Most companies develop products and services with a top-down approach which is the opposite of what startups need.
They need to actually start with the customer and their problems, not with an idea for a product, And then try to find customers for that product.
Founders instead, should ask themselves, “What am I passionate about? What do my customers hate?” And then look at ways to solve that problem and make money while doing so.
With that, here are 7 ways to develop products that customers desire.
1. Understand the Customer Problems
The first step in developing something people will want is to figure out exactly what they’re struggling with right now.
You should already know this information if you’ve been doing any kind of market research or interviews. If not, go back and talk with them again until you understand their problems and frustrations in detail.
Related: Here’s How to Test a Product Idea Without a Big Investment
2. Identify the Right Solution for Those Problems
Next up, is identifying the best solution for those problems — which doesn’t always mean making something new from scratch!
Sometimes all it takes is improving an existing solution so that it’s more appealing or useful than what’s currently available on the market (or whatever else it might be).
If you’re trying to improve an existing solution, make sure you find out exactly what makes it so good so that you know exactly what needs to change.
Related: 7 Common Misconceptions About Starting a Business
3. Prototype and Test Early and Often
Create a prototype of your product as soon as possible so that you can start getting feedback from real customers as soon as possible.
You don’t want to spend months developing something only to find out that no one wants it once it’s finished.
By testing early, you’ll be able to make changes before investing too much time or money into a product that doesn’t work well or solve a problem people care about.
Related: 5 Ways to Measure Product-Market Fit Easily
4. Focus on the User Experience Throughout the Product Development
Founders need to be experts at understanding their customers’ needs and creating products that address them in an effective way.
The more time you spend talking with potential users during the product development process, the better your chances of creating something people will love using every day.
From inception through production and delivery, focus on creating an overall experience that is simple and intuitive for users. Don’t just think about how your product works; think about how it feels to use it as well.
Related: Leverage Historical Data & Predictive Analytics to Improve User Experience
5. Don’t Forget About Your Business Goals
Your business goals should be at the forefront of your mind when you’re developing a new product. You need to know what they are and keep them in mind when you’re creating something new.
For example, if you’re making an app, your goal may be to increase revenue for your company by 20% in six months.
If that’s the case, then you need to design an app that will help accomplish this goal. Not just create something cool because it looks good or might be fun for someone else to use.
Related: 9 Early Startup Mistakes That Kill Your Business
6. Listen to Feedback From Users During Testing Phases
The best way to know what people want from your product is through feedback from customers and users.
Use tools like UserTesting or UsabilityHub to get feedback from real people who use your product and see where it lacks in terms of ease of use or functionality.
This will help you improve your product over time and make it more attractive to potential buyers.
Related: How to Get Maximum Sales by Predicting Consumer Behavior
7. Keep Improving
The best way to develop products that people desire is to keep improving them. It’s not just about releasing a new version of your product every year or two but constantly making better versions of your product.
If you are creating something new, this could mean refining the details and making sure everything works as expected and is easy to use.
If you are fixing bugs, it might mean rewriting parts of the code to make it more efficient or adding new features.
Summing Up
Many times, when companies and executives try to develop products, they fail to fully understand the needs and desires of their customers.
This is due to the fact that they are focusing more of their attention on whether or not they will make a profit with the product rather than if people actually want it.
Does this mean that things will be perfect? No. It means that you can now spend less time trying to figure out what people desire in your product and more time developing it.
