11 Phases Of Product Launch For Your Shopify Store

How do you launch a Product? In this article, we will guide you through the 11 steps to take when launching your products on Shopify, whether for your own inventory or for dropshipping.

An estimated 70-90 percent of new products fail. This indicates that the products do not sell at the scale and frequency required for profitability. A few purchases occur, and that is it.

Product launches are crucial for new business start-ups and for introducing a new product to an existing lineup.

Successful product launches can establish a strong foundation for long-term success, even in a relatively well-established industry.

There is much riding on this; therefore, you need more than just a simple email announcement carrying a single image of the product you are rolling out.

Often, a less-than-stellar product launch is the primary cause of product failure. Preparation is vital, and this post aims to guide you and ensure you are as well-prepared as possible for a successful product launch that propels you forward.

What Cut As a Perfect Product Launch?

A grand product launch must be strategic in its testing and marketing, which is usually a lengthy and involved process; it involves more than simply listing the product online and making it available.

Granted that the product should be reliable on its own, it is the marketing, and all that leads up to it, that makes or breaks the launch, because if no one hears about how great the product is, they can not buy.

The lengthy process involves developing strategies, testing them, and refining them through further strategizing and testing, all while generating significant excitement and visibility ahead of the product page going live on your site. The process is a learning curve anchored on effectively reaching your audience.

A Step-by-Step Process of Strong Product Launch

Product launches should not be rushed. The implicit is that the process should start early; this article will walk you through it step-by-step.

1. Defined Product’s USP

A unique selling proposition (USP) usually applies to a brand as a whole. However, it can also be customized for individual products.

USPs help explain why a potential customer should buy your product over a competitor by telling what makes yours unique and valuable.

USPs influence the messaging you use and how you market your product, which is significant in strategy development.

You can develop a strong USP centered on a product’s effectiveness and benefits. If you understand a possible USP, that is an excellent place to start, and it should be determined early in the strategy development process.

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2. Identify Audience Segments

Once you have settled on what makes your product stand out, start by identifying your target audience. Your products can appeal to several distinct audience niches.

By creating messaging for each segment, you can develop campaigns tailored to specific segments, ensuring success in product promotion.

You must break down your audience niches into distinct buyer personas and tailor your strategy to audience segments.

The personas should be fleshed out to the extent you understand their demographics, their motivations, and pain points that your product can help resolve.

Each persona will likely be different from the one next to it, but that is good because the more detailed they are, the more they can guide your content.

3. Conduct Market Research

Conducting market research is at the top of the product launch checklist. You want to see what your competitors are already offering, how they market their products, and how well they are doing.

What kinds of ad campaigns are your competitors running? Which aspects get highlighted, and what kind of reception are the products receiving? Identify your top competitor and determine how you can differentiate yourself.

Market research can strengthen or refine USPs if you identify new ways to present your product.

4. Roll Out a Pre-Launch Beta Test

The essence of early testing is that it allows for the pre-testing of initial concepts before investing significant money in a strategy that may or may not work.

Generally, small focus groups are the right call. They enable you to identify enthusiastic members of your target audience, including your current customers, and ask them to test your products for free in exchange for their open, genuine feedback.

You can deploy hyper-targeted Facebook Ads with tight geographic or interest restrictions to find test participants or evaluate the product’s benefits or reception.

Carefully monitor the tests, then apply what you’ve learned to adapt.

You must ensure that your audience is informed about the product, how it is used, and their opinion on the marketing.

5. Develop a Marketing Strategy

Marketing is king in product launches, and you have tons of data to work with at this juncture. You can create your marketing mix, a blend of strategies and platforms that you will use to target your audience.

At this stage, you should do the following;

• Decide on what platforms to use and how much to invest in each.
•  Define some of the copy to use
•  Select specific strategies to implement, such as whether to leverage.

Influencer marketing, leverage discounts or referral programs.

Indeed, different platforms serve different purposes, each with strengths and weaknesses. Consider the following in your choice.

Email marketing offers a high ROI and is a low-cost option. It also allows you to connect with people who are already interested.

Search Ads (Bing, Google & Pinterest) allow you to show your products to users actively searching for them.

Ads have higher costs, though they capture users further in the sales funnel.

Influencer marketing is an excellent choice for achieving superior visibility, generating rapid growth, and creating hype quickly.

Social ads, such as those on Instagram and Facebook, are effective avenues for introducing yourself to users who fit specific target criteria, capturing their interests, and generating demand.

These Ad platforms are slightly cheaper than other PPC campaigns, although they require longer funnels to move users to conversions.

Product reviews and referral campaigns are low-cost yet highly effective, utilizing social proof and word-of-mouth marketing to your advantage.

It would help if you had reviews to get you started. These programs should be executed before the product launch to maintain momentum quickly.

Casting a wider net can lead to quicker success. Deploying a blend of different marketing strategies and platforms is the right call.

Users in various stages of the funnel require specific messaging at specific times.

6. Creating Landing Pages & Product Listing

After figuring out how you want to market your product, the next step is to set up the landing pages and product listings.

Prepare them on your website, then upload the ad campaigns to the Ad Manager area for approval.

There is no hurry to launch anything officially; schedule your ad campaigns for approval in the system, and begin only once you are ready.

If you wish to keep your listing page incognito, you can do so by removing it from Google’s Search Console so it is not findable in search results, and by keeping it out of your current site navigation menu. It must be done early because you still want the listing page ready.

7. Have Your Launch Calendar Ready

The launch calendar should be ready before you begin releasing your campaigns. Determine the day you want to do the big public release and promote it beforehand. Then, when the time is right, you’ll have things in order.

At this stage, you should be as thorough as scheduling a straightforward bet test and setting clear deadlines for when the results should be back.

Additionally, having clear internal periods helps control the urge to test and pursue perfection continually.

It is best to remain accountable to your current timetable unless legitimate product safety or malfunction issues arise.

8. Roll Out a Wider Beta Testing Program.

Through more comprehensive beta testing, you can engage influencers and customers, emphasizing that you value their reviews and honest feedback.

You need to be prepared to adapt your campaigns and strategies as needed. Yes, it may be late in the game, but it is worthwhile to do it before the product is officially released.

You can leverage beta testing spots to increase FOMO and drive early interest. If the product is not acceptable for beta testing, individuals can sign up for an email list to be notified when it becomes available.

9. Ensure Everything is Ready

Everything needs to be ready before the launch starts rolling out. There should be enough inventory for the first protected wave of sales; it must be accessible, and you need to know how long it will take to restock.

The shipping process needs to be in order. Your sales, customer care, and technical support teams should be trained on new products, including how they work, the benefits they offer customers, and how to utilize them effectively.

As a drop shipper, ensure the supplier can fulfill large volumes of orders, especially if you rely on them to maintain sufficient stock. You should keep the supplier informed about what is coming and the number of orders you expect.

10. Start Running Launch Announcements

Announce the release of the new product at least seven days in advance via social media and email.

As soon as the product launches, state that it is limited; this is intended to leverage scarcity and drive early sales.

You can use emails, social media, and Facebook ad campaigns to generate more interest early on.

Let influencers in early and ask them to start talking about your product from launch, so people can start purchasing immediately.

11. Have An Official Launch Event

On product launch day, an official event sets the tone. There are various marvelous new product launch ideas to consider, but not limited to the following;

• A website related to the product you are releasing.
•  Short Facebook Lives demos of how to use the product.
•  Social contests that build social proof capture lead info to generate interest, social buzz, and giveaways of the new product as a critical token prize.

Most importantly, it is essential to generate maximum interest while leveraging each platform to its fullest potential.

Product Launch Mistakes To Avoid

When going through the product launch steps, avoiding numerous common mistakes that threaten your campaign is vital.

Be sure to define product launch ideas before starting.

Concept testing and strategy development should be conducted early in the process. You must only stumble upon it if you know where you are going.

To pay attention to a proper soft launch.

Beta tests and soft launches provide the early momentum needed for the launch, and, of course, they give actionable feedback.

There is no backup plan.

There are times when even the best strategies can go awry.

You have a backup plan at most, if not all, stages of the process to continue even if something unexpected happens.

Lacking a USP

Most new products need more original marketing ideas and USPs. Pulling people away from their established brands is a mammoth task if they cannot promise and deliver something new and extraordinary.

New product launches can be high-stress, but many new products that come to market struggle to gain traction. Nevertheless, new products are worth investing time and money in. A strong product launch can ride on momentum.

Product launches often throw surprises, so you must adapt and apply what you’ve learned.

Swiftness is a vital skill set in successful launches. If you focus on sustaining the best connection you have with your target audience, you are probably on the right track.

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