Customer feedback is essential for a strong business. Whether it’s for broader market research or evaluating recent customer experiences, surveys will shine a light on what you are doing right and where you need to improve.
While sending out customer surveys and actually getting responses are two different matters, here are four ways to make the process easier.
How to increase survey response rates
1. Be strategic about timing
Most people prefer to take surveys online, and B2B surveys have the highest completion rate when sent on Mondays. However, your specific audience may differ from the averages so be sure to double check against your own data. Also, Monday or not, be wary of sending anything out on a holiday.
2. Send reminders
A couple of days after sending your initial request, send reminders to increase completion rates. Be careful not to spam your recipients with reminders; after three or four, it’s time to begin analyzing your results.
Remember, each reminder sent will see fewer returns than the previous one, and eventually the results they yield will be too low to make a big difference. Instead, they may even result in your emails being reported as spam or simply annoying the recipient. If necessary, test different subject lines or vary your copy to improve your open or click-through rates.
3. Keep it short
Only ask the questions that are absolutely essential and will have actionable findings. The shorter the survey is, the better completion rates you’ll see. Forty-five percent of people are willing to spend up to five minutes on a survey, and only 33% are willing to spend up to 10 minutes. Set questions to only appear after certain responses so respondents don’t waste time on questions that don’t apply to them.
Use concise language and skip any technical jargon to keep the questions simple and to the point. Remember, 71% of respondents will answer inaccurately if the question is too confusing or doesn’t apply to them.
4. Show that you’re appreciative
It’s no secret that incentives improve response rates, with 34% of respondents answering a survey in order to reap a reward, like a gift card, discount or access to special content. It’s also good practice to connect with respondents to show that you’re appreciative of their feedback, especially if you have plans to or have already addressed some of their concerns.
Conclusion
Customer feedback keeps your business on the right track, but if customers aren’t responding then you won’t learn anything new. Increase survey response rates with incentives and reminders that encourage participation. Short questions in an online format will increase completion rates, and the more answers you receive, the more you will know about what your customers really think and how you can improve.
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