Customer interactions are of the utmost importance to retailers – both online and brick-and-mortar institutions rely on their relationships to improve elements of their business. One of the strongest ways to gain in-depth information from consumers is the distribution of client surveys or questionnaires. While organizations can develop these analyses and collect the data themselves, it can often be an overwhelming task.
In these cases, most companies utilize a third-party order management provider for management of various responsibilities, including survey organization. There are certain components every questionnaire should include. SFG has a closer look at these essentials:
Clear-cut goals
Although all data is helpful in one way or another, organizations need a direct focus when creating their surveys. With each questionnaire, companies need to establish an outcome they'd like to achieve. All collected materials should then work toward that goal, according to Inc. magazine. At the end of the day, the form is designed to provide information to better organizational processes. Surveys should attempt to get to the root of a certain problem, so businesses can quickly and effectively find a solution that will benefit their consumers.
Once the objective is finalized, businesses should work out a plan to implement the results of the survey. This way, company leaders waste no time in improving organizational tasks and responsibilities.
Open-ended questions
It's common for businesses to rely on inquiries that people can answer with a simple yes or no or using a sliding scale. While it's smart to include some of these questions on surveys, open-ended requests are often more beneficial for organizations. These queries give customers the opportunity to share their real feelings instead of filling in an option that may not truly reflect their opinions.
Help Scout recommends placing the questions requiring a written answer toward the middle or end of the questionnaire so consumers aren't overwhelmed right off the bat. People will feel like they're making progress if they begin with easier inquiries. Combination requests – allowing clients to fill in their answer, then asking, "Why do you feel this way?" – is also a strong tactic to receive helpful insight.
Optionality
Every person who's ever made a purchase through an ecommerce business or in store has probably received a request for feedback. Customers who've had a positive experience are more likely to provide answers to the questions sent to them, especially if there's a chance they'll benefit from responding.
Clients who feel bombarded by surveys will often send those questionnaires straight to their junk mail or completely unsubscribe from company emails. That's why making inquiries optional is crucial to their success, according to Constant Contact. By letting people know the purpose of the inquiry and that the decision to answer survey questions is their own, businesses will gain consumer trust. As a result, organizations can gather more honest feedback and use it in their favor.
"Confusing formatting can make people less likely to complete a survey."
Clean formatting
There are many elements that can scare consumers away from filling out a questionnaire, but page design is one of the most important. We've already discussed how to layout feedback requests – easier inquiries at the beginning, questions requiring completion toward the end – but the entire survey has to be visually appealing to entice consumers.
To keep people engaged, companies should be sure there's ample white space on the page and even dedicate one page to each question, according to MarketingProfs. This way, consumers will feel as though they're working through the form in an efficient manner. A regular list of questions, all contained on one page, can overwhelm customers and make them less likely to complete the entire survey.
Publicity
While many businesses utilize customer surveys following a purchase, there need to be more ways for clients – both current and potential – to find questionnaires in order to give their feedback at any stage of the sales funnel. Businesses need to publicize these inquiries in as many ways possible, according to Entrepreneur. These advertising methods can include website popups, within email marketing, on social media, at the end of blog posts and many more tactics.
People may not be able to complete the survey at the moment they see it advertised or mentioned. Publicizing the questionnaire in as many places as possible will ensure clients always have access to the form.
Developing a consumer questionnaire is an important responsibility for both online and brick-and-mortar companies. The data gleaned from these surveys can yield strong examples of what requires change within an organization. Although many businesses choose to create and manage these forms themselves, others find the task complicated and overwhelming. A third-party order management system, like the one provided by SFG, can develop and maintain customer surveys, while also helping implement necessary organizational alterations.
