> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.zigpoll.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.zigpoll.com/guides/how-to-validate-a-new-product-idea.md). # How to Validate a New Product Idea The expensive way to test a product idea is to manufacture it. The cheap way is to put the concept in front of the people who would buy it and measure whether they lean in. A good validation survey answers three things: **does anyone want this**, **who wants it**, and **what would they pay**. It also gives you something concrete to launch with — a waitlist. *** ## Building the survey ### Question 1 — Show the concept Add an **Image Choice** question, or add an image to a standard question, showing the product concept, mockup, or a few variations. Keep it to a maximum of six options; beyond that people stop evaluating and start skimming. If you're testing several directions at once, ask respondents to pick their favorite. The winner isn't necessarily the one you build, but a lopsided result is a real signal. ### Question 2 — Purchase intent Add a **Range** question (1–10): > How likely would you be to buy this? This is your primary metric. Count only the 9s and 10s — anything below that is politeness, not demand. A concept where fewer than 20% answer 9 or 10 is a concept in trouble. ### Question 3 — The honest "why not" Add a **Long Answer** question, and use [Question Logic](/questions/question-logic.md) to branch on Question 2: * **Answered 8–10** → "What do you like most about it?" * **Answered 1–7** → "What's holding you back?" The second branch is where the product gets fixed. Most "no" answers are not "I don't want this" — they're "I don't want it *like that*," and they name the exact objection. ### Question 4 — Willingness to pay Add a **Slider** question asking what they'd expect to pay, or run the full [pricing methodology](/guides/how-to-find-optimal-pricing.md) if the price is the thing you're least sure about. ### Question 5 — The real test Add an **Email Capture** question: > Want to be first to know when this launches? Drop your email. This is the only question on the survey that costs the respondent something. Enthusiasm is free; an email address is not. **The share of people who hand over an email is a far better demand signal than the share who said they'd buy.** Collected emails are saved to your account and can be exported to your mailing list, or pushed straight to [Klaviyo](/integrations/klaviyo.md) or [Mailchimp](/integrations/mailchimp.md) with a Question Logic action. *** ## Where to run it * **On-site to existing traffic** — The fastest option, and the respondents already know your brand. Target it to relevant category or collection pages with [Targeting Settings](/polls/targeting-settings.md). * **Email your customer list** — The strongest signal, since these people have bought from you before. On Shopify you can [email a specific customer segment](/tutorials/email-shopify-customer-segment.md). * **A** [**public link**](/public-link.md) **or** [**survey link**](/survey-links.md) — Share it in a community, a newsletter, or a paid ad to reach people outside your existing audience. * [**Synthetic Research**](/synthetic-research.md) — Before you spend real traffic, generate responses from AI audience profiles matching your target demographic. It won't replace real demand data, but it will catch a confusing concept description or a missing answer option while it's still free to fix. {% hint style="info" %} Offer a reward to lift response rates on concept surveys — a [Promo Code question](/tutorials/adding-discount-codes-to-your-survey.md) or a giveaway entry works well. The people motivated by a discount are also the people most likely to buy at launch. {% endhint %} *** ## Reading the results Look at three numbers together: | Signal | Weak | Strong | | ------------------------------------------- | ------------------------ | ---------------------------------------- | | **Top-box intent** (9–10 on the 1–10 scale) | Under 20% | Over 35% | | **Email capture rate** | Under 10% of respondents | Over 25% | | **Objections in the open-ends** | Vague ("not for me") | Specific and fixable ("no size above L") | Vague objections mean you're talking to the wrong audience. Specific objections mean you have a product with a fixable flaw — which is the best possible outcome of a validation survey. Zigpoll's Z-GPT Insights will summarize themes across your open-ended responses automatically once you have enough volume, so you don't have to read them one by one. Find them in the survey dashboard or in the **Insights** tab. *** ## If it validates * Export the emails and build a launch list. * Feed the objections into the product spec before you commit to inventory. * Re-run the same survey after launch, comparing stated intent against actual conversion, so you learn how much to discount stated intent next time. *** ## Related {% content-ref url="/pages/9xBXm6PozK3sah7dBXuN" %} [How to Find Optimal Pricing for Your Product](/guides/how-to-find-optimal-pricing.md) {% endcontent-ref %} {% content-ref url="/pages/pXWRToES22ZJ7KatoKHF" %} [How to Test Product Names, Packaging, and Ad Creative](/guides/how-to-test-product-names-and-creative.md) {% endcontent-ref %} {% content-ref url="/pages/hMalfN8WS1TbLwlzAixD" %} [How to Prioritize Your Product Roadmap](/guides/how-to-prioritize-your-product-roadmap.md) {% endcontent-ref %} --- # Agent Instructions This documentation is published with GitBook. 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