What does it mean if a site is in beta?
Enter the new trend to launch web technologies in “beta.” Launching in beta means that the site may be ready for use, but it's not quite perfect yet–it's a signal to users that the site is still in a state of testing.
What is the difference between usability and beta testing?
Usability testing shows you if a concept is usable, while beta testing shows you if/how people will actually use the live product. The biggest difference is that beta testing comes in when the product is actually live, rather than concept or prototype.