To effectively enhance a site’s functionality and user satisfaction, following the trends in user behavior and preferences becomes essential. A significant portion of qualitative information from site visitors can be collected through the implementation of a website exit survey tool. An online survey software for exit surveys can be used at the point of exiting the site to elicit responses from people regarding their motives for visiting the site, their disappointments, and if there are things that can be done to persuade them to revisit the site.
This article demonstrates the utility of exit survey tools in collecting qualitative data, the questions that should be posed, and presents the advantages of the tool in question for better business performance.
What is a Website Exit Survey?
A website exit survey is when a user is timed in their use of the website and asked to fill in a pop-up or embedded questionnaire while on the verge of leaving this website. Exit surveys can be prompted by moving the mouse pointer over the close button of the browser for a time and or after a certain period spent idly on the page. With these exit surveys, organizations can assess on the spot what factors made people leave the site without buying, leaving a shopping cart behind, or taking a particular action.
Importance of Qualitative Data in Website Optimization
Qualitative data is concerned with addressing the meaning behind user behaviors. It is vastly different from quantitative data which focuses on tangible statistics such as page impressions, pages accessed and time spent on a page, or the number of users that returned to the sites, which was called the bounce rate.
Qualitative data, on the other hand, addresses much deeper issues that concern the reasons behind users’ habits and preferences, what users like and what do not. Marketing questionnaires and user satisfaction surveys, for instance, will provide this information, and therefore qualitative feedback becomes necessary to optimize a website.
Crafting Effective Exit Survey Questions
Keep It Short and Relevant
Collating user feedback through long surveys as they are about to exit or leave a site is quite difficult because users will not be able to complete them. Therefore, make sure the survey is short and only targets the necessary data. Strive for no more than 3-5 questions that go straight to the point of comprehension of user behavior.
Ask Open-Ended Questions
Open-ended questions give users the ability to write as much and as detailed as they want. This offers businesses better quality data as opposed to just having a few quantitative figures. For instance, instead of “Were you happy with the service provided?” which will only elicit a response of either yes or no, you can say “What could we have done differently to improve your satisfaction?”
Avoid Leading Questions
It is important to make sure that the questions posed are made neutrally and do not seem to persuade the participants towards a particular answer. To illustrate, it is inappropriate to ask, “Was your pricing a bit high for you?” which contains a negative premise but instead asks why for example, decides to purchase ‘What was the primary reason that you did not buy anything?’.
Offer Optional Fields for Additional Feedback
Incorporating an additional text box for the respondents to jot down their comments or suggestions – all of which are not captured by structured survey questions – can prove beneficial in collating such information, which otherwise, would be hard to find.
Benefits of Using Website Exit Survey Tools for Qualitative Data Collection
Improved User Experience
Exit surveys provide a timely insight as to what navigational challenges users are encountering on the website. These issues, as contained in the exit survey response, help the business to promptly enhance the usability of the website, curbing the bounce rate and elevating the conversion rate.
Reduced Cart Abandonment
In the case of eCommerce portals, it is exit surveys that can help explain the phenomena of shopping cart abandonment. High shipping costs, a long and confusing checkout process, or worries over the quality of a product, are some of the reasons that can be addressed with proper information gleaned from exit surveys to lower cart abandonment and enhance sales.
Enhanced Personalization
Collecting qualitative data regarding user preferences enables firms to provide a more enhanced, personalized experience. For instance, if a significant number of users indicate that they are searching for a particular product or service that is currently unavailable on the website, businesses can employ such feedback to enhance their products or services.
Insight into Lost Opportunities
Certain lessons can be learned from exit survey responses. Such as, if a respondent says that they exited because they could not find a particular piece of information or encountered navigation issues, these are areas that can be improved to ensure that the coming users do not leave the site before it is all explored.
Actionable Data for Decision-Making
Exit surveys yield qualitative data trends that can be applied to a range of business components, including the design and content of the website, product creation and services offered, and many other options. Knowing the why behind user’s actions allows for business decisions to be made based on information, therefore leading to improved results.
Key Takeaway
The application of a website exit survey tool as a qualitative data-gathering technique helps companies understand users’ behavioral patterns and their likes and dislikes. Properly phrased and timed questions help them pinpoint concerns, improve experiences, and minimize factors such as cart abandonment. The information gathered from exit questionnaires helps make strategic choices related to creating a more navigable site and enhancing the business’s performance effectiveness.