According to recent statistics, about 90% of startups fail, with 10% failing in the first year. Scary data, isn’t it?

There are multiple reasons for startup failure, and some of them might not necessarily apply to you. However, it is crucial to consider all aspects if you have a soon-to-launch product and want it to succeed and be something your users need.

So, how can you test if your product is something your users want without too much investment? Here are some secrets we used that helped us create meaningful and useful products:

1. Start Testing Early

You have a product idea, and you start building it completely? Wrong. Before putting all that effort into it, test it early in the process. How to do that? Start by creating a PoC (proof of concept) — this can be a prototype, a landing page, or anything that will help demonstrate what the product is about, depending on your target audience and type of product.

If you offer an online service for businesses, for example, it will be relevant to create a well-structured landing page for demonstration purposes. You can read how a landing page should be structured here.

After having something tangible to work with, you can start a sign-up waiting list to see if and how many users will be interested in this type of service. A high number of signups should already determine if your product is wanted and solves user needs, allowing you to start building it.

2. Create Different Designs

For even better results, create two different designs for your product to see what resonates better with your users. Different design does not mean just different colors and fonts, but using different functions and features. Remember, you still need to treat this as a PoC - it is not the final product yet.

3. Choose the Right Pricing for Your Product

You can test different pricing models based on the product type you offer to see what resonates better with your users. Astronomical prices will definitely not help, while too low prices will also undervalue your product. Test out the better option for your product while keeping your users in mind.

4. Ask for Feedback

If the product has been created, the job is not done yet. To have a successful product, you must always ask for feedback from your users and see what can be improved. This will guarantee the success of your product, and users will feel satisfied knowing you care about their needs and pain points.

5. Optimize and Launch

After gathering feedback from your users, you can now optimize everything and launch your product! In this way, you ensure that users are actually interested in your product, you took their feedback into consideration, and now you are ready to launch!

Final thoughts

Testing your product early and often is the key to ensuring it meets your users' needs. By starting with a proof of concept, experimenting with designs and pricing, gathering feedback, and making continuous improvements, you can create a product that truly resonates with your audience. Remember, the goal is to build something that people need and want, and the best way to achieve that is by involving your users in the development process every step of the way. This approach not only saves time and resources but also increases the chances of your product’s success in the market.