Today we’re excited to release a free kit that focuses on the ROI (return on investment) of beta testing. Despite being such an important topic in terms of proving value, determining budget, and justifying expenditures, beta test ROI has gotten a bad rap as a near-impossible calculation. It’s understandable, since the lack of tools or discussions on the subject left people to reinvent the wheel each time. However, those dark days are gone with the release of Centercode’s Beta Test ROI whitepaper, calculator, and video tour.

We’ve tried to cover the whole spectrum with this kit, whether you’re looking for quick and easy results or in-depth analysis. Moreover, it’s backed by our own data and observations as industry leaders, as well as input from customers ranging from the Fortune 500 to startups. Here’s an overview of what you can expect:

Beta Test ROI Whitepaper

This is where you start if you’re searching for answers to big questions, like “What factors into a beta test ROI calculation?” or “How do I build a beta ROI without a lot of data?” As far as we know, there’s never really been widely accepted or proposed answers to these questions. So we’ve developed a framework, based on existing Cost of Quality principles, that teaches you how to think about and calculate beta ROI. After reading the whitepaper, you’ll be able to unravel even the most complex beta tests to analyze what you’ve invested versus what you’ve gained.

Beta Test ROI Calculator

Our Beta ROI calculator, on the other hand, is the quickest path to an ROI figure. In fact, you can start by supplying just a few simple inputs about your product and beta test, calculating an ROI in under a minute based on reasonable assumptions. If you’d like to better fit the model to your company or industry, you can easily override our assumptions with historical data or more suitable estimates. Best of all, this is a scalable tool. We’ve included a mechanism for aggregating the results of different beta test scenarios to calculate the ROI for your entire beta program.

Beta Test ROI Video Tour

We’ve also included a video tour for our spreadsheets with the download, for people who want a little extra guidance or to better understand the inner workings of our model. We understand that large spreadsheets can be intimidating at first glance, so this video walks you through the project worksheet and explains how to use it.

We’re always interested in feedback, but that’s especially true with a product of this scope and importance. If you have your own thoughts on beta testing ROI, share them in a comment or email us at roi@centercode.com.
Download your Beta Test ROI Kit now

Image courtesy of Flickr user zzzack.