The Five Benefits of In-Home Usage Testing
Rolling out a new product can be overwhelming and stressful, especially since you don’t know how your target audience will react to it. That’s why market research is so important—it allows you to determine what your target audience likes and dislikes about the product before putting it on shelves. One form of market research that is incredibly popular is in home usage testing, or IHUT. This type of testing allows you to get valuable in-depth consumer feedback on your product so you can be confident about it when it comes time to roll it out in stores.
1. Natural Environment
One of the best things about in-home usage testing or IHUT, is that it allows for products to be tested in a natural and organic environment as opposed to in a sterile room. By allowing consumers to take the product home, you get to see a more realistic use of it and the testers are able to give you a more honest review of the product. They also won’t feel as pressured to say good things about the product simply because they are in your presence. By taking the product home, the review will certainly be much more genuine.
2. More Details
When testers are able to take the product home, they get to spend more time with it. As a result, they are able to give more detailed feedback. This includes providing you with information such as what the product tastes or smells like, what they thought about the packaging, whether or not the product is worth the money, and so much more. They can also provide you with specific details about just how they used the product. All of this information is extremely valuable and not information you could have received in any other type of testing.
3. In the Moment Feedback
If you have a product that takes time to review, then an IHUT is the way to go. This can include products such as face creams that need to be tested over a certain period of time to see if they work. The more time that a consumer has with a product, the better and the more accurate the review will be. For products that need a time lapse, an IHUT is the only way to really get an honest review.
4. Different Types of Feedback
Because of the fact that the tester isn’t sitting right in front of you, there are plenty of different ways to get the feedback that you need. Options include surveys, phone calls, video calls, or even in person interviews where you discuss the product at length. You are able to take the interview or phone call as soon as a week after the IHUT takes place, or wait a little bit longer depending on the product and how much time you think the tester needs to review it properly.
5. Gives You Time to Reevaluate
After an IHUT and after you have received all of the feedback that you need, you will be able to go back and reevaluate your product and make any adjustments as needed. For instance, this can involve making a product more user-friendly, lowering the cost of the product, and so much more. You can even discuss with the tester what they believe the appeal of the product may be. All in all, an IHUT really helps with getting to know the target audience to ensure that their product is really what they want. These insights will help you sell your product and gain the success that you are looking for.
