What is a Survey Methodoligist?

Before we dive into survey methodology, let's shed some light on the fascinating role of a survey methodologist. Picture them as skilled navigators, guiding survey design. With their expertise, they help brands design surveys that reveal precious nuggets of information that pave the way to success.

They are the maestros of survey design, and the guardians of reliable insights. They possess a unique set of skills that allow them to unlock the secrets hidden within customer feedback.

In a digital realm saturated with competition, these experts serve as the compass, guiding brands towards success. By helping brands understand the needs and preferences of customers, they pave the way for businesses to forge deeper connections and foster brand loyalty. So, let us delve into the world of survey methodologists and the impact they have on ecommerce brands.

Understanding Ecommerce Survey Methodology

Imagine a skilled tailor meticulously stitching together surveys that capture the essence of your customers. That's what survey methodologists do! They tailor each survey question to reveal reliable insights.

They understand that each step of the customer journey holds valuable clues, and by intertwining the right questions into your surveys in the right way, you gain a deeper understanding of your customers' motivations, preferences, and pain points.

A Treasure Trove of Methodologist-Approved Questions

If you're a Fairing user, our survey methodologists have curated a Question Bank filled with questions that have their seal of approval. It's like having a treasure trove at your fingertips, where every question is a gem, waiting to uncover precious insights for your ecommerce brand.

And for those not using Fairing, we've got your back too. We've shared the best post-purchase survey questions for all to use. Because when it comes to empowering brands with the right questions, we believe everyone should have a fair share.

Illuminating the Path to Marketing Success

Understanding your audience is the golden ticket to success. But you know what's even better? Unraveling the mysteries of where your new customers come from, and that's where post-purchase surveys shine.

The Role of Survey Methodology in Understanding Attribution

At its core, survey methodology holds the key to unlocking the secrets of attribution. By deploying the right questions in your post-purchase survey, like "How Did You Hear About Us?" or "HDYHAU," you gain a direct line of communication with your customers.

When it comes to attribution, how you ask attribution questions matters. Here's a deeper dive at a few variations and how they can work wonders for your brand:

• How did you hear about us?: This classic question is a must-have. It helps fill in the attribution gaps and uncovers new channels that are driving traffic to your business. With Fairing's follow-up feature , you can dive even deeper, pinpointing attribution at the influencer or campaign level. It's like having a crystal ball, empowering you to make data-driven decisions when allocating your precious marketing resources.
• When did you first hear about us?: This question holds the key to understanding the window of purchase consideration. You see, relying solely on platform-reported ROAS numbers might lead you astray. But by asking when customers first heard about your brand, you gain clarity and uncover data that might have been misleading. Think of it as seeing through the fog of Google Analytics' Time Lag report and capturing the true essence of attribution.
• Where do you encounter our brand most often?: Let's get to the heart of the matter—brand presence. This question takes you beyond the boundaries of first or last-touch reporting. It reveals the channels that give your brand the most visibility and impact. And if you combine it with a brand lift study , you unlock a treasure trove of insights, painting a complete picture of your brand's effectiveness across all channels. It's like putting together the pieces of a puzzle, leading to future brand campaigns that hit all the right notes.
• What led you to our store today?: In the world of legacy brands, the journey from brand discovery to purchase can be a lengthy one. That's where this question shines. By focusing on the present moment, you uncover last-touch attribution gems . It's like capturing a snapshot of the most recent touchpoints that led customers to your store today. With this knowledge in hand, you can better understand the power of recency and relevance in the purchase decision.

It's like having a backstage pass to their purchasing journey, enabling you to explore the intricate web of touchpoints that influence their decisions.

Using Post Purchase Surveys to Identify Influential Touchpoints

The brands that triumph in this cutthroat marketing world are the ones who crack the code of accurate attribution. They master the art of assigning marketing dollars to customer revenue, helping them diversify their marketing spend wisely.

Enter the post-purchase survey, a formidable tool that not only unravels offline attribution but also ensures a balanced distribution of marketing dollars across digital channels. It's like finding the perfect balance in a delicate dance, where each touchpoint gets its due recognition, avoiding a lopsided marketing mix.

Direct-from-consumer data holds the key, guiding us to craft surveys that capture the essence of human behavior with equal parts art and science. Through the artful formulation of survey questions and the scientific methods applied to the data, a "How Did You Hear About Us" survey empowers your marketing team to scale with confidence, both offline and in the vast digital landscape.

Measuring the Impact of Marketing Channels with Post Purchase Survey Data

With Fairing at the helm, clients have witnessed a remarkable increase of up to 20% in their attribution data. It's like shining a light into the dark corners of web analytics, where "direct" or "unknown" sources hide in the shadows.

But that's not all—surveys bring unbiased context to the attribution data presented by major media platforms, ensuring they don't grade their own homework. The elusive "halo" effect and the elusive cross-media performance of demand-generating channels like audio and TV suddenly become tangible and measurable. It's like adding a precision instrument to your marketing mix, allowing you to gauge the broader impacts with accuracy and finesse.

The Power of Personalized Connections

The pursuit of customer retention and loyalty is a quest that separates the ordinary from the extraordinary. In this journey, survey methodology emerges as a powerful ally, enabling brands to forge lasting relationships with their customers. So, let's embark on this adventure together and uncover the secrets of survey methodology in cultivating loyalty and retention.

Amplifying the Voice of the Customer

According to the masters of segmentation, Klaviyo , a highly segmented audience yields three times the revenue of an unsegmented one. So how is a highly segmented audience defined?

• Optimally, target 5% or less of your total customer base
• Define the segment by two or more conditions (e.g. location + gender)
• Include specific recipient behavior

But how do you achieve such precision? That's where Fairing comes in with a game-changing lesson for building personalized relationships that last: let your customers self-segment.

Building Customer Loyalty with Precision

Imagine a survey question that asks, "How are you planning to use our product?" This seemingly simple question holds tremendous segmentation power. With tailored response choices that align with your unique value propositions, customers reveal their preferences and intentions.

By understanding their personalized use cases, you can design targeted offers and experiences that resonate with each segment. The Money Savers may be enticed by discounts, while the Fearless Foodies crave exclusive access to new flavors or product lines.

Segmenting customers based on the brand they switched from adds yet another layer of insight. You gain a treasure trove of customers segmented by conquested brands, armed with the knowledge to craft compelling messaging and irresistible offers. It's like having a secret decoder ring that unlocks the door to customer personalization.

Transforming Survey Insights into Lasting Relationships

Survey insights hold immense potential for shaping retention strategies that stand the test of time. As you analyze and interpret survey data, patterns emerge, preferences come to light, and pain points are revealed.

Armed with this knowledge, you can design strategies that address specific customer needs, desires, and aspirations. It's the art of translating survey insights into meaningful actions that nurture lasting relationships. From personalized communications to tailored loyalty programs, you create an ecosystem where customers feel seen, heard, and valued.

Real-Life Tales of Triumph

Let's delve into the remarkable success stories that unfolded through the power of survey methodology. These tales of triumph will leave you inspired and ready to unlock the potential of your own brand.

Füm's Remarkable Journey from Channel Discovery to Revenue

Füm is a brand that utilized post-purchase surveys to unlock the secret behind their online visitors' discovery channels. With the help of survey methodology and Fairing, they uncovered a fascinating insight—between 40 and 50% of their visitors were finding them through their podcast and YouTube channel.

Armed with this knowledge, Füm made a bold move. They optimized and scaled their ad spend from $5,000 to a staggering $125,000 . The result? A whopping $500,000 in revenue! Their journey, as told by Füm , showcases how data-driven decisions and survey methodology propelled their growth. These remarkable numbers strike a familiar chord among the ranks of Fairing customers.

Pastreez's Scrumptious Success in Self-Segmentation

Indulge in the tale of Pastreez , a macaron delivery service that faced the classic marketing conundrum of targeting if the market is “everyone” who do you advertise to?

With so much of our business potentially coming as gifts or event purchases, I needed consumer insights to learn how each persona impacted business metrics. — Pastreez Founder & CEO Anthony Rosemond

That's where Pastreez turned to survey methodology and the expertise of Fairing. By employing Fairing's Question Stream® post-purchase workflow, they prompted customers to self-identify into three personas:

• Self (direct product use)
• Gift (1:1 transfer of product)
• Event ( 1:Many transfer of product)

Through these survey responses, Pastreez discovered a fascinating shift in their perception of their core audience. They expected their customers to be mostly gift-givers, but they turned out to be users .

Armed with this newfound knowledge, Pastreez repositioned their messaging and reassessed their marketing tactics, all thanks to the power of customer insights. And the survey journey didn't stop there. By asking about marketing attribution and tying it to transaction data, they gained a comprehensive understanding of how marketing spend and customer acquisition costs related to average order value (AOV). The results were astounding:

• For every dollar spent by direct users, gift-givers spent 50% more
• Customers buying for events spent 100% more

This enlightening journey echoes a common theme among Fairing clients: when you listen to your customers, your business metrics become clearer and more actionable.

These success stories exemplify the transformative power of survey methodology for DTC brands. Through the art of asking the right questions, brands like Füm and Pastreez have unlocked growth opportunities, optimized their marketing strategies, and deepened their understanding of their customers.

Conclusion

Survey methodologists possess the expertise to design surveys that capture the essence of customer experiences, desires, and preferences. Their guidance ensures that surveys are tailored to the unique needs of DTC brands, enabling them to extract valuable insights that drive strategic decision-making.

By deploying surveys that delve into attribution, customer satisfaction, loyalty, and retention, brands gain a profound understanding of their audience. They unearth valuable touchpoints, measure the impact of marketing channels, and tailor experiences that foster unwavering loyalty.

To thrive in the competitive landscape of ecommerce, brands must embrace survey methodology. It is not merely a tool but a catalyst for growth. By integrating surveys into their strategies, brands open the door to a treasure trove of insights that shape decision-making, refine customer experiences, and strengthen relationships. Survey methodologists empower brands to adapt, evolve, and conquer the challenges that come their way. It is a voyage of continuous improvement, where every survey response becomes a stepping stone toward unprecedented growth.

Let’s harness the transformative impact of survey methodology, unlocking the potential that lies within our customer data. Together, we will navigate the complex waters of ecommerce, fueled by insights and driven by growth. Let us embark on this journey, embracing survey methodology as a guiding light on the path to ecommerce success.

Want to learn how to set up your post-purchase survey for your brand? Read more here.

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