Before learning about collecting product feature requests and engaging your users in a roadmap, you need to know what feature request means. Feature requests are some ideas that customers send your way. It is the best way of letting you know how your user is using your product.
A feature request tool helps you offer your audience a better user experience. The feature request tracking tool is a vital communication channel between you, your company, and potential users.
Moreover, you should know that the quality and type of feature requests don’t matter. It is because your customers are sending the product feature requests your way, and it would be nice if you handled them properly. Also, feature request software helps you to respond and thank your potential customers for offering feedback.
What Are The Different Types Of A Product Feature Request?
When you want to categorize feature requests, it is better to consider how they change the functionality of your product. With the help of a software feature request template, you can either fix your product or enhance the existing functionality. Also, feature request tracking software may help you introduce entirely new functionality in your product.
Bug Reports
Bug fixes are generally the most crucial type of feature suggestion software. It is because they can stop your customer from using your product as promised. If you let these bug reports, it will cause customer frustration and churn, especially for businesses using a SaaS model. Therefore, you should not ignore bug reports when you see them in a software feature request template.
New Feature Requests
When you use feature request tracking software, you may get some new features suggestions from your potential customers. It is also the most common type of feature request that you will see in the new software feature request template.
However, introducing new features takes lots of time and is hectic for your development teams. But you should know that constant innovation is vital if you want long-term growth for your product.
Also, when you execute the new feature in line with your audiences’ needs, it will have an optimistic impact on retention. Therefore, you need to try your best when you have a new feature request in the feature request management software.
Improved Functionality
Potential customers may suggest some product improvements—these product improvement suggestions in feature suggestion software help get more value out of existing features. For example, you can suggest adding a new filter option or updating the UI/UX.
How To Collect Feature Requests In A Single Place?
If you want to deal with product feature requests effectively, you must collect them in a single feature request tool. Also, please offer a specific feature request tracking tool and a devoted place for your customers to provide feedback and ideas.
Also, if you don’t make a specific channel for this process, you’ll receive different ideas via customer support which won’t be easy to access. Therefore, you need to have proper feature request software. Also, you must get your customers in contact with the decision-makers for the product roadmap.
Select An Idea Board With Effortless UX And Single Sign-On
You should know that UX is the whole thing for product feature idea boards. Your customer should not suffer for a great user experience while providing ideas. You need your users to give you more pictures in the future for the growth of your product. Therefore, getting the best user experience is vital while providing feature requests.
Also, you won’t want to have any barriers between your business and great ideas that come directly from your potential users. Therefore, your idea board must be able to integrate with your sign-on process. Also, you should need a proper software feature request template to respond directly to the customer.
Uphold The Idea Board With Marketing And In-App Widgets
When choosing a new software feature request template, you also have to let your customers know about it. Some of the top ways to spread awareness about your designated feature request management software are as below:
- The in-app widget that says ‘Submit an idea.’
- Pin on the announcements page
- Email announcement blast
- You can use blogs and social media for feature suggestion software announcements.
- You can also include a request for feedback for feature request management in different emails in the computerised onboarding sequence.
Respond To Received Ideas
You will get product feature feedback when you successfully let your customers know about your feature suggestion software. Therefore, proper feature request management software for responding to those ideas is necessary. Also, you need to include testing the argument against your business vision and your competitors in the process.
How Can You Systematise Your Vetting Process?
Here is the step-by-step process for you to systematize the vetting process:
Respond
You need to respond to potential ideas as quickly as possible. Also, it would be good to thank your customers for submitting their ideas. Moreover, it would be best to let them know when you will get back to them after considering it with your team. You also need to ask for more information about what they want from the new feature.
Carry On The Process Via The Prioritisation Criteria
You need to prioritize the requests according to your criteria. Also, it would be best if you thought about cost investment, vertical and ICP targeting, roadmap alignment, and competitor features.
When You Classify The Idea According To Your Team Decision, Answer Again
You have to respond again if you can or can’t resolve or include the suggested new feature.
Ensure That Your Customers Can See Your Roadmap
A public roadmap helps you to communicate with your potential customers. It also lets you know what essential features they want from your product. Therefore, you need to be sure that the idea board you use offers a public view roadmap that can quickly add ideas.
Announce It
It is crucial to have an announcement roll where your audience can find updates. You can use a feature request tool to keep an engaging record of updates.
Top 7 Tips For Feature Request Management
It isn’t easy to decide how to deal with product feature requests. So here are the top 7 tips to manage feature requests that may help you to get overloaded:
- Place everything in a single place
- You need to respond personally, promptly and honestly
- Sorting and prioritising the product feature requests is a must
- It would be nice if you had discussions with your colleagues and other customers about the feature requests
- Stay connected with customers
- Make a public roadmap for your customers
Conclusion
To have a successful business, you need to prioritize the product feature request. Also, you have to make sure that you have a proper channel for collecting and communicating feature requests. It is essential to spend more time on vetting and less time on wrangling.
