One of the simplest ways to gauge how you're doing is to ask, and in marketing, this usually ends up as a survey.

Surveys provide a low-cost solution that allows you to get a deeper understanding of your business, process, customers, and market.

After completing this guide you will have a survey ready to launch that could bring valuable insights into your customers & prospects.

Why Create Surveys?

• Customer feedback - Having an understanding of your customers' needs can increase retention and brand loyalty.
• Product/Service feedback - Allow customers to tell you what they really feel about your product or service and where it could be improved.
• Your competition - When bringing on a potential prospect or new client, you can get valuable insight into their prior vendor and the reasons they chose to make the switch or are looking to make the switch to your company.

Steps to implement

Define your goals for the survey

Before creating a survey you will want to have a clear goal that you are hoping to achieve.

• What do you hope to learn or have a better understanding of through the survey?
• Are you creating the survey for a certain segment or for a particular buyer persona?
• After the survey is completed, what do you hope to use the collected data for?

Determine the survey Type and how users will receive it

If you are creating a survey to receive customer feedback, you will only want your survey to be available to customers. Alternatively, if you have a cancellation survey - you will only want customers who canceled the service.

• Determine the type of survey you will create.
• Determine how you will deliver the survey. Will it be embedded on your website, landing page, email, etc.?

Create your survey 

To create your survey we will be using an Act-On form. Click Content > Forms > New Form to get started.

From the Layout tab:

• The default form will include a field for a Section Heading. If you have any instructions for your survey, this would be a good spot to put them. The form will also include a Name/Email field; depending on the type of survey you're creating you may or may not need this.
• To add a new question, click New.
  
• Using a combination of Radio buttons, Check Boxes, Drop lists, and text fields, create your survey.
  
• Once you finish your survey, click 2. Settings. From here you will be able to create a response message, create a redirect URL, show a landing page, or show another form. Using show another form, you will be able to create a multi-page form if needed. You can also set a cap if you are looking to receive a set number of responses.
• Once finished, click 3. Finish and Save.
  

Once finished you designing the survey, it's time to distribute it. You have a few options when it comes to getting your survey out:

• Embed the form using a Pubic URL hyperlink.
• Embed the form using an iframe.
• Embed the using the External Post Method.
• Embed the form using the Get Code option.

1. Click on Content, and click Forms.
2. Hover over an existing form, and click the drop-down arrow.
3. Click View Survey Results.
   

As your survey results begin to populate, you will have a new wealth of information at your disposal. Use your results to take action, make changes, and if needed - improve what isn't working. Keep in mind, if you are surveying a specific industry or certain job titles, for example, you can use this information to create blog posts, infographics, etc. with your findings.