📃 Surveys
A fast method to get feedback directly from users
Table of Contents
By Tolgay B.
✏️ Definition
A survey (or user survey, or customer survey) is a versatile method used to gather feedback and insights directly from product users. These surveys can vary in form and may be conducted through various channels, including email, social media, or in-person interviews, providing valuable perspectives on user experiences.
+ Benefits
Direct feedback from users: Surveys establish a direct line of communication with your users, enabling you to collect specific feedback on their experiences, needs, and preferences. This firsthand information is crucial for gaining a deep understanding of your user base and making informed decisions about product development.
Data-informed decision making: By collecting both quantitative and qualitative data through surveys, you empower your decision-making with solid evidence. This data-driven approach minimizes reliance on assumptions and guesswork, fostering the development of strategies and product features that more effectively resonate with your target audience.
Market research: Surveys are invaluable for exploring new markets or customer segments, providing key data on potential users’ needs and behaviors. This information helps you to understand market dynamics and tailor your strategies to meet specific customer demands effectively.
📒 Playbook
⏮️ Prepare
Define the objective: Before crafting your survey, ensure you have a clear understanding of its purpose. Clearly define your research objectives and specify the information you aim to gather from your users.
Identify participants: Determine who needs to be surveyed to obtain relevant insights. This may include all users, new users, or a specific user segment. Consider demographic and behavioral criteria to accurately define your target respondents.
Test your survey: Before wide distribution, pilot your survey with a small group to identify any issues with question clarity or survey flow. Utilize the feedback to make necessary adjustments, ensuring the survey is optimized for a larger audience.
▶️ Run
Distribute the survey through multiple channels: Select channels based on where your users are most active to maximize reach and engagement. Potential platforms include email, in-app notifications, and social media.
Personalize invitation messages: Tailor your survey invitations to increase the likelihood of responses. Personalization can significantly enhance engagement by making recipients feel directly addressed and valued.
⏭️ After
Analyze the data: Utilize statistical tools and software to thoroughly analyze the data collected. Identify trends, patterns, and insights that can guide product decisions. Segment the data to gain a deeper understanding of different user groups’ perspectives and experiences.
Document insights: Carefully record and organize the insights gathered from the survey. Create a comprehensive backlog of these insights to ensure they are accessible and well-documented. This repository will serve as a valuable resource for identifying trends and patterns that can inform future product development and strategy discussions.
Follow up: If appropriate, follow up with respondents who provided contact information and expressed a willingness for further engagement. Use this opportunity to clarify responses or deepen engagement. Communicate any product changes or improvements influenced by the survey feedback to affirm the value of user input.
⚠️ Common Pitfalls
Asking leading questions: Avoid phrasing survey questions in a manner that suggests a particular answer. Leading questions can skew responses and lead to inaccurate data collection, compromising the integrity of your survey results.
Not defining the target audience: Failing to define the target audience for your survey can lead to responses that are not representative of your intended user base. It’s crucial to identify and target the appropriate group of people to ensure that the feedback you collect is relevant and reliable.
Making surveys to long/complex: Avoid creating surveys that are too lengthy or complex. Overly intricate or extensive surveys can cause users to lose interest or rush through their responses, which often results in incomplete or unreliable data. It’s essential to keep surveys concise and focused to maintain participant engagement and ensure the accuracy of the feedback.
👉 Example
Use Case: Survey for A Product Journal
⏮️ Prepare
Define the objective
The primary goal of this survey is to understand the diverse educational and experiential pathways that lead individuals to careers in product management. By collecting data on how product managers acquire their skills and knowledge, the survey aims to identify key trends and resources that are most effective in nurturing competent product managers. This information will be instrumental in enhancing educational programs and resources for aspiring product managers.
Identify target audience
- 50 Mid-Career (4-7 years): Established professionals who are expanding their influence and expertise.
▶️ Survey - Your path to product management
Thank you for participating in this survey. Your insights are essential in helping us better understand the learning paths of product managers. Please take a few minutes to share your experiences and knowledge.
⏭️ After
Key insights
- Preference for advanced learning: Mid-career PMs show a strong preference for advanced, specialized courses that go beyond basics to cover strategic aspects of product management, such as advanced product strategy, market positioning, and scaling products.
- Need for leadership skills development: There’s a noticeable interest in developing leadership and communication skills that are crucial for managing teams and leading cross-functional projects as they advance in their careers.
- Seeking networking opportunities: Mid-career PMs value networking opportunities highly, looking to connect with other professionals to exchange ideas, challenges, and best practices.
Follow up
- Develop specialized training Modules: Create and offer advanced training modules focused on strategic product management, leadership, and innovation that cater specifically to the needs of mid-career professionals. These could be in the form of masterclasses or workshops led by industry experts.
- Launch leadership development programs: Introduce a leadership development program that includes coaching, mentoring, and peer-learning sessions focused on enhancing leadership, negotiation, and communication skills. These programs can help mid-career PMs transition into more senior roles effectively.
- Organize and promote networking events: Plan and host regular networking events, both virtual and in-person, specifically tailored for mid-career professionals. These events could include roundtable discussions, guest speaker sessions, and PM meetups to facilitate meaningful exchanges and foster a supportive community.
🤖 ChatGPT Prompt
Hello ChatGPT, could you please consider the following elements and generate a user survey please?
- Objective of the Survey: [Briefly describe what you hope to achieve with this survey. For example, “Gather feedback on the new feature X”, “Understand user satisfaction levels”, or “Identify areas for product improvement”.]
- Target Audience: [Specify who the survey is for. For example, “All active users of our mobile app”, “Customers who purchased in the last 6 months”, or “Users who have interacted with feature Y”.]
- Key Questions to Include: [List specific questions you want to include. For example, “How often do you use feature Z?”, “What do you like most about our product?”, “What challenges have you faced while using our service?”, or “Rate your overall satisfaction on a scale of 1-5”.]
- Type of Questions: [Mention if you want multiple-choice, scale rating (like 1 to 5), open-ended questions, or a mix of these.]
- Expected Length of the Survey: [Specify how long the survey should be, like “5-10 minutes” or “10-15 questions”.]
- Any Special Instructions: [Include any special instructions like demographic questions, if anonymity is important, or if you want a particular focus on a new feature or service area.]
- Deadline for Survey Completion: [Mention the deadline by which you need the survey, if applicable.]
Thank you!
COMING SOON
COMING SOON
📚 More Resources
- 📄 Article | UX Design Institute| How to design effective user surveys for UX research
- 📄 Article | NNGroup | How to Run Surveys at Every Stage of the Design Cycle
- 📖 Book | “Survey Methodology” by Robert M. Groves, Floyd J. Fowler Jr., Mick P. Couper, James M. Lepkowski, Eleanor Singer, and Roger Tourangeau
- 📖 Book | “Questionnaire Design: How to Plan, Structure and Write Survey Material for Effective Market Research” by Kate Bolton and Ian Brace
- 📖 Book | “The Survey Research Handbook, Third Edition” by Pamela L. Alreck and Robert B. Settle