Let’s say you’re wrapping up a purchase on your favourite app, and a quick prompt asks, "How was your experience?" That’s an in app survey question—a simple yet powerful tool. In app surveys capture your user’s thoughts while their experience is fresh, and this makes the feedback more genuine and actionable. 

At Nudge, we’ve designed products that let you craft these surveys with ease, ensuring you ask the right questions at the right time. Whether you're aiming to boost your NPS, CSAT, or CES scores, this article will guide you through the essentials of creating in-app survey questions that truly resonate with your users.

When it comes to gathering valuable insights from your customers, the quality of the questions you ask can significantly impact the results. Let’s explore how asking the right questions versus the wrong questions can make a difference in your customer feedback process.

How To Write In App Survey Questions? Types Explained

Crafting the right in app survey questions is an art that blends understanding your audience with knowing what insights you need. Let’s explore each type of question in more depth, so you can create surveys that gather valuable data and enhance your user experience.

1. Open-ended Questions

Open-ended questions give your users the freedom to share their thoughts without restrictions. These questions don't limit responses to predefined options, allowing you to uncover insights that might be missed with close-ended questions. 

For example, instead of asking, “Do you like our new feature?” you might ask, “What are your thoughts on our new feature?” This subtle change encourages users to provide detailed feedback, which can reveal underlying issues or opportunities for improvement.

When to use them: Open-ended questions are particularly useful in the early stages of a product launch or when exploring new ideas. They allow users to express their feelings, experiences, and suggestions in their own words, which can lead to more nuanced and actionable insights.

Common issue: Be cautious with the number of open-ended questions you include. While they can provide rich insights, they require more effort from the user, which might lead to lower response rates if overused. A good strategy is to balance open-ended questions with other types to maintain engagement.

2. Close-Ended Questions

Close-ended questions are the backbone of any survey when you need specific, quantifiable data. These questions limit responses to a set of predefined options, making it easier to analyse the results. A typical close-ended question might be, “Did our app meet your expectations?” with options like “Yes” or “No.”

When to use them: Use close-ended questions when you need to gather clear, straightforward data. They’re perfect for tracking metrics over time or when you want to ensure that responses can be easily categorised and analysed.

Common issue: The downside of close-ended questions is that they can sometimes feel restrictive to users. If not carefully crafted, they might miss capturing the user's true sentiment. To mitigate this, you can follow up a close-ended question with an optional open-ended one, like “If not, please tell us why.”

With Nudge, you can easily configure such nuanced feedback loops to get the most out of your surveys.

Read More: 25 Examples of Feedback Survey Questions for Customer Satisfaction

3. Single or Multiple-Choice Options

Single or multiple-choice questions are versatile tools that allow users to choose one or more options from a list. These questions are especially useful when you want to understand preferences or behaviours. For example, asking, “Which features do you use the most? (Select all that apply)” allows you to gauge which parts of your app are most valuable to users.

When to use them: These questions are ideal when you want to offer users a range of options but still need structured data. They work well in situations where users might have multiple valid responses, such as feature usage or preferred content types.

Common issue: While these questions can provide detailed insights, too many options can overwhelm users. Keep the list concise and relevant to the question at hand. Also, consider offering an “Other” option where users can write in a response if their preferred choice isn’t listed.

4. Rating Scale

Rating scale questions ask users to rate something on a scale, typically from 1 to 5 or 1 to 10. For instance, “On a scale of 1 to 5, how easy was it to use our new feature?” This type of question allows you to measure the intensity of a user's feelings about a particular aspect of your app.

When to use them: Rating scales are effective when you want to quantify user satisfaction, ease of use, or likelihood to recommend. They provide a straightforward way to gauge overall sentiment and can be tracked over time to measure improvements.

Common issue: The challenge with rating scales is ensuring that all users interpret the scale consistently. To avoid ambiguity, provide clear labels or examples for each point on the scale, such as “1 = Very Difficult, 5 = Very Easy.”

Must read: 40 scale survey questions

5. Rank Order

Rank order questions ask users to arrange items in order of preference or importance. For example, “Please rank the following features in order of importance: Performance, Ease of Use, Customer Support, Price.” This type of question helps you understand user priorities, which can inform your development and marketing strategies.

When to use them: Rank order questions are useful when you want to identify what matters most to your users. They force users to make trade-offs, which can reveal deeper insights into their preferences and needs.

Common issue: Ranking can be challenging for users, especially if the list is long or the differences between options are subtle. To improve the user experience, limit the number of items to be ranked and ensure that the options are distinct from one another.

6. NPS Survey

The Net Promoter Score (NPS) is a widely used metric for gauging customer loyalty. It’s a simple yet powerful question: “On a scale of 0 to 10, how likely are you to recommend our app to a friend or colleague?” Based on their response, users are categorised into Promoters (9-10), Passives (7-8), or Detractors (0-6).

When to use them: NPS surveys are ideal for getting a quick snapshot of overall customer sentiment. They’re particularly useful for tracking changes in loyalty over time and identifying areas where you can improve the user experience.

Common issue: While NPS is a valuable metric, it doesn’t provide detailed feedback on why users gave a particular score. To address this, consider following up the NPS question with an open-ended question, like “What’s the main reason for your score?” This combination gives you both quantitative and qualitative insights.

Examples For In App Survey Questions For Different Use Cases

Crafting the right in app survey questions throughout your customer’s journey can provide valuable insights that help you improve every touchpoint. Let’s walk through each stage of the customer journey with examples.

1. Welcome Survey – Onboarding

When a user first signs up for your app, it's essential to understand their preferences right away. A welcome survey can be a quick way to gather information that helps you personalise the user’s experience. By asking users about their interests or needs, you can ensure that the content or products they see are relevant to them from the very beginning.

Example Question: "Which type of products are you most interested in?"

• Electronics
• Fashion
• Home & Garden
• Books & Media

Gathering this information at the start allows you to tailor the user’s experience, making it more engaging and relevant. Users are more likely to stay on your app and explore when they feel that their preferences are being considered.

This is the fundamental part for any business to make customers stick around you! You can make use of our onboarding feature to educate visitors about what you have for them and then prompt a survey asking if they found what exactly they are looking for! 

Also read: 7 new user onboarding best practices 2024

2. Feature Discovery Survey – Introducing New Features

As users explore your app and interact with new features, understanding their experience becomes crucial. A survey triggered after a user has used a new feature a few times can help you gather insights on its usability and effectiveness. You can ask questions that allow users to express how easy or difficult they found the feature, which can guide future improvements.

Example Question: "How easy was it to use the new 'Quick Checkout' feature?"

• Very easy
• Somewhat easy
• Neutral
• Somewhat difficult
• Very difficult

By collecting feedback on new features, you can identify areas where users may be struggling or where the feature is excelling. This information is vital for refining the feature to ensure it meets user expectations.

You could use our spotlight feature to highlight the new feature to let customers check it out and then prompt an in-app survey question to understand what they feel about the update. 

3. Post-Purchase Survey – After Completing a Purchase

Once a user completes a purchase, it's an ideal time to gather feedback about their shopping experience. This is when their experience is freshest in their mind, making their feedback more accurate and insightful. Asking about their satisfaction with the checkout process can help you identify any issues that might be causing friction and lead to cart abandonment.

Example Question: "How satisfied are you with the checkout process?"

• Very satisfied
• Satisfied
• Neutral
• Dissatisfied
• Very dissatisfied

Understanding the user’s experience during checkout allows you to make necessary adjustments, which can improve the overall shopping experience and encourage repeat purchases.

4. Product Feature Feedback – After Using a New Service

When you introduce a new service or feature, it’s important to know how well it’s being received by your users. After they’ve had the chance to use the feature, sending a survey can help you understand their level of satisfaction. This feedback is essential for determining whether the feature is adding value or if it needs further refinement.

Example Question: "How useful did you find the new 'Recommendation Engine' feature?"

• Extremely useful
• Very useful
• Somewhat useful
• Not useful

Feedback on new features helps you understand if they are meeting user expectations. If a feature is well-received, you can explore expanding it, and if not, you can look into improvements or consider alternative solutions.

5. Mid-Journey Survey – Checking In on Users

If a user has been inactive for a while or has added items to their cart but hasn’t checked out, a mid-journey survey can help you understand why. This is a crucial point where you can intervene and potentially guide the user back on track, whether by addressing concerns or offering additional incentives.

Example Question: "What’s preventing you from completing your purchase?"

• Price too high
• Still deciding
• Waiting for a sale
• Not sure about product quality

Identifying barriers during the customer journey allows you to take targeted actions, such as offering discounts, providing more product information, or addressing other concerns that may be hindering the user from completing their purchase.

Nudge offers a variety of tools to help you customise these mid-journey surveys and re-engage users effectively. You can use our gamification features to keep customers engaged offering rewards on submitting a survey to increase the chances of users giving feedback.

6. Feedback on Support – After Customer Service Interaction

After a user interacts with your customer support team, it’s vital to gather feedback on how well their issue was resolved. Using an effective customer feedback method, a survey sent immediately after the interaction can provide insights into the quality of your support services and highlight areas for improvement.

Example Question: "How satisfied are you with the support you received?"

• Very satisfied
• Satisfied
• Neutral
• Dissatisfied
• Very dissatisfied

Collecting feedback on customer service interactions helps ensure that your support team is meeting user expectations. It also provides an opportunity to address any unresolved issues and improve overall service quality.

7. Exit Survey – After Cancelling a Subscription

When a user decides to cancel their subscription, understanding their reasons can provide valuable insights into areas where your service might be falling short. An exit survey can capture this information, allowing you to make improvements that could prevent future churn or even win back the customer.

Example Question: "What’s the main reason you’re cancelling your subscription?"

• Too expensive
• Not using the service
• Found a better alternative
• Technical issues
• Other (please specify)

By understanding why users are leaving, you can take steps to address these issues, whether through price adjustments, feature enhancements, or technical improvements, to retain more customers.

8. End of Journey Survey – Wrapping Up

After a user has been with your app for a significant period or after they’ve completed a particular journey, gathering overall feedback is beneficial. This type of survey helps you understand the long-term user experience and measure customer loyalty, often using the Net Promoter Score (NPS) as a metric.

Example Question: "How likely are you to recommend our app to a friend or colleague?"

This final question allows you to gauge the overall satisfaction and loyalty of your users. Positive responses can indicate strong brand loyalty, while negative feedback can highlight areas that need improvement. 

Best Practices for Designing In-App Survey questions

When designing in-app surveys, following these best practices can help you gather more meaningful and actionable feedback. Here are some additional practices to consider:

1. Keep It Short and Focused

Long surveys can lead to user fatigue, resulting in lower completion rates. Keep your surveys short and focused on the most critical questions. Aim for 3-5 questions that directly relate to the user’s recent experience.

2. Use Simple and Clear Language

Avoid jargon or overly complex language. Your questions should be easy to understand, ensuring that all users can provide accurate responses. Clarity in language leads to more reliable data.

3. Offer an Incentive for Participation

Encourage users to complete your survey by offering a small incentive, such as a discount code, a loyalty point, or entry into a prize draw. This can significantly boost response rates. Nudge's gamification features like loyalty programs and rewards can make this effortless and more engaging for users.

4. Personalise the Survey Experience

Tailor your survey questions to individual users based on their interactions with your app. Personalisation makes the survey more relevant, increasing the likelihood of honest and thoughtful responses.

5. Test Your Surveys Before Launch

Run a pilot test of your in app survey questions with a small user group before a full rollout. This allows you to identify and fix any issues, ensuring that the survey is effective and user-friendly.

6. Respect User Privacy

Always inform users how their feedback will be used and ensure that their responses are anonymous unless otherwise stated. Transparency builds trust and encourages participation.

7. Time Surveys Appropriately

Timing is crucial. Trigger surveys at moments when users are most likely to provide thoughtful feedback, such as immediately after completing an action or transaction. Avoid interrupting users during critical tasks.

Benefits of In App Survey Questions

In app survey questions can do wonders for your business and your users. Let’s dive into the benefits and see how they can make a real difference.

1. Get Instant, Actionable Feedback

Imagine getting user feedback right after they’ve interacted with your app. In app surveys let you capture those fresh thoughts, helping you make quick, informed decisions that keep your users happy.

2. Boost Customer Satisfaction and Loyalty

By asking the right questions at the right moments, you can spot issues before they become big problems. When you show users you’re listening and acting on their feedback, they’re more likely to stick around and become loyal fans of your brand.

3. Create a Better User Experience

Regular feedback through in app surveys helps you smooth out any bumps in the user journey. When you know what’s working and what’s not, you can make the experience better for everyone, keeping users engaged and satisfied.

4. Keep Users Engaged and Coming Back

When users see that their feedback is valued and that their suggestions lead to real changes, they’re more likely to stay engaged with your app. It’s a great way to build stronger relationships and reduce churn.

5. Improve Key Metrics That Matter

In app surveys give you the tools to monitor and improve essential metrics like NPS and CSAT. With precise, real-time data, you can make tweaks that have a big impact on your business’s success.

6. Personalise the User Journey

Everyone likes a personal touch. With in app surveys, you can tailor questions based on what each user is doing, making the experience feel more relevant and engaging. It’s all about creating that connection.

7. Save Time and Money on Research

Traditional surveys can be a hassle, but in app surveys are a breeze. They’re cost-effective, easy to set up, and deliver valuable insights without the need for complicated research processes.

Conclusion

If you're a business owner, entrepreneur or any product team struggling to understand user behaviour, or if you’re looking for ways to boost engagement and satisfaction, Nudge is your solution. Our in-app survey tools are designed to help you capture real-time feedback that users are eager to provide. 

This allows you to make informed decisions and improve your app’s user experience instantly. Don’t leave your app’s success to chance—book a demo with Nudge today and see how easy it is to turn user insights into actionable results.