UserVoice

Online Customer Engagement Tools

Published 08/31/2011 and rated 5 out of 5 stars
by AppAppeal Editor

UserVoice is a powerful feedback and help desk tool that can help businesses and website owners stay in touch with their customer base. The application offers a number of functions related to communication between a business and their customers. Feedback can be obtained when the user adds UserVoice to their website. The feedback system works by allowing visitors to post their ideas and vote on existing ideas. Users are assigned a number of votes (which cannot be exceeded). This encourages the user to really think about the items they vote on before they put their support behind the concept. The business or website owner can review suggestions and see which their audience truly wants to see implemented. UserVoice also supplies effective help desk solutions that allow customers to submit tickets when issues arise with a product or service. The user can instantly respond to customer inquiries and problems and keep track of support tickets. The Kudos system allows the user’s customer to praise the service they receive (if they feel it is praise-worthy).

UserVoice began as a San Francisco start up launched in 2008. The founders, CEO Richard White and COO Scott Rutherford, wanted to establish a tool that would give customers the ability to speak to the companies they work with. The application has become a fast favorite among website and business owners. Today, many widely popular websites have employed the services of UserVoice to enhance their offerings and appease their customer base.

UserVoice offers a streamlined way to communicate with consumers. Business owners can show that they really care about what their customers think by providing access to UserVoice on their sites. The application reduces much of the time and effort that goes into communication. User can instantly respond and the user can let the company know what they think with real suggestions and service ratings through the Kudos system.

UserVoice has implemented a design and layout that is very neat and clean, which allows it to be used by anyone. No matter how inexperienced the internet user may be, they can easily understand how UserVoice works. The UserVoice page presents a list of popular suggestions posted by other users. The user can search for their idea and add it if it is not already included. The site includes a vote count along the left side of each suggestion so users can see which are getting the most attention.

To get started with UserVoice, a visitor can click one of the blue “Learn More” buttons that run along the middle of the homepage. The three buttons correspond with the two individual services (feedback and help desk) as well as the full service option. On the following page, the user must click the green “Sign Up” button that corresponds with their preferred membership plan. To create a profile, the user is asked to enter an email address, display name, password, desired UserVoice domain name, company name, company URL and the individual’s job title.

UserVoice offers four account options for each of its three service packages. The Starter and Plus plans include one forum while the Premium plan includes 10 forums, multiple language support, private forums and the ability to attach files to ideas. The Ultimate plan includes unlimited forums. The full service starter plan costs $5 per month. The Plus plan costs $25 per month while the Premium costs $65 and the Ultimate runs $125.

UserVoice.com is an excellent tool for website and business owners. The application helps strengthen relationships with customers and website visitors. The numerous package options make UserVoice a flexible option that can fit into most company budgets.

• Choose between help desk, feedback or full service packages
• Open up the lines of communication with your customer base
• See which improvements your audience is most interested in
• Earn Kudos when a customer is happy with the service they receive
• Manage support tickets through UserVoice

UserVoice video