Questionnaires

Questionnaires are different from embedded surveys in that they will tend to be longer, cover a broader range of subjects, be accessed by a link, and serve a different purpose.

Embedded Surveys will typically be used to populate your marketing database with specific product and target market information.

Questionnaires are inherrently less focussed and as such can confuse the reporting function from your underlying data. (GIGO Garbage in Garbage Out)

Questionnaires should be thought of as a research tool, you can ask a broader range of people more questions to ensure you have not missed something, or to quantify demand for a particular product, benefit or activity.

Of course interest expressed in a particular area will deliver a lead for followup purposes, and can help you define target markets.

Questionnaires can also be used for building an email database.

This is a very useful technique, and is best illustrated by way of example.

Let us suppose that our "In Car Entertainment Manufacturer" wants to build an email database so he can, inter alia, cross sell high quality CD's, or invite the Hot Hatch Brigade to a Track day and a Best Car HIFI competition with a free upgrade as the first prize.

He is a quality manufacturer and last year he won "In Car Audio Magazine's" "Best Entry Level HIFI Award".

He contacts the the Editor, buys him lunch, invites him to a free day out and, over the brandy, suggests that he might like to cover the event in the magazine.

Next month the magazine carries an article promoting the event, containing a link to an online questionnaire that you have to complete to enter the competition.

The questionnaire covers areas such as product feedback, competitor analysis, upgrade opportunities, and lifestyle (What do they like doing, cars they drive etc).

The Hot Hatch and the Ferrari boys will respond, (we will have to think about the Lexus Guys)  this:-

• Drives traffic into the web site
  
• Gets the questionnaire completed
  
• Provides a discusion point for the Forum
  
• Delivers good PR for the Brand
  
• Starts a brand community
  
• Delivers valuable research and
  
• Improves the chances of your winning next years award (Judges are infuenced by brand values as well).

You now have their email addresses and can:-

• Email them after the event to thank them for comming
  
• Communicate that you have listened to the questionnaire feedback
  
• Invite them to visit your site again to see the results of the questionnaire in summary form, and some photos of the event
  
• Run this in parallel with the followup article in the magazine
• Get the Editor to buy you lunch because he has sold more magazines (Maybe that a bit optimistic)

You will have built some good brand loyalty and when Hot Hatch boys get a proper job and a Lexus, they will buy your product because it reminds them of their youth.

Next Step

GOTO "Payment Processing"