Getting feedback from potential visitors to your blog or web site can be critical to the successful launch of a new site or even just a new version of an existing site. While software companies have been organizing beta test programs for years, these have been limited to larger companies with staff to manage a beta testing program. However with new web based beta testing services like Prefinery and Launchset it is now possible for a small company, even a blog writer, to easily launch and manage a beta testing program for a new site launch.
Prefinery
Prefinery manages the entire process of collecting and fulfilling requests for invitations for web sites in private beta. They got their start doing this for PC software and have migrated to the support of web based software. Prefinery’s goal is to create a positive first impression for beta testers and help startups collect information that will result in a better product.
Prefinery is the kitchen sink of testing as it handles every aspect of a beta testing process. The service will create a splash page for your product, generate an HTML sign-up form, create an automatic welcome e-mail message, register signups into a queue, approve users, generate invite codes and send emails out to participants. Reading the Prefinery blog gives you insights into Prefinery’s focus on testing and analytics to help you understand the results of your beta tests.
Currently Prefinery is free during their beta, but they are planning to work with a freemium and monthly subscription model which will allow them to serve small blogs and web sites with a freemium model and growing startups with a subscription model and a full range of services.
Launchset
Launchset offers a variety of tools to help sites manage beta programs. Launchset makes it easy to find and invite users, create invitation codes and even set up a waiting list. Launchset recognizes that social media sites could be a key component of attracting interest so they provide tools to invite people through Facebook and Twitter. You can control the size of your testing group by inviting a certain number of people on a first-come-first-served basis or by selecting users from your waiting list based on their profiles.
One of the ways that Launchset is trying to differentiate itself is by building a community of testers. Registering with Launchset means that you can try out cool new services before anyone else does. If you already have existing power users who are interested in beta testing than you don’t need Launchset’s community. If you want to get a group of testers and a group that is highly likely to actually test and comment, than this community could be valuable. However, consider that Launchset’s community is not a random unbiased community – but a collection of folks who like testing which probably means they are not “average” Internet users.
The Launchset user interface needs work. While it is not clear if this is a design issue or the result of not testing in all browsers, most folks will notice that in several places there’s text running onto pictures and the pages are not well organized. Also, it is a bit confusing as to which form to use to register as a site or to register as a potential community tester.
Which Software to use for a Beta Program
Currently the ultimate irony is that both Launchset and Prefinery are themselves in or just coming out of beta testing. While the sites are likely to continue to evolve, unless you need the community of testers, it looks like Prefinery is the more complete tool. However, either service will allow you to do far more testing than you are likely to do on your own!
