Customers and Users

Are your app’s Customers also the Users of your app?  When you go thru the process of brainstorming the functionality your app will deliver, you’ll want to consider this question because it’ll help you with your data structures and wireframe/mockups.

For instance, if your app is bought and used by the same person, then things are fairly straightforward.  However, if someone is buying your app (aka the “Customer”) so that someone else can use it (aka the “User”), then your design can become a bit more complex.  Your Customer will want to know how many Users are on the app and how active they are using it.  There may be business process metrics for Users that the Customers wants to have measured (transactions, page views, time on app, etc).  You’ll need to be able to collect these type of data in your app so the Customer can create dashboards, conduct data analysis, etc.  So in a sense, your Customer is also a User in the sense they want User data for reporting and management purposes.

Now this brings a bit of a challenge for you and creating your apps roadmap of features.  If you’re selling to the Customer, but they don’t use your app (aside from data and dashboards), how do you get User feedback?  There are a variety of ways, and here are just a few.

1. Feedback button.  If you add a feedback or suggestion button in your app, you’re apt to get some users to give you feedback.  Check out some of the apps you use – they probably have a button, link, etc to allow you to provide feedback
2.  Social Media.  Put social media buttons in your app so Users can post online.  Perhaps create a Facebook group for your app where people can congregate and talk about the app.  Reddit might be a good venue too.
3. Industry conferences.  Perhaps your app is in the automotive, furniture or clothing industry.  Be a speaker at a “deep dive” session and interact with Users.
4. Survey.  Ask your Customers if they’re willing to allow a survey go out to Users.  Alternatively, see if an onsite “lunch-n-learn” or user group event could happen.
5. Webinar.  Host a webinar on your app (perhaps even an “experts” course to draw in super-users).  Allow for a Q&A session to get User input.

Figuring out ways to get feedback from your Users is critical for your long term success.  If you have other suggestions on getting Customer feedback or need some help, please feel free to contact me.