Guess what? The easiest way to understand why your visitors aren’t converting is to ask them.
And that’s just one example of how asking your users questions can lead to growth. In fact, getting direct feedback from your users and potential customers is the fastest way to finding opportunities for improvement and growth. This is why at Hotjar, we have created a tool that combines both analytics and feedback, allowing you to see what your visitors are doing, as well as why they behave the way they do.
You may think you know how your users will reply, but their answers will surprise you. In fact, over 12 years consulting businesses from startups to fortune 500’s, across several industries and in multiple territories, I have consistently seen surprise and awe when internal teams discover what their users really think.
Now you might be thinking that users and visitors will not bother answering questions and surveys, but you’re wrong. On average, you can expect response rates between 2% to 20%. The key is to ask the right questions.
Here are my 5 favorite questions:
1. "What’s missing on this page?"
Asked in the form of a feedback poll directly on your key site pages (such as your homepage), this question will highlight missing elements, concerns or questions that you are not aware of. Quickly address these questions or concerns to improve engagement and conversion rates.
2. "Where exactly did you first hear about us?"
You may be tempted to think that you don’t need to ask this question since you have web analytics data on this subject. However, the answers to this question will reveal new opportunities and channels. This is most effective when you ask freshly converting visitors – right on your ‘thank-you’ page.
3. "How would you describe us to a friend? (please write the exact words you would use)"
This question will produce some great replies that you will want to use as testimonials on your site. Just make sure you collect your respondent’s email address so you can follow up to ask for their name and photo to include with their testimonial. Adding user comments and endorsements to your sites pages is a sure way of converting more visitors.
4. "List 3 things that nearly stopped you from using us?"
Ask this question to converted users in a survey to identify their top ‘objections’. This will quickly allow you to identify the main concerns or issues your visitors have before converting. Answer these questions on your site to persuade more visitors to convert.
5. "What could we have done to make it easier?"
Never mind that you may receive impractical ideas in your visitors’ answers – all you really need is a single great idea that you have not thought of. Your users are the most qualified people to give you suggestions.
Asking your visitors questions is quick and easy. It is a step you really can’t afford to skip. Setting up polls and surveys on your site is also very easy – just head over to
Hotjar to create your free account and start collecting replies now.
More importantly, don’t stop with these 5 questions. Get creative with what you can discover. Just remember to keep your questions short and simple to understand.
This blog post was written by Dr. David Darmanin, Founder & CEO at Hotjar.