A Typical Beta Test

The majority of companies beta-test sites by gathering a hodgepodge of users (colleagues, friends, family, etc.) to use the site for a few weeks and report back on bugs, broken links and confusing features. During the test, engineers watch the databases, servers and CGIs to make sure that data gets where it's supposed to go and the whole shebang doesn't melt down. Someone is usually assigned to field e-mail coming from the testers and route them into the ever-growing piles on the development team's desk. Sound familiar?

Supercharging the Beta Test

Rather than scraping together a collection of friends and colleagues who owe you a favor, put your site through its paces using a large representative sample of actual customers. This approach allows members of the target market to experience the site in a natural setting. The result is extremely accurate information about the usability and value of your site to its intended users -- not just your boyfriend and the guy who sits at the desk across from you.

In an ideal scenario, the population of your beta group would be an exact reflection of the market into which the product will be launched. Each prospective customer segment identified in your initial exploratory research would exist in the same proportion it exists in the overall marketplace, with the smallest segment large enough to provide statistically stable results.

Using a random sample of customers collected in a nationally representative fashion is the most reliable method. In practice, however, executing such a rigorous beta test of your new online product is going to take too much time and cost way too much. Faced with the cold realities of your situation, instead consider one of the following methods of developing a qualified beta testing group.