Have you ever wanted to gain valuable customer data to help you conduct online research without invasive, drawn out questionnaires that consumers sometimes lose interest in?
Google has found the answer with its new Customer Survey tool. As a local internet marketing specialist, your business decisions should be directly related to customer feedback, because if you're not responding to your customers' requests, your revenue is likely to suffer.
With Google Customer Surveys, you can conduct market research and receive real-time, aggregated results that can allow you to make decisions quicker than with traditional surveys or market research, Google's blog explains.
It works by prompting users to answer a question before accessing gated content. Google than analyzes the answer and sends it back to your data page. Up to two questions can appear in each pop-up, although consumers will typically be asked one question at a time. According to the Google Customer Surveys website, this is done because longer questionnaires bog down response rates. By asking people one question at a time, response rates increase by 15 to 20 percent and result in more accurate answers.
"On the business side, this is giving business owners of all sizes a new, easy, affordable way to find out what their customers want and use quantitative research to make data-driven decisions. Screening questions allow you to screen respondents to ensure that they are in your target audience," said Andrea Faville, Google's manager of global communications and public affairs, as quoted by Direct Marketing News Magazine. "Google asks an initial question, such as whether the user is a dog owner. Based on the response, Google then sends a follow-up question, the answer to which will be analyzed by the company."
Answers to the questions are anonymous, and aren't tied to the users' identity or used for targeted ads or pop{-}ups, and it gives them instant access to the page the{y} want to browse to.
As far as price, marketers will be charged 10 cents per response for the "general U.S. population." That figure rises to 50 cents if you decide to target a customized or niche audience.
A number of companies have already adopted the survey format, including Lucky Brand Jeans, King Arthur Flour, Timbuk2 and 479 Popcorn.