Engaging Users with Feedback and Surveys (Chapter 11)

The 2021 Conversion Rate Optimization Guide

Chapter 11

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Engaging Users with Feedback and Surveys

Before we get into the mechanics of a good landing page, we first have to ask ourselves a few questions:

  • What do our visitors want? – Your visitors came to your site for a reason. Do you know what it is and how they got there? We want to satisfy them quickly to make their time well spent.
  • What can we give them that would entice them to engage with us? – People will remember you better and feel better if they get something in return from visiting your site. Do you know what you could give them that is free?
  • What is our goal? – Your ultimate goal is for the user to buy your services or products, but there are some goals before that outcome, such as getting their email address, contact information and other information that are needed to build a profile.

With the information above, we can think about the purpose and requirements for the landing page. Is the goal to get an email address so you can follow up later with more information? Or is it to have them register? Do you have some free literature or a demo or trial that you can provide? Did you answer the main question they had when they went to the page? Did you overcome their main objections?

tabs

We think we know what our customers want, and then later we ask ourselves why our campaign is not working as well as we thought. The best way to understand what is in a visitor’s mind is to ask them. Feedback tabs and pop-up surveys are a quick and simple tool to find out information such as:

  • What a user is thinking.
  • Why they came to the site.
  • What they are looking for.
  • Where they are stuck.

Popup surveys are usually one question, and sometimes two.  They are designed to be non-intrusive and can be triggered by the user’s position on the page, how many times they came to the site, how long they have been on the site, if they are a customer or not, and other factors. The questions can be open-ended text fields or lists of options to check off.

survey-popup

By asking visitors what they want and what their biggest objection is, we can design a landing page that will have a higher conversion rate because it satisfies their needs and concerns.

TIP: The key to fixing a landing page or page on a site that you want action taken on is to understand where the user is in the buying process and what will trigger them to overcome their perceived risk of submitting information or clicking the call-to-action.

What to ask and how to ask it

If you were filling up your car at the gas station and the owner came up to ask you why you stopped at his gas station and not the one across the street or next door, how he asks the question has a strong bearing on how you respond. Your response will differ, depending on if the person is abrupt and uncordial or pleasant and honest.

When prompting a stranger to provide information online, it is best to be honest and polite and to the point. Asking in a conversational tone will get more submissions than abruptly asking a question or having a question that is long-winded and full of jargon that the users may not understand.

Tip: Try asking one question to get to the heart of the matter for a better response such as: “We need your input for our next product which features…,” “We are updating our site. Can you help us…,” or “We need your advice…”

Here is a list of questions to start your creative juices flowing. The answers can be text boxes, radio or check boxes.

These questions help understand what visitors want:

  • How can we improve our site?
  • Help us provide what you want in our next product.
  • What is more important to you?
  • Help us grow! What feature do you want?
  • What features would you use the most?
  • What is most important to your business?
  • Is it better for us to contact you via email, text or Twitter?

These questions help you understand the issues around committing to a purchase:

  • What persuaded you to purchase from us?
  • What was most important in your decision to purchase?
  • What was the one thing that caused you to almost not buy from us?
  • Why did you choose us over our competitors?
  • How would you rank these companies regarding ____ (customer service / product features)?
  • What other companies or products did you consider before purchasing from us?
  • What questions do you need answered before purchasing?

These questions help in advertising and marketing:

  • How did you find us?
  • Where did you first learn about us?
  • What did you come to our site for?
  • What is the biggest obstacle or frustration you had in finding (product / service) online?

Tip: A/B test your questions to figure out which is the best way to ask the question. Make sure your question is not skewing your results. 

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Greg Ahern
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