Web Portal Vs Website — Key Differences & Decision
A lot of business owners and entrepreneurs are now looking for an effective way to take their venture online. Most of their projects to go digital have particularly picked up the speed after the pandemic of 2019–2020 hit the world.
The importance of having a web and online presence never felt more necessary than during the months of lockdown when people around the world were actively turning to e-commerce platforms to buy almost everything. That said, as more traditionally structured businesses and entrepreneurs are investing in creating their web presence, one of the prevailing questions seems to be the decision between a website and a web portal.
Even though any dynamic website development company in Dubai and around the world will guide you in making an informed decision, with this blog, we will help you understand the key difference between a traditional website and a web portal.
Should you build a website vs a web portal?
A traditional website is a web platform that helps you provide useful information to the audience. Websites and web pages are what appears when you search anything on search engines like Google. That said the primary purpose of building a website is to drive traffic, whereas web portals limit the traffic to your platform to a specific group of users.
Web portals mostly require users to log in and create their account, which means you can deliver more personalized content and service based on the individual user. Whereas, websites are public destinations that everyone can access and are typically designed for a wider audience.
However, there are a few overlapping functionalities between web portals and websites today. With the right technology, even websites can use tools for content targeting to deliver a more personalized experience for the users. On the other hand, web portals can include public-facing pages that everyone can access without logging in.
A major difference between websites and web portals that as an entrepreneur you must consider is if your team intends to create platforms or pages. For most companies, their websites, and portals are owned and managed by a different team, which often means they have different expectations for how they want to work.
In the case of your marketing team, they would be in charge of the public-facing website for which they will require a blogging platform to keep engaging the audience. With this, they also need a user engagement measuring software that gives them feedback to deliver content that audiences want along with a strong visual web design. With these expectations, the solution will be a website where your marketing team can build new pages quickly, connected to the original website or independent of it with complete control over how they include it in the user interface.
On the other hand, the support team in an organization may need a customer or employee service portal, a solution that integrates their applications. They would need a platform-based solution that integrates multiple types of users and systems in a dynamic and personalized manner.
However, the right team of web portals and website developers in Emirates or anywhere else in the world can guide you to build the perfect solution addressing your team’s needs and expectations.
Should you build a website or web portal?
Just like most business ventures and projects, it is important to consider all aspects and come to a decision that helps you achieve your objects. However, as most technology solutions require choosing between building a website or a web portal you need to take into account your needs and unique situation. Considering how much the functionalities of web portal platforms and more traditional websites overlap, most projects can be built with both options. That said, you still need to ensure the planning, strategy, and execution complements your decision.
Let’s look at a few guidelines that will help you make a more informed decision when choosing between a website and a web portal.
When to build a web portal
It will be a better idea to build a portal when you want to provide more specific audience experiences.
A portal might be the right option when you need advanced control over what your users see and have access to.
It is also the ideal choice when you have several systems that you need to integrate into a single visual design.
The web portal would be a better option when you need advanced user management and user authority features.
Creating a website comes in handy when you build a public platform that focuses on delivering and managing content.
A website is an ideal choice for you when you want a site that operates separately from the internal network or system.
Building a website would be the right direction for you if you aim to draw traffic from a wide audience base of anonymous users.
Still not sure?
Even though web portals and websites are primarily different in their purpose, size, and expectation of the target audience and the kind of experience and content the team wants to deliver, but your web development team can even build a platform with a combination of features. The world of the web offers a wide range of solutions and space for creativity. With a team of web specialists with advanced skills and relevant experience, you can build a web platform, either a portal or website, for optimum results.
Originally published at https://emiratessg.com on December 3, 2020.
