Our comprehensive product testing services will allow you to get deeper insights into how your target customers interact with your product or service.
Product testing – the ultimate way of finding out how consumers will respond to your product
Consumer product testing is a research methodology that helps you understand the features and benefits of your product from the end user’s point of view. When the product has been designed and developed within your organisation, there are a limited number of people who can actually understand the consumer’s perspective. Technical and feature designs are one thing but knowing exactly how your end users will receive your product is a totally different ball game. You either need to involve your end users in the design and development of your product from the beginning, you need scientific analysis through product testing.
Product testing or consumer product testing can be done for a wide range of products, and not necessarily digital products. For example, if you want to try out a new recipe for a new food product, you will need to take care of the sensory attributes manifested by your users and you will need to conduct sensory evaluation of your food item. In fact, sensory analysis of food is one of the major aspects of consumer product testing and this method is regularly used within the food industry to find the best possible palette-satisfying combinations.
Product design and development is a complex process these days. It may begin with ideation, market research prototyping, product testing, mass production and pre-production and post-production marketing. Lots of cost is involved and so are stakes of many people. Timely product testing will shorten your product development process and prevent you from investing lots of money and effort in mass production and marketing if you can get real-world opinions of prospective users and consumers through product testing.
Product tests are usually performed at a predetermined location. It can be a central location decided by the research team or a place that is most convenient to the testers and participants, or the product can be taken to the testers themselves (where they live or work and give you the consent to visit them). Consequently, product testing can be divided into categories:
- Central location test: This type of test is conducted in a controlled environment. The participants are normally recruited (using a carefully determined criteria) and then requested to reach a venue. This venue can be a hotel or restaurant when you want them to try out your latest cuisine or beverage. It can be a showroom where they can try out your products such as a mobile phone, a music system, an apparel or even some digital product like a mobile app, a software application or your website. The importance of a central location test is that you get to observe the participants in the environment of your choosing. You can create an ambience or certain conditions before people get to use your product and give their opinion.
- In-home usage test: In this type of product testing the product is normally shipped to the consumer’s home where he or she is going to use it for some time. In the times of social media, products are often sent to bloggers, video bloggers and social media influencers, but such reviews can be biased so businesses prefer to use only those testers who would give an unbiased opinion so that that opinion can be used for further product design. After they have used the product for a few hours or a few days, they can be called and interviewed or a web interface can be used to get their opinion or feedback. The only problem is that additional traits such as body language and facial expressions cannot be observed when the products are tested by remote testers.
Research like quantitative sensory testing or sensory analysis can be conducted in a controlled environment unless there are some special conditions that are to be met. Sensory analysis of food, for example, may involve multiple steps to ready the palette before the actual cuisine is put into the mouth. Similarly, there are certain gadgets that can only be operated in a specialised environment. Which place is used for product testing depends on the type of testing and the type of feedback needed for data analysis.
How product testing helps you fine-tune your design iteratively
Product testing can be used to fine-tune your product design at almost every state of your design, right from conceptualisation to the first working model. Many businesses use product testers at various stages of design and development. Even individual components of your product can be tested for practicability, evaluation, safety and ease of use. Statistical analysis can be conducted through various stages.
Once you have obtained qualified feedback from the testers/respondents, you can incorporate the changes within the prototype and then bring the product back to the testers. This cycle of test and review can be repeated iteratively until you have got a product that is fully endorsed by your testers or at least, meet maximum number of suggestions made by them. The more the process of test and review your product goes through, the better will be the result. Many businesses use product testing as an integral part of product design and development.
Product testing services provided by FG Connect
FG Connect can help you design and develop killer products for yourself as well as your customers and clients. Whether you serve a B2B or B2C market, it is very essential that you can come up with the best product design with minimum cost. Most of the problems originate when businesses go ahead and invest heavily in product design and product manufacturing without actually testing the product among the prospective end users. This is where our contribution can be invaluable.
We can arrange testing sessions for mobile apps, websites, accessories, home appliances, toys and games, footwear, apparel, furniture, luggage, textiles and a slew of other products that can be tested and then modified based on the feedback obtained. We will arrange fully verified testers for you who are most likely to become your paid customers.
We have developed a system to weed out “serial testers” who simply develop a habit of participating in various product test sessions without having anything conducive to say. Phony participants are one of the biggest problems while conducting such tests and often result in fudged data that can prove to be very expensive for your business.
From venue to needed peripherals to contacting and arranging verified testers to gathering data and storing it in a preferred format and even analysis afterwards, we can provide you complete product testing services in your preferred location in the UK, the US, the UAE, and beyond.
Are you ready with a prototype or a working model of your product and now you need qualified testers to use your product or consume it in real-time and give you an honest feedback? Feedback that you can implement and improve your product? Then we can help you assemble a team of such testers and even arrange for a location where your product test can be carried out. Contact us today for more details.
