Starting a SaaS business is an exciting step in your life, but the decisions you face can be overwhelming! Marketing strategies, product offerings, branding solutions — you have some great ideas for promoting and building your SaaS business, but you want to be certain that they’re on point before making a full commitment. This is where the test and learn approach can help you to see what works and what doesn’t.
What Is Test and Learn?
Think of test and learn as a scientific experiment. When you have an idea — a theory, so to speak — you should first find out if your customers are as excited about it as you are. The idea can be as simple as trying out a new item before it goes on the menu or as complex as deciding whether to take your vision in a whole new direction.
In short, the test and learn method evaluates how actual ideas perform with actual customers in a way that allows you to easily see what is working.
Why Should You Use the Test and Learn Approach?
Implementing a new product or strategy on a grand scale can be costly, and if unsuccessful, it can be devastating. By testing your idea out on a limited number of customers, you can minimize your risk while you see their reaction to it. If the idea is successful, you can then move ahead confidently, and if it isn’t, you’ll learn what needs to be done differently.
How Do You Execute an Effective Test and Learn Experiment?
Here are a few steps you can take to ensure that you get the most out of your study.
Test One Idea at a Time
Sometimes, it’s tempting to go all out and test several different ideas at once. However, just as with any scientific experiment, you need a control group in order to compare results, so make it a point to focus on one test at a time.
Start Small
The whole point of the test and learn approach is to gather the most information with the least risk. Start small, and if your idea is proving to be successful, you can gradually expand it to see if that success continues.
Likewise, if you find that the idea isn’t working as well as you had envisioned, you haven’t taken that much of a risk, and you can move on.
Learn What Works And What Doesn’t Work
Once you’ve run your test, you can decide to implement your idea as is, tweak it a bit, or scrap it entirely. Regardless of what you decide to do in any given trial, you’ve gained valuable insight about your customers, and you’ll be able to draw on that knowledge.
How Can a SaaS Business Consultant Help With the Test and Learn Method?
An innovative business consultant, such as Ben Naderi, can help you develop the most practical test and learn plan to test your ideas. This frees up your time to do what you do best (i.e., running your business) and ensures that you learn the most from your experiment.
Contact Ben today so you can start building and executing an effective plan to test your strategies and grow your business.
Sources:
https://hbr.org/2011/03/a-step-by-step-guide-to-smart-business-experiments
https://www.fullstory.com/blog/benefits-of-test-and-learn-experimentation/