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6 things every startup should be doing before a product launch

You’ve spent months, maybe years, pouring your heart and soul into creating that perfect startup idea. Finally, you’ve identified a problem that no one has solved before, and you’ve come up with the ideal solution. You’ve even conducted market research to ensure that your idea is one that people will want.

If you’re like many new entrepreneurs, you may be wondering what to do next.

You’ve got a great product idea, but that’s the easy part. Now the real work begins.

This blog post will share six recommendations for new entrepreneurs looking to launch their startups. Even though launching a startup can be an exciting process, it’s also one of the most stressful.

Keep reading to learn how to reduce stress and increase your chances of a successful product launch.

 

Hire a great team 

It’s crucial that you hire a great team as soon as possible. If you’re like most startup founders, you’ve probably been working on your product alone for months or years. You know it better than anyone, and you’ve probably been using trial and error to find the best solution.

Now is the time to bring on other team members. Entrepreneurship is a team sport, and you’ll do better if you have others to bounce ideas off of, discuss marketing ideas, or troubleshoot when things don’t go as planned. But…

Hiring can be costly – few entrepreneurs have that kind of cash on hand, especially in the early phases of their business. However, even if your company can’t provide large salaries or weeks and weeks of vacation each year, you can still be competitive in the employment market. Small startups have many benefits, which they should take advantage of to attract job seekers.

 

Get a great domain name

You’ve likely heard this tip a million times, but it’s still important to note that your domain name is the first thing people see when visiting your website. So if you’re not using the best name possible, you’re missing out on many potential customers.

Choosing a great domain name is like choosing the first piece of real estate for your business. It’s an important step that not enough people take, but once you have it, you can fill in the rest of the real estate with a strong branding strategy.

Today, there are numerous additional domain name extensions available, ranging from the original .com, .net, and .org to specialist extensions such as .pizza, .photography, and even .blog.

We always recommend that you use a .com domain name.

While creating unique names utilizing new extensions, .com remains the most established and respectable domain name extension.

Newer domain extensions, in our opinion, can make your company appear less trustworthy.

 

Perfect your pitch

Entrepreneurs frequently face an uphill battle when it comes to making a pitch. Investors look at pitch decks for only 3 minutes and 44 seconds, and for every 1,000 pitches heard, only 100 startups get funded. 

A successful startup requires a convincing pitch, but it also needs an influential leader.

You’ve got to keep it short and sweet when pitching your startup. Suppose you can effectively communicate what your product does in a few sentences. In that case, people will be much more interested in learning more. You have to know your value so you can tell your story. 

The most important part of your pitch is to stay focused on your customer. What problem does your product solve? How does it make their lives easier or better? Keep those points in mind, and you’ll be well on your way to a great pitch.

 

Test everything

Every new launch is an experiment, and you never know what will happen.

You may find that your product isn’t as exciting as you thought it would be, that customers are avoiding your emails, or that you don’t have the resources to handle the demand.

A terrible product launch is bad for business. Likewise, launching a product that does not function correctly is a complete disaster.

Product testing is preparing a product (or service) for sale to the general public. It means gathering feedback on your products to ensure that they satisfy the quality and standards required of the product.

Product testing solves both issues. First, it educates your company about the product’s genuine viability. Is it genuinely helpful and serviceable? Is it worth the money you’re asking for it? Product testing before launch also identifies any flaws in your product that must be fixed.

Although you may need to continue developing your product after launch, conducting product testing can make your early days much easier to handle and will most likely result in a more successful product launch.

Launch and iterate

One of the most important things you can do as a startup founder is launch and iterate.

Launching your product is a lot like going on your first date. You may have a ton of butterflies, but you need to put your best foot forward and try to have a good time.

You never know if or when someone will buy your product, but you can always try again. If someone doesn’t buy your product the first time they see it, they probably won’t believe it the following 100 times you show it to them, either. So, ask for feedback, listen to your customers, and offer better solutions to their problems. 

Stay humble

Success is sweet, but humility is sweeter.

When you’re beginning from scratch, it’s your personality that attracts the proper people in your direction. Moreover, as one matures, their humility keeps them in touch with reality. It helps them establish an image that is well-liked by others.

Humility enables you to establish and lead an effective organization aware of reality. As an entrepreneur, you must be humble enough to accept any task as your company grows, from going door to door as a salesman to directly calling consumers. 

Most startups fail because of a lack of self-awareness and over-confidence in their capacity to overcome obstacles. 

 

Conclusion

Launching a startup is a complicated and stressful process.

That’s why it’s crucial that you prepare for the launch by implementing the strategies and tactics we’ve outlined in this post.

The more prepared you are for the launch, the better off your company will be.

Tina Janeva

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