Email Surveys Guide: Types, Questions & Examples for 2024

If you are running a business, knowing every customer’s or even your employee’s experiences and opinions individually can indeed be an uphill battle.

Surveys are a great solution, and the easiest way to distribute them? Emails! They’re easy to collect and feel less invasive than asking for phone numbers.

Email surveys also allow for automated follow-ups, reminders, and flexible response windows.

In this blog, we’ll explore different types of email surveys, templates, their benefits, and tips to improve response rates. Plus, we’ll share a handy collection of question examples you can use right away.

Let’s do this!

How to Create Engaging Surveys Online with ProProfs Survey Maker – Free & Easy

What Is An Email Survey

An email survey is an online questionnaire sent to the target audience via email. These surveys serve various purposes, such as collecting customer feedback, employee feedback, conducting market research, and measuring people’s experience with your brand. They also provide an avenue to gather opinions and suggestions to improve the services.

The concept of email surveys is straightforward. You utilize online feedback software like ProProfs Survey Maker to create a survey.

Then, include the survey as a link or embed it into the email body before sending it out. The respondents can conveniently open the email and access the survey.

When a recipient clicks the submit button, it counts as a survey response. These clicks are recorded in the email survey tool’s database for response analysis.

8 Types of Email Surveys to Share With Your Audience

There are many different types of email surveys you can send, depending on your specific goals. Here are eight of the most common and effective types:

1. Customer Satisfaction (CSAT) Surveys

Customer Satisfaction (CSAT) surveys are essential for measuring how satisfied customers are with a specific aspect of your business, such as a product, service, or support interaction.

These surveys are generally short and straightforward, focusing on recent experiences to provide immediate insights. By collecting CSAT data, businesses can quickly identify and resolve pain points, enhancing the overall customer experience.

CSAT surveys are typically sent after transactions, support calls, or any significant customer interaction.

Example Question:
“How satisfied are you with the resolution of your recent support request?”

2. Net Promoter Score (NPS) Survey Emails

NPS surveys are a popular tool for measuring customer loyalty and the likelihood of customers recommending your business to others. By asking one simple question—how likely a customer is to recommend your company—you can categorize respondents into Promoters, Passives, and Detractors.

This segmentation allows you to understand the proportion of your customer base that is loyal, neutral, or dissatisfied, enabling you to focus on converting Passives and addressing concerns from Detractors. NPS surveys are valuable because they provide a clear benchmark for customer loyalty over time.

Example Question:
“On a scale of 0-10, how likely are you to recommend our product to a friend or colleague?”

3. Product Feedback Surveys

Product feedback surveys aim to gather detailed insights about a specific product, including customer opinions on its features, usability, and overall quality. These surveys are crucial for product development and refinement, helping you prioritize improvements that will most benefit your customers.

By sending product feedback surveys, you can uncover what customers love, what they find frustrating, and what additional features they’d like to see. This type of feedback is invaluable for keeping your product aligned with customer needs and expectations.

Example Question:
“What feature do you value most in our product, and why?”

4. Customer Service Feedback Survey Emails

Customer service feedback surveys are designed to evaluate the effectiveness of your support team and the quality of service provided. These surveys help identify areas where your customer service might be excelling or falling short, such as response time, agent knowledge, or the overall helpfulness of the support. By consistently gathering feedback on customer service, businesses can make targeted improvements that lead to higher satisfaction and better customer retention.

Example Question:
“How would you rate the friendliness and professionalism of the support agent you interacted with?”

5. Churn Feedback Survey Emails

Churn feedback surveys are crucial for understanding why customers choose to leave your business. These surveys are typically sent after a customer cancels a subscription, stops purchasing, or significantly reduces their engagement. By pinpointing the exact reasons for churn, such as dissatisfaction with the product, high prices, or better alternatives, you can make strategic changes to reduce churn rates. This feedback is especially valuable for retaining customers and improving the overall user experience.

Example Question:
“What was the primary reason for canceling your subscription with us?”

6. Onboarding Surveys

Onboarding surveys focus on the initial experiences of new customers or users as they begin using your product or service. The goal is to identify any obstacles or friction points in the onboarding process that could prevent users from fully adopting your product. By asking new customers about their first impressions, you can streamline the onboarding experience to be more intuitive and user-friendly, which can significantly impact customer retention and satisfaction.

Example Question:
“How easy was it to set up your account and start using our service?”

7. Post-Purchase Survey Emails

Post-purchase surveys are sent to customers after they complete a transaction. These surveys focus on the buying process, product satisfaction, and any immediate feedback customers may have. By collecting this feedback, businesses can understand the effectiveness of their sales process, identify any issues that need addressing, and ensure the product meets or exceeds customer expectations. Post-purchase feedback is instrumental in refining the customer journey and encouraging repeat business.

Example Question:
“How satisfied are you with your recent purchase experience?”

8. Employee Survey Emails

Employee surveys are vital for gauging workplace satisfaction, engagement, and overall morale. These surveys help identify how employees feel about their roles, the company culture, and management. By regularly gathering feedback from employees, businesses can make informed decisions to improve the work environment, enhance productivity, and reduce turnover rates. Engaged and satisfied employees are often more productive and deliver better customer service.

Example Question:
“How valued do you feel as a team member in our company?”

Advantages of Email Surveys

Here is how email surveys can benefit your business: 

1. Cost-Effective: Email surveys are cheaper compared to phone or in-person surveys. With tools like ProProfs Survey Maker, creating and distributing surveys is budget-friendly, making them accessible even for small businesses.
2. Scalability: You can send email surveys to hundreds or thousands of recipients with minimal effort, allowing you to collect large amounts of data quickly.
3. Automation: Email surveys can be automated, from sending initial invites to follow-up reminders. This ensures higher response rates and consistent feedback collection.
4. Easy Integration: Email surveys can be easily integrated with CRM systems, allowing for seamless data collection and analysis. This helps in tracking responses and correlating feedback with customer profiles.
5. Customizability: Surveys can be highly customized to match your brand’s look and feel, creating a consistent customer experience. You can also tailor questions based on customer segments, ensuring relevant feedback.

Disadvantages of Email Surveys

Here are some key drawbacks and limitations of email surveys: 

1. Low Response Rates: While emails are accessible, not everyone will take the time to respond. This can lead to lower response rates, especially if the survey is lengthy or not engaging.
2. Spam Filters: There’s always a risk that your survey emails might end up in the recipient’s spam folder, especially if your emails contain too many links or trigger words.
3. Survey Fatigue: If you bombard your audience with too many surveys, they might start ignoring them or provide less thoughtful responses due to survey fatigue.
4. Limited by Email Deliverability: The success of email surveys depends on the quality of your email list and deliverability rates. Poor list hygiene can lead to bounces, unsubscribes, or emails not being seen at all.
5. Bias in Responses: Respondents who take the time to complete surveys might be those with extreme opinions—either very satisfied or dissatisfied—leading to biased results.

How to Create an Email Survey in a Few Simple Steps

Creating an effective email survey doesn’t have to be complex. Follow these steps to set up your survey:

1. Define Your Objective: Start by identifying what you want to achieve with your survey. Are you measuring customer satisfaction, gathering product feedback, or assessing employee engagement?
2. Choose the Right Survey Tool: Select a tool like ProProfs Survey Maker that offers easy setup, customizable templates, and automated features to simplify the survey creation process.
3. Draft Your Questions: Keep your questions concise and relevant. Avoid leading or biased questions, and include a mix of question types—like multiple choice, rating scales, and open-ended questions.
4. Design the Survey: Customize the survey design to match your brand’s aesthetics. Ensure it’s visually appealing and easy to navigate on all devices, including mobile.
5. Set Up Automation: Use automation features to send reminders to non-responders, schedule follow-up emails, and close the survey after a certain period.
6. Test Before Sending: Always test your survey by sending it to a small group first. This helps you catch any issues with formatting, question clarity, or technical glitches.
7. Send and Monitor: Once satisfied, send your survey to your audience. Monitor response rates and adjust your strategy if needed to maximize engagement.

How to Embed a Survey in an Email Using ProProfs Survey Maker

Embedding surveys directly into emails can significantly boost response rates by making it convenient for recipients. Here’s a quick guide to embedding surveys using ProProfs Survey Maker:

1. Create Your Survey: Start by creating your survey in ProProfs Survey Maker. Customize it according to your needs with the appropriate questions and design and click on the “Send” icon.

2. Click on the Email “✉️” Button: You can send the survey directly to the respondent(s) by entering their email IDs. Note that the survey link in the message body is a dynamic field, and it is filled automatically with the survey link upon sending.

3. Link: You can also share by embedding the link onto your email body.

4. Test the Email: Send a test email to ensure that the survey displays correctly and is functional. Check how it looks on different devices and email clients.

5. Send to Your Audience: Once everything looks good, send your email to your audience. Keep an eye on the response rates and be prepared to follow up as necessary.

30+ Email Survey Questions & Examples

Here are some examples of email survey questions you can use, along with possible response options:

1. Customer Satisfaction (CSAT)

• How satisfied were you with your recent experience with our company?
  • Very satisfied
  • Satisfied
  • Neutral
  • Dissatisfied
  • Very dissatisfied
• How likely are you to recommend our company to a friend or colleague?
  • Extremely likely
  • Likely
  • Neutral
  • Unlikely
  • Extremely unlikely

2. Net Promoter Score (NPS)

• On a scale of 0 to 10, how likely are you to recommend our company to a friend or colleague?
  • 0-6 (Detractors)
  • 7-8 (Passives)
  • 9-10 (Promoters)

3. Product Feedback

• What do you like most about our product?
  • (Open-ended text response)
• What do you like least about our product?
  • (Open-ended text response)
• What features would you like to see added to our product?
  • (Open-ended text response or multiple-choice options based on potential features)
• How easy is it to use our product?
  • Very easy
  • Easy
  • Neutral
  • Difficult
  • Very Difficult
• How would you rate the value for money of our product?
  • Excellent
  • Good
  • Fair
  • Poor
  • Very Poor

4. Customer Service Feedback

• How satisfied were you with the help you received from our customer service team?
  • Very satisfied
  • Satisfied
  • Neutral
  • Dissatisfied
  • Very dissatisfied
• How easy was it to get in touch with our customer service team?
  • Very easy
  • Easy
  • Neutral
  • Difficult
  • Very difficult
• How knowledgeable was the customer service representative you spoke with?
  • Very knowledgeable
  • Knowledgeable
  • Neutral
  • Not knowledgeable
  • Very not knowledgeable
• How quickly was your issue resolved?
  • Very quickly
  • Quickly
  • In a reasonable time
  • Slowly
  • Very slowly
• How would you rate the overall customer service experience?
  • Excellent
  • Good
  • Fair
  • Poor
  • Very poor

5. Churn Feedback

• Why did you decide to cancel your subscription to our service?
  • (Multiple-choice options with common reasons for churn, e.g., price, features, customer service, etc., and an “other” option with an open-ended text response)
• What could we have done to prevent you from canceling your subscription?
  • (Open-ended text response)
• Would you be willing to consider using our service again in the future?
  • Yes
  • No
  • Maybe

6. Onboarding Surveys

• How easy was it to sign up for our product or service?
  • Very easy
  • Easy
  • Neutral
  • Difficult
  • Very difficult
• What features of our product or service are you most excited about?
  • (Multiple-choice options based on your product’s features or an open-ended text response)
• Do you have any questions or concerns about our product or service?
  • (Open-ended text response)
• How likely are you to recommend our product/service to a friend or colleague?
  • Extremely likely
  • Likely
  • Neutral
  • Unlikely
  • Extremely unlikely
• Did you find our onboarding process helpful and informative?
  • Yes, very much
  • Somewhat
  • Not really
  • Not at all

7. Post-Purchase Survey Emails

• How satisfied are you with your recent purchase?
  • Very satisfied
  • Satisfied
  • Neutral
  • Dissatisfied
  • Very dissatisfied
• How likely are you to purchase from us again in the future?
  • Extremely likely
  • Likely
  • Neutral
  • Unlikely
  • Extremely unlikely
• What can we do to improve your shopping experience?
  • (Open-ended text response or multiple-choice options based on potential improvements)
• How would you rate the delivery and packaging of your order?
  • Excellent
  • Good
  • Fair
  • Poor
  • Very Poor
• Did the product meet your expectations?
  • Yes, completely
  • Mostly
  • Somewhat
  • Not really
  • Not at all

8. Employee Survey

• How satisfied are you with your current role and responsibilities?
  • Very satisfied
  • Satisfied
  • Neutral
  • Dissatisfied
  • Very dissatisfied
• How would you rate your work-life balance at our company?
  • Excellent
  • Good
  • Fair
  • Poor
  • Very poor
• Do you feel valued and appreciated for your contributions?
  • Strongly agree
  • Agree
  • Neutral
  • Disagree
  • Strongly disagree
• How would you rate your relationship with your manager/supervisor
  • Excellent
  • Good
  • Fair
  • Poor
  • Very poor
• Do you have the resources and tools you need to do your job effectively
  • Strongly agree
  • Agree
  • Neutral
  • Disagree
  • Strongly disagree

Why Are Email Surveys Reliable and Effective

Email surveys are highly effective in gathering valuable customer feedback and insights. Here are a few aspects that make our case:

• Quick and timely data collection — Whether you need feedback on a new product, customer satisfaction ratings, or market research insights, free email surveys provide rapid data collection. They enable businesses to collect data quickly and efficiently. You can send the surveys to more people than the required sample size, and the responses can start pouring in almost immediately. This way, you can quickly reach the required confidence level to increase data reliability. It also promotes timely data analysis and decision-making.
• Wide reach—As mentioned above, email surveys let you instantly reach the target audience around the globe. This opens your survey campaigns to demographics, technographic customer segments, time zones, locations, and more. This broad reach ensures a more representative sample, allowing for comprehensive data analysis and actionable insights.
• Personalization and customization options — Email surveys allow for a high degree of personalization and customization. You can address the recipients by name and tailor the content to their preferences, purchase history, and behavior to create a personalized and engaging survey experience. Personalization makes survey mail more relevant and encourages respondents to engage with them, providing thoughtful and accurate responses.

Watch: How to Customize & Add Branding to Your Survey

• Tracking and analytics- A robust survey tool comes with an in-depth reporting section to track and analyze various survey performance metrics. You can monitor response rates, track completion times, and identify potential drop-off points within the survey. These insights help you optimize the survey design and structure for better results.
• Integration with other systems — Email survey tools often offer seamless integration with other workspace apps like CRM and marketing automation tools. It prevents manual effort to export and update the data across various teams. It means streamlined data collection and automated survey distribution to optimize the customer feedback loop.
• Reminder emails — Timing and frequency are crucial to avoid being intrusive. You can schedule and auto-send gentle reminders to people who did not respond to the first survey mail. A well-timed reminder can serve as a nudge and increase survey participation.

9 Best Practices for Creating Engaging Email Surveys

All is for naught if people don’t open the mail and answer the survey. Well, that won’t be the case anymore. Here are some of the best email survey tips and practices to make every survey count:

Tip 1: Create Eye-Catching Subject Lines

Beautifully crafted email subject lines can help you create the right first impression.

Here are some tips to keep in mind when drafting subject lines:

• Use the recipient’s personal name
• Place relevant emojis (😎 💬✍) to add a fun element to your subject lines
• Use power words like Best, Top, Awesome, etc.
• Create an emotional connection with a thoughtful question
• Bring out the pain points of your customers
• Add a healthy dose of humor if possible

Tip 2: Keep the Survey Short and Focused

The longer your survey, the less likely people are to complete it. Respect your recipients’ time by keeping your surveys concise and to the point. Aim for 5-10 questions max, and ensure each question is essential to your goals.

How to Keep Surveys Short:

• Focus on one objective per survey—whether it’s gauging satisfaction, collecting product feedback, or measuring loyalty.
• Use skip logic to make sure only relevant questions are shown to respondents.
• Prioritize rating scales and multiple-choice questions over open-ended ones to keep things quick and easy.

Example: Instead of asking for detailed written feedback on multiple aspects of a service, use rating scales or select fields to capture the most critical data quickly.

Tip 3: Personalize the Email Content

Personalization goes beyond using the recipient’s name. Tailor the email content to resonate with the recipient’s past interactions with your brand. Personalized emails make respondents feel valued and increase the likelihood of engagement.

Ways to Personalize Content:

• Reference the recipient’s recent purchase or interaction with your brand.
• Segment your audience based on behavior or preferences to send relevant surveys.
• Customize the survey greeting and thank you message to make the experience feel unique.

Example: “Hi [Name], since you recently purchased [Product], we’d love to know your thoughts!”

Tip 4: Optimize for Mobile Devices

A significant portion of emails are opened on mobile devices, so it’s crucial that your survey looks great and functions smoothly on all screen sizes. A mobile-optimized survey ensures that recipients can easily navigate and respond, no matter where they are.

Mobile Optimization Tips:

• Use responsive design for both the email and the survey.
• Keep text concise and use larger buttons that are easy to tap.
• Test the survey on multiple devices and email clients to ensure a seamless experience.

Example: Ensure that the survey loads quickly on mobile and that buttons are large enough for easy tapping.

Tip 5: Provide Clear and Engaging CTAs

Your Call to Action (CTA) is what drives your audience to take the next step—completing your survey. A well-crafted CTA should be clear, concise, and compelling, guiding the reader towards action without hesitation.

Effective CTA Tips:

• Use action-oriented language like “Share Your Thoughts” or “Take the Survey Now.”
• Make the CTA button stand out with contrasting colors and clear fonts.
• Keep the CTA visible and above the fold so it’s easily accessible without scrolling.

Example: “Ready to Share? Take Our 2-Minute Survey Now!”

Tip 6: Offer an Incentive

Sometimes, people need a little extra nudge to take action. Offering an incentive can significantly boost your survey response rates by adding value to the time spent on your survey. Incentives don’t have to be costly; even small rewards can make a big difference.

Ideas for Incentives:

• Provide a discount or coupon code upon survey completion.
• Enter respondents into a raffle for a larger prize, like a gift card or a popular product.
• Offer exclusive content, such as a downloadable guide or early access to new products.

Example: “Complete this survey for a chance to win a $50 gift card!”

Tip 7: Be Transparent About the Survey Length

One of the quickest ways to lose respondents is by misleading them about the time commitment involved. Be upfront about how long the survey will take to complete. This builds trust and sets clear expectations, making participants more likely to follow through.

How to Be Transparent:

• Include an estimated time commitment in your email (e.g., “This survey will take about 2 minutes”).
• Use a progress bar within the survey to show participants how much they have completed.
• Avoid asking too many follow-up questions unless absolutely necessary.

Example: “This survey takes just 2 minutes to complete—we value your time!”

Tip 8: Make the Survey Visually Appealing

A visually appealing survey can make the experience more enjoyable and less of a chore. Use design elements that reflect your brand and make the survey engaging to look at without overwhelming the respondent.

Design Tips:

• Use clean, uncluttered layouts with plenty of white space to keep the survey readable.
• Incorporate your brand colors, fonts, and logo to create a cohesive look.
• Add visuals like icons or images to break up the text and keep it interesting.

Example: Include a brand logo at the top and use color-coded response options to keep the survey visually appealing and easy to navigate.

Tip 9: Send Follow-Up Reminders (But Don’t Overdo It)

Not everyone will respond to your survey on the first try, and that’s okay. Sending a polite follow-up reminder can help nudge those who haven’t responded yet. However, balance is key—too many reminders can come off as annoying and lead to unsubscribes.

Reminder Tips:

• Wait at least a few days before sending a reminder to give respondents ample time.
• Change the wording in your reminder email to keep it fresh and avoid sounding repetitive.
• Limit follow-up emails to one or two reminders to avoid overloading your recipients.

Example: “Just a friendly reminder to share your feedback with us—we’d still love to hear from you!”

Make Every Email Survey Count!

Email surveys can add a lot of value to your email marketing efforts and feedback collection process. With the right tools and strategies, you can start crafting email surveys that yield the desired results and contribute to your data pool.

You must create fun and engaging subject lines to encourage survey participation and boost response rates. Make customers feel their opinions matter and thank them for their valuable time and insights.

If you are looking for the best email survey software, your search ends with ProProfs Survey Maker. You can use it to design, edit, and share meaningful surveys with your audience in minutes. The best part is that you can get started in no time with pre-designed templates for customer satisfaction, employee engagement, market research, product feedback, and more.