Some entrepreneurs experience creative flashes or strokes of genius where they simply come up with new successful products. But more often, good entrepreneurs have to actually work to come up with those ideas.
Unfortunately, new product inspiration isn’t readily available on every corner. To come up with a product that is not only possible to make, but also solves a need for a specific market, you have to know where to look.
According to Stephen Key, author and co-founder of InventRight, entrepreneurs need to look no further than their own computer screens for new product inspiration. He wrote for Entrepreneur:
“Back in the day, I would walk the aisles of local stores for inspiration. These days, a wealth of information can be accessed with the click of a mouse. You don’t have to wonder what consumers wish was better about the products they use. It’s all right there! I’m talking about product reviews, particularly those found on Amazon. There are just so many.”
Product reviews on Amazon or other third-party sites can contain a wealth of information about the products people use and what they like and dislike about them.
For example, if your company sells accessories for electronics and is considering expanding into wireless speakers and audio equipment, you could browse the reviews in that product category for inspiration.
Not all reviews will necessarily be helpful. Some people just like to complain or leave ratings without actually explaining what they liked or didn’t like about the product.
But if you notice that most people seem to like or dislike something specific about a particular product, that could be worth noting.
You might, for instance, notice that people are unhappy with the sizes of the current wireless speakers on the market. They might be interested in something smaller than what’s available. Your company could fill that void in the market.
There’s no foolproof way to ensure that your product will be successful. But by doing the proper research, you can definitely improve your odds. And online reviews should at the very least be part of that research process.
Uninspired Photo via Shutterstock
Aira Bongco
it also helps to survey. It tells you what people need. You can then create products from there.
Annie Pilon
Also true!
Andrew
This is great advice for coming up with ideas for new products or services. Amazon can be a huge source of inspiration when coming up with ideas for what to sell or write about. I know I’ve benefited from browsing around Amazon when thinking about what to write about or blog about next.
I would also add going to question and answer sites like Yahoo Answers. This way you can see what people are asking about and seeking solutions for. Forums can be another great place for getting inspiration.
Overall, as long as you have a computer with Internet access, it’s much easier to research online rather than going to a store and walking up and down the aisles.
Annie Pilon
That’s another great point! There are so many great resources online whether you’re looking to create new products, online content, or anything!
Hi internet provides a super wave of inspiration for your next product. Like some have already mentioned… Amazon, Google (Google’s Ads), Ebay and forums.
Another great method is social media to. You can find competitors and check out what their customers like, dislike and what they are asking for.
But don’t get caught up in the research, research, research. At some point you have to just have to go for it.