Speed and cost-effectiveness favor gathering feedback online.By Samuel Greengard SummaryA growing number of SMBs are discovering that when it comes to questions, the Web can provide answers. Once strictly conducted on paper and over telephones, surveys conducted on the Web are helping businesses quickly and cost-effectively analyze customer satisfaction, product awareness, employee attitudes, and more. 
Web surveys can trim costs, reduce overhead, and forge stronger relationships. "It's all about understanding the voice of the customer," says Zachary McGeary, associate analyst at JupiterResearch. Web surveys also allow businesses to gain insight, and act on it, quickly. "Web-based surveying provides immediate and valuable feedback," says Chris Finley, senior vice president of operations at online survey provider SurveyMonkey.com. Providers such as QuestionPro, SurveyMonkey.com, ZipSurvey, and Zoomerang offer hosted services for $20 to several hundred dollars per month. With hosted services, a business has no software to install or manage; subscribers go to a Website to create a survey, then send respondents to another Website, and can view the answers in real time. Such online surveys are an essential tool at the Queensboro Shirt Company, a Wilmington, North Carolina, firm with 61 employees. The firm sends out a survey with every order it ships and tracks several thousand responses each month. "Web surveys help prioritize and allocate resources," says president Fred Myers. Be sure to develop solid questions and match surveys to key performance indicators. When an online survey is used effectively, "it engages a customer base, creates dialogue, and helps a company use data to drive business decisions," McGeary says. iQ Magazine, Third Quarter 2006 |
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