A Guide to Modal Surveys for Collecting User Insights Within Your Product

Advantages of Modal Surveys Compared to Traditional Surveys

Check out how modal surveys offer several benefits over traditional survey methods:

Higher Response Rates

• Users are already engaged with the product or service when the modal appears.
• Modal surveys typically require fewer clicks and less time to complete compared to traditional surveys, reducing respondent fatigue.

Contextual Feedback

• Feedback is provided in the context of the user's interaction, making it easier to identify areas for improvement.
• Modals can be triggered at specific points in the user journey, allowing for feedback directly related to the user's experience.

Reduced Survey Fatigue

• Modal surveys are often shorter and more focused than traditional surveys.
• Modals appear at specific moments, minimizing disruption to the user experience.

Different Types of Modal Surveys

Modal surveys can be categorized based on their purpose. Here are some common types:

Net Promoter Score (NPS)

• Measures customer loyalty by asking how likely they are to recommend a product or service.
• Typically uses a 0-10 scale.

💡 Tip: With UserGuiding's NPS feature, you can seamlessly integrate in-app surveys into your product, create separate campaigns for promoters and detractors, or segment users based on their NPS score!

See how TimeSolv increased their survey completion rate by 10% with UserGuiding.

Customer Satisfaction (CSAT)

• Directly measures customer satisfaction with a specific interaction or experience.
• Often uses a rating scale or a simple yes/no question.

You can learn a lot about customer satisfaction score in our article. As a trailer, I'm giving you the formula down here.

Usability Testing

• Evaluates the user experience of a product or interface.
• Often includes tasks and questions about ease of use, clarity, and satisfaction.

Best Practices for Designing Effective Modal Surveys

To maximize the effectiveness of modal surveys and minimize user frustration, consider the following best practices:

Target the right moment

• Present surveys after a specific user action or at an appropriate point in the user journey.
• Carefully consider where to display the modal survey to minimize disruption.
• Avoid interrupting critical user flows or tasks.

Keep it short and sweet

• Limit the number of questions and ensure a quick completion time.
• Use persuasive language to encourage users to submit their responses.
• Make the submit button prominent and easy to locate.

Clear and concise wording

• Limit the survey to essential questions to avoid overwhelming users.
• Prioritize information that is crucial for your research objectives.
• You can provide a clear and informative header to clearly communicate the purpose of the survey and set user expectations.

Offer multiple answer options

• Employ a mix of question types (multiple choice, rating scales, open-ended, etc.) to keep users engaged and provide varied response options.
• Arrange questions in a logical order that guides users through the survey smoothly.
• Consider grouping related questions together.

Make it visually appealing

• The survey should be easy on the eyes and create a positive user experience.
• Invest in a clean and visually pleasing design that aligns with your brand aesthetic.

Thank users for feedback

• Thank users for participating in your survey.
• Explore the possibility of offering rewards or incentives for completing the survey to increase participation rates.
• Reassure users that their data will be handled securely and confidentially. Clearly communicate how their information will be used.

Personalize questions

• Tailor the survey content based on user behavior, demographics, or other relevant factors to enhance relevance.
• Display a progress bar or similar visual cue to inform users of their progress through the survey, reducing perceived length.

Examples of Modal Surveys

1. UserGuiding

‎UserGuiding's short NPS survey works wonders on Zoom's website. You can display the survey on any page you want, but triggering the modal after a meeting or generating a meeting summary with Zoom's AI would be the most ideal options for maximum effect.

‎You know those frustrating moments when you're unsure which features your users truly want? With UserGuiding, you can turn those uncertainties into actionable insights.

Like the example above, you can prioritize your roadmap and deliver a personalized experience based on real user feedback.

2. Google Meet

‎Google Meet's modal survey is a perfect example of NPS (Net Promoter Score). This survey is triggered right after your meeting ends, so it makes it easier for users to provide honest feedback.

3. Reddit

‎A feedback request is triggered upon a user's decision to revert back to the previous version of Reddit with this survey.

4. Evernote

Evernote's in-app modal survey is great for collecting detailed feedback with a few clicks. The user has the opportunity to evaluate various aspects of Evernote (current features, app speed, user experience) with a simple rating system.

5. Canva

Canva's modal survey is a great inspiration if you're thinking about integrating feature prioritization surveys into your product.

Depending on the user's level of study, Canva personalizes its templates for the user's dashboard‎ and therefore creates a great experience!

Techniques for Analyzing Modal Survey Data

Quantitative Analysis

Descriptive Statistics

Calculate and interpret measures of central tendency (mean, median, mode) and dispersion (standard deviation, range) to understand the distribution and variability of numerical data.

For example, calculating the average customer satisfaction score can provide insights into overall sentiment.

Frequency Analysis

Determine the frequency of occurrence for each response category to identify popular choices or trends.

For instance, analyzing the frequency of different NPS score ranges can help classify customers into promoters, passives, or detractors.

Correlation Analysis

Explore relationships between different variables, including Likert scale items and other numerical data.

For example, correlating Likert scale ratings for customer satisfaction with purchase frequency can help identify patterns or dependencies and reveal user perceptions.

Qualitative Analysis

Text Analysis

Examine open-ended responses to uncover underlying themes, patterns, and customer sentiments.

For example, analyzing customer feedback on a new product can identify areas for improvement or new opportunities.

Content Analysis

Systematically categorize and code text data to identify key concepts and patterns. This can be used to quantify qualitative data and integrate it with quantitative findings.

For instance, you can code customer feedback into positive, negative, or neutral sentiment categories.

‎💡 Tip: Using emoticons in your survey can help you categorize feedback and analyze customer sentiment easily.

Sentiment Analysis

Determine the overall sentiment expressed in text data to understand customer attitudes and opinions. This can be helpful in monitoring brand reputation and identifying areas for improvement.

For instance, you can analyze social media comments about your product to gauge overall sentiment.

Data Visualization

Bar Charts

• Visually compare categorical data and frequencies to identify differences between groups or categories.
• For example, comparing satisfaction levels across different customer segments.

Pie Charts

• Illustrate proportions of different categories within a whole.
• For instance, showing the distribution of NPS scores (promoters, passives, detractors).

Line Graphs

• Visualize trends and changes over time.
• For example, tracking changes in customer satisfaction over time.

Scatter Plots

• Explore relationships between two numerical variables.
• For instance, plotting customer satisfaction scores against purchase frequency.

Histograms

• Display the distribution of a numerical variable.
• For example, visualizing the distribution of NPS scores.

Word Clouds

• Emphasize the most frequent words in text data to identify key themes or topics.
• For instance, creating a word cloud of customer feedback to identify commonly mentioned features or issues.

Tools for Running and Analyzing Modal Surveys

UserGuiding

UserGuiding is a comprehensive product adoption platform that also offers in-app modal surveys that seamlessly integrate to your product interface. You can capture valuable user feedback at the right moment.

By strategically placing these modals within your product, you can gather insights that directly inform product improvements and enhance user satisfaction.

Additionally, UserGuiding provides advanced targeting options to deliver surveys to specific user segments based on behavior, demographics, or other criteria. However, it might have limited survey question types compared to dedicated survey platforms.

SurveyMonkey

While primarily designed for traditional surveys, SurveyMonkey can be adapted for modal implementations. Users benefit from a wide range of question types, advanced logic, and robust reporting features.

However, the platform's extensive functionality might be overkill for simple modal surveys, potentially leading to higher costs and a steeper learning curve compared to specialized tools.

HotJar

Primarily focused on user behavior analytics, Hotjar also offers basic survey functionality. Its integration with user session recordings and heatmaps provides valuable insights into user interactions with the survey.

However, Hotjar's survey features are limited compared to dedicated survey platforms, and it might not be the best choice for complex or large-scale surveys.

Typeform

While not exclusively a survey platform, Typeform's focus on design and user experience makes it a strong contender for creating memorable modal surveys.

However, users seeking advanced survey analytics and features might find its capabilities limited compared to dedicated survey platforms.

Google Forms

Google Forms is a free and easy-to-use tool for creating basic surveys and forms. It offers a straightforward interface and integration with Google Workspace, making it accessible to a wide range of users.

While suitable for simple modal surveys, Google Forms lacks advanced features such as complex question logic, branching, and in-depth analytics. It's best suited for small-scale surveys with basic requirements.

Qualtrics

Qualtrics is well-suited for large-scale surveys and complex research projects. However, its comprehensive feature set comes with a higher price tag and a steeper learning curve, making it less ideal for small businesses or those seeking a simpler solution.

Key Takeaways

Modal surveys achieve higher response rates by engaging users during their interaction with the product or service, minimizing respondent fatigue with shorter, more focused questioning that appears at strategic moments in the user journey.

Designing effective modal surveys involves best practices like timing them after specific user actions, keeping them concise and visually appealing, and employing clear language.

Analyzing modal survey data includes both quantitative techniques such as descriptive statistics and qualitative methods like text and sentiment analysis.