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Creating customer self-serve portals

Enable self-service purchasing for your customers with Salesbuildr's Customer Self-Serve module.

Updated over 2 weeks ago

Overview

Note: Customer self-serve portals are available as an optional module. Visit salesbuildr.com/pricing or use the chat icon to learn more.

The Customer Self-Serve module transforms how customers purchase from you by providing a 24/7 self-service platform. Customers can browse products, compare options, and complete purchases on their own terms while you benefit from automated order processing and reduced operational costs.

Key Benefits

For Your Customers:

  • Browse and purchase 24/7 at their convenience

  • Compare products side-by-side with detailed specifications

  • View pricing and availability

  • Instant order confirmations

For Your Business:

  • Automated order processing and quote generation

  • Faster sales cycles with direct-to-customer selling

  • Reduced manual intervention and operational costs

  • Enhanced brand visibility with dedicated self-serve presence

  • Scalable platform that grows with your business

What You Can Sell

The self-serve portal works best for products and services with standardized specifications and pricing:

Hardware & Devices

  • Workstations, laptops, and peripherals (printers, scanners, webcams)

  • Network equipment (routers, switches, firewalls)

  • Storage solutions (NAS, backup appliances)

  • Mobile devices (smartphones, tablets)

Software & Subscriptions

  • Productivity suites (Microsoft Office, Google Workspace)

  • Antivirus and cybersecurity software

  • Cloud service subscriptions

Licensing & Renewals

  • Software licenses (operating systems, productivity suites)

  • Hardware warranties and support renewals

  • Subscription renewals (antivirus, backup solutions)

Consumables & Accessories

  • Computer components (RAM, hard drives, graphics cards)

  • Cables and adapters

  • Toner and ink cartridges

  • Carrying cases and protective gear

Standardized Services

  • Remote support packages (fixed number of hours)

  • Basic website hosting and maintenance plans

  • Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace migration services

  • Training courses and certification exam vouchers

Customer Experience

Dashboard Overview

When customers log in, they access a personalized dashboard featuring:

  • Self-serve portal access

  • Proposal history

  • Account manager's virtual business card

  • Custom tiles you've configured

Learn how to setup custom tiles here.

Shopping Features

Product Browsing Customers can browse categories you've enabled, view detailed product information, and add items to their cart.

Side-by-Side Comparison Customers can select multiple products to compare specifications pulled from ICECAT, helping them make informed decisions.

Mobile Experience The portal is optimized for tablets and mobile devices, providing a seamless experience across all platforms.

Configuration Guide

Step 1: Create a Category Structure

We recommend creating a separate category structure specifically for end customers.

  1. Navigate to your product categories

  2. Create a new ROOT category for customer portal items

  3. This category can serve all customers or specific ones via a whitelisting option

Step 2: Configure Category Settings

Visibility Control

On the main category settings tab:

  1. Enable "Company visibility whitelist" to restrict access to specific customers

  2. Add approved companies to the whitelist

  3. Disable this switch to make the portal visible to everyone

Inventory Management

Turn on "Hide products that are not in stock from end customers" to display only available items.

Step 3: Customize Portal Content

Navigate to the Content tab to add:

  • Images

  • Text descriptions

  • Programmable buttons

  • Product highlights

This creates a personalized, premium experience for your customers:

Step 4: Add Products to Storefront

To make products available in your storefront:

  1. Navigate to the product in your product overview

  2. Click the pencil icon to edit

  3. Select the Category tab

  4. Add your customer-specific subcategory

  5. Click Save

Note: Products inherit add-ons and pricing from the main category unless you configure specific add-ons on the customer subcategory.

Order Confirmation Setup

Configure Template

When customers place orders, Salesbuildr uses a template to:

  • Sync orders to your PSA platform

  • Send PDF order confirmations to you and your customer

Template Settings

  1. Navigate to Settings > Quotes > Configuration

  2. Create or select your order confirmation template

  3. Configure the template settings as shown:

Signature Requirements

If you enable "Signature on approval," customers must add their signature via their profile:

  • Click "Manage your profile" on the admin section

  • Draw, type, or upload a signature

  • Your signature appears on order confirmation PDFs

Template Marketplace

Access our pre-built template under the Template Marketplace tab for quick setup.

Alternatively, you can copy the text below and paste it in your template as a starting point:

# {{company.name}}

{{contact.firstName}} {{contact.lastName}}
{{company.address.street}}
{{company.address.zip}} {{company.address.city}}

Quote number: {{quote.number}}
Payment terms: {{quote.paymentTerms}}
Approved date: {{date quote.approvedAt}}

Note: Please keep this email for your records as it contains important information about your order.

Dear {{contact.firstName}},

Thank you for your order! We're thrilled you've chosen to elevate your business with us. Your trust in us is not just a transaction; it's a partnership we value deeply.

We will order, install, configure and dispatch the items in your order to the address you have provided. Please let us know if you have any questions using the chat tab on your approved order.

Items will be shipped to:

{{quote.deliveryAddress.companyName}}
{{quote.deliveryAddress.contactName}}
{{quote.deliveryAddress.street}}
{{quote.deliveryAddress.zip}} {{quote.deliveryAddress.city}}
{{quote.deliveryAddress.country}}

Do you have any questions? Please contact us.

Best regards,

{{owner.firstName}} {{owner.middleName}} {{owner.lastName}}
{{owner.role}}
{{owner.phone}}
{{owner.email}}

Landing Page Configuration

Create a custom landing page displayed after customers complete their orders:

  1. Navigate to Settings > Site > Landing Pages

  2. Create a new landing page for order confirmations

  3. Include text, images, videos, buttons, and product categories

  4. Link it to your template in the "Thank You Page" field

Learn more about landing pages

Enabling Customer Access

Step 1: Test Your Portal

Before going live:

  1. Create a test customer and contact

  2. Grant them access following the steps below

  3. Log in as the test contact to verify everything works as expected

Step 2: Enable Login Access

Company-Level Settings

  1. Navigate to Companies

  2. Use the toggle under "Manage Login" to enable customer sign-ins

Customer-Specific Settings

  1. Navigate to the customer's company profile

  2. Click the pencil icon to edit

  3. Go to the Admin tab

  4. Enable "Allow self service orders"

Step 3: Configure Approval Workflow (Optional)

Set up customer-specific approval requirements:

  1. In the customer's Admin tab, configure the approval threshold

  2. Orders exceeding this amount require approval from designated contacts

  3. Set to "0" to require approval for all orders

Learn more about approval workflows

Step 4: Manage Contact-Level Access

Control access at the individual contact level:

  1. Navigate to the contact's profile

  2. Toggle "Enable Login" on or off as needed

Step 5: Send Invitations

Invite customers to your Self-serve Portal:

  1. Click the email icon next to the contact

  2. The system sends an invitation using your configured template

Customize Invitation Template

  1. Navigate to Settings > Email > Templates > Sign-up notifications > Message 2

  2. Customize the message to match your brand and tone

Advanced Features

Stripe Payments Integration

Enable payment collection for non-recurring items during checkout:

  1. Set up a Stripe account

  2. Configure the integration in Salesbuildr

  3. Customers can pay during self-service checkout

Learn how to setup Stripe integration

Credit Limits

Universal Credit Limit

Set a default credit limit for all storefront orders:

  1. Navigate to Settings > Financial > Pricing Rules

  2. Set your universal credit limit in the "Max credit limit' field

Customer-Specific Override

Override the universal limit for individual customers:

  1. Navigate to the customer's company profile

  2. Click the pencil icon to edit

  3. Go to the Admin tab

  4. Set a custom credit limit in the "Max credit limit" field

Note: Setting the credit limit to "0" prevents credit orders. Use Stripe payments for one-time costs, and set up contracts for recurring charges.

Self-Onboarding for New Customers

Note: This feature must be enabled by Salesbuildr support. Contact us to activate self-onboarding for your instance.

How It Works

  1. New customers visit your login page

  2. They select an authentication method

  3. They complete the onboarding form with company details

  4. You receive a notification to approve or decline the request

Approval Process

Notification

You'll receive notifications at the email address configured under Settings > Email > Settings > "Default recipient for leads"

Review & Approve

  1. Click the link in the notification

  2. Review the company information

  3. Click "Approve" to create the customer and contact

Welcome Message

After approval, customers receive a welcome email. Customize this message:

  1. Navigate to Settings > Email > Templates > Sign-up Notifications > Message 3

  2. Personalize the message for your brand

Need Help?

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