Asking customers for feedback is one of the best ways for companies to connect with their audience, and online surveys simplify the process. But if you’re not an expert in survey design and best practices, crafting the perfect survey can be tough. This guide covers the many survey question types you can use in your surveys, including when to use them and how to frame your questions and answers to get high-quality feedback.
Multiple Choice Question
What It Is
Multiple Choice questions are the most straightforward and prevalent of all the survey question types. They present a limited set of answers that your customers can choose from. You can limit responses to one answer or let respondents choose multiple answers, as shown above. Though you can add as many answer options as you’d like, it’s best to stop at around 5—this (hopefully) isn’t the LSAT.
Why You’d Use It
To collect basic demographic info
To determine personal preferences
To ask yes/no questions
To learn about product and service usage
Let’s say you’re on the development team for a project management app and you want to learn which features your customers use most. The Multiple Choice question could come in handy here.
If you look at the GetFeedback interface, you’ll notice several customization options in the sidebar. You can choose to:
Require an answer in order for the respondent to move forward
Allow the respondent to select multiple answers
Include a comment field to collect qualitative data
Randomize the answer choices to cut down on bias
Include an “Other” option to collect free-form answers
Change the alignment of the question
Add an image or video to the question
Add a description below the question
Generate an embed code to add the question to a website or email
Multiple Choice options in the GetFeedback builder
How to Frame the Question
Writing a proper question is one of the most important parts of a survey. Here are some best practices to follow when framing your Multiple Choice question:
Be concise and precise with your wording
Use a simple sentence structure
Avoid using negatives (ex: Which do you not use regularly?)
Be aware of how your question could bias respondents toward certain answers
Before you ask for feedback, you want to make sure your question is 100% understandable and leaves no room for interpretation.
How to Frame the Answers
Multiple Choice questions can give you fantastic data that helps your company make better decisions, but you have to give respondents the right answers. Here are some best practices to follow when framing your Multiple Choice answers:
Don’t exceed 5 answer choices, unless you have to
Be sure to include the “Other” option when necessary
Keep answer choices to roughly the same length (respondents tend to gravitate toward long answers)
When you follow these basic rules, you’re more likely to collect high-quality feedback.
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Rating Question
What It Is
Rating questions help you gather feedback on a particular product, service, or general experience. The question usually tells you how well your company did when on a scale of X to Y. These scaled answers are usually represented as a series of numbers (like 1 – 5) or shapes (like stars or hearts). Usually, the more stars or the higher the number, the better you did.
Why You’d Use It
You can use a Rating question whenever you want customer input—from how much they like a particular product or service, how friendly the customer service agent was, how much value they got for their money, and more.
With GetFeedback, you can present the answers in various forms:
Stars
Circles
Hearts
Numbers
You can also select how many answer options to include in your scale. The most common are 5 and 10.
Rating options in the GetFeedback builder
How to Frame Your Question
Framing a Rating question is fairly straightforward, but here are some best practices:
Simply ask, “How would you rate…?”
Be clear about what the respondent is rating
Describe your scale in clear terms (e.g. “1” is the lowest and “10” is the highest)
Only ask respondents to rate one element of a product or a service at a time
Just like with Multiple Choice questions, the more concise the question, the clearer the results.
How to Frame Your Answers
Since you’re asking for a simple rating, framing your answer is easy. All you have to do is select your answer form (shape or number) and specify the rating labels (e.g. Very Dissatisfied/Very Satisfied or Very Difficult/Very Easy). Then, determine how many shapes or numbers to include. (Again, the most common amounts are either 5 or 10.)
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Short Answer Question
What It Is
Quantitative data can be quite telling when it comes to getting feedback, but in certain circumstances, you may want qualitative feedback too. That’s where Short Answers come in handy. You can use Short Answer questions to collect open-ended feedback from your customers. There’s no character limit, so respondents can write as much as they’d like.
Why You’d Use It
Short Answer questions are best when you need more information from specific customers and when you want that information to be unguided. That could include getting feedback on a product, service, situation, event, or customer service experience. It’s helpful to add a Short Answer question after a qualitative question too. For example, you might use a Short Answer question to ask for “additional feedback” after you ask someone to rate your services on a scale of 1-5.
With GetFeedback, you can make these questions required or not, and allow multiple lines or not. Just remember that open-ended questions can be taxing for respondents and decrease survey completion rates, so you may want to give them the option to skip them.
Short Answer options in the GetFeedback builder
How to Frame the Question
When framing a Short Answer question, make sure to do the following:
Be clear and precise
Use words that elicit longer responses, like How…?, Why…?, In what way…?
Allow for an open-ended response
How to Frame the Answers
The only customization option is whether or not your respondents can write more than one line of content. The decision is yours, but if you want pertinent feedback, it may be better to allow for longer responses.
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Picture Choice Question
What It Is
Picture Choices function much like Multiple Choice questions, but with a pictures as answers instead of words. After all, sometimes pictures tell a better story.
Why You’d Use It
The Picture Choice question is best used when an image describes the situation much better than words. For example, let’s say you’re redesigning your logo and you want feedback on which colors and shapes resonate with your audience most. Pictures are key.
With GetFeedback, you require an answer, allow multiple answers, and allow a randomized order.
Picture Choice options in the GetFeedback builder
How to Frame the Question
The best practices for Picture Choice questions are the same for Multiple Choice questions:
Be concise and precise with your wording
Use a simple sentence structure
Avoid using negatives (e.g. Which do you not prefer?)
Be aware of how your question could bias respondents toward certain answers
How to Frame the Answers
The most important thing when framing your answers is to choose high-quality photos. It’s also a good idea to test out the question on a small respondent pool before distributing the survey to many people. If the majority of your respondents are choosing the same photo, maybe the answer choices lack variety.
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Rank Question
What It Is
Rank (or Stack Rank) questions allow the respondent to prioritize a series of items. They can drag the options to arrange them in a particular order that represents their preferences, starting with #1.
Why You’d Use It
Rank questions are great for any preference or prioritization questions. For example, you may want to know which factors impact purchase decisions most. But like Short Answer questions, Rank questions can be taxing. Use them in moderation.
Rank options in the GetFeedback builder
How to Frame the Question
When framing a rank question, create a simple statement that asks respondents to rank a question in order from how important it is to how unimportant it is. Spell it out for your audience so they understand that the item placed in the top is the most important and the item placed at the bottom is the least important.
Be concise and precise with your wording
Use a simple sentence structure
Rewrite the question a few times to make sure it reads logically
Make sure the question prefaces the answers well when read together
How to Frame the Answers
Don’t exceed 5 answer choices, unless you have to
Include all relevant answer choices
Keep answer choices to roughly the same length (respondents tend to gravitate toward long answers)
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Form Question
What It Is
Form questions help you collect specific bits of information from survey respondents, like individual details or demographic info. This could include their name, email address, phone number, social media handles, t-shirt size, etc.
Why You’d Use It
If you use a customer relationship management (CRM) tool like Salesforce, you probably store a good deal of customer info there. You may not need the Form question to collect demographic info, but it could come in handy as a registration tool or pre-event survey. If you don’t use a CRM, the Form question can act as a multi-purpose tool for collecting key customer info.
With GetFeedback, you can select the “Form Question” type and then customize the answer fields.
Form options in the GetFeedback builder
As you can see, your field options include:
Text
Number
Email
Phone
URL
Date
US States
Countries
Edit Custom Dropdowns (this is where you add any custom information)
Custom Dropdown options in the GetFeedback builder
You can include as many fields as you like, but we recommend only asking for the essentials.
How to Frame the Questions
Form questions should follow the same rules as any other survey question type. Make sure you are clear, concise, to the point, and only ask for necessary information.
Be concise and precise with your wording
Carefully choose which questions are required
Don’t ask for information you could easily import by adding merge fields to the survey URL
How to Frame the Answers
It’s on the respondent to supply the info, so you don’t need to worry about answer choices with the Form question!
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Slider Question
What It Is
Slider questions are much like Rating questions, but instead of answering with 4 stars or 3 hearts, the respondent slides a bar into a specific position that indicates their preference. Usually, the far left option represents the most negative extreme (e.g. Very Unhappy), while the far right represents the most positive extreme (e.g. Very Happy).
When to Use It
Slider questions help when you’re measuring something on a spectrum. For example, you may want to know how a customer feels about a specific product, process, service, or interaction. It’s also a great option if you expect your respondents to take the survey on a mobile device. The sliding bar is simple and straightforward to use on touch screens.
Slider options in the GetFeedback builder
How to Frame the Question
Since most slider questions ask for input based on some type of scale, you’ll typically use a How question. That might include, “How easy or difficult…?,” “How did you feel…?,” “How would you rate…?,” etc.
Be clear about what the respondent is rating
Only ask respondents to rate one element of a product or a service at a time
How to Frame the Answers
With a slider question, you should frame your answer on a sliding scale from 0-10. The GetFeedback software will insert the scale for you, and all you have to do is correctly label your scale.
Make sure both extremes are worded similarly (i.e. don’t use “Very” on one end and “Really” on the other)
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Grid Question (Multiple Choice or Grid)
What It Is
Grid questions come in the form of multiple choice grid or a rating grid. They allow you ask the same question (either multiple choice or ranking) about a series of different items.
Why You’d Use It
Grid questions are best when you want to ask the same question multiple times. For example, your HR department might send an employee survey to all managers asking them to rate their employees’ performance on a variety of factors. In this case, the question would be the same (Please rate this employee on the following criteria) and the answer choices would be the same or similar. Grid questions condense multiple choice questions or ranking questions into one, so they can save you and your respondents time and energy.
With GetFeedback, you can enter your question and answers once and then just add multiple items. Additionally, you can indicate whether or not the question is required and if the questions should be randomized.
Multiple Choice Grid options in the GetFeedback builder
Remember, there are two icons for grid questions: one is for multiple choice answers and the other is for ranking answers. The one you select just depends on the type of answer you want.
How to Frame Your Questions
The rules for framing a multiple choice question and/or ranking question listed above apply here, depending on which type of question you opt to include in your survey.
Be concise and precise with your wording
Use a simple sentence structure
Avoid using negatives (ex: Which do you not use regularly?)
Be aware of how your question could bias respondents toward certain answers
How to Frame Your Answers
Don’t exceed 5 answer choices, unless you have to
Be sure to include the “Other” option when necessary
Keep answer choices to roughly the same length (respondents tend to gravitate toward long answers)
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Net Promoter Score (NPS) Question
What It Is
The Net Promoter Score (NPS) question quantifies customer loyalty by simply asking respondents, How likely are you to recommend us to a friend or colleague? NPS can act as an excellent metric for companies that want to measure and improve customer retention. The results place customers into three categories: Detractors, Passives, and Promoters. These groupings allow teams to quickly identify which customers need quick attention and which customers might be willing to promote their brand now or in the future.
Why You’d Use It
You can add the NPS question to an existing survey or send an NPS survey independently. It just depends on the purpose and the frequency you plan to survey your customers. Since NPS acts as a more generic measure of customer happiness, you should only send it to the same customers every 90 days or so. Otherwise, you may end up over-surveying customers, which can cause survey fatigue and give you inaccurate results. We also suggest adding an open-ended Short Answer question after the NPS question, like Would you like to elaborate on your score? This gives customers the chance to provide more context
Net Promoter Score options in the GetFeedback builder
If you integrate your surveys with Salesforce, you can even automate NPS distribution and base it on a variety of factors, like account age, plan type, and more. This simplifies NPS measurement significantly and helps ensure you don’t survey the wrong customers at the wrong time. You’ll also notice GetFeedback allows you to embed the NPS question into emails or web pages. This can significantly increase survey response rates.
How to Frame the Question and Answers
The NPS question and answers are pre-written. You just add the question to your survey and the info populates automatically.
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Image Upload Question
What It Is
The Image Upload question allows respondents to upload an image as their answer rather than select or enter a response.
Why You’d Use It
There are several instances when Image Upload may come in handy:
Reporting a product defect/issue
Giving event feedback
Entering a photo contest
Documenting field service work
Proving your identity/information
Let’s say a customer calls in with a product complaint and they need a technician to come out and fix it. Before you send someone into the field, you may want to diagnose the problem. You can send the customer a quick survey that includes the Image Upload question. The photo they submit might give your company the info it needs in order to resolve the issue efficiently.
Image Upload options in the GetFeedback builder
How to Frame the Question
Since there are several uses for this question type, the way you frame your question will vary. Here are some basic guidelines to follow.
Only ask for one picture
Be clear about any quality, dimension, and file size requirements
How to Frame the Answers
It’s on the respondent to upload the photo, so you don’t need to worry about answer choices with the Image Upload question!
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Section Break
The Section Break is not actually a question at all. It just works as a blank slide in your survey that has several uses. You can provide additional information, write a description, add a video, give instructions, or simply use it as a pleasant transition between topics.
The sky is the limit with the Section Break question. Feel free to use it however you like.
Like/Dislike Question
What It Is
The Like/Dislike question allows respondents to quickly choose from unhappy and happy face, thumbs down and thumbs up, or X mark and check mark questions to express sentiment about a specific experience or piece of content.
Why You’d Use It
There are several use cases where Like/Dislike would be appropriate:
Customer experience feedback
Help article feedback
Event RSVPs
Opt-in forms
Like/Dislike templates in the GetFeedback builder
How to Frame the Question
When framing a Like/Dislike question, it’s best to ask one simple question to gauge how a respondent feels about a certain experience or piece of content.
Be concise and precise with your wording
Use a simple sentence structure
Questions often begin with “How did you feel about” or “Would you like to”
How to Frame the Answers
There’s no text in the Like/Dislike answers, only images, so there’s no need to worry about how you frame the answer copy for this question type.
Customer Effort Score (CES) Question
What It Is
The Customer Effort Score question is a powerful metric to measure end-to-end customer service satisfaction. It helps companies gauge how much effort their customers have to put into getting a problem solved or question answered. Ultimately, Customer Effort Score is a great indicator of customer loyalty.
Why You’d Use It
Customer Effort Score focuses on the process customers go through when seeking help, and is an appropriate question after:
Support Interactions
Sales Interactions
Success Interactions
Customer Effort Score question type in the GetFeedback builder
How to Frame the Question and Answers
The Customer Effort Score question and answers are pre-written, so there’s no need to worry about language and framing. The “Somewhat Agree”, “Agree”, and “Strongly Agree” answers can be considered healthy Customer Effort Scores.
