There are dozens of surveys out there to take advantage of; everything from a simple email survey to an in-depth, demographic-specific internet survey. While all of the survey platforms are great ways to engage customers and gain insight, here are four types of surveys you should start using in
Customer Loyalty Survey
Asking your customers whether or not they plan to return to your brand in the future is an effective way to find out what they value in a product or business. Ask questions like “is there anything specific that drew you to our brand?” or “what specifically did you like the most about your interaction with us?”.
These questions pinpoint your strong points, identifying them for the customer and for you so that you can focus resources on these areas.
Be sure to use these surveys especially with new customers, to encourage them to begin thinking about what they liked about your brand and whether or not they’d use it again.
This is a very specific survey, so keep your questions and answers relevant to brand loyalty and the customer’s satisfaction.
The Customer Satisfaction Survey
The classic “are you satisfied with your experience today” question has evolved into a full blown entity. With literally hundreds of variations to this classic questionnaire, it’s a must-have for any business to let you know what your customers think of your brand.
Let’s start with the basics. A simple email survey, link printed on a receipt, or even an in-app survey (for you app-savvy businesses out there) is sufficient to gather a ton of information in a small space.
Just three to five basic questions can provide priceless insight straight from your customer base; and since they’re paying for your brand, they’re the ones you want to hear from.
Some questions you can ask on this survey are:
- On a scale of 1-5, how satisfied were you today with your purchase/our services?
- Was there anything specifically that you thought we did well?
- Was there anything specifically you thought we did poorly?
- Would you recommend us to a friend or family member?
- What changes would you like to see from us?
Simple, direct, powerful questions that provide excellent information. You can take the answers to these questions and identify key issues within your business (or strong points) and focus resources as needed. You know what your customers want, and how to get it to them.
For a larger scale survey, you can use a platform like Google or Pollfish to survey large groups of people. While Google is a free survey service, it’s basic and doesn’t offer some of the great extras that other Google consumer surveys alternatives do.
Large-scale surveys allow you to survey hundreds or thousands of different people, allowing you to identify demographic trends, cultural preferences, and overall preferences of the general public. This can be an effective tool for focusing on a target demographic and creating your niche.
Product Concept Surveys
Your company has made the decision to roll out a new and exciting product. This can be really energizing for the company as a whole, perhaps advancing into new territories you hadn’t previously considered. The only problem is that if the customers don’t like the product, or see no use for it, you’ve lost your market.
You can create a survey during product conception that asks pertinent questions about your product. You’ll make the customer feel like part of the development team by including them in your conception process as well, which can mean brand loyalty and recommendations.
This type of survey lets you know whether or not there is even a demand for the product you intend to create. If there’s no demand, there’s no need for a supply, and thus no market to sell in. You can use it as sort of an insurance policy to make sure there will be buyers for your product or service when you finally unveil it.
Habits And Uses Surveys
Have you ever wondered what happens to your product after a customer purchases it? How often do they use, and reuse it? How often do they recommend it, or let others use it?
Habits and use surveys are just what they sound like. They allow the customer to provide you with insight on how and when they use your product.
Customer behavior is a large part of who they are, and knowing their behavior can help you better tailor your products and services to provide maximum satisfaction. You don’t want a product that can only be used once, but you also want the customer to return to you at some point for a new version or an entirely different product. Returning customers are just as important as bringing in new ones.
Understanding human behavior can be complex and time-consuming, so keeping your survey specific will cut down on the excess information. Simple information like how often, when, with whom, and what they use the product for, should be more than enough to make your survey effective.
Use Your Information
Your surveys should provide you with excellent insight into your customer’s habits and preferences, but using this to your advantage is the real value of a survey. Pay attention to trends, equally to positives and negatives, and always remember that the customer is the one keeping you in business by buying your products or services.