SaaS customers are frequently requesting features. Keeping track of all the requests via email can be a tricky. Even the experts think you should be using a spreadsheet.
But. The spreadsheet approach = confusion.
In our previous SaaS business, we didn’t want to ignore any of our customers but taking on board everyone’s comments frequently led to information overload and losing hours of time with the only real outcome being confusion.
The other area we struggled with was deciding whose feedback was of the most value. Should we listen closely to our biggest customers to keep them happy or pay more attention to triallers on smaller accounts in the hope that they become paying customers?
It turns out the latter was not a good strategy for us; more on that one another day…
The advantage of a live, dynamic roadmap is it gives your team and your customers a unified view of what is coming down the line. A new customer viewing a live roadmap can click on “want” and now you know that you have more demand for that feature.
With a live roadmap powered by live customer data, your SaaS business can make data-driven decisions about features.
As you release features, its best to let every customer that cares about a feature know immediately, with a quick email notification.
Having a single area for communicating your product roadmap shows customers that you are working hard on the product every day, and as a bonus, they know that you are listening.
Why roadmap matters
Some fantastic software is being built right now thanks to the ability of the SaaS business to release updates frequently, taking into account the opinions and desires of people who use the software every day. Everyone wins.
The roadmap approach allows you to keep customers collectively updated without promising hard and fast deadlines. After all, you need to stay in control of your software and ensure that you aren’t making promises that cannot be kept; that always leads to disappointment all round.
Finally, It’s an incredibly valuable strategic tool. It gives your users and stakeholders an insight into your product vision without going into too much detail. Embrace this chance to show how exciting your product is.
Roadmap pitfalls
Receptive does not allow you to assign hard & fast deadlines to your roadmap and for a very good reason. If you are creating a roadmap in another format you should heed this advice…
Never share a hard & fast deadline.
Just don’t…ever! You can never be 100% sure on when a feature will be developed, tested and released. Promising immoveable release dates only leads to lower quality software and disappointed customers not to mention grumpy dev teams ;)
Don’t go into too much detail
No-one cares about a minor IE browser bug (ok, hardly anyone cares).
and finally…
Don’t be afraid to change your roadmap.
Ensure that stakeholders know and understand that it is a living document, not a stale Excel spreadsheet or inexplicable Gantt chart.
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What do you think about customer opinions in your SaaS business?
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What type of customer do you listen to and why?
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Has anyone been successful pursuing the strategy of building features for triallers who then convert to paying customers?
