Why on-site surveys?
Interviews give depth from a few people. On-site surveys give reasons from many people, at the exact moment they’re on the page that matters. A single well-placed question can explain a funnel drop in a week.
Four rules for good questions
Good survey practice is mostly about not biasing the answer (Nielsen Norman Group):
- Short. One or two questions. Each extra question loses respondents.
- Neutral. “What, if anything, …” leaves room for “nothing”.
- Specific to the moment. Ask about this page, today, not their life story.
- Open first. Free text gives you reasons and words. Multiple choice only works once you know the options.
Questions that work
| Page | Question |
|---|---|
| Product page | “What information, if any, is missing on this page?” |
| Pricing page | “What’s the one thing stopping you from signing up today?” |
| Cart / checkout | “What, if anything, is stopping you from completing your order?” |
| Thank-you page | “What nearly stopped you from buying today?” |
| Landing page | “What were you hoping to find on this page?” |
The thank-you page question is underrated: buyers tell you the objections that almost stopped them, and they’re happy to answer.
Where and when
- On the leaking step only, not sitewide.
- Trigger on behaviour: exit intent on desktop, time on page or scroll depth on mobile.
- Don’t block the task. A small corner widget beats a full-screen pop-up.
- Run until you have 100 to 200 answers, then switch it off.
Analyse the answers
- Read 30 answers and draft 5 to 8 themes (for example “delivery cost”, “unsure about size”).
- Tag every answer with one or more themes. Add themes if needed.
- Count answers per theme, and keep 2 or 3 representative quotes per theme.
- Compare with analytics: does the biggest theme match the biggest drop?
Themes with many answers on a leaking step are strong evidence for a hypothesis.
Recap
One short, neutral, open question, on the right page, at the right moment, until you have enough answers. Then tag, count and quote. Next lesson: usability testing, to watch people try to use the page.
Practical exercise
Write one open survey question for the page in your funnel that loses the most people. Check it against the four rules in this lesson, then decide exactly when it should appear.