Steps to create the best products and services

Creating a great product or service is more than just a matter of chance. It takes forethought, purpose, and a high degree of motivation to meet and exceed customer needs. The following is a look at ten steps to creating the best products and services:

1. Welcome customer feedback. No one knows better how a product or service fails to meet the needs of a customer than a customer. This means as a business owner, you should be seeking customer feedback continually. Ask for honest, open opinions so that you can continually improve your offering, and better meet the needs (even the changing needs) of your market.

2. Solicit feedback from dealers. If you are not selling your product or service directly, then find out what the dealers think. Are consumers happy with what is being offered? What can you improve on to make the purchase process easier for everyone included?

3. Look to improve constantly. You either move forward or backward, in life there is no standing still, and the same is true in business. You can move forward with your business, and improve. Or, you can decrease. It should be your goal to always improve on any offering you have.

4. Make it easy for the customers. Customers should not have to know your industry, read a huge manual, or even watch more than a few seconds of instructions to be able to use your product or service. The best products and services are the ones that are easy for customers to understand.

5. Make it easy for customers to be advocates. Give customers something to brag about, and to be excited about, and they will become your biggest sales force. However, make it easy for them.

6. Reward loyalty with engagement. If you have loyal customers, you can reward their loyalty with engagement. This means start forums and discussions that you are part of, listen to their suggestions, and implement the ones that make sense. Take time to engage with customers.

7. Do your part of the bargain, establish credibility, do what you say you will. The best products and services are backed with the best companies, the ones that keep their promises, and deliver on the expectations of the clients or customers. If you want to remain credible (you do), then deliver on your side of the bargain.

8. Educate consumers- Some of the best products out there are going to require a little information, or a lot of information, to understand and use. Make sure educating your consumers is a priority. This can mean simple instructions, a welcome video, knowledgeable sales staff etc.

9. Nurture your bond with consumers- A great way to get a loyal customer dedicated to your product is to nurture the bond with them. Give them reasons to come back for more, to stay in the discussion, and be a part.

10. Have passion. The best products and services come from companies who are run by people that are passionate about what they do, and what they have to offer.