Product Testing Methods and Best Practices.

Brand trust is one of the most valuable intangible assets of a company. Brand trust is meeting or exceeding consumer expectations by how well a brand delivers on its promises with its products and services. When a product fails to launch successfully, it can be costly and erode brand trust, which can take years to rebuild.

While product innovation is essential to building market share and customer satisfaction, products that fail to launch successfully can have the opposite effect, eroding market share, creating dissatisfaction, and sometimes bad press. 

For example, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently reviewed claims that pulse oximeters, the medical device that clamps onto a patient’s fingertip to measure their blood oxygen levels, can yield less accurate readings in people with darker skin tones. Medical professionals use these devices in ambulances, surgeries, emergency rooms, and hospitals worldwide, so it is alarming that these commonplace devices could be inaccurate. Thorough product testing with a diverse sample could have potentially detected this problem before launch and helped avoid the erosion of trust for these products. 

Recalling faulty, dangerous, or flawed products can cost a company millions and cost much more in lost brand trust. The most costly product recall to date is the Takata Airbag which is said to have cost USD 24 billion.

While safety, functionality, and accuracy are reasons to conduct product testing, it also analyzes a product concept or feature to determine how existing or potential customers will use or react to a product. 

Product testing is a research methodology that allows brands to collect qualitative and quantitative data about consumers’ potential consumption and usage behavior, preferences, and reactions to a product.

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Product testing helps development team members measure a product’s market potential. Brands can use product testing research to determine whether a product functions as expected or whether a target audience will find value in a new product feature. Specifically, product testing helps research, marketing, product managers, and developers:

• Gain insights: Discover valuable insights about customers’ needs and preferences, which can provide direction during development.
• Improve products: By gathering and reviewing feedback during development, product development teams can use this information to improve products to meet customers’ expectations.
• Save time: Product testing can help teams save time during development by identifying potential problems or risks early in the development process before launching the product to consumers.
• Achieve business goals: Product testing helps product development teams prioritize so they can achieve key business goals, such as attracting more customers or increasing revenue.

Six common types of product testing

The type of product testing deployed can vary based on the project. Here are six common types of product testing. 

1. Concept testing

Commonly used to explore the feasibility of a product idea or concept, concept testing evaluates how the product may perform in the marketplace when launched. 

Depending on the product, concept testing often involves presentations, customer surveys, or wireframes. Concept testing can help product developers and engineers determine whether to progress to the next stage of development by evaluating responses to the idea. It can also clarify the features or functionality customers want from the product.

2. QA testing

Quality assurance (QA) testing is commonly conducted in a staged environment, where product developers test the features or functionality of a product before its public release. QA testing research teams evaluate the product using different scenarios to imitate a customer’s use. QA testing can test product updates or new features before releasing the changes to a broader audience. This type of research ensures the product works as expected and helps teams identify problems before launching the product.

3.A/B testing

With this type of product testing, product developers create two versions of a product’s feature or component and ask a research sample of customers which version they prefer. The differences in the versions may be slight, such as two different color schemes on a product label, or they may be considerable, such as two distinct brand names. A/B testing helps product developers and engineers make design choices based on customers’ preferences. 

4. Market testing

Market testing introduces a product to customers to assess the market potential. Market testing is finding the optimal landscape, at what price point to sell, and which types of customers fit best. The product and research teams typically release the product to customers in different geographic areas and/or demographic groups, such as Gen-Z. Market testing can help product development teams measure the potential success of a product in the market. Market testing is often used to forecast product sales, plan advertising campaigns and determine effective distribution strategies.

5. User testing

User testing is research after the development team has built the product. Product development and research teams perform user studies by observing how customers interact with their products. They gather data and information based on customers’ experiences with the product to determine whether to make changes in future product releases. 

6. Regression testing

Regression testing occurs after customers have begun using the product. During regression testing, teams test the current features of a product to help them determine the features they want to add or update. While some existing features may remain, regression testing helps product development teams determine if newly added features impact the current product’s functionality.

Product testing best practices

There is rarely a one-size-fits-all when it comes to product testing. To get the most from your next (or first) product test, it is always best practice to speak with experts in the field. 

• Use different methods: It’s helpful to use different product testing methods to provide clear direction throughout all phases of development. For example, your product development team may use concept testing to determine the viability of a product idea, A/B testing to assess its design, and QA testing to ensure the product functions as expected.
• Refrain from making assumptions: Though it’s helpful to develop a hypothesis before product testing, refrain from making assumptions about how customers may use or react to a product. This mindset allows you to evaluate data objectively.
• Test successful products: While it’s important to conduct product testing to identify potential problems or risks, it’s also helpful to test successful products to learn what’s already working well. Collect this data through product testing and use that information when developing future products for continued success.

Launching a new product into an existing market, releasing new features, or launching a current product to a new audience is an exciting time for a brand. Product launches come with a certain amount of risk. With the right product testing research, you can swing the pendulum in your favor, make sound strategic decisions and maximize optimal returns.