In product management launching a new product, feature, or brand is not merely a momentary event but the start of an ongoing journey aimed at maintaining momentum. In this article, expert product strategist Tanvi Mishra lends her experience as a Senior Product Manager to underscore the paramount importance of continuous improvement in product launches within European markets. Drawing from her extensive background, including pioneering roles in geo expansions and product launches, author brings to light the transformative power of viewing product launches not as isolated events but as the genesis of an ongoing journey of refinement and innovation.
A common oversight among product teams is treating the launch as a single event rather than an opportunity to build lasting engagement and market-relevant success. To maintain high energy levels post-launch various strategies can be applied. I will focus on the post-launch evaluation which usually takes place during the 4-6 weeks of the response stage. This phase is critical for collecting valuable user insights, making data-driven decisions, and fostering customer loyalty, all of which contribute to a product’s continuous improvement and market relevance.
Understanding Your Customers
Understanding your customers in traditional European markets is a complex task that includes the study of cultural, economic, and behavioural nuances specific to each region. In traditional European markets, such as Germany, France, the United Kingdom, and others, consumers often exhibit quite varied preferences, values, and buying behaviours shaped by their cultural heritage and historical context.
Understanding your customers’ behavioural patterns can form the basement for post-launch analysis and enable you to fine-tune your strategies. I suggest focusing your analysis on such criteria as cultural nuances, consumer behaviour, technological adoption, and consumer preferences.
Cultural Nuances
Each European country has its own rich background, influencing consumer preferences and expectations. Understanding local customs, traditions, and cultural sensitivities will help your product or service to resonate authentically with the target audience.
Consumer Behaviour
European markets may vary in terms of shopping habits, brand loyalty, and decision-making processes. Conducting market research to discern these nuances helps to align with the expectations of the local clientele. It is important to mention that digital shopping habits in Europe vary across countries too. Online shopping is prevalent throughout the continent, yet its frequency differs. For example, approximately 40% of Dutch consumers reported weekly online shopping in 2023, compared to less than 25% of Norwegians and Finns. Despite country-specific attitudes toward online shopping, a common trend emerges—over 40% of shoppers in countries like the Netherlands, Germany, and France engage in online research before significant purchases. Furthermore, French and Spanish consumers prioritise factors like fast and reliable delivery, favourable return policies, and product availability when deciding to make online purchases.
Technological Adoption
The degree of technological adoption can also be different from country to country. While some European markets are early adopters of new technologies, others may be more conservative. If we turn to figures, the Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI) from the European Commission indicates an overall trend of upward convergence in the region. Leading the EU are Finland, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Sweden, while Poland, Greece, Bulgaria, and Romania lag. However, the countries at lower levels are progressively narrowing the gap by experiencing faster growth rates.
Consumer Preferences
Preferences for certain product features, design aesthetics, and even marketing channels are important to monitor and analyse. Due to differences in cultural and historical backgrounds, people from different countries have their attitudes to, let’s say, environmental problems. Thus, consumers in some countries would prefer eco-friendly biodegradable yoghurt packaging and others would reject it due to its higher cost. The below table summarises the most basic preferences, values, and buying behaviours in traditional European markets.
| Country | Preferences | Values | Buying Behaviour |
| Germany | Quality, functionality | Sustainability | Thorough research, value detailed information |
| France | Elegance, style | Tradition, cultural heritage | Appreciation for in-person shopping experiences |
| United Kingdom | Diverse preferences, growing interest in sustainability | Individualism, uniqueness | Strong e-commerce presence, reliance on digital reviews |
| Italy | Design, aesthetics | Family, tradition | Emphasis on relationships and trust in purchasing |
| Spain | Social Connections | Cultural pride | Priority on value for money, influenced by discounts |
The Post-Launch Evaluation Process
Now let’s explore the key elements and methodologies involved in this crucial phase, ensuring that the product you have launched not only meets but exceeds user expectations in the dynamic landscape of the market.
Define Evaluation Metrics
Before analysing your product launch, define what you want to achieve and how you are going to measure it. Whether it’s boosting awareness, getting more engagement, or increasing revenue, pick metrics that are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound.
Depending on product type, market, and strategy, goals may vary, including aspects like awareness, engagement, conversion, retention, revenue, or customer satisfaction. Metrics, such as impressions, clicks, downloads, sign-ups, ratings, reviews, referrals, churn, or lifetime value can be used to analyse the successful completion of each objective.
Besides, you can initiate surveys specifically designed for users who have experienced the post-launch version of your product. Gather insights on their overall satisfaction and any noticeable improvements.
Collect Data
The next step is to gather diverse data from multiple sources. These can be analytics platforms, surveys, and information from customer support. Ensure the data represents various groups to avoid biases.
Then organise your data effectively using dashboards or reports for easy analysis and communication. To make data accessible to everyone, consider creating user-friendly visualisations. Additionally, you can go beyond competitive analysis; and prioritise social impact as a meaningful metric, ensuring your decisions contribute positively in the long run.
Monitoring reviews on app stores, review websites, and social media is another important aspect of collecting data for post-launch evaluation. Keep an eye on mentions, comments, and discussions related to your product. Positive reviews highlight what users appreciate, giving insights into features or aspects that resonate well. On the other hand, negative reviews will uncover bottlenecks or areas requiring improvement.
Implement feedback forms within your product interface to encourage users to provide real-time feedback on specific features or functionalities.
Analyse Feedback
Merely collecting feedback is insufficient; it needs thorough analysis for actionable insights. You need to categorise feedback into positive, negative, feature requests, etc. Cross-check its validity and relevance, testing assumptions and hypotheses. Prioritise feedback based on importance, urgency, feasibility, and alignment with product goals. Frameworks like RICE or MoSCoW can aid in effective prioritisation.
Iterate and Enhance the Product
Following feedback analysis, iterate and enhance your product for continuous value delivery. Define clear goals and success criteria for each enhancement, employing KPIs or OKRs for evaluation.
Tools like SWOT analysis, root cause analysis, or PDCA cycle will help you to pinpoint strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Additionally, consider employing approaches like lean startup, agile development, or design thinking to iterate, experiment, and prototype improvements for your product.
Then you can proceed with implementing prioritised changes, testing them through methods like A/B testing or beta testing. Do not forget to communicate these updates to users, highlighting their benefits, features, and value.
Strategies for Effective Post-Launch Evaluation
Now, let’s explore the most prevalent post-launch evaluation strategies that companies commonly apply to gauge the effectiveness of their product introductions. These strategies provide insights into performance metrics and also offer valuable guidance for strategic refinement and ongoing product enhancement.
A/B Testing
A/B testing, or split testing, is a randomised experimentation process that compares different versions of a variable (such as a web page or page element) simultaneously to determine which version yields the most favourable impact on business metrics. The A/B test consists of a control (A) representing the original variable and a variation (B) introducing a new version.
The version that positively influences business metrics is deemed the ‘winner,’ and implementing the changes from this winning variation optimises the website, potentially increasing business ROI. Conversion metrics vary for each website, encompassing factors like product sales for eCommerce or the generation of qualified leads for B2B.
A/B testing is a crucial element of Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO), providing both qualitative and quantitative insights into user behaviour, engagement, pain points, and satisfaction with website features. All in all, it is an effective strategy for enhancing the product and its revenue.
User-Centric Design
User-centred design (UCD) is instrumental because, despite its apparent simplicity, overlooking user input can introduce biases and divert focus from what users truly want. The influence of personal opinions, industry norms, business goals, and resistance to change can lead designers astray, resulting in a product that fails to meet user needs effectively.
Simply put, UCD is an iterative approach driven by user needs. It involves thorough research to understand use cases and user requirements, balancing them with business objectives to achieve the final design. UCD demands empathy for users, ensuring iterative evaluation and improvement through testing with actual or potential end users.
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Measuring the success of a product launch is another strategy for result evaluation. Every business and product has its unique metrics, however, certain key performance indicators (KPIs) universally apply to almost every launch. These include Launch Campaign Metrics, focusing on leads generated, promotional channels, website traffic, and news coverage. Product Adoption Metrics delve into customer response, tracking product trials, customer usage, and user retention. Market Impact Metrics assess the broader impact on sales and market share, considering revenue and competitive win rates. Additionally, Qualitative Feedback, both internal and external, provides insights into the overall sentiment and effectiveness of the launch.
Launch Campaign Metrics
- Leads generated: Measure trials started, demos requested, or relevant content downloaded to gauge initial interest.
- Promotional channel metrics (email, advertising): Assess email open rates, click-through rates, and online advertising costs.
- Website traffic/page views: Track views on new product pages, landing pages, and related content.
- News coverage: Evaluate the quantity and quality of PR articles or mentions for major launches.
Product Adoption Metrics
- Product trials: Track trials started by customers, indicating genuine interest in the new product.
- Customer usage: Set goals for continuous product usage over time, reflecting its relevance to customers.
- User retention: Measure the retention of users to impact key business metrics like revenue.
Market Impact Metrics
- Revenue: Critical for measuring the success and impact of a new product, especially if it’s a separate offering.
- Market share: Assess the portion of the market captured compared to competitors.
- Competitive win rate: Measure success in overcoming competitors, especially in head-to-head competition.
Qualitative Feedback
- Internal feedback: Gather insights from sales reps, marketers, executives, and product managers on desired outcomes.
- External feedback: Collect reactions and constructive notes from customers and prospects on various launch elements, aiding in post-launch momentum.
To re-cap
During the post-launch, it is worth prioritising comprehensive feedback collection and deploying targeted surveys covering usability, feature satisfaction, performance, and overall experience. It is important to closely monitor app store and social media reviews and rely on metrics. As a result, you’ll be able to implement updates, directly addressing user-highlighted issues swiftly.
It is crucial to realise that post-launch analysis is not merely a checkpoint; it is a dynamic process that facilitates the evolution of products in response to user feedback and market dynamics. Try to give this phase due attention if you want to thrive in the diverse and competitive landscape of European markets.
