Uservoice is a Feedback Service that can be easily compared with Get Satisfaction. more now that Get Satisfaction also offer a Lightbox Enabled Widget Badge just like the one uservoice became known for. not that lightboxes were not a already very well known effect. but it had not been used for that kind of focused use previously to uservoice use of it. but even when both uservoice and Get Satisfaction are mean to be used a easy ways to provide feedback. uservoice got a business plan and it is pretty much focused on it as a commercial and paid service that can be used for either a small business or a corporation.
But that don`t means you cannot use their free version for your blog or your little business if you don`t mind the limitations of the free version. another very particular thing uservoice had from the let go, was that they focused their brand awareness and the main driving force to its service identity into a Widget. this has of course proven to be great for them from what i have seen as i mentioned even the competition is now offering what they offer even if with another focus entirely.
To put Uservoice to work for you in the free version you only need to join the service and then generate a feedback tab like this one.
This feedback tab can be activated in a click and with that it will bring up the Widget Badge within a Lightbox. the badge will then show up the most popular or active feedback thread given about your site, propose the use to give its own feedback or to leave a message directly using the feedback badge.
Once you have finished checking out the badge or sending a message. you can simply click anywhere outside the badge to close it down. as you can see this is a good service to have a central repository of feedback and ideas left by your service users or blog readers. all in a place where you can respond and manage them while keeping them open for all to see. and if your service or blog gets to grow and you suddenly need more control and personalization. you then only need to upgrade the uservoice paid service and that will be it.
My only caveats with uservoice is that i feel it is not open enough and fast enough. i would like it if people would be able to vote from the widget badge and if it would be possible to even write comments to the ideas without even having to be registered. but gladly enough. i can get to fill my suggestions directly and publicly to them by using their own service with them and so can you.
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Hi Avatar – thank you for the write up. Looks like you cover a lot of bases about or widget, so you’ll be happy to know that soon we’ll have a completely revamped widget allowing users to enter input directly into UV without having to fully engage the site.
If you have anymore ideas for how we could improve UserVoice, please feel free to suggest them at http://uservoice.uservoice.com
Thanks again!