Lesson 4: Test Your Product Idea

How to Determine If Your Idea Will Succeed

Conducting thorough research—such as exploring forums, running polls, and engaging with potential customers—can provide valuable insights, but the only definitive way to know if your idea will work is to put it to the test. That said, preliminary research can offer important indicators to help you gauge whether you’re on the right path.

Here are six effective strategies to assess the viability of your product idea:

Search for Keywords: Start by Googling keywords or phrases related to your product. If you encounter a wealth of ads in the search results, it’s a strong indication that there’s demand for what you’re planning to create. Don’t forget to check other search engines like Bing and Yahoo for additional confirmation.
Explore Amazon: Visit Amazon to look for books, Kindle editions, CDs, and videos on similar topics. Pay attention to their sales performance and customer reviews—both positive and negative—to glean insights into market demand and identify areas for improvement.
Investigate Digital Marketplaces: Platforms such as JVZoo and Clickbank can reveal similar products that are thriving. Analyze their sales data and gravity scores, and take note of their marketing strategies to gather useful insights.
Browse eBay: eBay is an excellent resource for understanding buyer behavior. If you notice physical versions of products similar to your digital offering selling well, consider adding a physical upsell or order bump alongside your digital product.
Utilize Google Keyword Planner: This tool allows you to see how many people are searching for your topic and assesses the level of competition. Focus on medium-volume, low-competition keywords that you can realistically rank for on the first page of search results.
Check Competitor Traffic with Alexa: Use Alexa to analyze your competitors’ website traffic. If their site is struggling to attract visitors, it may suggest that the market isn’t as promising as you hoped. On the other hand, if they have substantial traffic, it indicates a potential demand for your product.