Web surveys: Definition, types, examples & tips ( +free templates)

The best way to learn about your customers' expectations and thoughts is to ask them. Web surveys are undoubtedly a handy tool for collecting customer feedback. Reaching your target audience and getting feedback through web surveys has become a job you can do at a lower cost, faster, and more manageable.

What is a web survey, and what is it used for? Why should you create a web survey? What types can you use? Continue reading and find the answers to all these questions and much more in this article we have prepared for you. You will also see tips on how to create a web survey. So, let's get started.

What are web surveys?

A web survey is a method that allows you to collect feedback about participants' opinions on any topic, product, or service through online platforms. 

Through these internet surveys, you can ask participants online questions about the subject you want to learn about. Your participants also answer questions via an internet browser. Gathering feedback helps you improve and update your strategies.

Why do you need web surveys?

To make your business successful, you should first understand your users' experiences, expectations, and needs. Firms and companies now widely use web surveys for research and data collection. There are many reasons why companies need and prefer these surveys. Look at these root causes and improve a more effective marketing strategy:

Benefits of web surveys

🌐Web surveys are less costly than traditional survey methods because they create an online environment. It saves time, space, and resources.

🌐Web surveys allow you to reach a wider audience faster. You can deliver the surveys you create to large audiences within seconds via survey software on digital media.

🌐When you create an online survey, you can reach results much easier and faster when analyzing the data you obtain. At the same time, you can use the data you obtain more effectively and accurately.

🌐It is also preferable for participants because it is user-friendly. Web surveys are in a format that makes it easier for participants to answer them in a shorter time.

🌐Web surveys minimize the margin of error because they are delivered directly to participants, and survey responses are received directly from participants.

🌐Web surveys help you increase customer satisfaction by developing a customer-focused strategy aligning with customer experiences.

🌐The information you obtain as a result of market research and customer feedback guides competitive advantage and correct market positioning.

🌐It provides valuable information that guides what improvements and developments you can make regarding your products or services.

When do you need web surveys?

There are many situations where companies or businesses may need a web survey. Companies can use their surveys for a variety of purposes. Each situation has its own separate goal. But fundamentally, they all boil down to gathering feedback and valuable information. Below, you can see where companies commonly use web surveys:

Right times to use web surveys

#1 When conducting market research

Companies can use web surveys when conducting market research. You can understand customer expectations and needs through web surveys and develop a marketing strategy accordingly. Additionally, market research through web surveys allows you to gain a competitive advantage and identify new market opportunities.

#2 In product or service development

Businesses preparing to introduce a new product or service to the market use web surveys during the product or service development phase. You can measure potential interest by collecting customer feedback through surveys before launching a new product or service. This evaluation allows you to improve your product to meet customer expectations and needs.

#3 Measuring customer satisfaction

Ensuring customer satisfaction is one of the most fundamental points companies and businesses consider when developing marketing strategies. You should regularly obtain customer feedback about the product or service to maintain this primary purpose. 

You can learn and evaluate the level of customer satisfaction you have achieved in a much shorter time through web surveys. You can make your business successful by integrating insights from this evaluation into your marketing strategy.

#4 In employee satisfaction evaluation

Another issue that is effective in the success of businesses is the satisfaction and motivation of employees. If you want to create successful work, a successful employee is essential. At this point, you can evaluate your employee satisfaction by conducting surveys. So you can make improvements and developments in line with the feedback you receive. These improvements can directly impact business performance and the success of your strategies.

Types of web surveys

Through web surveys, you can collect direct user feedback about your products or services. You can bring the web surveys you have prepared to your participants through various methods. It is possible to classify these methods according to the distribution method and the way they are displayed. You can find these types and their subheadings below:

Web survey types

1. According to the distribution

You can share your surveys with your participants through various distribution channels. By taking advantage of these distribution channels, you can deliver your surveys directly to your customers or present them through physical or digital channels. Let's examine the types of web surveys according to their distribution channels:

A. SMS surveys

SMS surveys are a method of sending the survey link via text messages. Participants can access the survey very quickly and easily via their mobile phones. Users fill out the survey by clicking on the link they receive via SMS. This way, you can instantly access the participant and increase the speed of receiving feedback.

B. Email surveys

Email surveys are a method of collecting feedback by sending surveys to participants via email. Participants can complete the survey by clicking on the link you emailed. This method is a personalized method where you can reach the user directly.

C. Social media surveys

Social media surveys allow you to share surveys with participants through various social media platforms. This method will enable you to reach a much wider audience since social media use is daily. Participants fill out the survey by clicking on the survey links they see on social media platforms. So you can quickly get feedback from a much wider audience.

D. QR code surveys

In today's digital age, QR codes have begun to be used in many areas. Web surveys are also one of these areas. QR codes that provide access to the page where the survey can be published in printed or online media. Participants access and answer the study by scanning the QR code using a smartphone with a QR code reader.

2. According to the way they are displayed

You can present surveys to visitors in various formats according to how they are displayed on websites. By leveraging these various formats, you can collect feedback about user experiences and preferences through website survey questions as visitors navigate the website. You can work to develop and improve user experiences by getting instant feedback.

A. On-page surveys

On-page surveys provide a format that appears directly on the web page without an additional window. It is the method in which the survey is displayed to website visitors while browsing the website or making any purchase. You can collect instant feedback while website visitors can see and complete the survey in a specific area while browsing the page. 

B. Pop-up surveys

Pop-up surveys are an effective method you can use to attract the attention of website visitors. Users visiting the website directly to the survey by displaying a pop-up window containing the survey prominently in front of the main content. The website feedback surveys are advantageous because they provide instant feedback, and participants can instantly share their experiences.

C. Exit surveys

Exit polls are a method that allows you to understand the reasons why people stop using the product instantly. Visitors fill out the survey at the exit page stage before leaving the page. The information obtained helps improve and develop the website by considering user experiences.

Web survey examples

There are various examples of web surveys where you can reach your target audience directly from the browser. You should start your work by determining your goals. You can benefit from the web survey examples that best suit your goals. Look at the web-based survey examples we have prepared for you below:

1. Marketing surveys

Marketing surveys are the most widely used form and a significant part of web surveys. They are a valuable survey tool that businesses can use to achieve their goals. It helps in conducting market research and understanding the needs of customers. It allows companies to collect and interpret information about customers and prospects.

2. Customer satisfaction survey

Customer satisfaction research is commonly used to gather data and insights through web surveys. You can benefit from the most common types of product research surveys that allow you to measure customer satisfaction and loyalty. Through an NPS or a CSAT survey, you can make your evaluation by asking your customers questions about the image and satisfaction level of your product or service and develop your strategies accordingly.

3. Churn survey

To provide customer loyalty and satisfaction, you should know why customers leave your product or service. The churn feedback survey asks customers questions like “Why did you stop using the product or service?” and helps you understand why customers leave. You can create an online churn survey and show your survey to your participants.

4. Pricing survey

Pricing research is vital for the long-term success of your business. You can create a web pricing survey that includes how your customers evaluate your product and their sensitivity to price changes. So, by using the data you obtain effectively, you can provide better service to customers and increase profitability.

5. Product market fit survey

Product market fit research is a web survey in which businesses evaluate the product's market fit before launching a new product. Through these surveys, you can obtain information about the suitability of your product for your targeted market, the need for the product, the position of competitors, and much more. 

6. Feedback surveys

Feedback surveys help you collect feedback about visitors' or customers' experiences and measure their opinions. You can gather insights into various topics about your product or service through these surveys. Gathering insights is a guide on many issues, such as product development, pricing, gaining competitive advantage, and ensuring customer satisfaction.

7. Employee satisfaction surveys

Employee satisfaction surveys are a type of web survey that you can use to measure employees' satisfaction levels with their jobs. The ability of a business to develop successful strategies is directly related to the satisfaction level of its employees. You can measure your employees' satisfaction levels through the questions you ask and make improvements based on the feedback.

How to create a web survey

Web surveys are one of the most effective ways to make your business or company successful. You learned their types and examples. Now, it's time to learn how to create a web survey. You can easily create your web survey by following the steps below:

Step 1: Log in or sign up for forms.app

You can start creating your web survey by signing up for an account on the forms.app. You can perform this process in seconds. You can go directly to the platform if you already have an account. Apart from these, forms.app allows you to log in using your Google, Apple, or Facebook accounts.

Login to your account

Step 2: Start from scratch, choose a template, or generate with AI

Once logged in, click the Create Form button to initiate creating a new form. You can create your web survey for free according to your goals. You can also choose from ready-made survey templates on forms.app. For example, you can use a customer satisfaction or employee engagement survey template. 

Choose a way to start

💡You can look at forms.app AI to develop forms that align with your specific needs and goals.

Step 3: Add your questions

Once you choose a template according to your goals, you can add your web survey questions in line with your goals. forms.app offers a variety of question types such as multiple choice, short answer, long answer, and more. Combining question types helps you understand your participants’ views more comprehensively.

Add your questions

Step 4: Customize your form design

Once you have added all the questions, you can easily select a theme and change colors. You can enrich your form images, a logo, and a cover. You can tailor colors, fonts, and overall design tools to create a survey that mirrors your company's identity. Additionally, you can choose a new background image and a view type. 

Customizing the design of your form

Step 5: Share your survey

You can use sharing options to distribute your survey to your target audience by utilizing various sharing options provided by forms.app. You can share your survey on popular social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and WhatsApp. Also, you can embed your survey on your website and use QR codes that are part of the web surveys for easy access.

💡Apart from these, you can copy your survey link and share it with your target audience via SMS and e-mail, among the web survey methods.

Share your web survey

Step 6: Analyze the results

Once gathering sufficient data, you can take advantage of forms.app’s features like statistics and filters for analyzing survey responses. Analyzing the survey results will aid in crafting a strategy that aligns with your company's customer expectations, preferences, and needs.

5 tips to follow for a better web survey

As with any study, there are some essential points to consider when preparing web surveys. If you want to prepare a more professional web survey, you can take a look at and learn the tips we have prepared for your companies below:

Tips to follow for a better web survey

✅Before creating your survey, you should determine what you aim to learn. Determining your goals clearly and openly ensures that the results you achieve align with your goals.

✅You should understand and know the target audience before conducting your survey. This way, you can adapt your questions, taking into account the characteristics of your target audience. It allows you to obtain more accurate and understandable results.

✅Although web surveys save time for businesses and participants, people prefer shorter surveys and answering long questions. Therefore, keeping your survey short will increase participation.

✅Choosing easy-to-understand language in your survey and using various question types can increase effectiveness. You can achieve more effective results using a mixture of closed and open-ended questions in understandable language.

✅You can pre-test your survey with a small group before presenting it to your primary audience. Thus, you can improve your study with the results you obtain.

Key points to take away

Nowadays, when everything is digital, this change has also affected traditional survey methods and has been replaced mainly by web surveys. Web surveys have become a highly preferred survey tool by businesses thanks to their advantages, such as ease of use and access, speed, cost-effectiveness, and access to larger audiences.

In this article, we shared the definition of a web survey, how to create it, and tips about it. We aimed to inform business owners about web survey types and examples of these types. We addressed joint when and why companies or businesses need web surveys. Now that you have learned everything about web surveys, you can take action and start creating your own.