Build ยท Quoted per project
Customer portal development for businesses tired of status emails
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The short answer
A customer portal is a secure area of your website where clients log in to see their job status, documents, invoices and messages without calling or emailing. Redenn builds portals on Next.js and Supabase with row-level security so each client sees only their own data; projects are quoted per scope and run on Dynamic hosting from CA$49 per month.
What changes
- Fewer status calls, because clients can check for themselves
- Documents, approvals and invoices in one place with an audit trail
- Each client sees only their own records, enforced at the database level
- Staff update one record and the client sees it immediately
What is included
- Client accounts with secure login and password reset
- Role-based access for clients, staff and admins
- Status tracking, document upload and download
- Invoice and payment status view, with Stripe payment links where wanted
- Notification emails when something changes
- Staff-side admin to manage clients and records
How it works
- 01
Map the client journey
We list what clients ask about today and which of those answers can be self-served.
- 02
Scope and quote
Fixed price and ship date covering the client side, the staff side and any integrations.
- 03
Build on staging
You and a friendly client test real cases before anything goes live.
- 04
Launch and onboard
Clients receive invitations; staff receive a short guide and the admin logins.
Who this is for
Firms that run multi-step work for clients over weeks or months: immigration consultants tracking applications, contractors sharing drawings and change orders, accountants collecting documents, freight companies showing shipment status. If your inbox is full of 'any update?' messages, a portal replaces most of them.
It is not worth building for a handful of clients or for one-visit customers. A shared folder and a good email template solve that for nothing.
What we build
The portal is a Next.js application with Supabase providing authentication, Postgres storage and file storage. Row-level security policies mean a client's query physically cannot return another client's rows. Staff use an admin view on the same system, so there is one source of truth.
Integrations are scoped by name: a CRM feed so new clients appear automatically, accounting software for invoice status, e-signature for approvals, or an AI assistant that answers routine questions from the client's own records.
What it costs
The build is quoted per project. Ongoing cost is the hosting tier plus any third-party usage.
| Item | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Portal build | Quote | Written scope, fixed price, ship date |
| Redenn Dynamic hosting | CA$49/month | Database, authentication, storage, monitoring |
| Redenn Pro Managed hosting | CA$99/month | Adds staging, priority support, database management |
| CRM integration | from CA$99 | New clients created from your CRM or forms |
| Payment integration | from CA$99 | Stripe payment links; processor fees separate |
Limitations and honest notes
A portal holds personal information, so PIPEDA applies federally and Quebec's Law 25 adds obligations such as a designated privacy officer. We build with least-privilege access and encryption in transit and at rest, but policy and consent are yours to own.
Clients only use a portal if staff keep it current. If your team will not update records, the portal will not reduce calls, and we would rather tell you that before quoting.
Quebec clients are entitled to a French interface under the Charter of the French Language; budget for translation if you serve the Quebec public.
Questions
How is client data kept separate?
With row-level security in Postgres. Each query runs as the logged-in user and the database itself refuses rows that do not belong to them, independent of the interface.
Can clients pay invoices in the portal?
Yes, through Stripe payment links or checkout, with fees paid to Stripe directly. Accounting integration for invoice status is scoped separately.
Can the portal connect to our CRM?
Usually. If your CRM has an API, new clients and status changes can flow both ways. This is scoped as a named integration in the quote.
How long does a customer portal take to build?
It depends on the number of record types and integrations, so the ship date is in the quote. A single-workflow portal is a matter of weeks; multi-role systems take longer.
Related
Services
- Web ApplicationsAccounts, data and workflows on Next.js and Supabase, scoped to a fixed price with a ship date in writing.
- Customer PortalSelf-service status, documents, approvals and payments drawn from the records your team already keeps.
- CRM IntegrationsForms, chat, booking, phone and ad lead forms feeding your CRM with the source recorded, from CA$99.
- Custom SoftwareFixed-scope software for processes that off-the-shelf tools handle badly, with a build-or-buy checklist first.
- Website SecurityStatic builds, SSL, updates, access control and monitoring included with hosting; audits of other sites quoted.
Guides
Industries
Build it. With customer portals.
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