
MVP testing: building products that users actually want
When you think about a product, you need to first test it with the users. To achieve this, MVP testing is crucial, allowing you to gather feedback and reduce risk related to its development. Let's check it out in more detail.
What is a Minimum Viable Product and why is it important?
When creating a new product, whether you are working in a large enterprise or starting a product independently, launching with a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) is essential.
The purpose of an MVP is to launch quickly and cost-effectively, allowing you to gather real user feedback, test your assumptions, and make data-driven improvements. By focusing on the essentials, an MVP helps reduce risk, minimise costs, and ensures you’re building a final product that truly meets the needs of your users.
How does MVP testing differ from traditional product testing?
MVP testing differs from traditional product testing in that it focuses on validating the core concept of the product with real users, rather than testing a fully developed product.
While traditional testing often involves refining a near-complete product through extensive quality checks and user trials, MVP testing aims to quickly get a basic version of the product in front of users to see if it addresses their needs. This approach allows for early feedback and insights, enabling faster iterations and reducing the risk of unnecessary investment. Instead of perfecting every detail, MVP testing is about learning and iterating as quickly as possible.
What are the key objectives of MVP testing?
The key objectives of MVP testing are focused on validating the product idea and ensuring it resonates with users before committing significant resources to the development process. These objectives help guide the process and ensure that the product evolves based on real feedback and that it makes sense to invest further in its development at all.
The main goals are to:
- validate assumptions and core functionality,
- ensure that the primary features of the product effectively solve the problem for users,
- test assumptions,
- identify whether the initial hypotheses about the product, market, and user needs are correct,
- gather user feedback,
- collect insights from real users to understand their pain points, preferences, and behaviour,
- minimise the risk that the product will not be used in the future,
- reduce the risk of building a product that doesn’t meet market demand by learning early on what works and what doesn’t,
- prioritise improvements,
- use the feedback to prioritise which features or improvements should be developed next based on user needs,
- optimise resources,
- save time and money by focusing efforts on features that have the most impact, rather than spending resources on unnecessary additions.
What metrics should be tracked during an MVP assessment?
When assessing an MVP, it’s important to track specific metrics that provide insights into how well the product is performing and how users are engaging with it. These metrics help to make informed decisions about the product’s next steps and improvements.
Key metrics to track during MVP validation process include:
- User engagement, measuring how often users interact with the product, which features they use most, and how long they stay engaged.
- Customer feedback, including collecting qualitative feedback through surveys, customer interviews, or reviews to understand user satisfaction and pain points.
- Conversion rate, which tracks how many users take the desired action, such as signing up, making a purchase, or completing a specific task within the app or product.
- Retention rate, meaning monitoring how many users return to the product after their first interaction, which indicates the product’s value and user interest over time.
- Churn rate, which tracks how many users stop using the product or cancel subscriptions, which helps identify areas that may need improvement or user frustrations.
- User acquisition cost (UAC), measuring how much it costs to acquire a new user, which helps assess the product’s cost-effectiveness in reaching its target audience.
- Product usage frequency, which helps understand how often users are using the product and which parts of it are being used most frequently, guiding future development priorities.
What are the best MVP testing methods?
The most important MVP testing techniques focus on gathering actionable insights quickly and efficiently, allowing you to validate assumptions and make informed decisions aligned with user-centered design. Here are some effective approaches for your MVP testing strategy:
- User interviews: conduct one-on-one interviews with early users to gain deep qualitative insights into their experiences, needs, and pain points. This method helps you understand the context behind user behaviour and gather detailed feedback.
- Surveys and questionnaires: distribute short surveys to collect quantitative data on user satisfaction, feature preferences, and overall experience. This method helps you reach a broader target audience quickly and efficiently.
- Landing pages: create a simple landing page that highlights the MVP’s value proposition and use it to test user interest. Track metrics like sign-ups, click-through rates, or sign-ups for early access to gauge demand.
- Smoke tests: run a “smoke test” by advertising the product or feature before it’s fully built, such as through online ads or social media posts. Measure how many users express interest or take the next step (e.g., sign-up or purchase), which helps validate demand before investing in development.
- A/B testing: test two or more versions of a feature, design, or user flow to see which performs better. A/B testing helps refine features based on real user behaviour and ensures the most effective solutions are prioritised.
- Usability testing: have real users complete specific tasks using the MVP and observe their interactions. This helps identify usability issues and areas for improvement in the user experience.
What are the costs associated with MVP testing?
The costs associated with an MVP test can vary depending on the complexity of the product, the testing methods used, and the resources required. However, since the goal of MVP testing is to validate core features with minimal investment, it is generally more cost-effective than developing a fully-featured product. Key costs to consider include:
Development costs
Building the MVP itself, which includes designing and developing the basic version of the product. These costs can be reduced by focusing only on essential features and using existing tools or frameworks.
User research and feedback
Costs associated with gathering user insights through surveys, interviews, or focus groups. These may include compensating participants, hiring researchers, or using survey tools.
Marketing and acquisition
Budgeting for advertising or promotional efforts to attract early users, such as creating landing pages, running social media ads, or using paid campaigns to test user interest and drive traffic.
Usability testing tools
The cost of platforms or services used to conduct usability testing, such as A/B testing tools, heatmap trackers, or user session recorders, to monitor how users interact with the MVP test.
Analysis and iteration
The cost of analysing feedback and data to make informed decisions about product improvements, which may involve hiring data analysts or spending time iterating on the product.
Operational costs
General costs of running the product, such as hosting, cloud services, or other infrastructure needs during the testing phase
What are some common mistakes to avoid in MVP testing?
In MVP testing, there are several common mistakes that can undermine the process and lead to misguided decisions.
One of the biggest mistakes is building an overly complex Minimum Viable Product. The goal of an MVP is to test core assumptions with minimal investment, so adding unnecessary features or over-engineering the product can waste resources and delay valuable feedback.
Another mistake is not defining clear success metrics. Without specific goals or metrics to track, it becomes difficult to assess whether the MVP is meeting user needs or if it’s worth continuing to develop.
A common problem is also targeting the wrong audience. If the MVP is tested with people who aren’t the intended users or who don’t have the problem you’re trying to solve, the feedback won’t be relevant.
Similarly, ignoring qualitative feedback can be detrimental. While quantitative data is important, ignoring the insights gained from user interviews or surveys can lead to missed opportunities to improve the product based on real user experiences.
Another mistake is not being prepared to pivot. MVP testing is about learning, and if the feedback shows that your assumptions are wrong, it’s essential to be open to making changes. Failing to iterate or adapt the product based on real-world insights can lead to a product that doesn’t meet market demands.
Finally, waiting too long to launch is a mistake. Waiting until the product is “perfect” can delay valuable testing and feedback. The MVP should be launched as soon as it’s functional enough to test core features, enabling you to learn early and adjust quickly.
How do you analyse and act on user feedback from MVP testing?
Analysing and acting on feedback from Minimum Viable Product testing involves carefully reviewing both quantitative data and qualitative insights to identify key patterns and areas for improvement. Start by looking at user behaviour metrics – like engagement, conversion rates, and retention – to see how well the MVP is meeting its objectives. Combine this with qualitative feedback from user interviews, surveys, and usability tests to understand the underlying reasons behind the data.
From there, prioritise changes based on impact and feasibility. This could mean refining key features, fixing usability issues, or even pivoting the product direction if the feedback suggests a significant misalignment with user needs. Acting on this feedback quickly is crucial to ensure your product evolves in the right direction and that you achieve an MVP success.
Read more about developing an MVP:
- What is a Minimum Viable Product? How to define an MVP?
- Mockup vs Prototype vs MVP — what’s the difference?
- The Product Culture – everything you must know
If you’re ready to take your MVP to the next level and need expert guidance on how to analyse feedback and iterate effectively, get in touch with Future Processing. Our experienced team can help you turn insights into actionable strategies, ensuring your product resonates with users and achieves its full potential.