Want Free Beer?

By Erik Burns

Whether you are testing the User Interface for a new technology or just re-branding your service, chances are that you could benefit from some sound market feedback. The good news is that you don't have to spend weeks on research or thousands of dollars to get it. Café testing - quick, low-cost, informal market testing at a café - can help you get the feedback you need fast. This article tells you everything you need to know to get started.

Is Café Testing Right for You?

The basic idea behind café testing is to situate yourself at a café, put up a sign to attract participants, and test the people that come to you. Because cafes appeal to a wide variety of individuals, and people at a café often have time to spare, café testing can be a great way to perform a quick litmus test in the marketplace.

Café testing isn't ideal for all situations. Ideally, café testing should be used if:

• Your product or service is designed to appeal to a consumer audience
• Your tests can be performed with limited portable materials such as comp boards, a pen and paper, or a laptop computer
• Your money is more important than your time. Café tests can be performed at a fraction of the cost (often for as little as $5/participant), but may require more of your personal time than traditional outsourced testing solutions.

Design for the "80% Rule"

The 80% Rule (or Pareto's Principle) is a management principle that encourages you to focus your efforts on those few core activities that will yield the greatest results. When designing your tests, stick to the basics: What needs to be tested? Who is my ideal target audience and how can I screen for them? How will I analyze the results once I'm done?
As you begin gathering data, you may notice areas where your study could be improved. Allow your tests to evolve as you go - that's half of the point of informal do-it-yourself café testing.

Create a Test Script

A short script can help you guide your participants through the study. Brief your participants by stating that you are conducting the tests as a favor to a friend, and have no vested interest in the results. Remind them that you are testing only the products and services, and not their skills or aptitude. Set an expectation for how long the tests will take, and try to loosely adhere to your plan. And remember that the best way to encourage feedback is to stay positive and supportive - even if you disagree with what the participant is saying.

Scope out a Cozy Spot

Cafés vary in quality as locations for a market test. The ideal café has the following characteristics:

• Location - Choose a popular spot, but make sure people go there to relax. Pete's Coffee - where people are in-and-out fast - is not a great choice. Some of my favorite testing spots are the Canvas Café and Gallery (San Francisco) and Café Borrone (Menlo Park).
• Layout - Another important consideration is the layout of the café. Is there a visible location where you can sit so that people will see you? Is there a table right by the door? Or - if you're really good - will the owner let you put a sign by the cash register inviting people to take your test?
• Permission - Always ask the café owner for permission before conducting tests at his/her café. Tell the owner that you'll be buying your participants some beer or food in exchange for their time. They'll probably see the business value in having you there, so they'll say yes. And if the waitstaff questions you later, simply tell them that you are friends with the owner, and you may befriend them too.

Marketing is Everything

Half of the battle in café testing is getting participants to come talk to you. I've had great success with a small home-made cardboard sign with a 8 1/2 x 11 piece of printed paper stapled to it. I've tried a number of different promotions, but by far my most successful one to date has been "Want free beer?" Free beer only costs me $4, and people love it. Oddly enough, even at 10 a.m. in the morning, this one is a winner. Most people don't want the beer, but I think they know they'll have fun when they come and talk to me.

If you can't win them over with free beer, win them over with a smile.

Just Do It

The greatest gift of market testing is the peace of mind that comes when you can base your decisions on real market data. Thanks to café testing, market guidance can be gained quickly, easily, and with limited resources.

So next time you're struggling through a redesign, get out there and ask the market for some feedback. In the process, you just might start to build a real following for what you are doing. And if that doesn't work, come join me down at the cafe. Drinks are on me.