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Welcome to the Centercode
Delta Testing Blog

Advice on running effective, scalable delta testing programs from the Centercode team.

Featured Posts

Introducing Centercode 10x: A Leap Forward in Modern User Testing

Centercode News

Centercode 10x redefines user testing with AI, app integration, and real-world insights to fast-track better product decisions.

A New Chapter for Centercode: Launching Our Partner Program

Centercode News

CEO Luke Freiler announces Centercode Partners, a new program for resellers and MSPs to enhance user testing for clients.

Centercode's 2024 Content Roundup

Product Development

Discover the best content from Centercode in 2024, including ebooks, blogs, webinars, and more.

Most Recent Posts

Download Our Whitepaper on Cultivating High-Quality Feedback

Content Release

At the heart of every successful beta is great feedback. Collecting useful feedback that can be used to improve a product is the core purpose of beta testing. Feedback is only useful, however, if it’s clear, complete, and properly managed. Otherwise, you risk reaching the end of your beta with a mountain of ambiguous data […]

The Promising Future of Fitness Wearables

Content Release

The Model-T was the world’s first affordable automobile and widely believed to be the most influential car of the 20th century. Built by Henry Ford in 1908, the Model-T was the first mass-produced automobile built on a moving assembly line. By designing a car with interchangeable parts, Ford could produce a car quickly while also […]

Are Users Leaving Their Fitness Wearables Behind?

Content Release

There is nothing more sinister to the success of a new tech product than the dreaded abandonment rate. Whenever a cutting edge tech product launches, there’s a flood of early adopters who are interested in being the first consumers to own and use the product. Despite high levels of enthusiasm from these early users, a […]

The Beta Tester Community that Fuels Centercode’s Success

Centercode News

Having the right tools and expertise to run a beta test is only a piece of the puzzle. You also need targeted beta testers to try out your product and provide feedback. At Centercode, we have a growing community of over 100,000 profiled beta testers called Betabound. We use this community to find the perfect […]

The Rise of Fitness Wearables

Content Release

Wearable technology is exploding, with fitness wearables leading the way. In fact, wearable technology is one of the fastest growing sectors in the tech industry today, and seems to only be getting more popular. Every year, tons of new wearable products are going to market. Brands like Fitbit and Jawbone have seen incredible growth quarter […]

4 Tips for Building Great Beta Surveys

Test Management

One of the most important tools a beta team has at their disposal are surveys. An effective survey can help a team qualify testers, obtain user insights, and quantify tester attitudes during the test. Surveys can even be an effective way to increase participation with your beta testers. A poorly constructed survey, however, can have […]

How to Use Net Promoter Score in Your Beta Program

Test Management

It’s easy to collect a lot of data during a beta test, the hard part is knowing what to ask to get the information you need about your product. One popular metric to use is Net Promoter Score® (NPS®). If you’re not familiar, a Net Promoter Score is a way to measure how likely your […]

An Introduction to Beta Testing Products

Test Planning

You’re a product manager for a soon to be released product and you want to make sure it’s completely ready for release. You’ve heard about beta testing before but you’ve never managed or participated in one. In fact, the more you think about it, the more you realize how little you know about beta testing. […]

Converting Your Beta Testers into Brand Evangelists

Test Launch

Brand evangelists can be a powerful force for your product. A brand evangelist is a customer who’s not only a big fan of you and the products you sell, but often makes it their mission to refer or recommend your products to everyone around them. Seeking out and cultivating as many brand evangelists as you […]

4 Points To Make To Your Boss About Beta Testing

Test Planning

You’re a product manager and the release of the product you’ve been working on is right around the corner. Before the big day, you want to run a beta test to make sure the product works perfectly. The problem is, your CEO isn’t familiar with beta testing and has some concerns. Maybe he’s afraid of […]

How To Leverage a Beta Product Leak

Test Launch

You’re a few weeks into managing a beta test for a new product your company plans to release soon. You get an email from someone on your beta team that there has been a leak online. One of your testers took a picture of your company’s new gadget fresh out of the box and posted […]

5 Crucial Steps To Take When There’s a Leak During Beta

Test Management

It’s no secret that sometimes things don’t go according to plan. An information leak during a beta test is something many beta teams dread, but it does happen. When it does it’s important that you’re prepared to handle it. Having a plan of attack in place should a leak pop up is the first step […]

5 Expectations to Establish with Testers on Day One

Test Launch

A common mistake new beta managers make is to assume that testers instinctually know what they’re supposed to do during a beta test. In truth, most testers (even the ‘naturals’) need guidance. It’s up to you to provide that guidance so your testers can hit the ground running when your test starts. Be transparent with […]

Centercode Named One of the Best Places to Work (and We’re Hiring!)

Centercode News

Centercode is excited to announce that the Orange County Business Journal and Best Companies Group has officially named us one of the Best Places to Work in Orange County in 2015! Centercode CEO Luke Freiler said, “When I started this company when I was 20 I really wanted to create a company where people would […]

Top 5 Ways to Increase Beta Test Confidentiality

Test Management

When it comes to running private beta tests, maintaining confidentially among your testers is extremely important. No company wants valuable information about their product leaked to the public prematurely. That’s why we’ve chosen the top five simple best practices that can be used to significantly increase the security of your beta tests. We’d recommend taking […]

Understanding Ongoing and Directed Feedback

Test Management

In a very fundamental way, feedback is the lifeblood of a beta test. If your beta test doesn’t garner good feedback it’ll be considered a failure. However, if you can collect a lot of relevant feedback your beta test will be a resounding success. Knowing the best processes to collect the right feedback from your […]

What’s An Energy Pool and What Role Does It Play in Beta?

Test Management

So your beta test is almost ready to go. You’re in the process of securing your testers but you’re still trying to find the best way to think about recruitment as well as your feedback collection processes. Assessing potential testers can be tough. It’s also hard to know exactly how to engage testers in a […]

10 Reasons Why Your Recruitment Failed…and Why It Didn’t Have To

Test Launch

Let’s be honest, recruiting the right testers for your beta test isn’t the easiest thing in the world, especially if it’s your first time. Being able to know what makes a good tester and how to properly structure your recruitment strategy takes some practice. So it’s entirely possible that you’ve reached the end of your […]

6 Good Beta Test Incentives Options (and 3 to Avoid)

Test Planning

Last week, we discussed how to determine if your product would make a good incentive for your beta testers. As you discovered, giving your testers the product as their reward isn’t always feasible or sufficient. This week, we’ll take a look at other incentives you can give to your tester team if your product isn’t […]

Is Your Product a Good Incentive for Your Beta Test?

Test Closure

Picking the right incentive will make a big difference in the success of your beta test. In last week’s post, we discussed the factors to consider when selecting an incentive for your beta testers. This week we’re covering how to determine whether your product is the right incentive for your beta test. For many tests, […]

What to Consider When Planning Your Beta Test Incentives

Test Planning

Think of beta test incentives as the proverbial carrot on the stick for your testers. Since beta testers are (almost always) unpaid volunteers, incentives are key to encouraging them to see your test through to the end. Picking the best incentive, however, can be a challenge. The goal is to give testers something they actually […]

Using Social Media for Beta Test Recruitment

Test Launch

Recruiting testers to a beta test is one of the biggest challenges beta managers face. After spending months getting a beta product off the ground, the last thing a beta manager wants to do is spend lots of time recruiting candidates to their test. Luckily, social media is a great tool for quickly recruiting quality […]

The Key Beta Testing Objectives of Founders

Test Planning

For founders, running a beta test is a thrilling and terrifying time. You’ve put blood, sweat, and tears into making your idea into a real product and this is the first time that product is going to be hands of real customers. It’s the big moment where you’ll discover if people like your product as […]

Crafting a Strong Beta Test Proposal

Test Planning

Beta testing is an exciting phase for any product, but convincing your management team to run a beta test can be tricky — especially if you feel like you’re the only one advocating for beta testing. The key is to build a well-researched, objective, and comprehensive plan to present to your key decision makers. Below […]

How Long Should My Beta Test Be?

Test Planning

Read the updated version of this blog post. During the early stages of planning a beta project, one of the first questions people ask is, “How long should my beta test be?” Usually, this question is followed by, “How many beta testers do I need?” While it’s understandable that scoping the number of testers and […]

5 Tips for Closing Your Hardware Test

Test Closure

The closing phase of any beta test is an exciting time. You’ve done most of the heavy lifting, you can see the light at the end of the tunnel, now you just need to finish it all up. The main factor that makes hardware beta tests unique is the fact that you’re dealing with physical […]

6 Tips for Managing Your Hardware Test

Test Management

Once you’ve planned and kicked off your hardware test, you need to focus on managing your test day-to-day. Hardware tests usually have small tester teams, so you need best practices in place to help you maximize the contribution of each of your testers. Your testers’ initial excitement will begin to die down after kickoff and […]

3 (More) Red Flags to Look for in Your Beta Applicants

Test Management

When you announce a beta test, you’ll likely get many more applicants than you actually need to participate. So, you’ll need to decide which candidates would be the best testers for your project, and there are many good attributes that you’ll first want to look for. These traits include things such as clear communication, enthusiasm […]

What You Need to Know About Software Beta Tests

Content Release

Different types of products require different beta testing strategies. From hardware to software to mobile apps to video games, each product will need a unique plan of action in order to run a good beta test. Our What You Need to Know series goes through the unique challenges for each type of beta test and […]

The Key Beta Objectives for Support Managers

Test Planning

For support managers, your ultimate goal is the make sure that your customers get the most out of their experience with your product. A beta test can help get your team, your processes, and your documentation ready to handle that task. To get the most out of your beta test, however, you need to set […]

6 Red Flags to Look for in Your Beta Applicants

Test Management

When finding and recruiting the right group of people to beta test your product, there are a number of positive character traits and behavioral tendencies that you’ll want to look for. We’ve discussed many of these traits before, both on our blog and in our Beta Tester Recruitment Kit. While it’s good to focus on […]

The Key Beta Objectives for Quality Managers

Test Planning

Quality managers can get a lot of value out of the beta phase of product development. It’s a great chance to identify bugs, test a product’s compatibility, and really see how the product fares in the wild. If you’re a quality manager that’s been tasked with running a beta test for your product, you need […]

Tips for Tackling Agile Beta Testing

Test Management

Many software companies are switching from traditional development methods to agile development. Agile development is an iterative methodology, focused on incremental software development rather than longer, more regimented development lifecycles. Agile development is rapid and flexible, and therefore requires a beta testing approach that is rapid and flexible as well. To align with the tenets […]

3 Tips for Kicking Off Your Hardware Test

Test Launch

Beta tests have a few basic stages: planning, kickoff, managing, and closing. There are best practices that go with each of these stages. Last week we discussed planning your hardware test, so this week we’ll get into what you should do during kickoff to ensure a successful test. Kicking off your beta test is an […]

6 Things You Should Do When Planning Your Hardware Test

Test Planning

If you’ve ever run a hardware beta test before, you know that there are a lot of logistics involved. Between shipping, tracking, and retrieving your beta units, it’s easy for something to pop up and derail your test. On top of that, you need to maximize the feedback you receive from every single unit, which […]

The Key Beta Objectives for Usability Engineers

Test Planning

Identifying your objectives is the first step down the road to a successful beta test, and every person (and job title) will have a different list of objectives for their beta. So, to continue on with our Beta Testing Objectives series, today we’ll be exploring the common beta testing objectives for usability engineers. Usability engineers […]

So You Announced Your Product at CES — Now What?

Test Planning

At the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) this month, we saw technology companies of every size and shape converge to show off their new products. Each day was filled with flashy demos and big announcements about new cutting-edge products. The buzz about what the future of tech looks like was constant and exciting.

Our Most Popular Beta Testing Resources of 2014

Content Release

Throughout the year, we’re constantly publishing valuable resources, tools, and information to help you run better beta tests. From our whitepapers to our case studies to our blog posts, we aim to provide a variety of beta testing advice no matter what product you’re launching, job title you hold, or industry you’re in. In case […]

The Key Beta Objectives for Product Managers

Test Planning

No matter what role you play in the development of a product, at some point you may be tasked with running a beta test. To continue on with our blog series outlining the various objectives people in different roles have during a beta test, this week we’ll be outlining the specific objectives that product managers […]

What to Put in the Welcome Letter to Your Testers

Test Launch

Finding and selecting the right group of testers to beta test your product is something that you’ll likely spend a lot of time and energy doing. It’s one of the most important steps for a successful beta test. For this reason, once your testers are selected and they’ve signed all the legal forms, it’s crucial […]

The Key Beta Objectives for Marketing Managers

Test Planning

Since beta testing is one of those tasks that may be handled by a number of different people within a company, it can have a number of different objectives. While every beta test will have the core goal of polishing up a product prior to launch, the other objectives will vary greatly depending on who […]

What You Need to Know About Hardware Tests

Content Release

In an effort to explain all of the in’s and out’s of the beta testing world, we previously released our free eBook: What You Need to Know About Beta Management. Now, to further that effort, we are giving you 7 more resources containing strategies, tips, best practices, and templates to help you […]

The Key Beta Testing Objectives for Beta Managers

Test Planning

The task of beta testing a product can land on many different peoples’ desks within a company. The objectives of a beta test can vary depending on the role of the person running it. For example, a marketing manager may focus on the target market’s opinions on specific features, while a usability engineer may focus […]

What’s New in Our November 2014 Release

Centercode News

Our November 2014 Release has some great new features that build on the significant leaps we made with our big June Release earlier this year. We’re constantly striving to provide better, more efficient tools for you to run your beta program, and this release is no different. The following are the key highlights of this […]

Centercode Puts Denon’s HEOS Home Audio System to the Test

Case Study

As the team at Denon got closer to launching the HEOS wireless home audio system, they knew they were going to need a thorough beta testing process. They wanted to get their product out of the lab and into the hands of users in real-world environments, knowing just how crucial ease of use is for […]

How to Incentivize Software and Web Site Beta Testers

Test Closure

We recently released a Beta Test Incentives Kit that helps you build a comprehensive strategy for motivating and rewarding your beta testers throughout your beta test. This kit walks you through creating a naturally rewarding testing experience, as well as selecting and distributing tangible gifts to your beta testers to thank them for their time […]

How to Use Scoring to Improve Your Beta Program

Test Management

As we’ve discussed in previous posts, tracking participation during beta testing is an incredibly important part of tester management. It allows you to keep track of which of your testers are contributing to your beta (and deserve to be rewarded) and which ones are dead weight. One simple and effective way to do this is […]

Adding Drawings and Contests to Your Beta Program

Test Management

Keeping your beta testers motivated throughout your test can be a significant challenge for many beta managers. To overcome it, you need to strategically combine two pieces: creating a fun testing experience for your users and rewarding them with gifts for their hard work. While it’s a common best practice to give active testers a […]

Building a Rewarding Testing Experience: After Your Test is Over

Test Closure

In this final installment of our Building a Rewarding Testing Experience series, we’ll finish off with what to do when your testing phase has come to a close. Be sure to check out our first and second installments of the series to get yourself up to speed with tips for before and during your test. […]

Centercode Simplifies and Streamlines Esri’s Beta Program

Case Study

In our latest case study, we take a look at how the Centercode platform has helped international software company Esri build and broaden their beta testing program. Esri had been relying on an in-house beta program to test its mapping and geographic information software, but the system was cumbersome and needed to be spun up […]

Building a Rewarding Testing Experience: During Your Beta Test

Test Management

In the second installment of our Building the Experience series, we’re delving into the measures you should take during your test in order to maximize participation by giving your testers a rewarding testing experience. If you’d like a refresher on what to do before your test begins to set the right tone, be sure to […]

Building a Rewarding Testing Experience: Before Your Test Begins

Test Planning

This is the first installment of our three part series about building a rewarding testing experience. In order to maximize the engagement of your beta testers, you need to incentivize them to participate in your beta test. A big part of incentivizing your testers is creating a naturally rewarding beta testing experience that makes them […]

The 6 Different Types of Testers in Your Beta Program

Test Management

Understanding beta tester motivation is critical to the success of your beta test. In order to engage your beta testers and get the most feedback from them, you need to understand what’s driving them to be part of your beta test. If you understand why your testers are volunteering their time to your test, you […]

Centercode Helps One Cloud’s New Software Soar

Case Study

For our latest case study, we take a look at Centercode’s work with One Cloud. One Cloud is a software platform that allows professional photographers to provide their clients with a simple, seamlessly-branded experience when digitally delivering or sharing their work. Professional photographers Gavin and Erin Wade had been struggling with finding an efficient way […]

New Kit for Building Your Beta Test Incentives Strategy

Content Release

A fundamental part of every beta test is rewarding your testers for their contribution to your product’s development. How you reward your beta testers will have a significant impact on the success of your beta program. A solid incentives strategy will keep your testers contributing throughout your project and leave them feeling valued. A weak […]

Writing an Effective and Intriguing Beta Recruitment

Test Planning

Getting the right people to apply for your beta test is no easy task. You have to balance enticing potential testers with maintaining confidentiality. You have to excite them without giving too much away. You need to communicate what it means to be a beta tester for you while tempting them with the rewards of […]

Look Inside Our Platform with Our Executive Overview

Centercode News

As you’ve probably heard, we recently released a new version of the Centercode platform with over 100 new or enhanced features. This release is a huge step forward in the world of beta testing and allows companies to not just collect user feedback during beta, but to easily turn that data into highly-actionable prioritized results […]

Developing a Good Qualification Survey for Your Beta Test

Test Planning

As part of your beta recruitment strategy, you’re going to need to develop a way to qualify your testers. This may sound like a simple task, but the truth is that it can be extremely difficult to round up the right people. Not everyone who displays interest in your test is going to be a […]

The Next Generation of Beta Testing is Officially Here

Centercode News

At long last, we’re ecstatic to announce the new Centercode beta test management platform has finally arrived. With this release we’ve entirely re-imagined what’s possible through beta testing and customer-driven development, offering a range of new capabilities including powerful feedback scoring, collaborative feedback discussion, and intelligent feedback automation, accessible through a mobile interface optimized for […]

Using Personas and Vectors in Your Recruiting Strategy

Test Planning

Recruiting targeted beta testers is one of the most difficult aspects of beta testing. If your beta testers aren’t a true reflection of your target market, then you risk ending up with irrelevant and distracting feedback that could veer your product off course. This becomes even more difficult if you have a diverse market, or […]

How We’re Helping Whistle Handle the Challenges of the Wearables Market

Case Study

The wearables market is booming. It’s already a multi-billion dollar market with conservative estimates predicting it will more than triple within the next few years. Companies of all shapes and sizes are jumping into this new industry with flashy prototypes and impressive plans to become the front-runner in this burgeoning space. Soon, you’ll be able […]

Free Kit for Finding and Recruiting Great Beta Testers

Content Release

The success, or failure, of every beta test relies heavily upon its team of beta testers. The right group of testers can provide a fire-hose of quality feedback with minimal time investment. On the other hand, the wrong testers will provide virtually nothing of value — despite endless begging and pleading on your end. Even […]

The Risks of Running a Public Beta Test

Test Launch

Public (or “open”) beta tests have become incredibly popular in recent years as big companies have added large public beta tests into their development processes. The increased buzz and excitement about an upcoming launch that often comes with a public beta test can certainly build momentum around a product. But, as some companies can attest, […]

Should Employees, Friends, & Family Be Your Beta Testers?

Test Planning

Whether you’re a small company running your first beta test, or a big company with an established beta program humming along, beta tester recruitment and selection is one of the toughest challenges of beta testing. Finding the right people, getting them interested, and qualifying them for your beta test can be an incredibly time-consuming task. […]

Determining Your Beta Testing Objectives

Test Planning

One of the most unique aspects of beta testing is the wide variety of different objectives it can achieve compared to other forms of product testing. This flexibility is part of what makes beta testing so valuable, but it can also make beta challenging as you try to decide which objectives to focus on during […]

Collecting Mock Product Reviews During Beta

Test Management

There are a variety of activities you can ask your testers to participate in during beta. While things like bugs and feature requests may spring to mind first, it’s important to get creative about the kinds of feedback you collect so you can get the most value out of your test. One activity we’ve found […]

Announcing Betabound: A New Way to Find Great Beta Testers

Centercode News

Since Centercode’s early days we’ve had a community of amazing beta testers. They’ve helped our Managed Betas Team successfully test hundreds of diverse products for companies of all types. Our community has grown organically through word of mouth to nearly 90,000 beta testers. As we’ve grown, our testers have clamored for more products to test, […]

Centercode Software and the Heartbleed Bug

Centercode News

Given the sensitivity of information collected throughout the beta process, we’ve been receiving a lot of questions from rightfully worried customers about whether we’re susceptible to the Heartbleed bug. We wanted to take a moment to offer assurance that that the Heartbleed bug does not affect our platform, as our software does not use OpenSSL. […]

Using Beta to Build a Better Kickstarter Campaign

Case Study

Crowdfunding is undoubtedly changing the tech landscape. Promising companies are posting videos featuring intriguing prototypes and fascinating concepts every day on sites like Kickstarter, Indiegogo, or one of the many other crowdfunding options out there. At the same time, tech company executives, journalists, and investors are trying to figure out exactly what crowdfunding means for […]

Visualizing the Impact of Beta Testing

Test Planning

In a recent webinar Centercode’s CEO, Luke Freiler, discussed how companies can increase the return on investment (ROI) of their beta programs. (If you missed it, you can watch the entire presentation and download the slides here.) One of the most interesting parts of the presentation was a big picture look at how beta testing […]

How to Collect Useful Feedback During Beta

Test Management

An updated version of this blog post was published on September 18th, 2018. When it comes down to it, beta testing is all about collecting feedback on an unreleased product from customers in real environments. If you’re not collecting meaningful feedback from your testers, then your beta test isn’t really doing its job. The problem […]

How Many Beta Testers Do I Need?

Test Planning

Read the updated version of this blog post. One of the most common roadblocks when beginning a beta test is determining the number of testers you need. An array of different factors can impact this decision. From the number of people internally designated to support the beta project to the number of customers you have, […]

Join Our Webinar to Increase the ROI of Your Beta Tests

Events

Update: Did you miss this event? You can watch the full webinar and download the slides on Pragmatic Marketing’s website. Enjoy! The wonderful folks at Pragmatic Marketing have asked us to be part of their Pragmatic Live webinar series. So, on Wednesday March 19th at 11 am PST / 2 pm EST we’ll be hosting […]

What Motivates Our Beta Testers?

Test Management

There are a lot of great reasons people become testers. Your testers could be tech early adopters, avid users of your product, or potential customers who happened to come across your beta announcement. We’ve long advocated that the best testers are the ones that are there because of an interest in making your product better, […]

How IBM and Google Shaped the Term “Beta”

Leader Insights

At Centercode we use the term “beta” countless times every day. We realized that even though we use it so much, we’d never taken a moment to step back and consider where it came from. So we thought it would be nice to take a moment to look at how the term beta has developed […]

4 Strategies for Improving the ROI of Your Beta Program

Test Planning

Earlier this month we talked about five ways beta testing impacts your bottom line. It’s a great read for anyone looking to measure the return on investment (ROI) of their beta programs. Once you’ve figured out the ROI of your beta program, however, your natural inclination is to start improving that ROI to make your […]

Going Beyond Beta: 4 Ways to Leverage Your Community

Test Planning

Building a beta program can have an immense impact on the success of your product and the financial stability of your company. But the things that make beta testing valuable (gathering customer feedback, having a community of enthusiastic early adopters, being able to test in real-world environments) can be valuable for goals far beyond beta. […]

5 Ways Beta Testing Impacts Your Bottom Line

Test Closure

Beta testing plays an integral role in the development and success of any technology product. It can be difficult, however, to pinpoint and quantify exactly how your beta program is impacting your company’s finances. You may have a feeling that beta improves the quality of your product and the success of its launch, but it […]

Using Bug Reports in Centercode

Test Management

Recently we talked about how bug reports are used in beta testing to further quality and support goals. That post looked at what makes bug reports challenging to collect and how you can ensure you’re getting the data your team needs to fix those critical bugs that seem to pop up during most beta tests. […]

Our Most Popular Beta Management Resources of 2013

Content Release

We add a lot of new resources to our library and our blog throughout the year. Over time, some rise to the top, so we’ve put together the winners from 2013. If you’re new to our site (or just looking for the best advice we’ve shared so far) these popular pieces would be a great […]

The Ins and Outs of Shipping Beta Units Internationally

Test Management

This week a beta manager emailed us for advice on shipping hardware beta units internationally. As the head of Centercode’s Managed Betas Team, I’ve been shipping hardware beta units overseas for more than two decades and am very versed in the rules, processes and best practices for making this smooth and successful. Given the complexity […]

Stress Testing: Two Cautionary Tales

Test Management

Stress testing (also known as load testing) is one of the popular goals in prerelease testing. Yet as recent media kerfuffles with product launches such as Healthcare.gov and SimCity have shown us, they can be risky and damaging endeavors if not handled correctly. So let’s take a look at how stress testing can be done […]

Bug Reports in Beta Testing

Test Management

Bug reports are the first thing that comes to mind when many people think about beta testing, and for good reason. Since beta tests are all about improving product quality, almost all betas involve collecting bug reports to give to their development and quality teams. Even if your beta test isn’t focused on collecting detailed […]

6 Goals of Public Beta Tests

Test Planning

Planning a public beta test starts with deciding what you want your beta to achieve. Like private beta tests, public betas can be designed with a wide variety of objectives in mind. How you approach your public beta test will very much depend on your primary and secondary goals, since your goals effect everything from […]

The Power of Thank You Notes

Test Closure

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, we’re tackling an important (and too often overlooked) part of beta testing: sending thank you notes to your testers. While rewarding your testers with products or gift cards is an integral piece of beta testing, adding a thank you note from your team sends a strong message to your testers. […]

Feature Requests in Centercode

Test Management

Recently we did a post on the role feature requests play in beta. That post looked at the challenges and benefits of collecting feature requests and is a great overview of feature requests as a concept in beta. This post looks at how feature requests are used in the Centercode beta test management platform to […]

New Resource: Beta Test Management Glossary

Content Release

Beta testing has a lot of terminology. Those familiar with beta throw around terms like beta applicant, feedback loop, and test platform because we use these terms every day. However, it’s important to make sure that for members of your team that don’t manage betas day-in and day-out, there’s an agreed upon set of terms […]

How Is It Possible to Guarantee 100% Participation?

Centercode News

The single biggest challenge of nearly every beta test is participant engagement. Typical beta tests have very low participation rates (20-30%), meaning over 2/3 of the testers simply walk away with the product or gift at the end without giving any feedback. As part of our Managed Beta Tests, we promise our clients that they’ll […]

Public Betas as a Launch Tool

Content Release

We’re going to delve into the differences between public and private beta tests to clear up some of the misconceptions and help you devise a beta strategy that makes the most sense for your product. We’ve also written a free whitepaper that walks you through planning a successful public beta test. For now, let’s start with the basics.

Feature Requests in Beta Testing

Test Management

Beta testing has many different moving parts. With so many pieces, it can be difficult to keep everything in perspective. We’re putting together a series that looks at the roles of different activities and functions in beta testing, so you can make the most of everything beta has to offer. This first post will look at the important, but often misunderstood, role feature requests play in beta.

Using Beta for Competitive Research

Test Planning

Beta testing can be a great tool for understanding how your customers interact with your product, but the usefulness of beta testing doesn’t have to stop there. You can also use your beta community, tools, and expertise to conduct competitive research on other products in your market. This is an easy way to get an in-depth view of how customers use your competitor’s product and how it stacks up against your own.

Centercode Feature Spotlight: Test Platforms

Test Management

No technology product operates in a vacuum these days. No matter what type of product you’re developing, your product requires some other piece of technology to function properly. Understanding your testers’ environments and how your product behaves in them is fundamental to a beta test. If you’re testing a mobile app, you need to know […]

We’re Visiting On Product Management

Leader Insights

We’re a guest author today on the On Product Management blog. Our post takes a look at how to know when you’re ready for beta and includes checklists to help determine product, team, and tester readiness. Big thank you to the On Product Management team for letting us visit! Check out the post now!

Should I Pay My Beta Testers?

Test Closure

As a beta manager you want to get as much relevant feedback from each tester as you can. Incentivizing and rewarding testers for their participation is a key part of getting that feedback. As a result, it can be tempting to attach a dollar amount to specific types of feedback, giving testers cash for each critical bug or for completing all of your requirements.

Keep Testers Engaged with These 10 Beta Activities

Test Management

There’s a wide variety of activities your beta testers are more than willing to do to help improve your product. The activities that make the most sense for your test will vary based on your product and objectives, but here are ten of the most common ones (spoiler alert: bug reports are just the tip of the iceberg!).

What’s the Difference Between an NDA and a BPA in Product Testing?

Test Launch

The legal aspects of a beta test can be a major stumbling block for any team. When you’re putting prerelease products into the hands of strangers, you want to make sure you have your bases covered. While your legal team may have boilerplate contracts for many situations, this could be their first time dealing with beta’s unique legal questions. Two legal agreements are commonly used in beta: non-disclosure agreements and beta participant agreements. We’d like to take a moment to look at the different purposes these two documents serve.

Insider Tips from Centercode’s Support Team

Test Management

Reading through this blog, you might be looking for advice on your next beta, or perhaps debating whether to run a beta at all. You could be neck-deep in five projects, or speeding through our training materials preparing for your first. No matter your scenario, there are some simple (yet critical) concepts that directly influence your ability to run a successful test.

The Role of Friction in Beta Testing

Test Management

One topic we often discuss is how to keep your testers engaged and participating in your beta test. It’s one of the biggest challenges of beta testing and also one of the most complex problems to fix. We’ve come up with a way of looking at beta test participation that might be helpful as you strive to get the most out of your volunteers.

What Constitutes “Participation” in a Beta Test?

Test Management

We’ve made the claim that our managed beta tests achieve an average active participation rate of over 90%, something almost unheard of in beta testing (where participation rates average ~30%). While in the past we’ve covered many of the tactics and tools we’ve used to reach this level, we’ve never published a definition of exactly what this benchmark is.

10 Mistakes That Will Derail Your Beta Test

Test Management

Whether you’re managing your first beta or your fiftieth, some mistakes can completely hamstring a beta test. Here are the biggest mistakes to watch out for as you prepare for your next test.

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