In CRM, it is important to record information about each ‘touch’ that your company has with its prospects and customers. A CRM link to the portal makes this possible. You are able to track who enters the portal, the information and the actions they initiate. This helps you enrich the data you are able to collect.

The CRM portal usually has two kinds of functions. One is to provide the ability to create and update records in the database. The other function is to provide access points to a variety of information that is relevant to the person logging in. All this access is controlled based on who the user is what their relationship with your company is.

Using the Portal
A well-designed Portal will ask the user to log in, and, based on CRM system information, such as Customer Type, provide the access that is authorized by your company and is relevant to that user. This may includes the ability to enter information. For example, a Customer Portal might allow a user with a problem to search the company’s knowledge base to see if they could find a solution. If an answer is not found, they might be allowed to create a new Customer Support Ticket. They also might be allowed see status of existing Support Tickets that were previously entered, and to enter new information about the ticket.