Before you take any product or service live as an entrepreneur, you need to go through several rounds of thorough testing.
Hopefully, the idea of testing is not alien to you. Most entrepreneurs, especially in tech startups, are all too familiar with the necessity of diligent and scrupulous testing before any product or service is revealed to a new audience. However, many new entrepreneurs test incorrectly or do not test thoroughly enough, resulting in a subpar product without enough information to correct it in time.
It’s true that waiting until your product is “perfect” isn’t always the best strategy—many companies tire themselves by working and reworking a product endlessly in an effort for a perfection that will never be—but at the same time, you need to have a realistic understanding of your product’s strengths and weaknesses before launch.
If you’re ready to start testing the first iteration of your product, you can start by following these testing steps:
1. Outline a real audience. Don’t just test the product with you developers and tech team. Test your product with real people who would have a genuine interest in the application. Choose a random sampling of people from your ideal demographics.
2. Measure quantitative and qualitative data. Both are very important. Quantitative data, like numbered ratings, are important to precisely measure your product’s overall impact. Qualitative data, like feelings people have when using your product, are important to get a feel for your user’s subjective opinions.
3. Discern the dealbreakers. What qualities of your app will make someone have a bad experience? Those are the qualities you need to weed out. Don’t decide what constitutes a “dealbreaker” yourself, though—let your audience do that for you.
4. Look at your first impressions. The most valuable part of testing with new audiences is gauging their first impressions—their immediate reactions, after only 10-30 seconds of seeing and using the product. Do whatever you can to figure out how effective this first impression is, and make adjustments to ensure it’s a powerful and positive experience.
Testing correctly can set you up for a stable, if not perfect, launch. Find a balance between your wants and needs, and do whatever it takes to get a product that people are going to love immediately.
