10 Types of Customer Surveys Every Ecommerce Merchant Should Use

Ruby Branston

November 13, 2024

8 min read

When it comes to understanding your market, there's no better tool than customer surveys. They go beyond surface level metrics to show you what customers actually want, and how well you’re meeting their needs. But which surveys offer the most valuable insights? Here's 10 of the best to help your brand thrive.

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Customer surveys aren’t just about collecting data. They’re about getting actionable insights that help your business grow.

According to Gartner, 80% of companies with year-on-year growth use customer surveys to gather data on customer experience.

What Can Customer Surveys Tell You?

Each type of customer survey serves a unique purpose, from improving products to boosting loyalty.

Some, like Customer Satisfaction Surveys (CSAT), give you quantitative data - measurable scores that show overall trends. Others capture qualitative feedback, adding context to what’s going well and what could improve.

Using both types gives you a complete view of customer satisfaction. The quantitative scores help you see at a glance if things are going well or not, while qualitative answers explain the “why” behind those scores.

10 Essential Customer Survey Types for eCommerce Success

1. Net Promoter Score Survey (NPS)

A quantitative customer survey, NPS measures loyalty by asking how likely shoppers are to recommend your brand. It’s a simple, one-question survey where customers rate from 0 (not likely) to 10 (extremely likely).

NPS sorts customers into three groups based on their score:

Promoters (9 -10) are likely to recommend your brand.
Passives (7 -8) are neutral and may not actively promote your brand.
Detractors (0 -6) are less likely to recommend your brand and may have had issues.

To calculate NPS, subtract the percentage of Detractors from the percentage of Promoters. For example, if 50% of customers are Promoters and 10% are Detractors, your NPS score is 40.

NPS is a powerful way to see where your brand stands in terms of loyalty and advocacy. By tracking NPS over time, you get a clear, ongoing measure of customer sentiment. Book a demo with REVIEWS.io to see how you can get started with NPS surveys.

When to use: Quarterly or bi-annually to keep track of customer loyalty.

Best practices: Use NPS to benchmark loyalty across different customer groups or product lines.

2. Customer Satisfaction Survey (CSAT)

CSAT gives you quantitative data on how satisfied customers are after a specific interaction with your brand.

Customers rate their experience on a scale, often from 1 (very unsatisfied) to 5 (very satisfied). This score lets you see at a glance if customers are generally happy with your service.

Customer Satisfaction Survey (CSAT) - Reviews.io

To calculate CSAT, take the number of satisfied customers (those who rated 4 or 5) and divide it by the total number of responses. Then multiply by 100 to get a percentage.

For example, if 80 out of 100 customers rate their experience as 4 or 5, your CSAT score is 80%.

When to use: After important interactions, such as a purchase or customer service experience.

Example questions:

“How satisfied are you with your recent purchase?”
“Did our support team meet your expectations?”

Best practices: Encourage open-ended responses alongside the score so customers can add context if they wish.

3. Customer Effort Score Survey (CES)

While CSAT measures general satisfaction, CES zeroes in on the ease of completing specific tasks. For example, finalizing a purchase or redeeming loyalty points.

These surveys ask customers to rate their experience from “very easy” to “very difficult.”

By focusing on effort, CES surveys uncover where customers face unnecessary obstacles. With this information, you can simplify steps and reduce friction.

For example, if a lot of customers rate checkout as difficult, you can review and streamline that part of their journey.

When to use: Use CES after key touchpoints that require effort on the customer’s part, like making a purchase or returning an item.

Example questions:

“How easy was it to complete your purchase today?”
“How easy was it to navigate our returns process?”

Best practices: Use CES surveys after any major changes to your website or processes to measure their success.

4. Product Satisfaction Survey

This type of customer survey measures how well a product meets expectations and can be used to gather qualitative data on the product experience.

It can show if a product matches its description, if it’s delivering value, and reveal insights into quality and performance.

To capture a well-rounded view, product satisfaction surveys should use a mix of question types. Like rating scales, multiple choice and open-ended questions.

For example, you might ask customers to rate a product in terms of quality or value for money. You can then delve deeper by asking for specific feedback on key features, such as design, durability, or ease of use.

This helps you identify exactly where a product might be exceeding or falling short, allowing you to adjust descriptions or improve certain features based on real customer insights.

When to use: Send around 1 - 2 weeks after delivery, allowing time for customers to try out the product.

Example questions:

Rating Scale: “On a scale of 1 to 5, how satisfied are you with the quality of the product?”
Multiple Choice: “How often do you use this product?” (Options: Daily, Weekly, Occasionally, Rarely)
Open-Ended: “What features do you think could improve the product?”
Yes/No Question: “Did the product meet your expectations based on our description?”

Best practices: Ask specific questions for each product category to gather the most relevant feedback.

5. Post-Purchase Survey

A post-purchase survey lets you check-in with customers right after they complete an order.

These surveys are useful because they’re ‘in the moment’. They capture immediate reactions from a customer while their experience is still fresh in their minds.

You can collect data on any area you choose with these. Think about where you feel your business could do better, and use post purchase surveys to get the customer perspective.

For example, you could ask about any difficulties in navigating the payment page or if they were satisfied with shipping options. You can then use that data to make targeted improvements to the purchase process

When to use: Trigger as an immediate pop-up after checkout or send within 24 hours to capture initial reactions.

Example questions:

“How was your overall shopping experience?”
“Did you encounter any issues during checkout?”

Best practices: Keep it concise, and let customers know you’re using their feedback to improve.

6. Website Usability Survey

A website usability survey looks at a customer's on-site experience when they visit your store. It sheds light on navigation issues, search efficiency, or potential friction points.

If customers frequently comment on difficulty finding certain products or slow loading pages, you’ll know where to focus your website updates.

This survey allows you to refine the online shopping experience, making it easier for customers to explore and buy.

When to use: Trigger as a pop-up for new visitors or an exit-intent survey when customers leave without purchasing.

Example questions:

“How easy was it to find what you were looking for on our site?”
“Did any pages take too long to load?”

Best practices: Keep the survey brief and to the point, so it doesn’t disrupt the browsing experience.

7. Cart Abandonment Survey

A cart abandonment survey helps you understand why customers add items to their cart but leave without completing the purchase.

It allows you to act on specific pain points, like unexpected fees or limited payment options. For example, if multiple responses cite high shipping costs as a reason for abandonment, you can look at your pricing strategy.

By addressing these blockers, you can reduce cart abandonment rates and increase conversions.

When to use: Send as a follow-up email shortly after cart abandonment or as an exit pop-up.

Example questions:

“What stopped you from completing your purchase?”
“Were any costs unexpected or unclear?”

Best practices: Keep questions short, and ensure they focus on potential reasons for abandonment.

8. Return and Refund Feedback Survey

A return and refund feedback survey does exactly what you’d expect. It captures how customers feel about your return process, and whether they see it as clear, efficient, and fair.

This type of customer survey helps identify frustrations, like slow processing or complex policies, and gives you the chance to make returns as hassle-free as possible.

For instance, if customers report confusion with the steps, consider simplifying instructions or offering live support for returns.

When to use: Send after the return or refund is processed to capture feedback while the experience is still fresh.

Example questions:

“How would you rate the ease of our return process?”
“Was our return policy clear and easy to follow?”

Best practices: Identify trends in feedback to pinpoint areas for process improvements.

9. Customer Support Feedback Survey

A customer support feedback survey evaluates how well your support team handles customer issues.

It provides insights into whether customers feel their concerns were addressed efficiently and if they were satisfied with the service received.

If customers rate your support highly, it’s a sign your team is delivering well. Lower ratings, however, may highlight areas needing attention, like quicker responses or improved issue resolution.

Tracking these metrics over time helps you continually improve customer service standards.

When to use: Immediately after each support interaction, whether via email, chat, or phone.

Example questions:

“How satisfied were you with the support you received?”
“Was your issue resolved promptly?”

Best practices: Act on trends to continually train and improve your support team’s response quality.

10. Market Research Survey

Finally, market research surveys explore customer interests, preferences, and shopping behaviors. This gives you valuable data for informed business decisions and a competitive edge.

These surveys can reveal product preferences, potential new offerings, or shifts in purchasing trends. For example, if customers express interest in more sustainable options, you might consider expanding eco-friendly product lines.

Market research surveys ensure you stay connected to customer needs. This means you can make product and marketing decisions that hit the mark.

When to use: Quarterly or bi-annually to keep pace with changing customer interests.

Example questions:

“What new types of products would you like to see in our store?”
“How often do you shop for items in this category?”

Best practices: Focus on a few targeted areas each time to keep questions relevant and responses actionable.

How to Make the Most of Your Customer Survey Data

Collecting data through customer surveys is just the start. To truly benefit, you need to analyze it quickly and effectively.

This is where AI brings big benefits to your survey strategy.

With AI powered tools, you can analyze survey data at a speed and depth that would be hard to do manually.

Machine learning algorithms identify patterns in responses, highlighting trends, frequent issues, and customer sentiment across thousands of comments. This allows you to spot emerging themes or concerns, often in real time.

It’s a quick win for making the most of your customer survey data, helping you focus on what matters most.

Ready to transform feedback into growth? REVIEWS.io offers powerful survey tools that make it easy to gather, analyze, and act on customer feedback.

Whether you need quick scores like NPS or detailed product insights, our tools are designed to help you understand and meet customer expectations.

Start leveraging customer insights today with REVIEWS.io’s survey solutions.