Contextual

Category: Feedback

  • How Much Feedback is Enough Feedback?

    How Much Feedback is Enough Feedback?

    An essential component for a well-oiled machine that is a product-led company is feedback. It’s a tool that can help better your product, build meaningful connections with your users, and help you run a successful business.

    But do you need a large quantity of feedback to translate it into valuable product improvements? Is any feedback a good enough lead to make changes? Does context matter?

    This article will give some answers regarding realistic response rates, justifying changes based on feedback, and much more. So, let’s dive in!

    Realistic Response Rates in Context

    The concept of a response rate indicates the percentage of the users who offer feedback for your product, a feature of it, or the business in general. However, as we already know, feedback is contextual.

    According to Survey Any Place, the average feedback response rate is 33%. The infographic shows the impact different mediums have on giving feedback. In contrast with the average rate throughout all feedback channels, a good NPS response rate is anything above 20%.

    This goes to show that you should take into consideration the chosen feedback method when looking at response rates. It might be good practice to combine different ways of asking for feedback for optimal results.

    Another thing you shouldn’t forget is that apps inevitably reach different types of people. This means that you can target your audience with different methods of feedback collecting as well. Diversify your feedback mediums for:

    • Web and Mobile users
    • Different user segments or user roles
    • Different stages of a user journey

    Try different methods for these and see what brings the best results – based on your OKR and JTBD of course! 🙂

    If you have a large sample of feedback (see these articles on statistical significance)  consider A/B testing to determine what medium (mobile or web) of feedback are your users most comfortable with. This means that you give half of the target audience of users one form of feedback, while the other half are offered a different channel to express their opinion on your product. See which method is more successful in attracting your clients’ opinions and go from there.

    There is no “one size fits all” when it comes to feedback. Figure out slowly what works for you and your users best!

    Justifying Change Based on Feedback

    As part of a product-led company, you probably already know that every piece of feedback is valuable. User feedback fills the gap between your expectations and the user experience.  So, reviews are a testament to your efforts and also a great opportunity to improve your product where it is necessary.

    With that being said, when does feedback justify change?

    Surely, one negative comment or response is not something you, as part of a product-led company, should be discouraged by. However, in the next user journey mapping session, you can take a look at the user’s point of view and the reason behind their negative review. While a single piece of negative feedback is not a strong enough reason to implement significant changes, analyzing it might be a good idea for future developments of your product.

    Statistically, change can be justified with just a 20% feedback rate. As response rates are, on average, around 33%, it’s safe to assume that most users who are willing to offer feedback for your app, fall into that 20%.

    With their help, you can identify product improvement areas and plan your next user journey mapping according to the feedback you are getting. If you are able to incorporate feedback and change, your business is in the ideal market-fit bracket.

    Not Receiving Enough Feedback

    Positive feedback is desired, negative feedback can be a good lesson. But what if there is little to no feedback? If you’re a small startup with under 1000 users, you might find it difficult to get the reviews you need to justify changes or even keep your company running.

    In this case, you should especially focus on implementing in-app feedback methods to ensure that you’re reaching your active and engaged users. Their feedback is the most valuable one when you’re working on a smaller scale. Of course, don’t forget about timing, as it is a significant component of feedback. Give your users enough time to experience your app before asking for their opinion.

    Implementing changes with little feedback to back you up can be a risky business, but it can also drive users to give an assessment. It would be wise to start small when it comes to changes. Test the waters, see what triggers responses from your users.

    We mentioned A/B testing earlier in the article. Statistical significance plays an important role in this experiment, and it’s based on a cause-effect relationship. A good example of A/B testing is changing the color of a button within your app. (It can be the button in your in-app feedback survey!).
    Which version drives better response rates from your users? Statistical significance can back you up and give you confidence that the changes you want to implement are positive ones, so that in lieu of enough feedback, you can still make smart moves to improve your app.
    Monitoring the impacts of the changes you make is critical to ensure that you’re not doing damage to your app in the process.

    The Next Steps

    Feedback has an integral part in a successful software business. At Contextual, we can help your journey towards product adoption easier by focusing not only on capturing feedback, but also on onboarding, feature discovery, and much more. Book a demo with us today to learn more!Image Credit

  • Best and Worst Timing to Ask for In-App Feedback

    Best and Worst Timing to Ask for In-App Feedback

    When you think of essential aspects of apps, feedback inevitably comes to mind. User feedback can serve many purposes in product-led growth, both on web and mobile versions. You could view it as a tool to improve your product, or as a channel through which you can build meaningful relationships with your clients. At the end of the day, it always comes back as the foundation of a successful business.

    And, as a product-led company striving for success, one of the most important things you have to learn is timing. Whether you plan on coming out with a new feature, tweaking the UI design, or asking for feedback, timing is everything. 

    Timing Defines Feedback

    While it might not seem like it at first, timing is not just a tool, but a fine skill as well. It can make or break a new feature launch, or the feedback given by users. 

    There are a variety of ways in which you can ask for user feedback. Be that through NPS, user surveys, or widgets, there’s no shortage of creativity when it comes to feedback-collecting mechanisms. 

    Yet, implementing the best ways to collect user feedback won’t get you far without correct timing. So, during the next session of your user journey mapping, make sure to focus on context-sensitive timing. ‘Why?’ you might ask. Let’s take a look at the impact timing has on user feedback.

    When NOT to Ask for In-App Feedback

    Timing is a fine line you have to balance on. When it comes to asking for user feedback, it can be easy to overlook this aspect. Especially for a startup, product-led company where feedback keeps everything running.

     

    However, you should strive to get the best measure of the real sentiments your users are experiencing while using your app. So, jumping at those who have previously left a negative review, or didn’t yet complete the onboarding process can hijack your reviews. 

     

    Likewise, asking for feedback right when the app is opened can have a negative impact. In this case, the user is not yet engaged in a task and is less likely to offer feedback. 

     

    Asking the user for a rating (especially for a 5-star one) in the middle of a task has a similar effect. It could lead the user to frustration and negative reviews. 

     

    Another issue can be asking too many questions, especially on mobile. Mobile users are known to be less patient than web users. They can get bored when presented with a lengthy survey, so try to minimize the number of questions you ask them. You need quantity in terms of reviewers, but with great timing, you can get quality responses. 

     

    Learning about timing is a unique experience for each product-led company. Take advantage of user journey mapping sessions, as they can teach you a lot about the worst and the best times to ask for feedback.

    The Best Time to Ask for Feedback

    It can be intimidating seeing the list of what you shouldn’t do when asking for feedback. By now, you know the importance of good timing for optimal results. So, when is the right time to pop the question? 

    Asking for user feedback when product adoption is certain is a good starting point. You want to make sure your users have things they want to express their opinions on. By that time, they have enough experience with the onboarding process and other features of your app, and they can give an honest opinion about their user experience. This is a great tip for both web and mobile users. 

    You should always turn to active and loyal users for genuine feedback. They are the ones who use your app on a regular basis, so their user experience regarding ease of use and utility can be an asset in reviews. 

    Not compromising the user journey or JTBD is key in defining the best time to ask for reviews. After completing a happy task, a user is more likely to express an honest opinion about the process they went through. 

    You can also create a smooth feedback experience by taking advantage of milestones your app might have. Asking those achieving a goal to review their user journey or a specific feature you might be curious about, leads to a positive experience. 

    Timing defines the attitude of the user when giving feedback. By associating feedback with an achieved goal or a completed task, people are more likely to say their genuine opinions regarding their user journey, which will benefit your product and your company in the long run.

    Do’s and Don’ts of Feedback Timing

    Timing is a precious skill you need to master when asking for feedback. We saw above that being context-sensitive has a positive impact on both the quality and the quantity of the feedback your app gets. 

    So, when is the right time to ask for in-app feedback? 

    Do:

    ✔ give your users time to form an opinion

    ✔ value the opinions of the most engaged and loyal users

    ✔ ask after a happy task is completed

    ✔ take advantage of those reaching milestones

    Don’t:

    ✖ target those who didn’t complete the onboarding process yet

    ✖ ask when the user opens the app 

    ✖ interrupt a task 

    ✖ ask too many questions

    What’s Next?

    You don’t have to spend a tonne to get create targeted in-app surveys!  Click on the buttons below to get your 14 day free trial or contact us for a demo! 


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    Image credit: https://www.freepik.com/

  • Onboarding Feedback: Product-Led Success with Your Mobile Users

    Onboarding Feedback: Product-Led Success with Your Mobile Users

    Product-led companies are praised for pouring their heart and soul into the product that ends up in their customers’ hands. 

    While the product-led approach is known to boost growth and efficiency within a business, to get there, it’s crucial to focus on the first impression your product gives to a potential user. The onboarding experience can best be perfected through the feedback of your clients, which in turn helps with reaching more users and encourages product adoption.

    As SaaS (software-as-a-service) companies are expected to deliver their products both in web and mobile formats for a better product adoption, onboarding feedback is especially helpful with mobile users. 

    Asking for client feedback on their onboarding journey while using the mobile version of a product has great benefits both for the client, as well as for your product and your company. So, why exactly is onboarding feedback important? Let’s deep dive into it!

    Onboarding feedback reduces time spent on perfecting the process

    Although it might sound counterintuitive at first, collecting client feedback on their onboarding experience actually helps your company save time on coming up with ideas for new features, better performance and many more. Especially with mobile version users, time is of essence not just for product development, but also for the client, as their attention span tends to be much shorter than that of a web user. 

    Generally speaking, the first 30 seconds after a potential user downloads your app are the most crucial ones, as your product needs to catch their attention in order to avoid trialler abandonment.

    By asking for feedback after they complete their onboarding, they help your company figure out where the product needs to be improved. 

    With a product-led growth mindset, you must make room for the clients too. Reserve them a chair in your meetings and refer to them as being part of your team. Understanding that their feedback is crucial for the improvement of your product will help you save time and stress when implementing changes.

    It helps with building a rapport with the user

    Product-led growth can be achieved if you have a strong rapport with your clients. With user engagement and communication comes product satisfaction, which leads to company growth over time. 

    Focusing on your clients and listening to the feedback they have to offer upon onboarding with your product is an investment that will always make its return into your product and company.

    As we mentioned above, clients have limited attention for your product, especially when it comes to the mobile version, where it takes a couple seconds to lose a potential user. Mobile versions allow for companies to have highly targeted interactions with their clients. By involving the user in the creation and improvement of your product, they are more likely to go through with the product adoption, as they feel that their opinions are valued by your company.

    Getting to know the client’s needs through their feedback

    As your mobile product’s time from the start of the onboarding process is limited, knowing your users’ needs is critical. With a broad clientele of new and returning users, you have to make sure you implement their feedback for a successful product adoption.

    Learn from previous feedback: returning users expect possible bugs or errors to be fixed, their needs concern reliability, while new users need to be engaged fast enough to continue using your product and complete the onboarding process. Paying attention and anticipating their problems will result in a happier client, a smoother user journey, and a better app engagement.

    Continuous onboarding equals continuous feedback

    Consider the concept of continuous onboarding to keep user satisfaction at its maximum. For example, when introducing a new feature to your app, ask the returning users to give you feedback on it. 

    The initial “Aha!” moment they had when completing the onboarding for the first time is a rewarding feeling. By helping the client achieve it again through feature discovery (and then asking for their opinion on it), you are keeping the user in a continuous onboarding state, and they will offer feedback with more enthusiasm each time. 

    If the users see that their opinion is valuable in the development process of your product, they will feel included and are more likely to take their time giving feedback on their experience.

    Mobile is the future – except it’s happening now

    Understanding that the mobile version of your product is a key feature of product-led companies will help you prioritize what’s truly important for your team and efforts. By relying on onboarding feedback from mobile users, you’re doing a huge favor for your future self and the future of your company. Involving the clients and asking for their feedback should be a top priority, as their opinion helps with optimizing your product.

    Besides the positive impact of their feedback on your product, interacting with your users through their onboarding feedback also builds a bridge between them and your company. Having returning users who rely on you, and who you can rely on is a true advantage in a sea of product-lead companies.

    To conclude, the relevance of onboarding feedback is undeniable, especially when it comes to mobile versions of SaaS products. By involving the client in perfecting your product, you gradually build a rapport with them, which has as its main benefit the mutual reliance between company and user. Moreover, you get to know the client through their feedback, which helps you predict their needs moving forward. 

    Lastly, if the users feel heard when it comes to feedback implementation, they are more likely to continue using your product, which will lead to continuous growth, which is already the goal for product-lead companies.

    Do you want to learn more about how to better capture feedback and how to make use of it in your future business procedures? Book a demo and get started with Contextual!

  • “Slow” is a dangerous place for products

    “Slow” is a dangerous place for products

    This paragraph caught my eye:

    “Slow is a dangerous place for a product company to be. Slow product teams tend to be outcompeted by fast ones. We complain about how Figma and Slack don’t feel native, but why are most of us using Figma and Slack? We’re using them because they outbuilt and outcompeted their native competitors. There are so many things that could improve in these products, but they’re the best tools yet built for their purposes.”

    For product teams, releasing and syncing the features across your IOS, Android and Web platforms is a mammoth task. You release a new feature and then nobody uses it. You release on one platform and users complain its not on the other platforms!

    With Contextual we allow you to not only announce new features but also test different engagements or interest in a feature PRIOR to building.


    Lets say you’ve received some feedback from your customer success team, or using interview products like https://greatquestion.co/ or https://dovetailapp.com/

    You want to drill in and get a sense if other users would value this. With Contextual you could:

    a) ask for feedback with a question – a simple popup message targeted at a specific audience segment lets them single click answer to “take their temperature”

    b) Do a mock announcement for a feature:

    1. Users who click thru on the announcement can be measured.
    2. After clicking thru, you may ask the users for their level of interest.
    3. Promise to get back to them when its released.

    This time-tested launch-hack from that lean startups have been doing for a decade. It may appear a but scammy or disingenuous but inApp you already know the user and if they arn’t interested, they will just click away. No harm done but valuable data to be gained.

    This animated GIF shows how to do this with Contextual in a few minutes.


    The starting quote comes from an excellent post by Allen Pike, (the owner of Steamclock Software) on when/why product teams should prefer to use Native or Hybrid app development. The main point being – the more code platforms you support, the:

    • greater cost to your team to implement
    • greater cost of co-ordination
    • inability to iterate and test fast

    These are absolutely the problems Contextual helps try to solve – both because we provide libraries for ReactNative, Cordova, Ionic, Capacitor and of course Native IOS, Android and Web!

  • Customer-driven product management with Productboard

    Customer-driven product management with Productboard

    In this session we explore the Productboard platform. Readers of this blog know that a Contextual we are extremely passionate about:

    1. JTBD (Jobs to be done) and how the best teams link Strategy and OKRs to feature prioritisation.
    2. How teams use methods like RICE (to score) or Opportunity Solution Trees (for ideation)
    3. How this practically allows a Product Team to triage/groom the backlog and…
    4. Execute on the most impactful and meaningful tasks in a sprint.

    productboard

    Drilling into Productboard, I was interested to learn their approach to Roadmaps, Feedback and linking these thinks with Strategic elements such as OKRs.

    I wanted to see how it works in the platform and how this works for Product Teams and also flywheels out to others in the organization for linking actions with strategy.

    On the video is Sophie Lalonde and Alon Bartur are both from the Productboard  Product Team! This is getting very meta ????

    https://vimeo.com/476995521

    What I learned along the way about Productboard is a good lesson for other products.

    1. They have a clear vision to be meaningful to product managers “out of the box”. Their north-star appears to be the Product Manager’s Dashboard.
    2. They can penetrate deeper into an organization by being useful to surrounding teams. (Customer Success, Engineering, Leadership).
    3. Smart onboarding that:
      1. allows their own Customer Success to understand what challenge a trialler is looking to solve.
      2. Allows the best templates to be shown (that “out of the box”experience).
      3. Easy and fast invites to colleagues to kick-start collaboration and increase likelihood of activation inside that trialler’s company.

    Productboard is an impressive platform and the video is worth a look. In coming weeks I’ll extract a few short nuggets that were excellent learnings.