A web portal is the user interface for a particular website. When you get on the Internet and visit a website for a company or organization, you use the web portal to access areas of the website based on your user permissions. Designing a web portal requires considering what format will be the most user-friendly for people who access the website.
Use Open Source Software
Open source software websites offer many applications for web developers. Choosing the right free application for your business can save thousands of dollars in custom web development. Technical and legal concerns may require some organizations to hire a professional web development team to create their portal, but for most, open-source software just makes good business sense.
Consider IBM Web Portals
IBM sells software solutions for organizations from small businesses to multinational corporations. Some uses of IBM web software include automating organizational functions, managing volumes of content from users and producers, and providing employees with an interface through which to perform their duties on web-based applications.
Consult Directories
One way to find the right web portal design for you is to visit a web directory. Sites such as WebPortal.com offer listings of the web portals of many types of organizations, including government, businesses and educational entities. You can visit these web portals and find ideas for how you want to design your own portal.
Look at Multiple Portals
An organization may need different versions of its web portal for different classes of users. For security purposes, you might want one type of web portal for your clients and another for your employees. You will also want to restrict certain areas of the website only to computer programmers and senior managers.
Evaluate Return on Investment
It can cost a lot of money to develop a new web portal for a large organization. Certain developers can promise you a much better return on your investment. Work with a team of IT specialists to create the type of web portal that allows you and your staff to automate as many processes as possible. Your custom web portal will not only be a place to enter or obtain information. It will be a huge performance management tool that saves time and money across the business.
