April 17, 2024

Top 3 Items to look for in an Accounting Client Portal

Chris Farrell

As client interactions continue to move online, the role of a client portal in accounting firms has become more critical than ever. The benefits are not only about providing a great client experience, it’s also about enabling client self service. Client self service is the key to reducing non-billable administrative work for accounting firms of all sizes. To ensure your firm captures these benefits, it's essential to focus on these key items: simple login, mobile access, and all-in-one functionality.

Simplify the Login Process

Clients expect easy-to-use technology. If your client can’t login then the portal battle is lost before it even starts. To ensure your clients can login easily from any device look for all of the following:

  • Login with Google
  • Login with Microsoft
  • Face and Touch ID for mobile

Getting these right not only keeps your clients happy but also ensures you and your staff aren’t distracted by client calls to reset passwords.

Offer both Mobile Apps and Mobile Web

Clients live on their phones and tables. In fact, more than half of all internet traffic takes place on mobile devices. It’s essential that you be where your clients are. To do this successfully, you’ll need to offer both a mobile app and a mobile web experience. Here’s why: Mobile apps are ideal for power users who prefer all of the extra bells and whistles that only apps can provide. Mobile web is optimal for users looking to take care of business as quickly as possible and don’t have the time or patience to download an app. This level of client understanding and focus is exactly how the best mobile experiences, such as Google Maps, became universally loved.

All-in-One Functionality

Now that your client can easily log in to your portal from anywhere, you want to make sure that they get what they need. Having all of the features in one place ensures they have a great experience that will keep them coming back for more. Here’s the checklist for what to look for:

  • To-do list (what they owe the firm)
  • Secure messaging
  • Mobile scanner
  • Large-file transfer
  • Electronic signatures
  • File storage
  • Payments

Once your clients are successful in a single app, they’ll form a durable habit. That habit will save your team a tremendous amount of non-billable time as the portal replaces common tasks such as reminding clients, resending files, and scanning documents.

As you consider your accounting portal strategy, it is important to keep your client expectations in mind. Your paper-based clients are likely to stick to paper so you can set them to one side when considering a portal. Your online clients are likely to expect an experience that rivals what their bank provides. Online banking is secure, convenient, and replaces the majority of in branch services. Offering a similar experience will thrill them while saving you and your team the admin work.

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