Are we Still Beta Testing New Products? Only if They are Used Correctly
Jun 13, 2022
Beta programs; forever one of the tried and true ways of working through any bugs or redundancies of your product or program… but are they still relevant in a fast-paced ever-changing market? Especially amid a climate of economic uncertainty?
But before we dive right in, welcome! You’ve now entered into The Dreamer’s Lounge! I’m Ariel Schiffer, and I have made it my mission to take out the digital trash one bad course at a time. I am the creator of The Course Alchemist, Industrial Organizational Psychologist, and Curriculum and course design expert.
This podcast is for entrepreneurs who are looking to elevate their digital product suite so their offers speak for themselves. Nothing is worse than being oversold into something that under-delivers just like an overpriced bottle of wine. So, if you’re ready to develop high-quality offers, bring in consistent revenue, and have a business with long-term results for you AND your clients, grab your drink and join us inside…
Beta Programs: The Pitfalls
Especially in times of inflation and economic instability, people are hesitant to spend anything extra on something that they’re unsure of; so especially in today’s economically turbulent times, people will likely be less enthusiastic about purchasing a program that is anything less than perfect. The emphasis on the market right now is bang for your buck, and benevolence to the fact that a program is unfinished or unpolished is likely depleted.
With beta programs, it’s also easy to fall into the trap of “good enough”- you launch it, it works just well enough that maybe any mistakes are only noticeable to a few eagle-eyed customers, so you leave it instead of going back and making corrections. It’s human nature to seek the path of least resistance, but you’ll never level up your business with a mediocre half-completed program.
The Benefits
It’s always a good thing to see how your offer interacts in the real world, with a neutral audience who doesn’t have your knowledge and background going into it.
Maybe certain questions arise that need to be addressed somewhere in the program, or maybe something comes off as redundant or confusing. You’ll likely never know until you get outside perspective and feedback.
Even in an economically unstable landscape, don’t discount those who like to be first for the sake of being first. This crowd seeks clout and a feeling of community surrounded by establishing themselves on the ground floor of something. This can be a powerful motivator and can help your audience overlook any hiccups in your course.
Beta testing is also a good way to narrow down your offer, and why it’s different from others out there. Outside perspectives can inform what’s attractive and unique in what you’re teaching and this will help refine what you should always be marketing: the “why” factor. The thing that sets you apart is the most important aspect of what you are giving your clients.
Do You: The Bottomline
So, do I think beta programs are dying? Yes and no. I think you have to take the context and economic climate into account when deciding the best course of action for your unique program. Do you have a following that would be understanding of any mild hiccups, and help inform your process? Times are tough these days, so there might be fewer of these “need to be first” seekers, and more and more customers demanding value with every dollar they hesitantly spend.
Will testing your course truly improve it, or are you doubling the work for yourself by doing a half-assed job when you’re actually capable of doing it correctly the first time; being lazy now will only double your workload later.
I think the answer here is that even with a beta program, there has to be inherent value that customers can see. Even your beta program must be of a certain quality to translate to today’s inflated market. At this point, it’s up to you to decide if you might as well go whole hog and just roll out a completed program, or if you truly feel customer feedback would be vitally helpful/ you’re not going to scare customers away with an uncompleted course.
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