Can your users tell you what to build / fix / enhance?
Sometimes.
We're seeing a lot more instances of some kind of contest or voting process where users submit ideas, and other users vote on their favorites. To see a current example of what I'm talking about, check out this contest being run by SNAP.
SNAP is a visual search engine that allows you to preview the search results without actually having to browse to the page. Pretty cool, actually. They are asking users to tell them what to build / fix / enhance in their next round of developments. And offering prizes for the best ideas, and for the best comments on ideas others have submitted.
Will we see more of this... i.e. Should I be worried?
Yes, I think we will see more of this. It's a neat way to really open up your development or innovation process to your user community. For a relatively small cost, you can enlist a lot of good ideas.
I'm not sure what platform people are building this type of application on [comments anyone?], so I don't really know how hard the interface is to set up, but I'm guessing it's not worse than launching a bulletin board or some similar interactive application.
Why I'm not worried
This kind of approach makes a lot of sense when you have users that are fans, and that have enough knowledge to make suggestions. If you browse the contest, you will see that many of the individuals seem to have programming knowledge far beyond the average surfer. Personally, I didn't actually understand some of the suggestions.
There is a sampling issue here -- this kind of input only reaches the raving fan, or those that enter contests as a hobby. If these are your core users, then you are in great shape. If not, you will need to find other ways to tap into the customer experience.
Finally, this approach actually asks the users to suggest new features i.e. solve the problem. A more effective strategy for sustaining innovation is actually asking your customers to tell you about their problems, or tell you about their experiences, not ask them to solve the problem. When your own development team has a deep understanding of customer experience -- including all the joys and the pain points -- they should be in a better position to articulate possible solutions.
The bottom line
I love triangulation -- where you look at a situation from as many angles as you can. And this kind of user-input is a great adjunct to anything else you might be doing to reach your users. As a nice side-benefit, it will likely also create some buzz, and engage the hearts and minds of at least some of your community. And that's all good.
Enquiring minds want to know
Like the Joker said of Batman, "Where does he get those toys!?", enquiring minds would like to know how to launch one of these contests with a vote. Is this kind of application available off the shelf, or is it a custom programming job?
