What is user feedback?
User feedback is both qualitative and quantitative data that customers provide about a product they’ve used regarding what they liked or didn’t like, their impressions, and any requests they might have. Collecting this data from users and understanding what it means for your business is essential if you want to make changes based on what your users need. There are various ways to collect user feedback such as through email or phone surveys, third-party research, or perhaps the most reliable and responsive method – in-app messaging and in-product surveys.
Why is user feedback important?
When you’re passionate about your product, it can be difficult to imagine how an everyday user might interact with it. This is where collecting user feedback comes in handy because it allows you to take a step back and see your product from a different perspective. By doing so, you can gain an understanding of what users think and feel when they use your product, which then creates empathy for their experiences. In addition, you will be able to identify what is working well and what needs improvement by recognizing patterns in the feedback. User feedback can help answer questions such as:
We want to know what our users think of our products and features – are they happy with them? If not, what requests or issues keep surfacing repeatedly? How can we address them? Additionally, where do we have gaps in our product experience that need to be filled?
User feedback is key, especially when it comes to internal-facing products. If you’ve purchased software for your company, it’s important to get sentiment from your employees about the onboarding process, new feature adoption, and overall comfort level using the app. This will help you make more informed decisions about your digital adoption plan.
What are the different types of user feedback?
NPS: The Net Promoter Score (NPS) is a metric used to gauge customer loyalty and feedback. Customers are asked to rate their likelihood of recommending a product on a scale of 0-10, which are then used to sort them into Promoters, Passives, or Detractors.
CSAT: Customer satisfaction ratings are usually given after an interaction with support staff or another type of transactional event. This allows businesses to know how well they are doing in terms of customer service and if they need to make any changes.
Feature requests: Listening to customer feedback on what features they would like to see enhanced or added is a key way of judging market demand as well as learning what would be beneficial to build next.
Release feedback: It is essential for understanding whether or not your product or feature was successful after shipping. Collecting this feedback allows the product team to learn what worked and what needs to be improved.
How do I collect user feedback?
No matter what stage your company is in, it’s always beneficial to collect feedback from your users – this is what we call “the voice of the customer” (VOC). There are many approaches and methodologies for collecting user feedback, but it’s okay to start small. Here are a few tactics you can leverage to engage with your users:
Social media: Use platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to listen to what people are saying about your brand or product. You can also use these platforms to drive traffic to surveys or other forms of user feedback.
In-person events: If you have the opportunity to meet with users in person, take advantage of it! This is a great way to get real-time feedback that can help you make decisions quickly.
Online surveys: Tools like SurveyMonkey make it easy to collect feedback from large groups of people. You can use surveys to ask specific questions about your product or service, or just get general feedback about the user experience.
When should I collect user feedback?
If you have the right tools and processes in place to capture both active and passive feedback, you’ll always have a steady stream of requests coming your way. It’s important to understand your product’s specific user journey when proactively reaching out to users for feedback, so you don’t come across as disconnected, callous, or (worst of all) spammy. The same goes for software you purchase for your employees to use. Here are a few examples of when it’s a good idea to ask for feedback:
-When a user completes a task
-When a user doesn’t complete a task
-When a user is struggling with something
-When something new is released
-After an event or change