“Start a beta group.”
“Ask your beta testers.”
“What about beta feedback?”
Have you heard any of these as you’ve tried to create new offers? You’re not alone — and if you don’t know what it means, you’re not alone there, either.
What is a Beta Test?
Beta testing, especially for online entrepreneurs, is a “dry run” for your new product, program, or service. You recruit a small group of people to test it out, whether for a low cost or free, and they give you feedback on the overall experience and their outcomes.
If they’re done right, beta tests can be both a great marketing resource and product development tool, as you get a ton of client feedback on a new product or service that can be used for testimonials and improving your new offer before launch.
However, when beta testing is done wrong, it can be a giant waste of time, money, and resources — both yours and your clients’! So, how can you beta-test an offer successfully?
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1 | Craft Your Program
We’ve seen some entrepreneurs and business owners run a beta test of a program that’s not fully fleshed out just yet. They really do treat it like a test run, and unfortunately, that’s not going to do you much good.
Now, it’s one thing to make changes to your program after you’ve run the beta test. That’s expected and necessary! However, the beta test of your program should be as “complete” as possible, whatever that may look like.
For example, say you’re opening up a new mastermind for your clients. You’ve previously offered 1:1 coaching and services, so a high-level group program is new. You definitely want to beta-test it first!
Your initial instinct may be to beta test that mastermind without the additional curriculum modules — beta testers will just want the coaching, right? But that’s not going to give them all the information you need and they won’t be able to really give helpful feedback. It’s a better idea to set up the program, record all of the curriculum modules, and have the supplementary materials first.
Then, test it out with a small group of people and get a pulse on their thoughts, feelings, and how well the program worked for them!
Which leads us to our next point…
2 | Select Your Best Beta Team
One of the best parts of a beta program is that you get to hand-pick the people you want to test it out!
Think of exactly who your dream client would be for this program, course, or service. If you’re launching a brand new, done-for-you web design service, what does the perfect customer look like? What kind of business do they run, how do they impact the world, and what is their personality or communication style?
Of course, there could be many more qualities you’re looking for! Whatever they are, write down what sort of person you’d be absolutely thrilled to work with.
Then, think about the people you know in life and business! If the offer is new, and you just know that a client of yours from last spring would be the dreamiest fit imaginable… reach out to them! For example, when we launched our Bluchic funnel templates in 2017, we personally reached out to some of our dream clients, had them test the templates, and then got their feedback!
The best way to get great beta testers is to carefully choose them yourself. Then, offer them your service or program for either an extremely low price or completely free.
They’ll feel excited that they were top of mind and love the fact that they get a high-quality service for a discount!
3 | Give It Your All
This is absolutely key to the success of your beta test. In fact, while you’re running it, if you forget that you’re just “testing”… that’s a good thing!
You want the beta test to look and feel like your full-fledged program because that’s the best way to get real, honest feedback!
After running your beta test, there are a few key places you want to analyze.
Stick Rate
This is for longer-running programs, like memberships and masterminds. Stick rate means the percentage of people who continue or discontinue their membership.
Of course, the higher the stick rate, the better chance your program has of sustainability when you get it off the ground. Having a few people drop off after a month or so is very normal. But if you’re beta testing the membership with, for example, 10 people and 6 left after a month, that gives you valuable insight into how your content and curriculum are performing!
Pro tip: Do an exit interview if someone leaves the beta test early!
Case Studies
Case studies go a few levels deeper than a typical testimonial. A good case study should analyze where your client or customer was before they purchased your product, service, or program and where they are now.
In addition, you should also analyze the exact steps you took with them to help them or their business. For example, when we do a case study on a member of the Momentum Biz Vault, we talk about the changes we helped them make in their business, and why those changes were important and necessary.
A good case study should kind of act like a how-to guide to help future buyers or members get results.
Final Thoughts
Skipping the beta test phase of your new offer could mean skipping the opportunity to receive valuable feedback that could ultimately lead to a much higher success rate, both for your business and your clients!
To wrap it all up, let’s talk about a few key do’s and don’ts of the beta testing phase:
- Do collect feedback from your dream customers (and not random people)
- Don’t ask general, fluffy questions, but questions that get real feedback
- Do listen without judgment or interruption and record conversations with beta testers!
- Don’t overwhelm yourself by trying to implement all of the feedback at once
We know that was a LOT of information on a sometimes tricky process. We can’t wait to see how you implement beta testing in your business.
Want help running your beta test smoothly?
From testimonials and case studies to performance data and success metrics, this Momentum Biz Vault marketing guide month’s will walk you through every step of the beta testing process to help you build confidence and make your next offer your best (and most successful) one yet!
Here’s a sneak peek at what you’ll get with our ultimate Beta Testing guide:
- Step-by-step process for beta testing your business offers
- Beta testing dos and don’ts
- How to select the right participants
- How to collect helpful and specific feedback
- How to implement customer feedback
- How to refine your offer before launch
Plus, Momentum Biz Vault members now get a brand-new collection of stock photos plus Canva graphic templates to use!
Are you looking to take your business to the next level? Then look no further than the Momentum Biz Vault! Our vault includes access to all of our amazing resources, from marketing guides to exclusive workshops led by guest experts. Sign up now and start taking your business to new heights!