Want to share our success story implementing custom dashboard widgets in our partner portal using AEC 2021. We were struggling with low partner engagement - partners would log in occasionally to check deal registrations but rarely explored other features.
We used the JS SDK to build personalized dashboard widgets showing each partner’s performance metrics, upcoming opportunities, and recommended training. The custom widgets pull data specific to each partner’s tier and specialization, making the dashboard immediately relevant when they log in.
The results were dramatic - partner portal logins increased 40% in the first quarter, and partners are now spending 3x more time in the portal per session. The key was making the data personal and actionable rather than showing generic metrics. Happy to share implementation details if others are considering similar customization.
How did you handle the performance aspect of loading personalized data? With hundreds of partners logging in, I’d be concerned about database queries for custom calculations slowing down the dashboard load time.
What about the usage analytics? How are you measuring which widgets partners actually interact with versus which ones they ignore? That would help us prioritize which custom widgets to build first.
Great question. We surveyed our top-performing partners first to understand what drove their behavior. The winning metrics were: pipeline value (their registered deals plus estimated commission), partner tier progress (showing how close they are to the next tier and its benefits), and competitive positioning (anonymized comparison to peer partners in their region). The training recommendations were based on certifications required for their next tier, which made them feel targeted rather than generic.