Digital product development is a popular technique championed by many business owners. But even if you support this movement, you still need a foundation. With so many products available on the market, will your project have its place?
The product development process needs to be structured. Read our guide on key steps to take. After learning these steps, you can build a solid foundation for your business to succeed.
Ideation and Research
Creating a digital product is an iterative process that usually starts with research and coming up with ideas. Research can involve user interviews to gain a better understanding of the following:
- user needs
- competitive landscape research
- market opportunity research
Ideation then gives product teams the opportunity to propose features and services. As well as other product ideas that meet those needs and can be adapted to fit the competitive landscape.
Ideation also invites stakeholders to collaborate and think critically about the proposed products. This allows teams to identify which features should be prioritized and which ones should be discarded when developing a product.
Design and Development
Design and Development are two sides of the coin when it comes to digital product development. The design phase involves creating a product concept and a plan to bring it to life. The design thinking process looks into user behavior, customer needs, and expectations.
Once the design is complete, the development phase kicks in. In this stage, the product is created, architected, and built to bring the design concept alive.
This involves writing code, building APIs, testing different user flows, and piloting with users. During the development phase, the focus is on making a product that is reliable and easy to maintain. Scalability, security, and compliance are also taken into account.
Product Testing
It is the practice of evaluating the functionality, usability, and performance of a product before its public release. This step helps ensure that any product flaws or inconsistencies are identified and remedied before launch.
Product testing should be executed early and often during the commencement of the development process. It should involve both manual testing. This is where product developers painstakingly test each feature. Also, automated tests are used, where specialized software ‘crawls’ the product and checks for errors.
Testing should reflect the likely user experience. Beta testing offers the opportunity to ‘test-drive’ the product using real users and gain invaluable feedback. Finally, the rollout of the product should be well managed.
Launch and Deployment
Launch and deployment is the final step of a successful digital product development process. This generally involves introducing the product to end users and launching the software into the market. To ensure a successful launch, product teams need to:
- Conduct thorough beta testing
- Create comprehensive rollout plans
- Develop an effective and extensive launch plan
In order to ensure the successful delivery of your product, it may be helpful to know the difference between PIM vs PDS. Once you have learned about the differences, you can make an informed decision about which option is best suited for your needs.
A Guide to Digital Product Development
Once the digital product is launched, it’s important to monitor and track its progress in order to assess its effectiveness and refine it, if necessary.
With this guide on the key steps for digital product development, you can begin the process and create a digital product that meets the needs of your target audience. Start building your product today and see the success it brings!
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