Personal account: Benefits and development stages

Artyom Dovgopol

A personal account is your user’s map to navigate the world of your business, with every click revealing new destinations😉

Key takeaways 👌

Functions of a personal account

Let’s start with the basics to make sure everyone’s on the same page. A personal website account is a closed section of a website accessible to users after registration and authorization. It usually allows users to check their purchase history, interact with support, browse recommendations, and much more, depending on the product:

• Registration and login
• Management of personal information
• Purchase or order history
• Upload/download documents
• Communication with support
• Payments and invoicing
• Notifications and news
• User-specific settings

The functionality of the personal account can vary between products – it all depends on what that particular business aims to achieve. Digital retailers can use the personal account as the main access point for all recommendations, while IT companies might use it for storing specific product-related documentation or licenses.

A personal account on a website is like a personal assistant for each user. It quietly and unobtrusively handles routine tasks: storing documents, reminding about tasks, and showing the right information at the right time. Thanks to it, the client feels that the service is working for them

Why personal account?

Many modern companies, for some reason, hugely underestimate the potential a heavily personalized personal account can have, so it’s fair to ask, “Why do I even need it?”

But let’s start with good examples – companies like Pinterest, Amazon, Spotify, and many other multi-billion-dollar corporations use personal accounts as the main point of entry for 90% of their users. These websites are heavily recommendation-based, so there’s simply no interacting with them without setting up an account first.

Airbnb and Nike are great, less obvious examples of businesses that thrive on personalized accounts. Airbnb’s personal accounts offer tailored recommendations for stays based on past bookings and preferences. By customizing the user experience, Airbnb not only enhances convenience but also boosts repeat business. Similarly, Nike uses personal accounts to track fitness progress, recommend products, and offer exclusive rewards, creating a deeper connection with their users and fostering brand loyalty.

All of the companies mentioned above wouldn’t have such a successful product without a proper personal account – makes you think, doesn’t it? There are, of course, tons of other benefits:

• Automation of Business Processes. A personal account reduces the workload on employees by allowing customers to handle tasks like filling out forms, submitting requests, and receiving documents on their own. This is especially important for small businesses that lack the resources to maintain a large support team.
• Reducing Manual Labor. Integrating the personal account with CRM systems, databases, payment systems, and other internal services automates routine tasks—everything from invoicing to updating order statuses.
• Increasing Customer Loyalty. We’ll dive into this in the next section, but in short, if the customer has a smooth experience on your website, they’ll come back.
• Data Collection and Analysi. Through the personal account, you gain access to real customer behavior: what they order most often, which services interest them, and when they leave. This data is a powerful resource for decision-making and marketing optimization.

Boosting interaction

Small startups or big, multi-billion-dollar companies – all constantly strive to be available for their customers 24/7 in the most convenient way possible. The personal account becomes the key point of this interaction – a sort of communication window between the customer and the company.

Simplifying Communication. With a personal account, customers can:

• Submit a request or ask a question directly without a contact form.
• Get quick access to necessary information (documents, terms of cooperation, application statuses).

• See the history of their interactions with the company in one place.

This is particularly important for businesses operating in a B2B or B2C format with regular repeat orders, subscriptions, or information updates.

Effortless Personalization. Each user in the personal account sees only what is relevant to them. This may include:

• Personalized payment terms.
• Recommendations based on previous orders.
• Reminders of subscription deadlines or updates.

This approach saves time and builds trust—customers feel known and valued, which increases the likelihood of them returning.

Constant Access to the Service. The personal account is always accessible. 

This is especially valuable for customers in different time zones or those who prefer to solve issues independently. 

The ability to get information at any time of day or night increases satisfaction and reduces the workload on managers.

Research from McKinsey and Braze highlights the significant impact of personalization on customer engagement and loyalty. McKinsey's findings indicate that businesses that use personalized experiences effectively see revenue growth between 10% to 25%, as these tailored interactions foster deeper customer connections and improve satisfaction. 

Additionally, Braze reports that 80% of customers are more likely to engage with a company that offers personalized experiences, and 62% are willing to spend more for a customized experience. 

And a little more about websites…

If you want to build a website from scratch, check out the step-by-step guide to website creation

Setting up a personal account

Creating a proper personal account is a bit more than just throwing in an authorization form in the mix and calling it a day. It’s actually a whole project that requires proper logistics, integration, and support. 

Here’s a full breakdown to help you get started:

Step 1. Analyze Tasks and Requirements

Clearly define the purpose of your personal account. Without this, you might waste time and money on unnecessary features.

What is important to understand at this stage:

• Who will be the user of the personal account (clients, partners, employees)?
• What tasks should it solve? (For example: order placement, project access, documents, billing)
• Which processes are currently manual and require automation?

It’s important to record these requirements in the form of a technical specification or at least a table with priorities. This will greatly simplify communication with developers or contractors.

Step 2. Design Structure and Logic

The next step is the architecture of the personal account: what sections will it have, how the user will navigate them, and what information is available in each.

The result will be:

• A user flow (screen map);
• A description of business logic (for example, how order status works or the bonus calculation algorithm);
• Understanding of what data is transmitted between the website, CRM, and other systems.

Tip: Start with an MVP (Minimum Viable Product)—the basic functions that can be quickly launched and developed as needed.

Step 3. UX/UI Design

Here, it is important that the personal account is not only functional but also convenient.

The design should:

• Be responsive (for mobile devices, tablets, desktops);
• Match the overall website style and brand;
• Exclude unnecessary steps in the user’s actions (for example, not requiring the user to enter unnecessary data when it can be pulled automatically).

For small businesses, this is especially important – users won’t figure it out, they’ll just close the tab.

Step 4. Choosing Technologies and Implementation

This is where software development begins. The choice of technologies depends on the project scale, the company's current stack, and budget.

Common options include:

• CMS + custom development – for websites on WordPress, Bitrix, and other popular platforms;
• Frameworks—for flexible solutions from scratch (e.g., Laravel, Django, React, Vue.js);
• Ready-made SaaS solutions or no-code platforms – for quick launches of simple accounts.

Be sure to include in the implementation:

• Access control systems (admin, user roles, etc.);
• Data protection (e.g., encryption, two-factor authentication);
• Integrations with external services (CRM, payment systems, email newsletters, etc.).

Step 5. Testing

Before launching, make sure everything works as it should.

Check:

• Correct authorization and registration;
• Display and saving of data;
• Performance on different devices and browsers;
• Behavior during unusual actions (input errors, connection loss, etc.).

It’s better to spend a day on manual testing than to lose clients due to bugs in the first use.

Step 6. Launch and Feedback

After final testing, you can launch the personal account into the production environment. However, it’s important not just to release the update but to gather feedback from users. This will help identify which features are actually used and which need improvement.

Tools:

• Feedback widgets;
• Surveys inside the account;
• Metrics (via analytical systems) – for example, click maps, drop-off funnels.

Step 7. Support and Development

After the launch, the personal account will require:

• Regular updates (including changes in laws, such as data protection);
• Interface improvements based on user behavior;
• Scaling—adding new features as the business grows.

A good practice is to introduce a release cycle: release updates with improvements and fixes once a month or quarter. This helps maintain quality and user trust.

All this is rather daunting, isn’t it? Quite a few complicated steps – it’s easy to get overwhelmed midway and just put together something barely functioning on the fly. Keep in mind, though, that starting with a basic personal account with essential functionality and then scaling it up gradually with each patch is the best way to go.

Mistakes and prevention

There are pitfalls – because, of course, there are. Even a well-designed personal account can drastically underperform if certain mistakes are made during the implementation phase.

Small teams, where everyone’s doing a bit of everything and isn’t governed by a technical manager – that’s especially true for you.

Not a threat – pinky promise. Just keep a few potentially problematic areas in mind, and you’ll be just fine:

Conclusion

A personal account helps businesses operate faster, smarter, and closer to their customers. It reduces operational costs, increases loyalty, ensures constant access to the service, and makes interactions predictable and convenient.

The key is to design the account thoughtfully, test it, listen to users, and develop the product step by step. And if you want to avoid all this work, contact Toimi—we'll take care of it for you.