Collecting data from current and potential customers may be easier than you think. That is, if you have the right tools!
First up, what is a website intercept survey?
Website intercept data is collected through online surveys. Survey questions can be tailored for any industry or type of customer and general user. Website intercept surveys can be short and include as few as 3 questions. Or, website intercept surveys can cover multiple objectives and include up to 20 questions.
There are several key performance indicators (KPIs) every organization should be looking measure with intercept surveys on their website such as overall satisfaction (CSAT) and likelihood to recommend (NPS) to a friend or family member. Other important questions include sources of awareness, comparison to the competition, and word associations of the brand.
Need more examples? Check out these example customer satisfaction survey questions.
In addition to KPIs, organizations benefit from asking demographic questions (i.e., age, gender, ZIP Code of residence, household income, etc.) These details help brands understand and learn more about their website users in order to tailor their marketing messages appropriately.
In addition to the questions used in the website intercept survey, nearly everything can be customized. This includes the layout of the survey, branding/logos, and font(s) used. In other words, the website intercept can look seamless to the end user and less intrusive.
Wondering what a website intercept survey looks like? Here are two modal dialog invite examples. For a frame of reference, this is different than a traditional pop-up. Modal dialog is not blocked by ad or pop-up blockers. Win!
Below is an example of a pop-up in-screen survey. The entire survey is conducted in this pop-up window. The survey includes 3 questions (e.g., awareness, perception, and likelihood to recommend). Questions are customized to the client needs.
Example pop-up in-screen survey
Below is an example of a pop-up survey invite. The pop-up in-screen is similar to the image above. However, if respondents agree to “start survey” a new tab opens where they complete the survey off-site.
Example pop-up survey invite
Reason #1: Real time responses
Real time responses can be difficult to gather online. Typically, in-person intercept surveys are the go-to when researchers think of gathering in-the-moment feedback.
A few positives to traditional intercept surveys include 1) respondents being able to accurately recall their experience, 2) gathering real-time data, and 3) the ability to immediately take action on the results.
These benefits are also seen in website intercept surveys. Website intercept surveys ask questions to users as they are actively using the site, meaning respondents are providing accurate data in real-time for the organization to act on.
Reason #2: Reach all demographics
Some survey methodologies have limited reach capabilities. Website intercept surveys, however, provide access to nearly all site users, so respondent demographics will range in proportion to site users.
Rather than limiting the data collected, find ways to expand reach to get the most accurate view of site users and their feedback.
Reason #3: Strong call-to-action
Website intercept surveys have a clear call-to-action. Other methods of gathering feedback include email invites, static website invites, invites sent via social media, etc.
Out of all the other methods, a website intercept survey is the most likely to be seen by website users. It's can be easy for users to not see survey invites sent by other methods. For example, email surveys often get lost in a full inbox, spam, or if the potential respondent doesn't recognize who the email is coming from - the trash.
If the research objective is to gather feedback from site users, website intercept surveys are the way to go.
Reason #4: Less intrusive
The way a market research company collects data is always changing. It's important to stay ahead of the curve and test new technology as it is released.
In addition to modal dialog invites, other ways to invite site users to complete a website intercept survey include a top or bottom banner invite, or an inline invite.
As shown above, a modal dialog invite looks similar to a pop-up. Best practices show this type of pop-up should match website branding so the user feels the least interrupted. As a reminder, ad or pop-up blockers do not block modal dialog invites!
Top or bottom banner invites can be a static invite on the website, or anchored to the top or bottom of the user's browser. Lastly, inline invites target specific text to make the invite appear seamlessly on the desired page.
In addition to different types of website intercept survey invites, there are also several conditions to trigger a website intercept survey. Examples include percent chance (1% to 100%), number of website visits, number of pages visited by user, amount of time on page, the user's web browser, and the user's device.
The possibilities are endless, yet extremely beneficial to understanding exactly who visits your website!
Contact Drive Research
Drive Research is a website survey company located in Syracuse, NY. In addition to website surveys, our team specializes in custom market research studies. We work with organizations around the world to collect and analyze data needed to drive future decision making.
Ready to learn more about market research services at Drive Research? Reach out to us through any of the four ways below.
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