{"id":1336,"date":"2020-10-01T21:42:54","date_gmt":"2020-10-01T21:42:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ec2-34-253-215-75.eu-west-1.compute.amazonaws.com\/?p=1336"},"modified":"2025-04-15T11:35:16","modified_gmt":"2025-04-15T11:35:16","slug":"user-surveys","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/refiner.io\/blog\/user-surveys\/","title":{"rendered":"User Experience Surveys: How to Learn More About Your Users (14 Real-World Examples)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

User experience surveys are often the missing link in the growth story of SaaS companies. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

While analytics data shows you what users are doing on your website and how they\u2019re using your product, the \u201cwhy<\/em>\u201d behind their action can only be uncovered through surveys and customer interviews.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, to help you get started, we\u2019ve put together a complete guide to running user surveys. You\u2019ll discover what user survey types you could run for your SaaS. We\u2019ll also share tips on how to create effective user surveys. You\u2019ll learn the types of questions to ask (and also, what makes a good question in a user survey), to using the insights you\u2019ve gathered to grow your SaaS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

NOTE: <\/strong>We\u2019re sharing many user survey examples in this post. We\u2019ve made all the effort to ensure that those examples are suitable for early-stage SaaS startups, as well as fast-growing scale-ups.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We start with a couple of user research survey examples, continue with user experience survey templates, and wrap up with churn prevention surveys.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So let\u2019s dive in!<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

User surveys vs. micro-surveys <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Before we dive into the use cases and examples, a quick note on user surveys versus micro-surveys. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

User surveys are, typically, more extensive and performed when you need to gather more in-depth customer feedback. Typical user questionnaires are more suitable for e-mails or interviews, as they touch upon several themes, and might seem complex feedback through open-ended questions, for example. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most often, user surveys are a one-time effort and their purpose is to help you improve your UX, CX and adjust your long-term product strategy and roadmap.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Micro-surveys<\/a> on the other hand are always-on and their purpose is to gather continuous user feedback. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

User survey tools<\/a> help you better understand who your users really are, track customer satisfaction, or get feedback on new product features.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Example of a micro survey shown inside a SaaS app<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Refiner is a user survey tool<\/a> that allows you to launch high converting survey widgets<\/a> (also referred to as popup surveys<\/a>) right within your SaaS or send them to your users by email. They can be launched in minutes, are contextual, quick to fill out and have awesome response rates!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Moreover, you can use the collected data to power automations and to make informed decisions in an agile manner, without spending too much time or resources.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Uncover customer insights Survey Data Dashboard<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Make sure to check our live demo<\/a> or create a free trial<\/a> if you want to see how the Refiner <\/strong>surveys would look on your website on inside your SaaS app!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to Create Effective User Surveys<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Without a doubt, surveys are one of the simplest ways to gather feedback and insights about your users. And just like we\u2019ve shown you above, running specific micro-surveys works particularly well for SaaS companies, and meets their requirements for data. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In spite of the differences between user surveys, other business run, and what you should be doing as SaaS, there are certain general rules to follow when surveying your users. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

#1. Writing Survey Questions<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s not sugarcoat it; the survey question will make or break your research. A good question will deliver reliable and insightful answers. A poorly chosen question, however, might deter people from even participating in your survey. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In general, you can use two types of customer satisfaction survey questions<\/a> in the survey:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Closed questions<\/strong> give participants a selected number of potential answers. Good examples of closed ended questions include multiple choice questions, yes\/no questions, likert scale questions, and so on. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Closed questions work well when you\u2019re collecting quantitative data, using devices like rating scales to gauge general attitudes of your users. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The opposite of those are open ended questions which respondents can answer any way they want. Open questions ask the person to give the opinion or answer in their own words, and work best if you\u2019re conducting qualitative research. In this case, users can decide how they want to answer questions. They can write a long or short answer, provide examples and explanations of their decisions, and so on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Both question types have their pros and cons, of course. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With closed ended questions, a question that\u2019s not easy to understand may lead to confusing answers that contain no insight you could use. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the same time, open ended questions may lack responses in the available options a person might choose from. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

#2. The Language <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve alluded at this above, but the issue of language and tone of voice warrants a separate discussion. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your language – how you construct the question and what tone of voice you\u2019ll use will affect more than just the type of responses you\u2019ll get. For one, too complex questions (or available options) might deter a person from even wanting to complete the survey. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Similarly, confusing language will, most likely, lead to unusable responses. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a general rule, keep the language simple, and explain what you are asking about clearly. Don\u2019t use jargon or any abbreviations. Although they might seem obvious to you, your respondents might only find them confusing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Users surveys that help you understand your target market<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The first category of user surveys is all about better understand your target market. Read on for detailed description or watch the video below for a quick overview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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