Website, web app or client portal: which does your business need?

Three different jobs

People often say 'we need a website' when they mean something else, or ask for an app when a website would do. The three differ by who uses them and what they do.

• A website tells prospects who you are, what you do and how to contact you. Its job is to win trust and generate enquiries.
• A client portal gives existing customers a private place to see their project, documents, invoices and messages. Its job is to reduce chasing and build confidence after the sale.
• A custom web app runs a process for your team or customers, such as quoting, scheduling or job tracking. Its job is to replace manual work.

You probably need a website if...

Start here when the problem is getting found and chosen:

• Customers cannot easily find what you do or what areas you serve.
• Enquiries come only from referrals and you want more.
• Your current site is slow, outdated or hard to use on a phone.
• You have no clear page for each main service.

You probably need a client portal if...

Look at a portal when the problem is what happens after the customer says yes:

• Clients keep asking 'where are we on the job?'.
• Updates, photos and documents are scattered across WhatsApp, email and paper.
• You send the same invoice or status messages again and again.
• Approvals, such as design or variation sign-offs, are hard to track.

You probably need a custom web app if...

A custom tool makes sense when your process is specific and spreadsheets are straining:

• You re-type the same information into several systems.
• Off-the-shelf software forces you to change how you work.
• Your team spends hours each week on admin that follows clear rules.
• You want to offer customers something your competitors do not.

How they work together

They are not rivals. A common path is to start with a clear business website, add a simple portal once the volume of projects makes updates painful, and build specific tools later where the process justifies it. Each step uses the same brand, and the data can connect, so the website enquiry flows into the portal and the job record.

Questions to ask before you commit

• Who will use this, and what is the one thing they must be able to do?
• What happens today, and where does it break down?
• Is there existing software that already does this well enough?
• What is the smallest version that removes the most pain?
• Who will keep it updated and supported?

Cost and timing in broad terms

A focused business website is usually the quickest, in the order of a few weeks. Portals and custom apps take longer because they involve logins, data and rules, typically six to twelve weeks for a first version. Exact figures depend on scope, so we agree a fixed scope and price after a short call. Starting small and extending later almost always works better than building everything at once.