Like Wufoo and SurveyMonkey, Mineful provides an easy way to generate online forms and surveys. First things first: Mineful’s interface might turn off some users. It’s meant to resemble a Windows desktop. I’m not thrilled about it, either, but the last thing I want to do is throw the baby out with the bath water. So I figured I’d better check out Mineful’s function before I condemn it based on form.

One good thing about the mock-Windows look is that it makes using the app a very simple and intuitive experience. Windows work like windows, the Start menu works like the Start menu, and desktop icons work like desktop icons. With that in mind, I clicked the “Start” button in order to get, ahem, started.

I first set up a simple user experience survey using Mineful’s Survey editor, like the ones you see pretty much everywhere these days while browsing the web. You know the kind, they pop up right when you’re in the middle of shopping or reading something, and I’m fairly sure everyone with a pulse clicks, “No thanks.”

I was pleasantly surprised, and almost overwhelmed, by the variety of question options available to me. Multiple choice/single answer and multiple answer, Yes/No questions, text box, etc. I chose a Likert scale format for some questions about web site navigation. It took no time at all, and produced very nice-looking results.

Once you’ve completed your survey, you have a variety of publication options. You can physically print the thing out, though the tool is designed primarily for web use. You can also email the survey, or generate HTML for your own site. I chose a third option, which was to create a link that leads visitors to a pre-formatted version of my questionnaire hosted by Mineful, which you can go ahead and check out.

Although the Survey option seemed like a perfectly good way to go about building a client feedback form as well, I wanted to take the Form editor for a spin so that I could compare the two. Form construction features a single-page layout that might be more appropriate and efficient for use when trying to get feedback from clients. You can select either a one- or a two-column layout, and when you publish it, you can set up security on your web link if you want to require a password or login to view the HTML document. Here’s a simple example two-column client feedback form.

The free version of Mineful has some limitations. You can only have up to five surveys and five  forms active at one time, and you can only receive up to 100 responses per month. If you’re a freelancer only using it to gather client feedback, you probably don’t need much more than that.

There are also two paid options: “Personal” subscription costs $20 a month, while “Business” costs $149 per month. Both increase your feedback levels, allow for unlimited concurrent forms and surveys, and add personalization options, like adding logos and modifying the theme of your surveys and forms. The “Business” version also allows you to add more users to your account.

I’m really glad I didn’t give Mineful a pass just because of my initial impressions of its interface. Turns out it’s a fantastic tool, and one that takes a lot of the heavy lifting out of HTML-based form creation. Check it out if you’re looking for a cheap, easy way to gather feedback from customers, clients and visitors over the web.

What tools do you use for constructing feedback forms?

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Targeting your professional development, however, in a preemptive rather than reactive way, is not always easy. Usually freelancers and consultants just roll with the punches and learn what they have to depending on client requirements. A little forethought, though, can go a long way to making you the applicant of choice before any contracts are awarded.

Skill 1: Working Knowledge of HTML and CSS

This is an oldie but goodie, and it will become even more important as companies start to streamline their IT departments. It happened to traditional freelancers and consultants when they were expected to bring desktop publishing skills to the table along with their analytical abilities, and it will happen with online workers as well. For employers, it’s simple math: fine one who’ll do the job of two. Here’s a useful free resource to start with.

Skill 2: Transparent Reporting

When spending is the key deciding factor behind any and all business decisions, good reporting practices can make all the difference. Show your prospective client that you have a solid, consistent reporting process that’s simple, straightforward, and transparent, and they’ll thank you by awarding you more contracts. Things to think about are the level of detail you put into your activity logs, what increments you use to account for your time, how you list and back up your expense claims, etc.

Skill 3: Twitter Networking

You may be a networking whiz, with all the LinkedIn, Facebook, and MySpace contacts one person can handle, but that doesn’t translate into instant Twitter success. That’s because Twitter’s a different beast altogether. Case in point: the overwhelming majority of my Facebook contacts have never even heard of Twitter, yet it boasts among its members the most powerful and successful people working online today.

Succeeding here means learning to converse instead of broadcast, giving people a reason to follow you beyond your portfolio, and treading the thin line between self-promotion and spamming. Check out Darren Rowse’s Twitip for some help getting started, or refining your Tweet-Fu.

I’m sure that as the year progresses, many other valuable skill sets will emerge, but you can bet that these three, at least, will continue to be relevant well into the future.

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