As the managing editor of the Microsoft U.S. partner portal, one of my responsibilities is understanding how partners use the site and how we can improve the experience with it. Each month, I look at several data points and read between 200-300 comments from partners who agree to take our Foresee pop-up survey, use the Feedback link at the bottom of every portal page, or e-mail/Tweet/Facebook me and share information about their online experience.
In general, the most common portal feedback is that it’s frustrating to try to navigate the site and find the information you need and then take the right action to accomplish what you came to the site to do. While we are working to make portal content more succinct and actionable, and are using blogs, newsletters, and social media to help take you directly to the right content, there is a fundamental online element we also need to get right—the home page.

As part of the November 1 Microsoft Partner Network launch, my counterparts in the Worldwide Partner Group (which manages the portal’s architecture) built and published a home page prototype they are proposing to replace the current home page. We’re inviting partners to compare the current with the proposed and give feedback on them throughout the month of November. While you are welcome to simply vote for your favorite, I encourage you to take a couple of extra minutes to tell us what you like or don’t like about each—think of these as a point of departure, not as the final product. The opportunity for us is to use your input to create a home page that truly delivers a great experience, and I am working with the Worldwide Partner Group to help ensure your voice is heard.

A – The Incumbent B – The Challenger
See it at https://partner.microsoft.com/US See it at https://partner.microsoft.com/global
The U.S. portal home page is built on the existing template, in use since July 2009. Content is organized into Quick Links in the upper right-hand corner (comprising content partners ask for and use the most) and Featured Highlights, including our list of Recommendations, that are updated monthly.

The top tabs remain the same, as does the availability of the site search bar. 		The global portal home page reflects the proposed redesign. Content is organized into a hero graphic that links to related information, with additional links on the right (which may or may not be related to the main graphic). Across the bottom are new tabs that contain top items partners ask for and use the most.

The top tabs remain the same, as does the availability of the site search bar.

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Note: To ensure you are on the U.S. site, the upper left-hand corner of your screen should say United States. Note: After evaluating the Global page, be sure to confirm your default portal location is United States so you will see the U.S.-specific site with local resources and information.

How to Give Your Feedback

  1. Select the “Feedback” link from the bottom of either the U.S. or the Global home page.
  2. Leave a comment on, or send an e-mail to me through, this blog.
  3. Send an e-mail to me at partnerQ@microsoft.com.
  4. Vote for your favorite in our online poll.

Cheers,

Diane Golshan
Sr. Marketing Manager, U.S. Partner Team
Learn more about what I do at Microsoft.

Join our new U.S. Partner Community on Facebook and LinkedIn, and follow @msuspartner on Twitter.