What Is a Beta Test? Beta Testing Explained

The primary goal and ultimate benefit of beta testing is that it uncovers errors in the software missed during earlier testing stages.

Identifying issues before a final version of the software is released improves user experience and increases the chances of product success. If a product runs seamlessly from release, users are more likely to continue using the product. Your organization will also build a more positive reputation.

Beta testing gives development teams valuable insights into the product's performance in real-world scenarios. Testers use the product in their everyday environments, providing valuable feedback that developers can use to enhance the product before the end release.

Another benefit of beta testing is that it creates a sense of engagement in the development process among the beta testers. Participating users will likely feel a boost in interest in the product and hopefully enhance a sense of loyalty to the organization.

Disadvantages of beta testing

It’s essential to be aware of the potential cons of beta testing.

Because the beta testing environment varies among individual users, finding every error can sometimes be challenging. It’s common for some minor bugs not picked up during beta testing to become apparent after release.

It’s also generally a slow process. Real-time users go at their own pace. The beta testing phase, which takes longer than internal testing, can delay feedback and push back the complete release.

While both are essential testing stages, alpha testing happens before beta testing.

The alpha version is a less stable software with limited features. It’s tested internally, typically by designers, QA specialists, and developers. A combination of testing is used during this phase to identify potential bugs:

• White-box testing: Testers know the product’s design and internal structure
• Black-box testing: Testers are unaware of the product’s design and internal structure

Alpha testing enables development teams to identify product bugs early. While beta testers are prepared to experience bugs, the fewer there are, the better. Addressing issues during alpha testing reduces the likelihood of users encountering problems during beta testing and improves user experience.

In contrast to alpha testing, beta testing only uses black-box testing, which is conducted externally with end users. Since beta testing occurs in real-world environments, developers have less control over it.

However, handing over control means genuine user interactions with the product. Product developers gain valuable insights into user behavior patterns and emotional responses, such as how they feel about the product design.

The beta testing process is relatively straightforward and reaps positive results.

Plan strategic steps ahead of introducing beta testers to guarantee a smooth beta testing phase.

Step one: Beta test preparation

You might feel your product is ready for release. Even so, it’s crucial to invest time and effort into preparing for your beta test.

Start by aligning objectives with your stakeholders. You must understand the key aspects of the user experience that those involved hope to get feedback on. Clarify goals so everyone involved understands the overarching focus and desired outcomes of the beta test.

There’s no beta test without beta testers. Define who your ideal testers would be for your specific project goals. Is the product relevant for all your regular users or a particular subset with specific product needs? Are you looking for testers who are familiar with your product or those who have no experience with it? Create your beta tester profile and select users most closely aligned with that description.

You can then decide how to gather user feedback to streamline the process. Surveys that ask users specific questions about their experience can be useful, mainly if they include a section for written feedback. Alternatively, you could set up a beta tester Slack channel where users can freely share their thoughts on the product in real-time. This could also improve engagement and build a sense of community.

Step two: Recruit beta testers

The possibilities for recruiting beta testers are endless. Your choice of participants and outreach strategy should align with your organization's culture and testing objectives.

If you already have one, leverage your existing user community. Your organization may have a user communication platform like Slack or a social media page at your disposal. If there’s a place your users already engage with and discuss your product and related topics, this is where you will find your beta testers.

You can also use third-party platforms. Sites like UserTesting are great places to connect with potential testers. It handles beta tester compensation if needed, making finding users who meet your specific tester criteria easy. These testers could be entirely new to your product or existing users.

Step three: Set clear instructions

Your beta testers will need detailed instructions for what is expected during the testing stage. They will need to know everything from how to access the product to how to navigate it.

Use this checklist to guarantee your beta testers have all the information they need for a smooth user experience:

• Accessing the beta version: Specify how testers can access the beta product. Clarify whether it’s a mobile app or a web prototype and provide any necessary login information.
• Technical specifications: Let testers know technical requirements or compatibility issues, such as whether they need to use iOS, Android, or a specific browser.
• Submitting feedback: Explain how and when they should give feedback. If you have built a structured feedback form or survey, guide users on accessing it and when the final deadline is. If using a less structured forum like Slack, encourage frequent communication.
• Encourage honesty: Emphasize the importance of both positive and constructive feedback to gain accurate and valuable insights.

Step four: Assess the feedback

Once the feedback is collated, you can sort and analyze the information to determine your next steps.

A popular technique for analyzing beta-testing feedback is affinity mapping. This method uses a design framework to help you organize feedback into categories such as usability, functionality, design, performance, and bugs. Affinity mapping makes it easy to identify common themes and extract meaningful insights.

You should also determine the priority of each issue found. Use a priority matrix to aid in ranking the importance of each piece of feedback and go in order of importance when implementing actions.

Step five: Implement actions

Your final step is curating a detailed list of action items.

Use the gathered insights and your order of priorities to determine what changes need to be made and when. Your list will quickly and strategically be ticked off in preparation for the final release of your product to your broader user base.

Product managers use the beta testing phase to refine and perfect a product before it is released to all users. A vital part of the testing lifecycle, beta testing bridges the gap between the internal development environment and real-world experiences with the product.

By first having select users test the software, product managers can more accurately identify how the product performs under typical user conditions.

At the end of the beta testing phase and once feedback is gathered, product managers assess results and notable patterns that can inform decisions on product improvements. The goal is to ensure the final product launch is what users want and need. It should transform from internal assumptions into a user-centric product.

Amplitude Experiment unites everything you need for beta testing, including analyzing and optimizing your product at scale.

The dynamic interface makes experimenting and releasing new and advanced features easy in just a few clicks. Displaying accurate and real-time data, you can quickly find the problem and make necessary fixes to accelerate acquisitions, engagement, and retention by displaying accurate and real-time data.

Analyze typical behaviors of users and use data to visualize results and see significant insights at a glance. With Amplitude, you can deploy, monitor, and roll out the beta version of your product to your chosen testers without doing a full release. Results are gathered in one shared dashboard, making it easy to organize and decide on the next steps.

Try beta testing to enhance your product’s usability when you sign up for Amplitude.