How do you validate a product and why is it important to validate a product?
Software development is an expensive process, and annual costs are continuing to rise—they reached more than $232 billion in 2019. Your best defense against mounting costs is proactively validating every new iteration of your product to understand which features add the most value for your end-users. Show
What Is Product Validation?Product validation is a process that checks whether or not a product feature addresses the needs and pain points of current and potential customers. It’s a scientific approach to achieving and maintaining a product-market fit and a scalable way to conduct research faster and more efficiently. Why Continuous Validation Leads to a Better ProductFailure is a real risk in product development (an estimated 95% of new products fail). Every successful product needs to solve a problem for customers—and validation acts as an external check on whether or not your product features do that effectively. If the answer is “no,” it’s much better to get that information as early in the development process as possible. That will save you from sinking a lot of time and resources into an unviable product feature. How to Validate Your Product FeaturesAs a best practice, start product validation as early as possible in the feature development process. Create a clear plan from the beginning that sets specific parameters for your research. Be as detailed as you can in your planning—this will keep you focused on gathering relevant, actionable data for your product development team. Set the Scope of Your Product ResearchFirst, determine the scope of your research. This means planning:
Taking this step is crucial for sticking to your larger development schedule. It also keeps product research from becoming a drawn-out, overly complicated process. Gather Data and Customer FeedbackAfter you’ve determined the scope of your product validation process, it’s time to collect data from customers. Their feedback checks your company’s assumptions about your product—this data is the heart of product validation. Analyze Your Findings and Apply Them to DevelopmentAfter you’ve collected data, it’s time to analyze what you’ve found and tie it into your product development process.
3 Tips to Gather Better Product Validation Data From Your CustomersProduct validation can feel more streamlined if you think of it as a collaborative process with your customers. That means taking steps to reduce barriers that might keep them from participating. You’ll get better buy-in (and better data) by making the product validation process as simple as possible for your end-users. Create Straightforward SurveysYou want your customers to participate in your research, so make it easy and intuitive for them to do so. When you’re creating your surveys, take extra steps to avoid some common mistakes and follow best practices, like:
Finally, check to be sure your survey questions ask for actionable information from your customers. If you’re interested in checking whether a new feature has a high potential for adoption, for example, ask customers how often they’ll use it (not just how they feel about it). Add a Comment Field for Open-Ended ResponsesNo matter how well you craft your surveys, customers will occasionally need room to add more context. Add comment boxes where people can share more of their thoughts about your proposed features or the survey itself. Describe Product Features in Understandable TermsWhen you’re asking about different product features, describe them in a way that’s understandable to someone outside of your company. Avoid using overly technical terms your customers may not understand, but don’t lean too hard on flowery language either. Keep Validating Your Product FeaturesThe first time you validate a feature, keep detailed track of how the process went. Make a note of how long each step took your team, any hiccups you encountered along the way, and what you learned from your customers. Streamline where you can, and use that process as a general template next time you consider a new feature for your product. Interested in product validation? Check out our new product UserVoice Validation and discover how product research yields better outcomes for you and your users. Start your 21-day free trial today! Join over 6,000 people who receive bi-weekly product feedback tips.Related Posts How Our Ongoing Ideation Process Led Us to Create Product Validation Software 7 min read Google’s Design Sprint Process Is Flawed — How to Improve Your Next Sprint With Validation 6 min read Product Validation: The Key to Developing the Best Product Possible 6 min read < BACK TO BLOG How would you validate the product?8 strategies to validate a product idea. Make some sales.. Conduct competitive analysis.. Research existing demand.. Create a feedback survey.. Start a crowdfunding campaign.. Gauge interest on social media.. Create a pre-launch landing page.. Meet customers in person.. What is validation and why is it important?Validation means that you understand where the other person is coming from, even if you disagree with what they say or do (Rather & Miller, 2015). Recognizing that someone's feelings and thoughts make sense can show that we are listening nonjudgmentally and can help build stronger relationships, especially in therapy.
What does it mean to validate a product?What is product validation? Product validation means testing your idea with real people to see if it's viable. By validating products before launch, you won't waste money and time developing something people won't buy.
How will you validate your product design?The first step in validating your product idea -- conducting customer research -- involves getting to know your customers' product preferences and requests more deeply so you can provide a viable solution to their problems. Once your research is completed, you can move on to the second step: creating a test product.
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