Estimated reading time: 3 minutes
One of the best ways for ISVs to succeed in this industry is through following a simple step to collect information you may otherwise not know. Watch as you conduct customer surveys, because you’ll soon find yourself collecting several pages of feedback to help make improvements and adjustments on your services. It helps each department in the long run. Trust in the process.
ISVs who offer Software as a Service (SaaS) are given the opportunity to collect data on how their customers feel while using their software. This is the easiest way to receive a sense of transparency with your customer-base, in the comments section. Encourage your customers to be honest, for you won’t know how to fix things, if you don’t know where needs fixing. This 6 Step Customer Survey solution is the perfect way to add a pinch of creativity, while also ensuring a real-time response.
1. Set Your Goals
Maybe you’re trying to gauge the success of your latest software release and want to know the crowd’s reaction. Keep these goals specific to help answer your questions as clearly as possible. As the creator, you can formulate your survey to help you achieve those wants to the best of your ability. At the same time, be sure to think through various strategic paths for this process. You don’t want to wing it and make things up as you go. Know your goal, your ask, your means through which you’ll request this information and your audience.
2. Formulate the Survey
Now that’ve you’ve outlined your goals for this survey, your next task is to pick what types of questions you’ll ask in the form. Keep things short, sweet and to the point. That being said, throw in a few ‘check the box’ and ‘multiple choice answer’ questions to appease customers. It’s okay to include a few open-ended questions that end with ‘If so, explain’ to help reach your initial goal. Feel free to allow anonymity for those customers who don’t feel comfortable releasing their names, regardless all responses are valuable for your study.
3. Utilize E-Blasts
Why waste your time typing out the same introductory ask into 2,000 email messages, when you could curate a special email list? Leverage this tool by managing your client list while also tracking who responds to your survey request. Send your “Seeking Customer Feedback – Please Reply” message three times a week to encourage the sincerity of your Call to Action. Be sure to include in your email that it will only take 5 minutes to complete the form and explain why you are conducting the survey. A ‘Thank You’ at the end of the message never hurts and close out with your name to add a personal touch.
4. Monitor Your Results
As soon as you send those emails, responses will start to flood your inbox. Monitor the forms individually and respond to them ASAP. Many disgruntled customers feel as though Customer Service forms get sent down a never ending black hole or that they communicating with a robot on the other end. Be the one that surprises them with your humanity and quick response rate to let them know that you actually care about them and the relationship they share with your service.
5. Analyze and Plan
Now is the time for you to take some time to analyze your results. You’re sure to notice some trends in the data, so be careful to record every answer meticulously so you can formulate your numbers. Once all of the numbers are logged into an Excel sheet, gather the troops and create a plan that will satisfy your customers from now on.
6. Produce Testimonials
If you find that your feedback tends to be positive, perhaps construct some testimonials to add to your company’s website. Check back with the customer for their permission, of course, because gleaming reviews are too good not to share on your social media platforms and landing page.
You’ll never know if you don’t ask. Surveys are the best way to check in our your customers and their impressions of your software services. This is the most effective means of increasing sales, profitability, and the growth of your business, if done correctly.
