6 Steps to Creating an Effective Customer Survey

Do you know how your customers are really feeling? No matter your industry, you will benefit from paying attention to real customer feedback regarding your services. Launching a customer survey campaign is a streamlined and efficient process that allows you to mass-collect data and quickly generate the answers you need to keep your business running smoothly. If you are unsure where to start, use these six steps to develop an effective customer survey for your brand. 

6 Steps to Creating an Effective Customer Survey

1. Establish Your Survey Goal

Why are you asking your customers questions? What is the purpose of them taking time out of their day to share their opinion? Your customers are doing you a favor by responding to your survey, make sure that it is worth their while. Think about the main takeaway you want to understand through this process. Are you hoping to adjust your menu offerings based on customer feedback? Maybe you want to learn about the effectiveness of your online ordering or return process? Once you clarify the purpose of your customer survey, ensure that each question brings you closer to this purpose. 

2. Keep Your Questions Purposeful and Concise

Additionally, ask under ten questions in each survey. You do not want your questionnaire to feel tedious (no university exam vibes here). If your customer survey goal is clear, you should be able to effectively convey your purpose in five to ten questions. Every question should expound on your overall intention for the survey in the first place. Whether you are polling new customers on their first experience or asking guests about the quality of their stay, a survey is an anonymous and non-confrontational means to generate honest client responses. 

3. Test Out Your Survey

Take the time to verify your survey before sending it out to the masses. Send a test trial to yourself and several teammates to get an idea of the fluidity and comprehensibility of your content. It is important to ensure that your test subjects are familiar with your business and the purpose of your survey. This helps keep their potential feedback relevant and consistent. Go through your survey more than once to proofread your copy and check for any errors.

4. Offer an Incentive

When it comes to building enthusiasm for your customer surveys, incentivizing is an option. Offering a discount or free product for completing a customer survey helps ensure that it will land. This option is also ideal if your survey is on the longer side. However, bear in mind that frequent or excessive rewards may sway your customers’ answers, motivating them to tell you what you want to hear instead of answering honestly. If you would rather ensure the purity of your survey results, try to avoid overusing incentives. 

5. Generate a Seamless Call to Action

If you choose to go the non-incentive route, your call to action needs to be especially effective. Your survey link should clearly explain the purpose of the data collection. Who is the survey for and what is the purpose of the questions you are asking? Clearly explain the intent and highlight your incentive offered, if applicable. Once you have made your intentions clear, thank the customer for their time and provide a clear pathway to access the survey. Your call to action should be a visible button linking directly to your survey. 

6. Track the Results 

Now that you have sent your survey off into the world, it is time for the most important part of the process: the results. Since you clearly set your goal and purpose for this questionnaire, the anticipated feedback is sure to help you make more informed decisions moving forward. You can likely start to track the data right away to get an idea of the general opinions. However, be sure to wait until your designated customer survey period has closed before tallying any final results.