rant + rave = roadmap
DESCRIPTION
Slides from Alison Heittman's Rant + Rave = Roadmap session at MoDevEast's Marteting & Monetization track, on December 13, 2013TRANSCRIPT
Alison HeittmanCEO, Solertium
we build web & mobile apps for outstanding brands and causes
Rant+Rave=Roadmap @alisonheittman #modeveast
secretly, I amRant+Rave=Roadmap @alisonheittman #modeveast
disclaimer: I’m not really the Lipstick Librarian, but it is appropriate to address me as Alison, Lady of Glencoe.
you are here because:Rant+Rave=Roadmap @alisonheittman #modeveast
1. you care about what your users (people) want, or when they’re having a problem, or when they want to tell you you’re awesome
you are here because:Rant+Rave=Roadmap @alisonheittman #modeveast
1. you care about what your users want, or when they’re having a problem, or when they want to tell you you’re awesome
2. you might not want to be the only one supporting them
I believe this is just the start:
Rant+Rave=Roadmap @alisonheittman #modeveast
sometimes, this is the team:Rant+Rave=Roadmap @alisonheittman #modeveast
the indie developer
in my case, the team is typically:Rant+Rave=Roadmap @alisonheittman #modeveast
developers - iOS - Android - UX - graphic design
Rant+Rave=Roadmap @alisonheittman #modeveast
developers - iOS - Android - UX - graphic design
corporate IT
in my case, the team is typically:
Rant+Rave=Roadmap @alisonheittman #modeveast
developers - iOS - Android - UX - graphic design
marketing
corporate IT
in my case, the team is typically:
Rant+Rave=Roadmap @alisonheittman #modeveast
developers - iOS - Android - UX - graphic design
marketing
corporate IT
training
in my case, the team is typically:
Rant+Rave=Roadmap @alisonheittman #modeveast
developers - iOS - Android - UX - graphic design
marketing
corporate IT
training
3rd party product teams
in my case, the team is typically:
Rant+Rave=Roadmap @alisonheittman #modeveast
developers - iOS - Android - UX - graphic design
marketing
corporate IT
training
back of house3rd party product teams
in my case, the team is typically:
Rant+Rave=Roadmap @alisonheittman #modeveast
developers - iOS - Android - UX - graphic design
marketing
corporate IT
training
front of house
back of house3rd party product teams
in my case, the team is typically:
Rant+Rave=Roadmap @alisonheittman #modeveast
developers - iOS - Android - UX - graphic design
marketing
corporate IT
training
front of house
back of house3rd party product teams
users (people!)
in my case, the team is typically:
pieces & partsRant+Rave=Roadmap @alisonheittman #modeveast
user preferences, data - favorite items - favorite stores - recent orders - wallet/cards on file
menusbranding & marketing
shopping cart & checkout
store information
loyalty program
games
user accounts
social feeds
So where do I find all this feedback?
Rant+Rave=Roadmap @alisonheittman #modeveast
non-app channelsRant+Rave=Roadmap @alisonheittman #modeveast
• your corporate website contact form
• iTunes & Google Play comments
• your social media accounts
• your physical locations
• Comments on press or app review sites
• 3rd party ratings sites, like Yelp, TripAdvisor, Foursquare, etc.
• personal blogs & social media accounts
this is hard: this is harder:
(wow, that can be pretty public)
Rant+Rave=Roadmap @alisonheittman #modeveast
in-app feedback/supportRant+Rave=Roadmap @alisonheittman #modeveast
• feedback form
• mobile view of the corporate website “contact us” form
• email link
• user forums
• help desk widgets
• chat tools
• advanced “assistant” tools
• screenshot tools
• crash analytics
• ratings prompts
• FAQs
And, just as important...
Rant+Rave=Roadmap @alisonheittman #modeveast
where (virtually) is the team?Rant+Rave=Roadmap @alisonheittman #modeveast
• chat
• customer-focused help desk(s)
• project management system(s)
• developer-focused issue tracking system(s)
• social media
the challenge:Rant+Rave=Roadmap @alisonheittman #modeveast
1. finding & responding to the feedback & solving any outstanding issues - in a way that doesn’t pile on a lot of extra work.
2. aggregating all the feedback to help driveyour roadmap
what we do
Rant+Rave=Roadmap @alisonheittman #modeveast
users do this:Rant+Rave=Roadmap @alisonheittman #modeveast
andalso
front & back of house,training marketing,
front & back of houseentire team
marketing
(we find they want to tell us things like)
Rant+Rave=Roadmap @alisonheittman #modeveast
• I LOVE YOUR APP!!
• I HATE YOUR APP!!!
• Your app needs to....
• How do I...?
• So this went wrong:
• I got to the store, and it was awesome
• I got to the store, and it wasn’t awesome
• This other app does X, why don’t you?
& then we add on helpful data like:Rant+Rave=Roadmap @alisonheittman #modeveast
• platform (iPad, iPhone, Android)
• version of the app
• version of the operating system
• most recent order data (date/time, store location, order ID)
& we send it to places likeRant+Rave=Roadmap @alisonheittman #modeveast
(we really <3 tools that will take in data via email or webhook)
& then we make the users happyRant+Rave=Roadmap @alisonheittman #modeveast
• feedback gets routed across the team, so no one person has to deal with it all
• on some projects, we route by topic, so app feedback is forwarded to the developers, order & store feedback goes to the corporate help desk, suggestions go to marketing, etc.
• ** we all work in our own systems **
• at any time, all team members can see all the feedback
& we also regularly do this:Rant+Rave=Roadmap @alisonheittman #modeveast
and periodically we all talkRant+Rave=Roadmap @alisonheittman #modeveast
developers - iOS - Android - UX - graphic design
marketing
corporate IT
training
front of house
back of house3rd party product teams
& hammer out this:Rant+Rave=Roadmap @alisonheittman #modeveast
$(you know, the roadmap)
& hammer out this:Rant+Rave=Roadmap @alisonheittman #modeveast
$corporate goals
(you know, the roadmap)
& hammer out this:Rant+Rave=Roadmap @alisonheittman #modeveast
varying agendasof the teammates
$corporate goals
(you know, the roadmap)
& hammer out this:Rant+Rave=Roadmap @alisonheittman #modeveast
varying agendasof the teammates
user behaviorand feedback$corporate goals
(you know, the roadmap)
And we frequently find that it’s this
that drives & informs the
discussion, and enables the users to be represented
Rant+Rave=Roadmap @alisonheittman #modeveast
plus: the customer service bonus round
Rant+Rave=Roadmap @alisonheittman #modeveast
Because we’ve been personally reaching out to & interacting with the users, as we
prioritize & build out features that are of specific interest, we can casually email them to give them a heads up that the latest build
has their fix/feature/request
Rant+Rave=Roadmap @alisonheittman #modeveast
developers - iOS - Android - UX - graphic design
marketing
corporate IT
training
front of house
back of house3rd party product teams
users
and then all these people are happy:
see this guy to learn how:Rant+Rave=Roadmap @alisonheittman #modeveast
Rob HeittmanOpening Next-Level Dialogue
with Native App Users via Appygram
11am @ Conference A
Or track me down at @alisonheittman.I seriously LOVE talking about in-app support.