How to create an online survey for customer feedback

Author:

As a business, gathering customer feedback is crucial to understanding their needs, preferences, and pain points. Online surveys are an effective way to collect this feedback, allowing you to gather valuable insights from a large number of customers in a short amount of time. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the process of creating an online survey for customer feedback, from defining the purpose of your survey to analyzing and acting on the results.

Defining the Purpose of Your Survey

Before you start creating your survey, it’s essential to define its purpose. What do you want to achieve with your survey? Are you looking to:

  1. Improve customer satisfaction?
  2. Gather feedback on a new product or service?
  3. Identify areas for improvement in your customer service?
  4. Measure customer loyalty and retention?

Identifying your survey’s purpose will help you focus your questions and ensure that you’re collecting the right data.

Identifying Your Target Audience

Who are your customers? What are their demographics, interests, and pain points? Understanding your target audience will help you tailor your survey to their needs and ensure that you’re collecting relevant feedback.

When identifying your target audience, consider the following factors:

  1. Demographics: Age, gender, location, occupation, etc.
  2. Interests: Hobbies, preferences, values, etc.
  3. Pain points: What are their biggest challenges or frustrations?
  4. Behaviors: How do they interact with your brand, products, or services?

Choosing a Survey Platform

There are many online survey tools available, each with its own set of features and benefits. When choosing a survey platform, consider the following factors:

  1. Ease of use: How easy is it to create and distribute your survey?
  2. Customization: Can you customize the survey to fit your brand and needs?
  3. Analytics: Can you track and analyze the results of your survey?
  4. Integration: Can you integrate your survey with your CRM or other business tools?

Some popular online survey platforms include:

  1. SurveyMonkey
  2. Google Forms
  3. Typeform
  4. Qualtrics

Designing Your Survey

Once you’ve chosen your survey platform, it’s time to design your survey. Here are some best practices to keep in mind:

  1. Keep it concise: Aim for 5-10 questions at most.
  2. Keep it focused: Stick to one or two topics per survey.
  3. Use a mix of question types: Multiple-choice, rating scales, open-ended text, etc.
  4. Make it easy to understand: Avoid jargon and technical terms.
  5. Make it visually appealing: Use images, colors, and formatting to make your survey more engaging.

Writing Clear and Concise Questions

Your questions are the backbone of your survey, so it’s essential to write them clearly and concisely. Here are some tips to keep in mind:

  1. Avoid ambiguous or leading questions.
  2. Use simple language and avoid jargon.
  3. Make sure the questions are relevant to your customers’ experiences.
  4. Use specific examples or scenarios to help customers understand the question.

Adding a Clear and Compelling Introduction

Your introduction sets the tone for your survey, so make sure it’s clear and compelling. Here are some tips to keep in mind:

  1. Explain the purpose of the survey and how their feedback will be used.
  2. Show appreciation for their time and input.
  3. Keep it brief: Aim for 1-2 sentences at most.

Using a Mix of Question Types

A mix of question types will help you gather a range of feedback from your customers. Here are some examples of question types you might use:

  1. Multiple-choice questions: Good for gathering categorical data.
  2. Rating scales: Good for measuring satisfaction or sentiment.
  3. Open-ended text: Good for gathering qualitative feedback.
  4. Net Promoter Score (NPS): Good for measuring customer loyalty.

Adding a Clear and Prominent Call-to-Action

Your call-to-action is what encourages customers to submit their feedback, so make sure it’s clear and prominent. Here are some tips to keep in mind:

  1. Make it easy to submit feedback: Use a clear and prominent “Submit” button.
  2. Make it clear what will happen next: Will they receive a follow-up email or survey?
  3. Make it clear what they’ll get in return: Will they receive a discount or reward?

Testing and Refining Your Survey

Before you launch your survey, it’s essential to test and refine it. Here are some tips to keep in mind:

  1. Pilot test your survey with a small group of customers.
  2. Refine your survey based on feedback and results.
  3. Make sure the survey is easy to understand and navigate.

Analyzing and Acting on the Results

Once you’ve collected your data, it’s time to analyze and act on the results. Here are some tips to keep in mind:

  1. Use the data to identify trends and patterns.
  2. Prioritize improvements based on customer feedback.
  3. Share the results with your team and stakeholders.
  4. Use the feedback to make meaningful changes to your products, services, or customer experience.

Best Practices

Here are some best practices to keep in mind when creating an online survey for customer feedback:

  1. Keep your survey short and sweet: Aim for 5-10 minutes at most.
  2. Use a consistent tone and language throughout: Make sure your survey is easy to understand and navigate.
  3. Make sure the survey is accessible and mobile-friendly: Ensure that your survey can be completed on a variety of devices.
  4. Use incentives: Offer discounts, rewards, or other incentives to encourage customers to participate.
  5. Follow up: Follow up with customers who don’t complete the survey to ensure they have a positive experience.

Example of a Customer Feedback Survey

Here’s an example of a customer feedback survey:

  1. How would you rate your overall satisfaction with our product/service?
  1. Very satisfied
  2. Somewhat satisfied
  3. Neutral
  4. Somewhat dissatisfied
  5. Very dissatisfied
  1. What do you like most about our product/service?
  • (Open-ended text)
  1. What do you like least about our product/service?
  • (Open-ended text)
  1. How likely are you to recommend our product/service to a friend or colleague?
  1. Very likely
  2. Somewhat likely
  3. Neutral
  4. Somewhat unlikely
  5. Very unlikely
  1. Do you have any suggestions for improving our product/service?
  • (Open-ended text)
  1. How would you rate the quality of our customer service?
  1. Excellent
  2. Good
  3. Fair
  4. Poor
  1. How would you rate the ease of use of our product/service?
  1. Very easy
  2. Somewhat easy
  3. Neutral
  4. Somewhat difficult
  5. Very difficult
  1. How likely are you to continue using our product/service?
  1. Very likely
  2. Somewhat likely
  3. Neutral
  4. Somewhat unlikely
  5. Very unlikely

By following these steps and best practices, you can create an effective online survey that gathers valuable customer feedback and helps you improve your products, services, or customer experience. Remember to keep your survey concise, focused, and easy to understand, and to use a mix of question types to gather a range of feedback from your customers.

Categories: Digital Marketing