Consumer Survey Tools

Basically, consumer surveys are a set of questions that give customers of a product or service the chance to talk about how they feel about said product or service: whether they like it, dislike it, feel that certain elements could be improved, etc. Surveys gather information and this information is used to help businesses to create better customer experiences.

The best surveys have the following characteristics:
  • They should ask open-ended questions that allow people to provide insightful feedback and explain themselves and their thoughts. 
  • They should be short enough to keep people's attention throughout. 
  • They should be set up so that any answers provided can be implemented into the business for real-time positive effects.


Why Consumer Surveys Are Important

Consumer surveys can be done face-to-face, they can be handwritten, they can be done over the phone, or they can be done online. In any case, this is one of the best avenues for a business to discover how satisfied its customers truly are.

The reason why businesses are investing in surveys and survey platforms more frequently is because knowing what a customer wants drives business. Just like any other marketing tool that companies use, surveys can be looked at as a marketing and performance tool as well.

These surveys are used by businesses to figure out what changes need to be made to their offerings as well as what elements can remain the same or be highlighted more because of their positive reception.

Survey Templates and Methods

There are many different kinds of surveys that you can provide to customers. The four main survey templates in 2020 include the customer satisfaction template, the voice of the customer template, the product survey template, and the service evaluation template.

As you can see, each of these survey templates focuses on a different main element, whether it's the product itself or the customer's satisfaction in using it. 

Additionally, there are four different survey methods. They are written surveys, phone surveys, online surveys, and focus group surveys. Here the main variation is the method by which you get in contact with your customers and how they fill out the questions, whether it's on the computer alone or with a group of people in person (via a focus group session).   

You can use each of these different methods individually to gain consumer insight, or you can use multiple methods at once to see if any variations in data occur. 

Top Survey Tools of 2020

Online survey tools have evolved a great deal in the last decade. This is because of the convenience they provide businesses and the demand on behalf of those businesses to gain customer insights that can impact their bottom line. Today, there are a number of reputable services available. 

If your goal is to create smarter online surveys that give you the information you need to start improving your business model, your product line, or your service, there are excellent solutions available to you. You just have to consider your business type and your familiarity with these kinds of tools before making a decision. 

For example, if you have a small business and are familiar with surveys already, Survey Monkey is a useful tool. Meanwhile, bigger enterprises can benefit more from a more robust survey tool like Zoho. 

PCMag provides a list of the top survey tools by business type and survey experience level.