10 Questions We Must Ask Before Launching a Product or Service

Before launching a new product or service we should investigate the opinion of potential customers, the target market and the competition. Product or service surveys are a very useful methodology to ensure that your new launch will be well received. We explore the 10 essential questions to ask customers before launching a product or service.

Before launching a new product or service, it is important to conduct a thorough research on the market, customer needs and competition to find out if our proposal will have the results we expect.

According to a recent Harvard research, 95% of products or services launched in the market fail. However, knowledge about customers, the market and the competition can increase the chances that our offer will be a success. 

In this blog we have talked on several occasions about the importance of adopting a customer-centric perspective so that our products and services adapt to the customer and not the other way around. Likewise, customer knowledge strategies such as customer segmentation or the Buyer Persona method can be very useful to identify our target customers and gain a deep understanding of what consumers need and want. 

In this sense, product or service surveys are one of the best techniques to gather the information we need before launching a new product or service.

Why a product or service survey?

Surveys focused on the launch of a new product or service are the best way to identify our potential market and our potential or target customers, as well as to find out what gap the product or service fills in the potential market and what we can do to add value and differentiate ourselves from the competition. 

Technology has made the creation of online surveys much easier. These types of surveys allow us to reach a mass audience, easily measure and analyse the results and carry out the whole process at a very low cost. The market is full of automated survey software that enables the creation of customised surveys in the easiest way. 

How can a product or service survey help us?

• Insights: Conducting surveys targeted at our existing or potential customers will provide us with valuable insights that will help us determine whether our product or service is a good idea and whether our proposition is well formulated. We are likely to discover customer needs we did not know about that will inspire us to launch other products or services or to redesign the products or services we already have in the market.
• Shaping the prototype: If we ask the right questions we can adapt the product or service at a prototype phase to better meet the needs of our existing or potential customers. 
• A better customer experience: In addition to asking about the product or service itself, we can use the survey to question customers about the customer experience that comes with the product or service. This type of survey is an opportunity to optimise the customer experience, one of the most influential aspects in influencing whether a customer chooses one brand or another.
• Pricing: One of the most important parts of launching a new product or service is setting the right price. Surveys are a great opportunity to ask customers what price they are willing to pay for the type of product or service we want to launch. 
• Competitive analysis: Questioning potential consumers about the products or services that are our direct competitors is a good way to identify the strengths and weaknesses of our competitors so that we can adapt our offer accordingly. 

Below, we list the 10 essential questions a company should ask their customers before launching a product or service. 

10 questions we must ask before launching a product or service

1. Would you use this product or service on a regular basis? Why?

This question will help you find out how often existing or potential customers will purchase the product or service, as well as whether your buyer persona would use it on a regular basis.

2. What problems would this product or service solve?

This question is very useful to understand customers' real needs and to find out whether or not our offer meets them and what we could do to better satisfy their needs.

3. How complex would it be for you to use of this product or service?

Through this question we will discover whether our product or service's performance is optimal and what can we to make it easier for customers to use it.

4. Does the communication campaign mention the aspects that are most relevant to you?

This question helps us evaluate whether the communication, marketing and advertising campaign surrounding the launch of our product or service effectively communicates the its features, value aspects and the problems it solves. 

Often, new products or services fail, even if they are of high quality, simply because they have not been communicated properly.

5. Do you think the product or service belongs to a temporary trend?

This question is useful to determine whether consumers consider the product or service you intend to launch to be very similar to other similar products launched recently and whether it is just a trend that will soon fade away. 

It is fundamental to make sure that your product or service will not be replaced by a newer product once it is no longer fashionable.

6. What similar products or services do you know? Whould you say they are better than this one? Why?

This type of question is very helpful when it comes to identifying our direct or indirect competitors, to know what the customer thinks about the competition and to pinpoint our added value. 

Differentiating yourself from the competition is key to finding your place in the market.

7. Do you think the product or service fits with the concept you have of the brand?

It is essential that, even if we launch an innovative product or service that is different from anything we have done so far, it fits in with the concept and brand image we have created.

No one better than the audience can tell you if the product or service really fits with the concept that people have of the brand or company.

8. Would you recommend the product or service? Why?

9. For what reasons would you not recommend the product or service?

These two questions will help you gauge the likelihood of customers recommending the product or service to their acquaintances.

10. What aspects of the product or service would you improve, and why?

Again, asking the customer directly what aspects of the product or service they would improve is the best way to understand what features we need to polish in order for our objectives to be met.

Conclusion

Asking customers directly is one of the best ways to gather the information we need before launching a new product or service. Technology has made the creation of online surveys very easy. 

In this article we have compiled the 10 questions we consider essential before launching a new product or service. They will help you gather the insights you need to make your new product or service a success.