Continuing on our recent series on best practice methods for the provision of web-based partner support resources:
Content
Product Services Catalog / Product and Services Collateral
There should be an abundance of “channelized” product or service information. By this we
mean generic material that has been written specifically for a channel audience rather than
for customers. Its aim should be to assist the partner in selling, marketing and supporting
rather than persuasion to purchase. Information must be available in a variety of forms
including audio visual, textual and graphical and it must wherever possible be available for
download in formats that can be used by the partner in their own documents, proposals and
collateral.
Price lists
In addition to comprehensive and up to date product information fed from the latest
integrated product catalog, portals should offer relevant partners online access to their own
price lists.
Amount of Text on Page and Page Download Size
Avoid over filling pages with too much text and reduce as much as possible the need for
partners to scroll down to see content. Use fonts and font colors that are easy on the eye.
Keep text columns too wide to make them easier to read and balance your desire to impress
with audio visual content including Flash with minimizing page load times.
Persuasion Elements
Improve stickiness and the desire to explore the site and make use of its functionalities by
using persuasion elements and calls to action on every page.
User Specific Content
Partners will be drawn to the portal and spend more time visiting it if they sense that the
content is tailored to their specific interests or needs. Ensure that your content management
system or PRM system can present content based upon visitor profiles and that profiles are
fully populated with personal content preferences.
Partner Registration
Registration Process
Make the registration process easy to use and as brief as possible minimizing the number of
screens and feels that the partner has to populate. Additional information can always be
gathered later but a lengthy process can cause abandonment and the partner may never
return.
Social Media Single-Sign On
Allow your partners to register using their existing social media ID’s, associate these ID’s with their user profile on your site and also enable them to synchronize their profile data from their social media accounts with your own data. LinkedIn is of particular relevance here due to the fact that it is typically the most up to date and the most content-rich in terms of business relevance (job role, employer, expertise etc).
Approvals Process
Automate the approvals process by using your relationship management system. Ensure
timely responses to the applicant and keep them updated throughout.
Registration Incentives
Registration can be a chore for the partner. Incentivize them to go through the process if
you can and entice them in by allowing them to sample the capabilities and benefits of your
portal.
Security
HTTPS
Most portals currently at least offer a secure connection on the registration forms and the
pages on which profile data can be updated. However, if your portal offers PRM
functionality including access to confidential financial data or tools capable of managing
financial activities, it is essential that you consider HTTPS at least for the relevant pages.
Password Strength
Avoid including username and password in any activation mails sent to applicants as these
may make it possible for this information to be intercepted. The activation email which
users receive after signing up. Also, you should allow users to change your issued password
and specify their own to the highest level of complexity.
To be continued…
