Providing Feedback and Feature Requests with SharpIdeas

SharpIdeas is SharpSpring's product feedback site, giving you a direct line to SharpSpring. With SharpIdeas, you can submit new feature requests or suggest improvements to current features.

This article will detail how to join in the conversation to help shape the future of the SharpSpring application.

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Article Contents

• Benefits of SharpIdeas
• Accessing SharpIdeas
• Searching Content
• Supporting Ideas
• Commenting on Ideas
• Submitting Ideas
• General Etiquette for Submitting Ideas
• Feature Requests

Available With:

Trial	✓
Essential	✓
Advanced	✓
Ultimate	✓

Toolbar:

N/A

Users:

Administrators	✓
Company Managers	✓
Marketing Managers	✓
Sales Managers	✓
Salespersons	✓
Jr. Salespersons	✓

Benefits of SharpIdeas

If you have an idea on how to improve the SharpSpring application, then SharpSpring wants to hear from you. SharpIdeas is a way for you to submit overall feedback and application feature requests.

With SharpIdeas, you can:

• Suggest ideas for new features. Marketing automation is always changing, and SharpSpring intends on remaining an industry leader. Updates, improvements, and new features are always being added to provide you with more options when creating marketing content. If you have an idea on what features SharpSpring should add to the application, then provide a request on how best to implement them.
  
  
• Request improvements to existing features. SharpSpring wants to provide the best user experience possible and is always improving the application. If a feature is not performing up to task, then submit feedback and say how the application can be improved.
  
  
• See and vote on ideas other users have posted. Every SharpSpring user has input on which features SharpSpring could implement. You can view other users' ideas and vote on whether or not you think those ideas would benefit the application as a whole.
  
  
• Stay updated on SharpSpring's latest features and product roadmap. If you want to see how SharpSpring is developing features, upvote requests to subscribe to them. This will keep you informed of all the progress being made on that feature.

Accessing SharpIdeas

You can access SharpIdeas at any time.

To access SharpIdeas, do the following:

1. Open a new tab in your web browser.
2. Navigate to ideas.sharpspring.com in that browser tab. 
3. Log in to SharpIdeas with the same login credentials that you use to log in to SharpSpring.

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Searching Content

You can search for submitted ideas and other content at any time and from any page within SharpIdeas.

To search for content, do the following:

1. Log in to SharpIdeas.
2. Locate the    Search Bar.
3. Enter the desired term or phrase into the text field.
4. Click the applicable result in the Search Results list.

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Note: Click Clear Search Results to clear search results.

Supporting Ideas

You can offer votes of support for other ideas.

To support an idea, do the following:

1. Log in to SharpIdeas.
2. Click the desired section in the Feedback Forums list.
3. Click Vote next to the desired idea.
4. Optionally, click Vote again to withdraw your support.

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Commenting on Ideas

You can offer insight or comments on other ideas.

To comment on ideas, do the following:

1. Log in to SharpIdeas.
2. Click the desired section in the Feedback Forums list.
3. Click the name of the desired idea.
4. Enter your comment into the Add a Comment text field.
5. Click Post Comment.

Practice polite and professional commenting etiquette when interacting with other ideas, comments, or users.

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Note: Click Flag Idea as Inappropriate if a submitted idea is rude, off-topic, or inappropriate. Click Delete next to the comment to delete it. 

Submitting Ideas

SharpSpring values your input and wants to hear from you on how to make the application better. You can submit feature requests and other ideas at any time.

To submit ideas and feature requests, do the following:

1. Log in to SharpIdeas.
2. Click the desired section in the Feedback Forums list.
3. Enter a title for your idea into the Enter Your Idea text field.
4. Select the category your idea best applies to in the Category drop-down menu.
5. Optionally, enter details about your idea in the Describe Your Idea field.
6. Optionally, click Attach a File to upload an associated file.
7. Click Post Idea.

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Note: Click the Delete option under an idea to delete it after submitting it.

Be aware that similar ideas will populate below the Enter Your Idea text field as you type in your idea. If you see a similar idea already posted, consider instead supporting the existing idea and adding your insight as a comment.

General Etiquette for Submitting Ideas

How you draft and format of an idea is important. This is because your idea needs to be understood by both the SharpSpring team and other SharpIdeas users. The more understandable the idea, the more likely it is that other users will vote or comment on the idea.

More than that, well-reasoned and properly formatted information will help the SharpSpring team to understand your need, which will increase the odds that they will have in successfully solving your problem.

When submitting ideas, consider the following: 

• Consider what it is that you are submitting. SharpIdeas should be used for feedback that relates to an idea regarding the functionality or value of the application. For anything support-related, contact SharpSpring Support instead. Similarly, you should review the many articles in the Help Center for questions about how the application works or how to use a specific feature.
  
  
• Use the platform’s search engine to your advantage. Votes and comments help an idea make it into the application. Taking advantage of the search engine will help more people see your idea, as your idea may already be out there. You can see ideas similar to yours by using the SharpIdeas search engine. Vote on any ideas that represent yours, or on ideas that you would like to see in the application.
  
  
• Write concise and descriptive idea titles. The more concise and descriptive the title, the easier it will be for others to find and vote on. Describe existing features as they are described in the application within the title.
  
  
• Use the description box to provide any further context. Good descriptions go a long way to helping the SharpSpring team evaluate the feature request. The more accurate, detailed, and comprehensive the description, the more help it will be. In addition, be sure to provide information on how the idea relates to your specific role or how it would help you perform your work. 
  
  
• Include the problem you are having within the idea. The problem helps the SharpSpring team to understand why you are sharing the idea. It is perhaps the most crucial part of the entire submission process, and leaving it out can prevent you from receiving a satisfactory answer. Also, other users may have had the same problem and come up with different solutions. SharpIdea’s search engine will help other users with the same problem find your idea and vote on it.
  
  
• Categorize the idea whenever possible. Categories make it easier for others to find your idea and enable you to advocate for improvements to a specific feature category, even if you do not have a specific idea of your own.

Feature Requests

If you have an idea for a feature improvement or a new feature, you can submit a feature request. Every feature request goes through the SharpSpring team, where requests are researched, vetted, and may be grouped in with other existing projects in the development roadmap.

The team looks closely at every feature request to evaluate the current behavior of the related application areas and your proposed solution. If your proposed solution fits with SharpSpring's development roadmap, it will be added to the backlog. Be aware that certain feature requests may not be actionable or fit into SharpSpring's vision for the application.

Similar to the categorization of support issues, feature requests are organized as follows:

Once an idea has been submitted, the SharpSpring team will evaluate it and determine how best to proceed. Be aware that it can take some time for ideas to move along in the process. Additionally, there is no time frame for completing an idea review. Typically, the team will review ideas when able, or when the team is working on a feature similar to the idea in review. If an idea is declined, the SharpSpring team will inform the subscribers of that idea as to why.

The evaluation and development process is as follows: