First research about that altcoin. Find out if it has a forum. Read about its feedbacks. Study about its roadmap. Find out who the devs are. Other than that if you can't find anything about that altcoin then think twice before buying it.
It's good to be always smart in buying altcoins because that is most riskiest assets in the crypto world, study the trend and history of altcoins to determine which altcoins has a good road map and was managed by a well trusted and legitimate developers. Trust is the most important factors here, no matter how good your coins but lack of trust it will not succeed.
yes mate you needed to make sure you already studied everything about the coin project before you enter and place your entry, don't place your self into something that you are unsure and no idea, losing small amount of money can be normal if you are just starting but you should learn from it and use that as your guide to make it successful next time.