Usabilla

Usabilla B.V.
Type of site
 Website Feedback
Available in English, German & French.
Products support all languages.
Owner Marc van Agteren (CEO), Paul Veugen (Founder)
Slogan(s) The standard in User Feedback
Website https://usabilla.com/
Commercial Yes
Launched 2009
Current status Active

Usabilla B.V. is a Dutch software as a service company founded in 2009. Initially focusing on image surveying tools aimed towards UX and Web Designers, Usabilla has since changed focus to website user feedback tools aimed at capturing the voice of the customer .

History

Beginnings

Usabilla started life as a student project at Tilburg University circa 2008. Whilst studying for his bachelor's degree, eventual founder Paul Veugen was tasked with creating improvements for Blackboard and testing their effects. With no easy way around the problem, he decided to create his own, easy solution. He built a prototype which was projected on top of a screen. On top of this screen people could place pluses and minuses overlaying specific areas of Blackboard. The collection and subsequent analysis of this data was, in essence, the very first version of Usabilla Visual Survey.

Later in 2008, Paul joined ABN Amro's Summer School program. This required the writing of the business plan which would lead to Usabilla. The business plan not only won the Tilburg round of the Summer School, but also the final in Amsterdam. The win secured a €5000 external investment, allowing the creation of Visual Survey's (then called just "Usabilla") first prototype, and the founding of the eponymous company.[1]

As Usabilla

Usabilla B.V. was formally founded in 2009 and moved to Amsterdam later that year. Usabilla officially launched for free in late 2009, and by the end of the year had already seen use by over 2,500 companies globally.[2] Usabilla later moved to a freemium model and by 2010 was seeing use with clients such as Thomas Cook and Booking.com.

In 2011, Usabilla completed a funding round worth $1m led by Boralis BV, a venture capital firm led by Marque Joosten and Marijn Pijnenborg.[3] This coincided with the hiring of Marc van Agteren as company CTO.

Growth

Product stagnation meant that 2012 saw Usabilla diversify from their eponymous product. The product 'Usabilla' saw a rebranding to Usabilla Survey as first Usabilla Discover, and later Usabilla Live were launched.

Usabilla Discover, 'The Pinterest for Designers',[4] took the shape of a social network for designers. Allowing users to screenshot elements around the web, save them, and share with friends. This screenshot technology later formed the basis for Usabilla Live. Live represented Usabilla's foray into the user feedback market and quickly became Usabilla's leading product. Using this screenshot technology, site users can capture site elements and leave feedback on the resultant images - the first feedback technology to do so. This coincided with Paul Veugen stepping down from the company in order to work on projects elsewhere, with Marc van Agteren stepping into the role of CEO.

These shifts saw a change in fortunes for Usabilla as customer numbers grew from 9,000 in 2011, to 25,000 in 2013. Usabilla Live's feedback buttons saw a record exposure of 2 Billion monthly button displays in December 2013, with growth forecasted to continue into the future. Usabilla Live for Email launched in February 2014, affirming Usabilla's focus on feedback technologies.

Products

Usabilla

For Websites

"Usabilla for Websites" is a tool for collecting website user feedback - from bug reports to compliments - with additional customer survey options. Site users access a feedback button to leave feedback on a page, and can choose to take accompanying screenshots of specific page elements. All data is then collected and can be analyzed in the product's reporting interface. The product has various subscription options, ranging from smaller plans to full blown enterprise solutions.[5]

For Email

"Usabilla for Email" adds the functionality of Usabilla for Websites to Email. Email recipients can leave feedback on emails they receive via an attached feedback widget. Much like Usabilla for Websites, this feedback is collected on the Usabilla website for analysis. With various subscription plans, Usabilla for Email sees discounted availability when opted for alongside Usabilla for Websites[6]

Visual Survey

Formerly "Usabilla", and "Usabilla Survey", was Usabilla's original product offering. Users create surveys asking questions based on attached visuals. Participants answer by clicking on the visuals and optionally leaving notes. The results of these clicks are displayed via heat-maps and click-paths to the creator. Aimed towards Web Designers and UX Designers, Visual survey is available via various subscription plans.[7]

Reception

Usabilla was recognised as Emerce’s “Best Web App” in the 2010 Dutch Startup Awards,[8] by Amazon CTO Werner Vogels as a 'Dutch startup he admires',[9] and listed as one of "Europe's top 100 Startups" by Wired.[10] Usabilla has also been featured by Mashable,[11] TechCrunch,[12] and MSNBC.

References

  1. ↑ Tilburg University. Interview with Paul Veugen, Founder of Usabilla First Quarterly. January 13, 2011.
  2. ↑ Paul Veugen - Usabilla.com pytch.nl. January 27, 2010.
  3. ↑ Usabilla USABILLA COMPLETES $1 MILLION (€750K) FUNDING ROUND "usabilla.com". June 22, 2011.
  4. ↑ Harrison Weber "Usabilla Discover launches and is much more than 'Pinterest for designers'" The Next Web. February 23, 2012.
  5. ↑ usabilla.com
  6. ↑ usabilla.com
  7. ↑ Visual Survey usabilla.com
  8. ↑ Dutch Startup Award Winners Emerce. April 2, 2010.
  9. ↑ "Dutch Startups I admire" Nu.nl. October 1, 2013.
  10. ↑ Parton, Helen. Europe's 100 hottest startups 2012: Amsterdam Wired. August 12, 2012.
  11. ↑ van Grove, Jennifer. Usabilla Launches New Mobile UX Testing Tool Mashable. December 29, 2009.
  12. ↑ Perez, Sarah. Usabilla launches new mobile ux testing tool TechCrunch. October 21, 2011.
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