#14 - NOT BETA TESTING YOUR BRANDING EFFORTS BEFORE FULL LAUNCH

Back in the days when bricks and mortar businesses offered a product or service that the general public needed, competition was less, and consumer demand was more patient. When I was a kid, I remember visiting a business that offered supplies my father needed. When we discovered that the newly opened business was having some issues that was going to delay the products, my father offered our free labor to help solve the problems. It was just the neighborly thing to do, but today is so different. Do you think for one minute that a consumer wouldn’t Google your competitors instantly, if you can’t deliver on your promises?

In today’s world, think Murphy’s Law and Obamacare. It’s true … almost everything that can go wrong, will go wrong. That’s just the nature of business and a reality you must plan for. What’s radically different nowadays, is that any of your mistakes and/or mis-steps can end up playing out on a global stage, and once displayed on the internet, they never disappear. Therefore, I implore you … beta test before launch. Don’t think I’m only talking about your website. As I have mentioned before, even if you don’t have a website, people are still talking about you on the internet. I’m talking about your business plan, logo, collateral, packaging, fleet graphics, social media, PR releases, website and anything else you show to the public.

Check everything; test every process, no matter how trivial. As the business owner or manager, condition yourself to constantly ask, “How could this (product, service, policy or process) possibly go wrong?” Have at least three people proofread every word of your copy you intend to use. If you sell products, test your supply chain, not only on delivery, but also return policies. Call your own customer service from a line they would not recognize and see exactly what a potential customer will experience. How easy is your ordering? How difficult is your problem solving? If you sell a service, testing your look and messaging before launch is even more essential, because every service business is all about the relationship you have with your customer.

As the old saying goes, “You have one chance to make a good first impression”, and in today’s marketplace, it’s easier for a potential customer to move on to one of your competitors, than it is for them to exhibit patience, while you work out your kinks.