Minimum Viable Product or MVP is a common procedure in mobile app development to test the product or idea before launching the final app into the market. You shouldn’t misunderstand MVP as an unfinished product but it is a product with only the necessary features. You can consider it as a way to get feedback on your final product.
An MVP development product has a very simple visual appeal and features so no one will be ready to buy it. Hence, it is just used to know whether your idea would be loved by the users or not. Also, you will know whether it can be technically helpful for you to attract investors. It is easy to develop an MVP that can raise money rather than getting funding for your final product.
Mistakes to avoid while developing an MVP
Although MVP is created for reducing the risk, there are some gaps that can form while developing an Minimum Viable Product. Don’t do these mistakes:
Improper research of the market, product and customer need
Most people just start working on their idea before validating the idea through proper market research, analysis, and product validation. There is a difference between building an MVP and building a successful MVP. Without proper research, the chances of success get reduced.
Many entrepreneurs believe that developing an MVP for multiple platforms such as Android, iOS, etc. will increase the success of the product. But actually, it is just going to make the process complicated. If an MVP development company fails in there MVP product then you will not have money to start over as all the money would have already spent in developing on multiple platforms.
Features and Updates
Minimum Viable Product development with a single effective approach is better than launching an Minimum Viable Product with all the features. The other features can be good but it is better to implement them in later updates. Prioritize the features for getting the best results and reduces the chances of failure.
Best Ways to Validate Your MVP Development
Now, as we have known why it is essential to MVP development for your product, you should also know how you can test the MVP for your product. Building an custom Minimum Viable Product development is not the end but you also have to test its viability. Here are the different methods to test its viability:
Fundraising:
You can participate in Crowdfunding to know whether your app is having the potential to do good in the market or not. Check out the platforms like Kickstarter and Indiegogo on which you can find many Minimum Viable Product that have got funding from those people who find them interesting. On these platforms, your product will get exposure to interested investors. The money raised will help you to build the final product to launch in the market.
Blogs:
Blogs are a great way to showcase the features and functionalities of your product. It acts as a medium of two-way communication with the prospective users of the product. You can get an honest opinion of your product through blogs.
Customer Interviews:
It may initially seem unfeasible but talking to your product customers face-to-face will help you in knowing the most honest feedback and reviews. People can lie or sugarcoat their opinions online but speak honestly in face-to-face communication. Don’t be descriptive while interviewing your customers and conduct it in a casual manner.
Videos:
It is quite obvious that if an image can speak a thousand words then a video can speak millions. You can make explainer videos demonstrating the working of your product and answering frequently asked questions. At the end of the video, the viewer should be clear about what the product is, how it will work, and why does he need it. Dropbox is a perfect example of this. They used a video to gather subscriptions for a product that didn’t even exist.
Pre-order pages:
Pre-ordering is highly popular with popular products such as books, or electronic gadgets. But with apps, you need to convince the users of your product enough to make them pay for it in advance. It is quite hard as most of the users are not willing to pay for a product that doesn’t even bear yet. For this, create an appealing presentation.
Social-media surveys:
Social media is a great platform to know honest feedback from thousands ofE.g.For e.g. in Facebook surveys, the users can add their options as an answer which gives interesting insights. Another good reason is that it will don’t disturb the social media experience of the users.
E-mails:
Sending emails to know how many users click on the links or following up with an e-mail is another way of testing a Minimum Viable Product. It works when you have a ready-made list of mails. While the emails have been sent to the users, you should track their actions by using tools such as Yesware or use the built-in plugins.
Landing Pages:
These are the pages on which the customers reach to know more about your business. It will help you know the interest of the customer on the basis of their interaction with the page. You should tracking analytics while building a Landing Page such as Google Analytics, KISSmetrics, etc.
Check Competitive Products:
It may be possible to definitely impact your product. But it doesn’t mean that you can’t get success. When Flipkart was developed Amazon was a leader in the e-commerce market. You have to analyze your competitors’ products and find what they are lacking. The unique feature of your product would be your USP.
A/B Testing:
A/B is testing to know whether one version of a page is more effective than the other. It can be done on a web page with two different versions which are shown randomly to the users. Then using analytics tool like Google Analytics, Unbounce, etc, you can know more about interaction.
PPC campaigns:
You should use PPC campaigns at least once for your actual product for greater testing of your MVP. Initially, you can put in $100 and check the results. If your MVP does not get any leads, then either your ad is flawed or your idea is not good enough.
Micro-Surveys:
General surveys are too long and many times are abandoned by the users. Users either skip it or fill it in a hurry and that’s why they are sometimes unable to give proper results. While in micro-surveys, you can ask Minimum Viable Product survey questions for which you will get honest answers. There are just two to three questions in the micro-surveys for which users have to give answers.
If you use SaaS or PaaS platforms for building an MVP, then you can use them for testing your MVP as well. There are multiple choices to choose from and the building becomes easier and faster. This software and platforms also help in increasing the reach of the product.
Digital Prototypes:
You can use digital prototypes for displaying the products in a digital way. Wireframes can showcase products such as apps, games, etc. The prototypes can be screenshots, digital sketches, mockup apps, for validating the user experience.
Software Testing:
Last but not least, if nothing works then you can use multiple software for testing MVP. There is much software such as QuickMVP, OpenHallway, Five-second test, Justinmind, InVision, etc.
Overview:
- Tools for testing product idea: Research Study, PoC, Prototypes
- Mistakes to avoid while building Minimum Viable Product:
- Improper market, product, customer needs, demographic research
- Building for multiple platforms
- Features and Updates
Read More: 10 Essential Best Practices for Mobile App Development
Wrapping Up:
Minimum Viable Product is a procedure in which initially the mobile app comes with essential features that are required to go live, and find out whether the user wants an updated and more sophisticated version of this app with additional features. At Amplework, the best Mobile app development company, provide highly reliable MVP development services. Just tell us your idea, and we would be ready with a product.
