If you're product/service is technology driven don't forget user groups. Just Google in your area and then send off an email to the preisdent. Explain that you want feedback about your new offering and would like to know if you can attend their next meeting. You might want to provide a raffle prize too maybe a Zire ($100). Cheap but effective.

Incidentally, this can be done with any and all trade organizations. The hardest part will be creating the "perfect" survey/questionnaire.

hmmm,Focus groups i think, you want to say. I want ot know that Focus groups and User groups are the same thing or different. For example, see the banner on the forehead of this forum. They are paying users to shop, and then ask for feedback.

I think the functionality of a Focus group is little different than mystery shoppers.

Any comments.... , are the Focus groups and mystery shoppers the same strategy or different.

I apologize in advance if you feel that i am asking dumb questions. Actually i am not from business field, I am computer professional but willing to start my own business. So it is necessary for me to delve as deep as possible.

Nope, user groups. There are user groups for all types of technology products. They are like clubs centered around a particular technology.