The process of developing a mobile application consists of several sequential steps, such as design, development, release, feedback collection, redesign, etc. The purpose of following this sequential phase is to ensure that the app is developed successfully and cost-effectively. In this post, we will discuss about one of these key steps – collecting user feedback. This is one of the most integral steps because the success of your mobile app depends upon how well the end-users are able to use them. Collecting user feedback is one of the best ways to look at your mobile app from a new perspective and make changes to it in order to make it more successful.
Collecting user feedback also involves various steps which can be broadly classified in to three groups – steps to be taken before collecting feedback, while collecting feedback, and after collecting. Apart from looking at these steps in detail, we will also provide you some of the top methods used for collecting user feedback.
Before Collecting Feedback
Here are some of the key elements to keep in mind before you start collecting user feedback.
- Define your goals and objective clearly. When you define your objective of collecting feedback, it will help you further in choosing the right method and tool for collecting feedback. You must identify the category that your mobile app belongs to and what type of feedback you wish to collect form the users.
- Once the goals and objectives are set, you need to 7look for the right tools to get the job done. There are several automated user feedback collecting software available, so you can choose the one that best matches your requirement.
- You need to be open to experiment or change your feedback method. For example, if you notice that the response rate is low, then you must try some other feedback tool or approach. Being open to experiment will help you gather as much feedback as possible, which in turn will help you improve your mobile app successfully.
- Finally, you need to determine what feedback mechanism you will implement in order to contact determine the cost, organize a team, and prepare the delivery plan. The costs incurred are mainly at three levels – design, development, and operations.
While Collecting Feedback
The most important aspect that you need to focus on while collecting feedback is responding to the feedback received on time. So, once you start receiving first-hand user feedback, irrespective of whether it is a positive feedback or a negative one, you must reply to the user within a stipulated time. This helps assure the user that their feedback is being considered genuinely, which will prompt them to provide their valuable feedback in the future as well. You can follow the below three steps when you receive the feedback:
- Contact the users and let them know that their feedback has been received and that it will be processed accordingly. Also, express your gratitude to them for providing the feedback.
- Contact the users based on the feedback they have provided. For example, if they have asked a question, you can answer it, or provide information about future product improvement plan, or inform them about new enhancements to the app, etc.
- Inform the users once their feedback has been implemented. This will instill a sense of pride in them and will also boost their user experience.
After Collecting Feedback
The purpose of collecting feedback is to use those suggestions and make improvements to your existing mobile apps. So, ensure that you act on the feedback received as soon as possible. If not, the users may think that their opinion and feedback do not matter. Another key step is to track the right metrics. You must understand what tot rack and what not. For example, the below metrics are vital:
- The percent of purchases that were made through the mobile app
- Number of visits through mobile app
- The time spent on mobile compared to the time spent on website
- Total number of app installations in a day
- Effectiveness of various marketing campaigns
Apart from tracking and gathering data from various metrics, you also need to encourage the users to provide continuous feedback. The best way to do so is to build feedback channels within the app itself. And finally, you need to summarize, classify, and analyze all the feedback that you have received. This will help you identify issues with your mobile app, which you can then rectify based on priority. In turn, you can also adjust your roadmap. This cycle of collecting user feedback should be an on-going process in order to make your mobile app the best in the market.
Top Methods to Collect Feedback
Now that you know the three main steps involved in the cycle of user feedback collection, let’s take a look at some of the top methods to collect feedback.
- Likes – Asking the user to like or dislike is one of the best ways to get an idea about what the user thinks of your mobile app. If they select the dislike option, you can display a simple feedback form asking the user to provide details about what is it that they don’t like.
- Rates and Reviews – Asking your users to rate and provide reviews is another great option. Also, the ratings of your mobile app directly impact how easily users can find your app in the Stores. Your timing in asking the user to rate and provide a review also matters. Allow them enough time to use the app before prompting for ratings.
- In-App Net Promoter Score (NPS) – NPS is today one of the most preferred forms of collecting user feedback. You can use it to measure the general sentiment as well as allow the users to send personalized feedback. Based on the answers, the users are divided into three groups: Promoters, Passives, and Detractors.
- Feedback Surveys – Creating and sending short mobile surveys is an efficient way to collect important user feedback. Make sure you include only relevant and open-ended questions, such as sending out a survey to gather feedback about a new feature.
- Social Media – Social media is a vital medium for collecting user feedback. You can use various social listening tools to collect data about what people are saying about your app/brand. Keeping a track of these social mentions can help you improve your apps user experience and also address any negative mentions immediately.
Since there are several methods of collecting feedback, you must review them and decide which of them best suits your purpose.
Conclusion
The bottom line is that collecting user feedback is a crucial step that will help in determining the success of your mobile app. Also, it is not enough just to collect the feedback, you must also thank your users for providing feedback, take initiative to let your users know that their feedback is being acknowledged, inform them about the new improvements, etc. Having the right feedback mechanism in place will make it easier for you to not just collect the feedback but also analyze them and make the necessary changes to your mobile apps in a timely manner.
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