It’s been proven time and again that surveys are a great way to gather customer knowledge, reduce churn, and develop new ideas for product innovation. However, a survey is only useful to a company if the respondents take the time to fill it out. Poor survey participation, though usually not as big of a problem...
It’s been proven time and again that surveys are a great way to gather customer knowledge, reduce churn, and develop new ideas for product innovation.
However, a survey is only useful to a company if the respondents take the time to fill it out. Poor survey participation, though usually not as big of a problem as companies anticipate, is still a barrier that prevents groups from getting the feedback that will serve them.
This blog post discusses 5 ways that you can encourage your customers to respond to your surveys and get the data you need to take your customer relations to the next step.
1 — Survey tip: Offer a prize
A lot of times the issue isn’t getting your customers to open the survey, it’s getting them to fill it out all the way through to the “submit” button. Offering a prize to the customers who complete your survey can be an easy and effective way to entice them to complete it to the end. A prize can be something small offered to every customer, like 10% off of their next purchase, or it can be larger gift that you give away in a raffle.
You could enter everyone who wins the survey into a contest to win an iPhone, a free product from your brand, even a trip. It doesn’t have to be something extravagant, just something that shows your audience that you care and that you are willing to invest in a little push to get the survey out there.
2 — Survey tip: Choose your email language wisely
The email that you send out containing your survey is one of the most important emails you will send. The wording, tone, and format you use can be the difference between a great survey result and an empty survey that nobody fills out. Your email should be short, sweet, and clear, and the tone should be entertaining and informative. A few survey softwares, such as CX Management, include a direct email integration option, so that when the customer clicks on the email the survey is already there and the customer can immediately start filling out responses. Make sure the email has personalization features like a signature from someone at your company and the look of a handwritten email (Avoid sending out emails that look like they were automatically created by an app, you know, the ones with size 11 typewriter font that are impersonal and dry. Your customers should feel like there is an actual human behind the ask, someone who wrote the survey and who is waiting for the replies, not a robot.
3 — Survey tip: Make it funny
Using humor to win over an audience is not a new phenomenon, and it’s a classic because it works. Not taking your survey too seriously by including funny GIFs, a couple of well written, short jokes, or some silly news updates about your team can be a great way to grab readers attention and get them interested in opening up your survey.
4 — Survey tip: Use Quizzes to gather information
If you’re concerned that your surveys are not getting the open rate you are looking for, a good option can be to make the switch to trying quizzes as a way to gather the information you need on your customers. Companies like Hubspot use “Quizzes” like the Marketing Grader to give their clients great and helpful feedback on their website, and at the same time the quiz questions help them to gather information on their job position, tastes, preferences, etc.
Skeepers has recently come out with a quiz that serves a similar purpose called, “What Type of Marketer are You?” The quiz is fun, colorful and attractive, and leads with a question about the individual taking the quiz. People love to learn about themselves, and offering your questions in a fun quiz format such as this is a great way to allow them to have fun while they answer your questions.
5 — Survey tip: Make a sincere ask
At the end of the day, one of the most effective things you can do to increase survey response rates is to commit the time and energy building a respectful, loyal relationship with your customers so that when you sincerely reach out and ask them to fill out a survey for you, they want to help you out. Sure, your email can be fun, colorful, and interesting, but it should include an “ask” where you clearly and sincerely ask your customer to fill out a survey and let them know how much it will help you out if they do so. Some example “asks” are below:
“I was wondering if you would take 5 minutes to fill out this survey so that we can create better products for you next year.”
“I was hoping you could take the time to fill out this 3 minute questionnaire that will help us provide a better customer service experience.”
By using the word “I”, you are making the ask personal. By telling the customer how much time the quiz will take, you are being up front with them. By letting them know how the answers to the survey will be used to make your business better, you are including them in the process and letting them know that their answers will have an impact. Including a personal ask is an effective way to engage your customers and motivate them to fill out the survey in order to get the benefit of a better company, and to not let you down.
Making your survey fun, engaging, and beneficial to the customer is not as hard as you may think. Include some funny images, use bright colors, and make sure your customers know how the survey will benefit them, whether it’s with a prize or a helpful improvement to your company.
Take a look to our solutions and raise your conversion rate!
