I'm really happy to see that you decided to make a product out of this.
Even for projects that warrant a full-blown task management app that you and your clients both access, having a single page portal that links to everything related to a project: the contract, original proposal, staging site, Dropbox directory, etc. is a *must*, both for my own sanity and the sanity of my clients ("Hey, what's the link to that thing we're using to send out newsletters again...?")
Great job @laurium, and congrats on shipping your first product!
@brennandunn Thanks Brennan! I'm glad I listened to everyone at DYFConf and decided to ship it :-) unexpected but fun journey! Thanks for all of the encouragement along the way. (Also hope you're finding it useful with the Academy).
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I've been looking for something like this for some time. A couple of questions: What file storage solutions does this integrate with, if any? Are G-Suite, Dropbox, box.net or any other supported, or does the plugin allow upload to WP only? I am asking because our files are frequently large.
I also think the website needs to show more detail. What kind of modules exist? Is video supported? Is there a native video player, or is thee a way to embed vimeo and/or youtube?
How are pdf files displayed, if at all? Is there a way for a client to leave comments, or is this a one way delivery mechanism only, with all communication happening via existing channels?
Thanks for sharing this product, and the very best of luck!
@andreasduess Hey Andreas,
So at the moment, everything is one way. Meaning any communication happens via existing channels. You can use it with anything you can generate a URL from. So you can have any module (the ones shown are examples only) and link to any deliverable.
This just means that anyone can use it, it's not tied specifically to designers or developers or marketers as all our projects are different.
Having said that, I'm working on some updates for the next release. At the moment this includes:
- Integration with software like Typeform, Dropbox, GDrive, Vimeo etc. (anything specific you'd like to see just let me know.
- Pre-filled modules with templates and worksheets you can use with your clients
This is my first product so I'm really keen to make it as useful to as many people as possible. Hopefully, this answers your question but if you have any more (or any feedback) just let me know :-)
-Laura
P.s. Thanks for the words of encouragement!
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@laurium Thanks so much, Laura. Another upvote from me.
Hey Product Hunters!
Thanks Charlie for hunting my first product: Client Portal!
I'm Laura and Client Portal was initially created by myself, for myself to use with my clients.
When I started freelancing, I had 3 problems:
1. I used a lot of software. HelloSign for contracts, Nusii for proposals, GoogleDocs, Dropmark, you name it. Everything was hosted somewhere else and it was hard to keep track of.
2.Clients kept losing files I'd send them. Sometimes 6 months down the line I'd get a request to resend a logo I did for them yonks ago.
3. I was a bit insecure about my clients thinking I was an amateur. I wanted them to be wow'd by my process and I wanted to stand out amongst other freelancers.
So I built a simple extension on my website. A dashboard which clients could log into that linked to all of their deliverables and project assets. This worked ridiculously well for me and my clients loved it.
Over time, I started mentioning this in conferences I was speaking at and was met with a "where can I get me one of those?" so I decided to make Client Portal into a product—and here it is!
Thanks so much for taking a look. I'd love to answer any questions you have about the product or hear any feedback you have on it. I'm always trying to make it better and more useful!
-Laura
P.s. I've created a special offer for Product Hunters. If you want to give it a spin and try it out, you'll get lifetime access, free updates (including worksheets and templates which are being released soon) and 10% off! (Just use the code PH10).
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That looks an interesting alternative to Basecamp, and that you could keep control of it, on your own server or firewall could be an advantage for some clients.
@tristanbailey Yeah I tried Basecamp with some of my clients but it was too much for the kinds of projects I work on. (Great for teams though!). Clients ended up not using it which was frustrating. Luckily, this is much more simple, so clients tend to make use of it a bit more :-)
@joeadamg Thanks Joe, that's really encouraging to hear!
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@laurium hey - do you have an online demo running, or at least some public documentation? I'd love to check out how the questionnaire module works before committing.
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Really amazing job. I've been trying to find a way to streamline my process, especially as new tools come out. I've attempted to use project management software with my clients, but it's just too complex. This is a great tool, congratulations on launching your first product!
@danielletom Thanks Danielle, that's so great to hear! I had the exact same problem with most project management software - it was great but just too much for me :-)
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