Beta testing is when a piece of software or a website is launched, but is still under testing. If you are reading this blog, you have been launched. So, the question that remains is: Are you under testing?
It is pretty safe to say that you are always under testing. Life has a way of making sure that there are always hardships in our lives. Everybody you meet is going through some sort of difficulty. (It would help us all to remember that the next time someone cuts you off on the highway.) How you deal with the testing is the key.
Beta testing does not help if nobody knows about the beta testing. The main key to a successful beta test is for the people using the product to provide feedback. You must acknowledge the fact that you are in beta testing, or nobody will give you feedback. I was in a class the other day where we were talking about personal improvement. I asked the question if they were still doing things to increase their learning. One guy told me that he had already been through school and that his education was over. I could not believe that someone actually had that mind-set. How can you ever make a better you, if you are not acknowledging the fact that there is room for improvement?
Beta testing requires you to listen and respond. It will not profit you one little bit if you launch the beta version, acknowledge you are in beta testing, and then fuse to listen and respond to the lessons being taught. If there is a glitch in your website that keeps people from buying your product, you want to know about it. Once you find out, I would suggest fixing it immediately. It is not always easy to hear that you messed up, but it is necessary to know. Once you know, it is even more important to respond to it by adjusting and fixing the issue.
Beta testing should be a life long process. The apps on my iphone and ipad update constantly. Sometimes it takes longer than I want. Sometimes the ‘improvements’ are not that much help. Other times the new version has better features, is easier to use, functions faster, and is just better over all. The key is that they are working to be better. If you are not moving forward, you are moving backward.
Are you in beta testing? Do you acknowledge your need for beta testing?