First, they started with a search engine. Then, they created Gmail. Later, Larry Page and co. thought of Google Maps. And then, a short while later, they acquired YouTube.

Today, Google has a host of products under its name, from Docs to Drive, Meet to Translate, Chrome to Photos, and so much more.

Do you notice the trend here? They started with one product. Then a few years later, they BRAINSTORMED new ones.

You, too, can do the same with that establishment of yours. In this post, we're going to show you how.

How to brainstorm new product ideas for your business

1.      Look into your old idea box for new inspiration

Chances are you had a million product ideas in your head the day you chose the ones you're currently selling. When you need new product ideas for your business, it may be a good idea to open up those old boxes and revisit those ideas.

For instance, if you have a restaurant business, you might have considered selling seafood, intercontinental dishes, and some special kinds of cuisines in the past. Now that you're out of product ideas, revisiting these ideas might be a good start.

By and large, reflect on past ideas you've brainstormed and see whether anyone fits in with the current business status.

2.      Brainstorm... Brainstorm... Brainstorm

Take a walk, sit a pet, seclude yourself, sip a cup of coffee, or do whatever gets you into a creative mood. The idea is to open up your mind to let inspiration in. As you do this, you can have a pen and paper to write down any new product idea that comes to mind.

Alternatively, you can have a coworker, an employee, a friend, or even a maid sit across the table with you. Then, you guys can start throwing ideas at each other. To make this effective, you can make it a game and then use a mind map software to organize the ideas. Once you're done with the game, the software will colorfully present the brainstormed ideas, making it easier for you to see all that you've come up with.

3.      Consider add-ons

Sometimes, brainstorming new products doesn't necessarily have to be an out-of-the-bag thing. It can even be an addition to existing products.

My point being?

Take a look at your BEST-SELLERS and see if you can come up with a product that could complement or act as an add-on to these products.

For instance, say you run a coffee shop, you could come up with complementary products like donuts, sausages, or other kinds of snacks. Or, if your business deals in retailing, you could consider adding a shipping or delivery add-on.

4.      Go out there and see things for yourself

One big disadvantage of the internet is that it confines our thinking to the walls of our phones. To come up with new product ideas, you may need to break this norm.

How? Go into the real world of your industry.

For example, if your business deals in the sale of student merchandise. Go into campuses, grab a cup of coffee, and sit around to observe what's trending. In a short while, you'll definitely spot a new item that's making the rounds around there.

BAM! That's your new product.

Say your business is a SaaS Company; you can attend industry-relevant conferences and conventions. When you get there, engage colleagues (younger and senior ones) in small talks to see which software/apps they're using to complete certain tasks or the challenges they're having with certain tasks.

From these conversations, you might see an opportunity to create a new solution. And just like that, you've found a new product idea.

5.      Follow and track influencers

Influencers are people who write and speak about brands on social media. They exist in all industries of life, including yours.

When you're out of product ideas, visiting influencers' pages to see what they and their fans are talking about can be a great way to get inspiration.

Often, an influencer may be paid by one of your competitors to create a sponsored post for them. Under the comment section, people may object to some of the facts and features mentioned in the post. Pay close attention to these comments and see if you can create a solution around the shortcomings of your competitors.

6.      Use trend sites

Trend sites are a great place to look when you aren't sure what product to launch next. These product aggregation sites devote themselves to finding upcoming trends in various industries and then sharing these trends with users.

As part of their mission, these sites research various industries to discover and uncover what they feel will be the next big thing.

When looking for new ideas, checking out these sites can be a big game-changer as you'll always find product ideas you may never have thought of.

Some popular product aggregation sites include:

• Springwise
• Outblush
• Uncrate
• Trend Hunter

 

7.      Try Pinterest, Etsy, and Instagram

The beautiful thing about these places is people create pieces on a small scale. As a business, you can take ideas from the small-scale creations of users and then build off them.

That's not to say you should go ahead and steal people's ideas outright. We're saying that you can do a hashtag search on Instagram or a keyword search on Pinterest to see some new ideas people in your industry are coming up with.

8.      Use Reddit

Reddit is the best place on the internet right now to learn from people's experiences and opinions.

When looking for new product ideas, joining Subreddit groups can save you a lot of stress.

For example, say you're a credit card company. You can search the phrase, 'Credit Card Horror Stories,' to see what people are saying about their credit card companies.

By looking through the comment sections, you can see what people think about various companies, the challenges users are facing with different companies, and so much more.

Based on this information, you can design a new credit card product or an add-on to your existing card that addresses most of the problems mentioned.