Website vs. Portal - Do You Know the Difference?

website_vs_portal_2Sometimes the terms “website” and “portal” are used interchangeably, and this usage isn’t entirely inaccurate but do you really know the difference between website vs portal? By definition, a website is a location on the internet that is unique and which is accessed via a web browser using a specific URL (web address). Portals are also accessed via a web browser and specific URL, but content is login protected and user-specific. I am asked all the time the difference between a portal and a website and I usually say something to this effect: A resident portal is a website, but a website is not necessarily a portal; it’s like the rhombus vs. square argument (the only thing I remember from geometry). To highlight the differences, here are quick definitions and a few more distinguishing features of websites and portals:

Portal3_2

Portal3_1

Websites are about driving traffic and being seen. Portals are about limiting traffic to the right group(s) of users and providing services. You need a website to let the potential client associations know about your company and what it has to offer. You need resident web portals so that homeowners within current client associations are empowered to do things online that might otherwise require a phone call to your office.

Community Resident Portals

 

Tags: Software Property Management resident portals

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