The SPARKwatch
Advisory
Service
 



© 2006-2008
 Baird Direct
Marketing, Inc.
All Rights Reserved


 

 

Product Quality Wizard
Here's how to create a checklist to evaluate how well your product meets your customers' needs compared to your competition.  Just follow the steps below.  You'll also find an example below.
 
1. User needs.
Decide which customer needs your product should fulfill, based on your product's mission.
 		 2. Key indicators.
Identify some best practices or measures to identify "what it looks like" if you are meeting these needs well.

3. Dare to Compare.
 Compare your performance to your competitors' using the indicators at left ... or ask your customer to do it.



EXAMPLE
(Sample product quality ratings list -- for a Trade Content Site or Publication)
 
Need #1: "We help you make more money in sales."
  - Number of actionable tips (count 'em).
- User's perceived value of tips (rate 'em).
- User's likelihood of acting on a tip (rate it).
 
Need #2: "We're easy to use."
:   - Time for user to find what they're looking for.
- Clean, uncluttered layout.
- Easy-to-understand content.
   
Need #3: "We make our readers want to read us."
  - Engaging headlines, captions, lead-in copy.
- Home page teases the reader into clicking.
- The graphics support the content.
   
Need #4: "We provide timely, actionable news."
  - Our news is information that the average reader
         says he has not heard before.
- Is this section a heavily-read section?