Have you been thinking about developing a web portal for your business (or getting a specialist web portal development company such as ours here at Orases to create custom web portal solutions)? If so, you must know the differences between web portals and websites. Indeed, these can seem like very similar situations to one another, and the differences may not be the easiest to understand. Fortunately, though, our team is here and on hand to help you understand how websites differ from web portals. Critically, this will help you decide on the right solution for your business to implement.

What are Web Portals?

First of all, we need to define what web portals are. Web portals are user-centric software solutions that serve to bring together information from various sources in one place to make management more effortless. They are commonly used for firms with multiple bases or offices across the country or globally. However, they are also practical solutions for firms where staff members typically work in the field. Schools and other such educational facilities also implement intranet solutions regularly.

Web Portals vs. Websites

To ensure you’ve picked the right solution for your business, it’s important to clarify the difference between web portals and websites. Indeed, these two software solutions are actually quite different, and being aware of these differences can be highly beneficial. So, without further ado, let’s take a look at how web portals work and how they differ from websites.

First, it’s important to note that web portals, unlike most websites, require user logins before access is granted. Members of the public can usually visit websites without providing log-on details. However, web portals require users to provide a username and password, ensuring that the system remains private and secure.

Secondly, you should consider traffic acquisition. Websites need to attract traffic through means such as search engine optimization and marketing. However, web portal designers work with a particular target group in mind: the business staff members. Therefore, web portals don’t need to be promoted or marketed to drive traffic. Hence, most developers can spend more time focusing on the features available for web portals instead of focusing on driving traffic.

Finally, you should consider that web portal content is always dynamic. That is to say; it will change depending on the requirements of the user; the content will differ every time that a user visits the web portal. By contrast, websites are commonly static and not updated regularly, although a small number may incorporate dynamic features.