Partner portals are online applications that give your channel partners and affiliates free or limited access to a wide range of sales and marketing resources. A partner portal is a system that offers your channel partners a number of useful e-tools that allow them to work better for you. Channel partners can have direct access to important information including figures for sales and commission; current status of customers’ orders and about upcoming sales.
Partner portal security
While the use of partner portals you can certainly improve your partner communications and management, but this web-based application also gives your partners access to your organization’s confidential information. There is a need, therefore, to set up secure login procedures and allocate credentials in order to restrict and regulate the flow of essential information.
This is easily done if the partner portal is placed on the organization server. Your affiliates and partners can access it through a branded landing page or a link on your main website. This will take them to the portal’s login page. Once their login credentials are verified by the server, your channel partners will be able to access all the data that has been authorized by the system administrator.
Three reasons why portals are good for channel partner marketing
Most resellers and affiliate programs use partner portals on a regular basis. Here are three reasons why:
1. Your channel partner is able to directly access to all the activities and information related to his account. This saves on a lot of valuable time.
2. Partner portals allow channel partners to continue with customer service and use other strategies for channel marketing, along with those offered by your organization.
3. It will be easier for your partners to plan future sales and marketing strategies and track the efforts being made in this direction.
The role of partner portals in channel marketing
There are various components in the portal system that play a major role in implementing channel management strategies. Here are some components:
• Big box resellers – Middlemen who move bulk volumes among other things
• Master distributors – Their job is to supply goods to small dealers.
• Buyer groups – These buy bulk goods from manufacturers and distributors
• Channels – These move the goods or service to the end users.
• Brokers – They facilitate sales and negotiate deals and partnerships between companies.
• Independent representatives – These facilitate producers and manufacturers to have access to local markets.
• Dealers / resellers – These independently provide support to customers on behalf of vendors.
The channel marketing process works smoothly only when all these components work together in harmony. Manufacturers and vendors need to use partner portals to keep their channel partners informed about the organization’s activities. Portals provide important information about your goods or services to your channel partners so that they can devise better strategies. Well maintained and efficiently managed partner portals can boost your profits and transform the way your business is run.