If you’re feeling bogged down by admin tasks, then a self-service portal for your membership could be the answer to your prayers.

The most basic function of a member portal is for members to edit their contact information. The member logs in, changes the relevant information in the portal which then automatically updates your CRM database. No phone call, email or correspondence required, saving you valuable admin time.

Other basic functions of a member portal consist of:

• Managing membership subscriptions
• Accessing and managing payments
• Controlling their communication preferences
• Newsletter sign-ups
• Access to support

By giving your members the ability to complete these tasks through a portal that’s integrated with your CRM, you’re transferring the task away from your admin and on to your members. This gives them more control and very quick access to your services which in this day and age is a huge benefit to the majority people.

All membership organisations have value to offer their members however it’s possible to enhance that using a member portal. Our web portal has content personalisation functions which gives members the ability to follow tags they’re interested in.

Content editors are able to categorise and ‘tag’ all the valuable content you offer. Whether that be events, online resources, articles or any content that you see of value. Members can then choose which type of content they’d like to see, so when they log into the portal, they only see the content they’re interested in.

If their interests change, they can simply change their preferences in the portal and the content that they see will change instantly. They can also specify which email marketing lists they’d like to be signed up to in the portal so that your email campaign lists are up to date. 

Content personalisation is a great way of adding value to your membership as your members don’t have to go looking for the content they want, it’s presented to them as soon as they log in. This encourages member engagement and gives them a tailored experience.

A Member Portal needs to be visually similar to your website, to in keep with your branding and keep the user experience consistent. Make sure that you follow your brand guidelines, fonts and colours to keep the flow consistent.

Your navigation and hierarchy of content will be driven by what you include in the Portal and you should consult with a user experience designer to make sure it meets your member’s needs. Navigation should be simple and key areas should be grouped into manageable chunks so as not to overload users with lots of options. Clear signposts to information and visual elements can help aid navigation and make your Portal a pleasure to use.