All About Feature Request Template

A feature request template allows users to share detailed and clear information about the product they are using. A templated form asks the users to share their pain points and suggest innovative solutions leading to product improvements. 

These templates are an important source of communication with the customers. They prompt the users to articulate their frustrations while using a product. Companies can use this data to prioritize features and functions that resonate with the target audience. 

Where a feature request template promotes user engagement. When customers are heard, they feel valued, creating a sense of ownership and community and ultimately building a loyal customer base. 

A casual implementation of the feature request template isn’t enough. Companies must follow due process to ensure they receive genuine feedback, not general suggestions. Well-executed request templates indicate customers' interests and suggestions that need immediate attention. 

Importance of Communication with Users

Corporations are now realizing the open communication and open door policy to build a harmonious workplace. Similarly, with products and services, effective customer feedback is obtained through continuous conversations with the users. 

Effective communication with the users isn’t about only recording customer feedback. Instead, it must also include understanding, acknowledging, and acting on the feedback to implement the features the customers expect and desire. 

Not taking cognizance of the feedback can lead to increasing frustration among the customers and lost opportunities for improvements for the users. By building a stellar feedback system, the customers can easily communicate with the team. 

Addressing the user’s concerns leads to continuous engagement and fosters trust. Strengthen effective communication with the customers to sustain continuous dialogue, ensuring product evolution according to the user’s requirements. 

What is the Feature Request Template?

A feature request template is a type of form that helps collect and organize feature requests from customers. Through these templates, organizations can listen to and connect with their customers. 

In addition to the end-users, clients and stakeholders can also use the feature request template to suggest changes to the product. The form lets you organize and format fields according to the product and feedback requirements. 

As you make the effort to obtain the right information, it becomes easier to focus on the goals and filter our unrelated requests. Where customers can share application or website feedback according to their experiences, the clients and stakeholders can submit requests to share new ideas and improvements. 

Best Practices for Feature Request Form Template

• Feature Fallacy Trap: Avoid including every feature requested by all the users and customers. Stay focused on adding features and making improvements that make your product more valuable.

• Multiple Ways to Collect Feedback: Find out different ways to share the new feature request form with your users. Collect feedback from different channels to ensure that the majority of the customers receive the form for feedback. 

You can use in-app survey feedback, have a customer support team in place to collect feedback, and share product roadmap with the users to get suggestions. Another way is to get feedback and suggestions via email. 

• Close the Feedback Loop: After receiving the feedback form, add the product feature requested by the users or address their concerns to close the feedback loop.

The customers want to know if their voices and concerns are heard and addressed. Hence, always reply to the customer’s suggestions, acknowledging their time, insights, and feedback. 

• Use Categories and Tags: To build a better workflow for the feature request templates, use categories and tags to sort the forms. Categorizing will help you decide the priorities and fit your strategy accordingly. 

Types of Feature Request Templates

Among the different types of feature request templates, three are most commonly used in every industry;

1. Bug Fixes

Bug fixes or bug reports are critical feature request forms highlighting the issues preventing users from using a product as expected or as promised. If not addressed properly, the bugs can cause frustration and churn. 

2. New Feature Request

This type of request template is relatively more common but is also more time-consuming. They bring the essential information product designers, managers, and developers need to ensure long-term product growth. With effective execution, which is in line with the user’s needs, it can have a positive impact on product retention. 

3. Improved Functionality

Through the template and forms, users can suggest changes in the products that will bring more value. These additions are requested to the existing features and help improve the user experience. 

Reasons to Use a Feature Request Template

Feature request forms are crucial to product development, innovation, and improvement. These forms bring much-needed and authentic insights from the end-users, clients, and stakeholders, steering you in the right direction. 

Here are a few reasons to raise feature request template

Saves Time

Using feature request templates saves time, which is a definite perk. The time-saving benefit goes beyond its general scope. A feature request template supercharges product development for the product managers, designers, and developers. 

It helps create a definite product roadmap that is user-centric, efficient, and leads to successful product creation. 

Product managers gain invaluable insight from the template, highlighting the user’s needs, desires, and areas of frustration. This removes all the guesswork from the development process and helps focus on adding features and improvements that matter the most. 

Product designers and developers gain clarity about the product, what features to add, and know the improvements. As it eliminates the guesswork, well-built feature request form templates also bridge the gap between team and users. 

Support for New Features

As you collect feature requests through product feature templates, don’t limit the information you gain to adding new features. Product managers and developers can use this information to understand the frustrations, detail user issues, and know their desired functionalities. 

Using the information received from here, product managers can identify high-demand features. The feedback and insights in the form can act as a guide for prioritizing the inclusion of features, especially when companies are working with a limited budget. 

Developers can gain detailed information about the product, clarify the specifications and user context, and streamline product development. Effective implementation of the request forms fuels a continuous cycle of development and testing.

Security Fixes

The feature request templates users fill and share can help identify potential security vulnerabilities. Using the information from here, the product managers can highlight the impact of security issues in the product while sharing the same with the developers and minimizing exploitation risks. 

At the same time, they can prioritize the addition of new features according to risk severity. Developers can focus on making improvements and adding features that will mitigate damages. 

Bug Issue Resolution

Request templates that record bug issues and related information play a pivotal role in future product development. The forms are not just a simple way to collect bug reports but are catalysts for product evolution. 

As users pinpoint bugs and issues in the product, it guides product developers to take cognizance of the processes they have used to create the product feature in question. 

This serves as a lesson for further development and helps them tackle the issues with more clarity. Most importantly, it helps the team address the root cause of the issue and prevent any future hindrances in user experience. 

Care for Customers

Successfully acknowledging the feedback requests from customers leads to improved customer satisfaction. The product managers can understand user pain points, know their frustrations, and suggest bespoke solutions to fix bugs and prevent future disappointments. It helps anticipate user’s needs to enhance customer loyalty. 

Product developers can get a summary of issues, satisfactory experiences, and frustrations to identify systemic issues and ensure product stability in the future. 

Successfully addressing customer issues at this stage reduces the burden on customer support and fosters a community of empowered users. As the customer observes their suggestions shaping the product through direct feedback, they become more attached to the product. 

Easy Information Access

Without the necessary information, product managers can find it challenging to build the product roadmap. The information gained from managers and developers determines which features and functions are more important to the users. 

A templated way to gain user feedback can streamline request submission and response processes. The information gained from here is more accessible and easy to understand. 

Managers and developers get the crucial information they need and prioritize the work. Continuous implementation of the feature request survey system helps identify improvements in the information-gathering process. 

Easy to Follow Up With Requests

Regularly taking in requests from users and creating a feedback loop ensures continuous customer engagement. Managers and developers can communicate with the users to address their concerns directly, which fosters an ecosystem of trust. 

The form brings authentic information from the users, and they can reply to the same directly. When integrated into the product management cycle, allow the users to get regular updates on their feedback, ensuring prioritization and increasing user satisfaction. 

Feature request templates create information-centric bridges between product users and product developers and managers. As the users connect with the product and share feedback, companies can use the information to fuel innovation. 

Use these forms as catalysts for innovation and ensure product transformation according to the user’s requirements and expectations. 

Elements of a Feature Request Template

Feature request template is an efficient feedback management tool for the product managers and development team. Detailed feedback forms bring all the information companies need to act and improve the user experience while fixing performance, security, and other issues. 

Here are the general elements to include in the form;

1. Requested By: Name of the entity submitting the request to ensure accountability and tracking. 

2. Request Channel: The medium through which the user has shared the request template. Is it In-app notifications, website, email, etc.?

3. Request Data: Adds the form data and time to set the right order to review each form and set priorities. 

4. Contact Details: This has the user’s email address and phone number for follow-up and clarification. 

5. Product Details: Shares information on the product and version to get accurate information. 

6. Function/Feature Details: Lists the specific information on the product details, concern, issue, or bug. 

7. Request Subject: The summary of the feedback or request the customer experiences using your product. Highlights of the issue they are facing. 

8. Type of Request: Which type of request is shared through the form? Is it a bug fix, new feature addition, improvement to the product, etc? 

9. Request Explanation: Details on the request issue or proposition to help the product managers and developers make informed decisions. 

10. Attachments: Gives the opportunity to add images, videos, and screenshots of the product issues faced by the users. 

11. Request Status: For better transparency, allot a status to the request. Is it pending, under review, or in progress? 

12. Priority: The importance level of the request. It can be user-provided or system-calculated. This is required for resource allocation. 

13. Efforts Required: Highlights the complexity of the work process, work required, and time required to complete. 

14. Outcome: What will be the final resolution after the completion of the product feature template request. 

When users report a bug, the product development team goes on a hunt to find all the details about the same. They look for the location of the bug, describe it in detail, the environment in which the issue has occurred, and any visual proof. 

Once identified, the development team reproduces the steps leading to the error. They look at the expected outcome of the function against what has occurred due to the bug. 

Product managers and developers set up a system to manage requests and navigate through the daunting process of listening to every complaint, issue, and suggestion. Feature requests template provides actionable intelligence and ensures that the requester shares detailed information about their experience, leading to an improved product. 

Implement a Seamless Feature Request System with Qwary

For successful feature requests submission, processing, and completion, Qwary helps product managers and developers embed the template within the website. As the users share their feedback and experiences regarding the product, it increases the potential to improve conversions and sales. 

Qwary offers multiple channels to companies to collect feedback across value platforms. The teams can create customized surveys to capture specific feature information from the end-users and use their feedback for product improvement. 

It offers visualization-centric dashboards to bring all the essential information on a single dashboard. Moreover, with Qwary, it becomes easier to close the feedback loop and address the user’s concerns effectively. 

With Qwary, product managers and developers can transform a simple feature request form into a powerful tool for understanding the users and building stronger relationships. 

With Qwary, you can follow the product flywheel growth to address every user’s concerns and provide a befitting solution to their queries. The active feedback loop has four steps;

1. Acknowledge: Notify the user when you have received the feedback, bug issue, or suggestion through the request form. 

2. Engage: Respond with questions about the users’ experience with the product. However, don’t over-promise anything at this point. 

3. Act: Implement the process leading to product improvement according to the requirements and insights gained from the feedback form. 

4. Inform: Keep your users and the team involved with product management and development informed about the progress. 

With Qwary, you can build and maintain a system to collect information from the end users. As you build the development roadmap, the users will find it easier to leave feedback, share their concerns, and enjoy the results. 

Overall, Qwary is your go-to partner for collecting feedback from the end users and ensure that you have a system in place for managing product development, improvement, and management. 

Conclusion

A feature request template allows your customers to share authentic experiences and feedback about the product. The request template allows customers to share their concerns and suggestions through a validated approach. 

Companies setting up the feedback system are considered more user-centric as they demonstrate their willingness to change product aspects according to their user’s preferences. 

Working with Qwary, it is easier for an organization to gather product feedback and centrally supervise the feedback process ensuring faster results. Get in touch with our team to request a demo.

FAQs

1. Is it possible to create a feature request in GitHub?

Yes, you can use GitHub to raise a feature request update or improvement. On the dedicated product page on GitHub, find the “New Issue” button to submit the request. Check out the GitHub documentation to find details on submitting the request form and share the same. 

2. What are feature branches? Why do we use it?

Feature branches represent a separate workflow wherein all the development related to one feature shall happen in that branch. This is opposed to a system where all work related to a feature occurs in the main branch. As a result, developers can work on the features separately without disturbing the main codebase. 

3. How to write a feature request?

The feature request form should have questions that encourage the users to share their experiences. Ask the users to share their feedback according to their experiences and preferences for using the product. 

4. Can I raise a feature request on Google? If yes, How?

Google also allows users to submit a free feature request template. To do this, click on the “New Issue” button and fill in the details of the issue and product. Share the details of the changes you want to see in the product and submit the request.