To bring you up to speed, I recently purchased a MINI Cooper – and here’s where the “portal” concept comes into view. The company’s portal provides me with information on my automobile, as well as an introduction to a local owners group.

I found a portal focused totally on MINI Cooper owners! – that’s right, a MINI portal! The site provides access to vendors catering to MINI Cooper owners, forums where owners can ask questions of their fellow owners, and information and links to area local clubs. At first, I used the portal to find information on a local MINI Cooper club I wanted to join, asking questions about car detailing, waxing and to understand if I should wax the bonnet stripes on my car. The answer was that I can wax them, but to be careful not to put too much pressure that could result in damage to them during the wax job. You see: the portal provided me with an always-on community.

Once I joined the portal, I was able to add photos to my online “garage” that allows me to share photos and information about my car to others. Most importantly, however, this portal allows me to share my experiences with my car with others, and they can share theirs with me. I’ve “met” people online from San Diego to Seattle that had MINI Coopers on the cargo ship that brought my car over. As we picked up our new “babies,” we each shared the photos of our new cars with each other. We’ve given each other support when one in our group suffered the first scratch. One woman even shared the story of her MINI being used to power temporary lights after Hurricane Ike; we all marveled at how Houston dealt with the aftermath of the storm.

Facilitating communication is a key feature of portals. While they are used to distribute information, such as the AICPA’s International Financial Reporting Standards, they also encourage social interaction. Consider the North American Motoring Web site. Portals allow site users to customize the experience for their needs – and can even generate their own “slang” language. When meeting up with the local chapter of MINI Cooper owners, the president of the group encouraged us to “PM” him. The “NAM” portal (as it’s called by portal users), provides the ability for users to have private e-mails between the users of the portal. Therefore, “PM” me means to send private messages to each other.

Finding the right balance between open and closed access is another key element to the success of portals. If the information in the portal is proprietary and sensitive, the gate to that portal is placed at the very front door of the Web application, ensuring that all information stays firmly inside the gates of the portal. Rights Management tools can be placed in the portal to ensure that information inside the portal does not leave the portal. 

In some information portals, you want to provide basic information to the viewer to ensure that they understand the content and focus of the Web portal. The balance between protected content and unprotected content is key and an important trait for portals to have.

So what is on your list of favorite portals that you’ve seen in action, and which ones caught your attention? Use these lessons when building your own information portal. Make it accessible, and if it’s a client-facing portal, make it secure!

 

Top Technology Initiative #15: Information Portals Web sites that enable organizations to provide clients, customers, vendors, employees and other stakeholders with access to timely and relevant personalized information via self-service applications. Examples of information portals include Windows SharePoint, corporate intranets and third-party hosted sites.