Using feedback to create a better service

At Good HQ obtaining user feedback has been vital to the development of the platform. I'm going to explain why shortly, but first let me tell you about your chance to win an iPad!

Use feedback to improve your service

If you’re committed to receiving feedback to improve your services, remember to claim your Good HQ page. The organisation that receives the most reviews between 1 February and 31 March 2017 will win an iPad – the perfect device to help you get reviews on the go! So what are you waiting for? Claim your page and start collecting reviews today.

How feedback helped us build a better GoodHQ

Earlier this year we released a brand new version built around feedback we received from public focus groups and one-to-one discussions with charities. We now have a site that looks very different from the original design, which we hope is much better than before! Initial public feedback told us that people thought the idea behind the platform was good. However, when visiting the site they didn’t know what it was about or what the heart ratings meant (or indeed that they were ratings). Other comments suggested the colours were drab and the site should be more inspiring and engaging. Brighter colours, photographs and clearer messaging were all mentioned as solutions. So we worked hard to develop a much more user friendly, bright and engaging platform that provides a better user experience.

What happened next?

We took people’s comments on board. We prioritised what to address first and what to do in the future. We redesigned the site and got more feedback. We kept going until we had created something that we and our testers were happy with. It wasn’t a quick process! Between holding focus groups and releasing a new version of the site, there were four months of hard work, changes and bug testing.  

What’s changed?

A lot! You’ll see from the images below that we have a brand new homepage, with smiley happy people at the centre (thanks to Euan’s Guide for the image!). There is clearer messaging on what the site is about and a stronger call to action (search, review, volunteer and work). You’ll also notice a change to a much brighter colour palette. One of the other big pieces of feedback we got is that people wanted to know what’s near them. So we added ‘near me’ functionality and introduced maps in search so it’s easier for people to see what’s in their local area. On profiles, we created a new ‘overview’ tab that tells users what’s happening on each profile, how many reviews and posts an organisation has, and if there are any job or volunteering opportunities. We’ve added in clearer calls to action here too, to encourage people to review.

Come & see us at the Gathering

We’re always keen to hear people’s feedback and what they think of the site. That’s why we’re inviting you to come and visit us at the Digital Zone at the Gathering on 22 and 23 February. We will be encouraging people to give us feedback about our web services, what they like, dislike and would like to see in the future. Not just for Good HQ, but also for Goodmoves, Funding Scotland, the Digital Participation Charter and the SCVO website. Pop by and have your say - we will give you a free coffee to say thank you for your time! If you’re going through a website redesign and would like to speak to one of our team, come and say hello. We’re always keen to hear about other people’s digital projects!

Want to know more?

If you have any questions or would like some support to use Good HQ at your good cause, please get in touch: hello@goodhq.org.