{"id":2475,"date":"2022-04-30T14:29:39","date_gmt":"2022-04-30T14:29:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/refiner.io\/blog\/?p=2475"},"modified":"2026-01-19T08:27:24","modified_gmt":"2026-01-19T08:27:24","slug":"in-app-surveys","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/refiner.io\/blog\/in-app-surveys\/","title":{"rendered":"A Guide to In-app Surveys for SaaS"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Planning to run in-app surveys? Wondering how to make the most of it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You know – Continuous feedback can improve everything in your business \u2013 from product development to marketing and customer success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And to collect it, you just need to launch the right surveys at the right place. But unfortunately, sometimes that\u2019s the problem, right? How do you get your survey in front of people at the very moment when they\u2019re using your product?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Well, that\u2019s where in-app surveys come in handy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this guide, you\u2019re going to learn the best practices for in-app surveys and how different teams can use them to meet their SaaS objectives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But let\u2019s begin at the beginning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

What Is an In-App Survey?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

An in-app survey is a survey integrated into your page or app. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Contrary to external surveys that direct users to another page, in-app surveys make it easier for your customers to answer your questions in just a few clicks as they\u2019re using your product.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why Create and Use In-app Surveys? <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

There are many reasons to create in-app surveys for your business. Let\u2019s look at the key benefits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

#1. Be proactive with customer feedback <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Not all surveys should take time. In-app surveys can be quick and easy to answer and they can still help you gather valuable insights about your product and customer experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Use them to be more proactive with your feedback and find how your users feel about a feature before you notice a drop in usage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The faster you learn about any product issues, the easier it becomes to prevent churn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

#2. Improve response rate<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

One of the biggest challenges with surveys is to get a good response rate. We recently evaluated the performance of the last 500 in-app surveys created with Refiner and published an in-depth report on in-app survey response rates<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are multiple best practices to increase response rates, but the number one rule would be to launch surveys that don\u2019t disrupt the user experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Go where your customers are (in that case your web page or product) without directing them to external pages. Reduce the friction as much as possible by integrating the surveys into their customer journey and asking them the right questions at the right time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re using an in-app survey tool like Refiner, you can also customize the in-app surveys to your own branding to maximize the chances of success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

#3. Target the right audience<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Another challenge with user surveys is to create the right content for the right audience. That\u2019s where in-app survey segmentation comes in. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, you can trigger an in-app survey to your most engaged users after spending a set amount of time on your product to hear their thoughts about a particular feature. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The better the context, the higher the chances of a response. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

#4. Make customer feedback easier and effortless<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

User experience matters and it\u2019s no different when creating a survey. Think like your users.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The best way to boost your response rate is to make the survey feel easy and effortless.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Imagine you\u2019re using a product for the first time. A pop-up question comes out all of a sudden within the first minute and asks you for product feedback. You want to close the survey. It\u2019s hard to get rid of it so you end up frustrated, which could possibly affect your overall product experience. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Imagine if the survey experience was different. After the first ten minutes of using the product, a question shows up on your screen. The copy makes it clear that it understands you\u2019re a first-time user. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWelcome to [product]. What are your first impressions of the product up to now?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The process takes just a few seconds to complete. Guess which one of the two scenarios leads to a higher response rate. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Yes, it\u2019s the second one)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

#5. Gain insights on user experience<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The best way to maintain a good user experience<\/a> is to follow your user throughout their customer journey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From the very first interaction with your product to the long-term engagement, it\u2019s important to ask for their feedback to understand their pain points and spot any potential issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In-app survey tools like Refiner can help you organize the feedback you\u2019re collecting from all your users to uncover unique insights<\/a> that can turn into actionable tips for your product roadmap.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

#6. Help customers feel involved in your product decisions<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Your customers know best what your product is missing so you want to keep them close when building your product roadmap.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In-app surveys make it easier to connect with your audience and involve them in improving your product.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, if you are thinking of launching a new feature, you can launch a quick survey to target your most engaged users. You can either ask them a direct question about whether the specific feature would be useful for them or you can expand the options and let them pick the features they want next.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How Different Teams Can Use In-app Surveys<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There are various ways to use in-app surveys across different teams \u2013 it all comes down to what you want to get out of them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s dive deeper into the various use cases for each team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Customer Success<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In-app surveys can help you track and improve your customer success metrics. For example, you can use them to measure customer satisfaction with CSAT surveys<\/a> both for new and loyal users.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can also launch a CES survey<\/a> to measure customer effort and how your customers feel when using your product.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whether it\u2019s about measuring your NPS score<\/a> or tracking users\u2019 satisfaction, you can use in-app surveys in the customer success team to learn more about your audience and how to keep them happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Managing customer feedback doesn\u2019t need to be time-consuming. All you need is the right survey for the right audience to get the best insights out of every single question.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Growth Marketing<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

SaaS growth<\/a> and scaling can\u2019t happen without knowing what your customers like.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Collecting feedback through in-app surveys can give you valuable insights into your customers and what they enjoy from your product. You can even build your marketing personas based on their habits and interests to improve your messaging.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s say your business is primarily targeting marketers up to now but once you trigger a quick in-app survey among your engaged users, you find out that your product is equally appealing to project managers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just like that, you uncovered a new segment in your audience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can also use in-app surveys to identify high-value accounts with just a few questions. Trigger a survey to your most engaged customers and explore how the prospect of any upselling opportunities can help them solve more of their problems.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"\/<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

User Research<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The traditional idea of user research can take time and it\u2019s not always easy to scale. In-app surveys can be highly customized to help you maintain a high response rate while they are still easy to create in just a few steps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Looking for quick validation over a new feature you\u2019re building? You can trigger an in-app survey among your loyal users to gather feedback. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Interested in understanding your users throughout their lifecycle? Follow their evolutions with microsurveys that you trigger with the right content at the right time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, there\u2019s a difference between a user who just onboarded and someone who is using your product for a year. How has customer satisfaction changed? How often do they use the product? What\u2019s their favorite feature?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Use the feedback you\u2019re collecting to improve their user journey and help new app users have a smoother experience in the future.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"
An example of an user research survey<\/a> set up with Refiner<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Product Management<\/h3>\n\n\n
\n
\"\"\/<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

There are always new ideas to implement in your product. There\u2019s no better way to validate them than asking your customers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Be proactive with collecting insights by launching contextual in-app surveys for each segment of your audience. Identity any problems in existing features, prevent customer churn or get your users to submit their feature requests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Use all the insights to improve your product decisions and make it easier to measure your product-market fit<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can even analyze which segments have reached product-market fit or who needs additional help.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to Create Effective In-app Surveys <\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Ready to create an in-app survey? Here\u2019s everything you need to consider.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

#1. Define your objective before creating a survey<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The first step is to define your objectives. What do you want to get out of the survey? Why are you creating one? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your goal should be clear and easy to measure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, you might want to launch an in-app survey to find what your new users think of your onboarding experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this case, you need to create a CES survey to target this particular segment in order to measure the customer effort.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

#2. Timing is crucial<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Even the most relevant survey won\u2019t get a high response rate if you don\u2019t launch it at the right time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A great benefit of customer survey tools like Refiner<\/a> is the option to trigger an in-app survey at the right time for the right audience. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With Refiner you can create precise Target Audiences<\/a> and launch in-app surveys when a user performed a specific Trigger Event<\/a>. To increase response rates you can set up a Follow-Up<\/a> sequence, restrict where<\/a> surveys are shown, throttle survey speed, etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You don\u2019t want to ruin the customer experience by launching a feedback request survey when a user is filling out the details to subscribe to your product, do you?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

#3. Don\u2019t ignore segmentation to reach the right audience<\/h3>\n\n\n
\n
\"\"\/<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Segmentation<\/a> can be the key to improving your customer feedback data. It\u2019s not enough to collect insights if you don\u2019t narrow it down to different segments of your audience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, when launching a Net Promoter Score (NPS) survey, it\u2019s not just about the overall NPS number. You want to dive deeper to measure customer loyalty across different segments of your audience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spend the right amount of time to work on your segments, their definitions and how to understand them by asking the right questions at the right time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

#4. Design with user experience in mind<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s nothing more annoying than pop-up app messages you can\u2019t close. You don\u2019t want your surveys to annoy your customers so keep the user experience in mind throughout the design process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s say you want to launch a feedback survey to measure customer satisfaction. Your survey should blend with your brand and the app. It can\u2019t disrupt the user experience by taking up a big part of the screen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The best way to get a high response rate is to make the responses feel quick and effortless.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

#5. Pick the right survey template<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s daunting to start a survey from scratch, I know.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s why there are many survey templates out there to help you pick the best one for your needs. Instead of coming up with your own survey questions, you can choose a template based on your survey\u2019s use case. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can adapt the template as much as you want to match the copy and the branding to your audience\u2019s needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re using Refiner, you can use the various templates<\/a> made for SaaS businesses to maximize your chances of success (like an NPS template<\/a> or CSAT template<\/a>, for example.)<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"\/<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

#6. Design for mobile<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Your surveys should be accessible to every screen size.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not enough to test your survey design on a laptop when a growing number of users rely on their phones to access a page or an app.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When optimizing your survey for a mobile app, make sure the copy is easy to read and that the survey design does not impact the overall user experience. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here is a preview of an in-app survey if you\u2019re using Refiner.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

#7. Pay attention to the copy for each question <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Every question should be clear and easy to understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Asking for too many things in one question can confuse your audience and affect your response rate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Be specific and use simple words.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here is an example of a direct and clear question:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWould you be interested to schedule a quick 1-on-1 demo with our team?\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"\/<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

#8. Keep it short<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Longer sentences can affect the user experience if they take too many rows so make sure you\u2019re cutting down on anything you don\u2019t need.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Review the copy for every question you\u2019re creating. Is there another way to frame it without using too many words?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s say you want to find out how your customers found out about your product.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are two different ways to ask the same thing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Option 1 – \u201cDo you remember the channel you were using when you first found out about our product?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Option 2 – \u201cHow did you first hear about us?\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The second option sounds better, doesn\u2019t it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

#9. Run A\/B tests<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

We all tend to assume what our audience knows but we only confirm our validations by running various A\/B tests<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When creating an in-app survey, experiment with the copy, the targeting or even the time that you\u2019re launching the survey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Make sure that you\u2019re only running one experiment at a time to confirm the winning option.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Use all the learnings to improve your next surveys based on what resonates with your audience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

#10. Look at your analytics<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

After launching your survey, it\u2019s time to analyze your survey data. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whether it\u2019s about your NPS score, customer satisfaction or product-market fit, reporting can help you understand your audience and what they want from your product.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Be proactive with analyzing your data and dive deeper into different audiences to understand their unique needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are using Refiner, you can create real-time customisable reporting boards<\/a> while you can also bring all survey data in one place to improve the decision-making in your product.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Best tool for running in-app surveys: Refiner<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"In-app<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Refiner is in-app survey software<\/a> for web and mobile apps, built specifically for SaaS and digital products that want high-quality contextual feedback inside the product, not in random email blasts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With Refiner, product and CX teams are able to run targeted microsurveys in their web app or native mobile apps, and collect feedback to make better product decisions and improve customer experience based on what their real users are doing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The whole idea is simple. You drop Refiner into your app, show beautifully branded surveys at the perfect moment, and get highly valuable insights instead of noisy, low-intent feedback. Refiner focuses on perfectly timed in-product micro surveys and gives you advanced targeting so you can always ask the right question, to the right segment, at the right time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What you can do with Refiner<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n