A beta program is a great way to test your product with real users and get feedback before you officially launch. An effective beta program can highlight all the loopholes in your product. This can give you time to make improvements to ensure the final product you release is a success. But what’s the best way to run an effective beta program? That’s precisely what this guide will cover.
Define Clear Success Criteria
The beta program should have success criteria, whether a software solution, an app, or a physical product. For example, if you are testing a software application, have criteria like loading time, the number of bugs, problems that the app should cover, etc.
The purpose of a beta program is to test your app and get feedback from real customers. The average person spends 4.8 hours per day on mobile apps. You can pitch to many phone-using individuals and ask them to run your beta app on their smartphones.
You need to be able to clearly define what success looks like for your beta program for you to be able to measure it accurately. This will help you know whether or not the changes you make based on user feedback are impacting their experience with your product, ultimately leading to increased engagement.
As an example, consider UX testing. Data shows that around 85% of UX-related issues can be detected and solved by simple usability testing on only 5 users. Clearly defined goals for testing can prevent this.
Establish what exactly you are trying to learn through the program. What is your focus? Do you want to ensure that your app is as stable as possible with few bugs? Or do you want to prioritize the user experience in the development process?
Get Direct Feedback
When running a beta program, you must collect direct feedback from your users. You are running the beta program to discover and improve your product’s problems. But how would you come to know about the issues unless you take direct and regular feedback from users?
You need to take feedback after every beta release. You can use feedback surveys to collect feedback from all users at once. Using 360 feedback surveys will allow you to gather information and educate users on what metrics they need to focus on as a part of the beta program.
It’s also vital that you get feedback from the right people, those interested in the product and who have been involved in some way with its development. Only then will you get an accurate representation of how well your app is being received by its intended audience. The best way to ensure this is by asking clear, specific, and relevant questions using 360 feedback surveys.
Decide the Target Audience
Once you have a clear idea of your product criteria, it’s time to decide who will be most interested in it. This should be a relatively straightforward process; if your product is designed for people who like dogs, then that’s the target audience you’ll focus on. But things can get tricky if you’re unsure who might use your product or how they would use it.
If you don’t know whether or not your target market consists solely of dog lovers or if there are other groups with similar interests, your beta program may need adjustments before launch day.
The first step in defining the right audience is understanding who those audiences are by identifying their characteristics, such as age range, location, gender, income level, etc. They all affect personal buying habits and likes/dislikes regarding specific types of products/services offered through market research channels, including social media platforms such as Facebook Marketplace.
Choose the Right Size for Your Beta Program
The right size for your beta program depends on the product and the goals you want to achieve. It also depends on the type of feedback you are looking for and the resources available.
According to data, you will need only 5-10 people for small independent projects, around 30 users for casual apps, and over 200 for gaming apps. Start small. A few hundred customers can give valuable insights about your product and improve it for everyone. If successful, there are simple ways to scale up, like optimizing an existing feature or expanding into different markets.
Choose an Appropriate Time Frame
Next, consider the length of your program. If you’re opening up an online beta test, start by giving yourself at least four weeks for setup before inviting participants. Then select a timeframe based on the feedback you want and how much time your development team needs to implement changes based on that feedback.
A good rule of thumb is that one month should allow enough time for people to use and get comfortable with your product while providing enough opportunity to give meaningful feedback before they move on to other tasks.
Set Exit Criteria
Exit criteria are the criteria you use to determine if your product is ready for release. In other words, when your beta program is over, how will you know if it was successful?
You should define your exit criteria as early as possible in creating and implementing your beta program. The more thought that goes into this early on, the easier it will be to implement later. According to research by the Project Management Institute, organizations generally waste 12% of their resources due to ineffective project management.
Your exit criteria should be specific and measurable. For example, have metrics like “the product must have at least 75% usability.” Besides specific and measurable, the exit criteria should be realistic and achievable, like “each feature must have 75% of its functionality implemented.” Lastly, it should align with your overall product vision. For instance, “80% of testers would recommend our product to a friend or colleague” is an excellent example of having a product vision.
Conclusion
Setting clear success criteria and defining your goals are essential when running a beta program. Many factors determine the right size for your beta program, but it should never be too small or too large. You must also choose the right time frame and get feedback from customers and stakeholders to have proper exit criteria.