The single best way to pave the road to business success is to listen to your customers. This not only creates a necessary feedback loop between your company and clients, but also helps you serve them more effectively.
Here are some top tips to help you design a powerful, and ultimately, successful online survey.
Keep it Short and Sweet
Though you may be itching to ask your customers to review every inch of your latest product or service, this tactic is not effective.
If you're interested in finding out what your customers think of your latest product, keep the questions tailored and focused. Your customers are not spending an extraordinary amount of time answering your pedantic queries but instead providing you with useful and insightful information.
Here is a generic example of questions to include:
• Did the product meet your needs?
• Would you recommend this product?
• Would you purchase this product again?
• How was your experience with our company?
Further, give customers the option to write additional comments. This allows them to provide you with critical feedback that may not have been included in your questions.
Or, this is a great opportunity for you to gather customer testimonials, one of the hallmarks of successful marketing. Instead of you telling the world how awesome your product is, your customers are doing it for you. Just make sure to ask for permission before using any testimonial publicly.
Share Your Results
This may seem counter-intuitive, but sharing with your results with customers is an effective approach to solidify your relationship. To them, this means that their opinion matters, and that the time spent on filling out your survey is valuable.
Whether it is through a follow-up email or posted on your website, letting your customers know what they think is important.
If there are problems (dare I say it!), this is an excellent opportunity to let your customers know exactly what you're going to do to fix the situation.
If the results are positive and glowing, that is a great opportunity to promote your product to a wider audience.
Think "Out-of-the-Box"
Instead of enticing customers with a coupon or special offer for completing your survey, try something a little more out-of-the-box. Consider saying that for every completed survey, your company will donate $5 to a charitable organization. Or, to go a step further, as a part of your survey, have your customers pick which organization will receive the donation.
Furthermore, consider charitable organizations that are in your industry's niche. For example, if your company is a shoe manufacturer, then include an organization that provides footwear for needy communities.
This not only engages your customers in a new and exciting way, it also allows them to help guide your charitable donations in a way that reflects their interests.
Learning what your customers support and value is a dream for any online marketer. That sort of feedback will not only reinforce the focus of your business but also create a lasting relationship with your customer.
You will not only receive critical feedback on your products, but also engage them.
What do you think makes a powerful survey? Can you remember an example of an online survey that you enjoyed taking? Let us know in the comments section or on our Twitter page.
