After a little hiatus developing Scattervox, I’ve gotten back to work and am excited to announce that some new features should be available in a few weeks:

• Google/Facebook integration: In addition to being able to register for a Scattervox account, users will now be able to log in quickly and easily using their existing Google or Facebook credentials.  Existing Scattervox users can log in using these services and their existing account will be linked automatically.
• Image support: A picture’s worth a thousand words!  Images can now be uploaded and attached to a user’s profile and to individual polls.
• Re-designed home page:  The home page now features less text and more direct links to featured polls.  Design across the entire site has been polished up and streamlined and I am working on making it more responsive to display on a wide variety of devices.
• Much more!

Check back frequently: we’ll be rolling out the new version as soon as we’re confident it’s ready for “prime time.”

So from the little usability testing I’ve done so far, I gather that Scattervox can be a little confusing at first.  So right now, I’m working on a “first-timer help system” that displays an explanation of how a given function works the first time a user visits that page.  After that, the “tip” will not be displayed again for the user.

The day is drawing near when testing will take its next step forward: a Facebook post to friends and family letting them know about Scattervox and inviting them to play…

So I realized about a month ago that Scattervox’s success will rely largely on people sharing polls through social media and web sites.  I put a set of “social” buttons on the page with every poll: Facebook Like, Google+, and Tweets.  I also created a way for people to generate embed codes that can be copied and pasted into their own blog or web site.  Makes sense, right?  So how did I miss email?  For people who like to do things the “ol’ fashioned way,” there is now a button to let Scattervox users email a link to a poll to up to 20 friends.  Click the button, enter your list of email addresses, add a little note, and off it goes!  Here’s what it looks like:

Could it be any easier than that?  Let me know if you think of other ways to share Scattervox polls!

This week has been all about the homepage – trying to make it easy for users to figure out what Scattervox is all about and inviting them to explore.  Tough juggling all of the elements and finding where each fits best: featured polls, overview, sign-up, social buttons, navigation, and, of course, ads.  Slowly but surely, though, something good is emerging.

Also, this week saw the first round of emails go out to “web-savvy” friends seeking feedback on the site.  No need to wait for an invite, though – if you want to give Scattervox a try, go there and start playing.  Feel free to leave comments here or use the “Contact” form on the site to send your constructive criticism and ideas to the site’s creator.