Thanks, I think we’ll start with Google Moderator and see how things grow from there.
Getting and managing user feedback on apps?
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We’re launching a news app soon that will be core to our business, but don’t really have a customer feedback system in place more than e-mail and Instant Messaging.
I’m hesitant to invest in something like Get Satisfaction or FogBugz, because this is in garage mode-funding right now (i.e.: 0), and I don’t want to invest very limited resources unless I have to.
One thing we would really like to do is capture feedback on current features and, maybe more importantly, possible features, as well as more general feedback, bug reports, etc. etc.
Any suggestions on what (preferably open source, fingers crossed) is out there that would be good for this?
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3 Answers
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Here are some alternatives. I'm only familiar with UserVoice, which offers one forum in their free plan.
Greg Linch
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UserVoice and Google Moderator are ways to get one kind of limited feedback, ie: a user is frustrated enough with your product to go write up a complaint/feature request. Only a small percentage will be so motivated.
As Daniel mentioned in the comment above, analytics with user sessions can be a better way to see more how people are actually using your product, watching what gets clicked on when.
But the best way to get really extensive feedback is usability testing. It can be cheap too -- just ask neighbors or friends to try out your site, give them some common tasks to do, then watch and have them talk out what they're thinking. That's the richest type of feedback to help you spot more problems and create better features. I don't usually take the time for usability testing, but always wish I did. The one time I've done it I got a lot of value out of that view for the nominal amount of $ it took to cajole participants.
To record the session I used the nice mac app Silverback (free unlimited for 30 days, $70 thereafter). You could also use any screencasting software, Jing is a free example. On this topic, Coding Horror has a crib sheet of info from Steve Krug's seminal book Don't Make Me Think. The most relevant chapter is available as a free pdf.
kevinkoehler
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Depending on how complex your app is, you might want to look at Google Moderator. The White House has used it to field questions for its town hall events. There's also an API for administration.
As for open source bug trackers/customer support packages, here's a list. The ones I've heard of include Trac (on Python), Redmine (on Rails), and phpBugTracker.
Chrys Wu
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Thanks! Just noticed they also have a half-off discount for startups
Agreed, UserVoice has a free plan that is a workable option.