A Guide to In-App Mobile Surveys: Questions Types and Practices

In-app mobile surveys are one of the simplest ways to get user feedback. Why is that so powerful? Because happy, heard users are more likely to stick around!

Whether it’s finding out how much they like a new feature or finding areas for improvement, these quick surveys give you insights. 

In this blog, we’ll explore what an in-app mobile survey is, its types, and its advantages. You’ll also find tips on best practices for getting responses, and example questions to get started. Let’s get started.

What is an In-App Mobile Survey?

In-app mobile surveys are short, targeted questionnaires designed directly into mobile apps. They capture user thoughts and experiences as they interact with your app. 

These surveys can pop up at strategic moments, like when users discover a new feature or complete a purchase.

Using in-app surveys keeps the feedback process smooth and uninterrupted. Since the users don’t have to leave the app, they are more likely to share their thoughts immediately. 

Plus, these surveys are flexible. You can adjust the questions based on user actions, preferences, or stages in their journey.

Using in-app mobile surveys gives you an unfiltered look at what users like and do not. Thus, it helps you improve the experience of your apps. Now, let’s see why these surveys are so effective.

Advantages of In-App Mobile Survey

An In-app mobile survey offers a unique, immediate way to capture user feedback without interrupting their app experience. Here are some of its advantages:

1. Understand User Sentiment Through In-App Feedback

In-app surveys make it easy to understand how users feel about your app. Here are some ways they help you gather user sentiment:

• Ask questions at the right moment: Prompt surveys right after your users engage with a new feature or complete an action.
• Capture immediate reactions: Get feedback while the experience is fresh, capturing true user opinions.
• Gain real-time insights: Monitor user satisfaction in real-time, helping you quickly spot positive or negative feedback trends.

Understanding user sentiment through in-app feedback gives you a hold on the app experience. 

Next, let’s see how in-app surveys can help you catch bugs and improve the user experience.

2. Identify Bugs and Improve User Experience

Bugs can quickly frustrate users, and they’re often the first to spot them. In-app surveys help you catch and fix issues faster. Here’s how you can do it:

• Ask specific questions about app performance: Directly inquire about functionality to identify areas where bugs may occur.
• Pinpoint issue locations: Surveys help you locate problem areas within the app that users experience.
• Address bugs quickly: Faster insights allow you to tackle bugs promptly, improving overall user satisfaction.
• Reduce churn from technical issues: Minimizing bugs creates a smoother experience, keeping users engaged and reducing drop-offs.

Identifying and fixing bugs through feedback is crucial for better app adoption. 

Next, let’s look into how in-app surveys can help you gather targeted feedback at different stages of the user journey.

3. Gather Targeted Feedback Across User Journey Stages

In-app surveys help you gather stage-specific feedback, making insights more useful. Here’s how you can do it:

• Capture feedback from new users: Learn about their onboarding experience and areas needing improvement.
• Understand the needs of long-time users: Discover which advanced features or updates they’d like to see.
• Target feedback to user journey stages: Develop questions for each specific stage. This ensures that your user responses are meaningful and actionable.

You can better meet users’ evolving needs by gathering feedback from different stages.

How do these insights support informed decision-making for your app? Let's see.

4. Enhance Decision-Making with Real Customer Insights

Real customer insights are essential for making the best decisions for your app. In-app surveys help you collect this feedback, making decision-making clearer and more effective. Here’s how it can be possible:

• Replace guesswork with real data: Decisions based on actual user feedback are more reliable than assumptions.
• Get insights from the best source—your users: Surveys gather data directly from users, ensuring relevant feedback.
• Guide design changes and feature additions: Use insights to shape updates that will actually benefit your audience.
• Make informed, user-focused choices: Align your app’s direction with what users truly want and need.

Using in-app mobile surveys is a powerful way to continuously improve your app conversions. Let's examine different in-app surveys to help you choose the right fit for each situation.

Types of In-App Mobile Surveys

Different surveys serve different purposes. Choosing the right type of in-app survey is key to gathering relevant and useful insights. 

Here are some common types based on usage scenarios:

1. Welcome Surveys for Initial Feedback

MyFitnessPal used welcome surveys to ask new users about their difficulty setting up their profiles. This feedback helped the app streamline its onboarding process, making it more user-friendly for fitness beginners.

Welcome surveys provide insights into the first steps of the user journey. They help you understand how new users feel about the app right from the start. 

Here’s how welcome surveys make a difference:

• Capture initial reactions: Short surveys engage users shortly after using the app.
• Understand what attracts new users: Discover the features that draw users to your app in the first place.
• Get feedback on onboarding: See if the onboarding process feels smooth or if there are areas to improve.
• Identify adjustments to retain new users: Use this early feedback to refine the journey and boost retention.

Next, let’s look at how Net Promoter Score (NPS) surveys help measure user loyalty.

2. Net Promoter Score (NPS) Surveys for Loyalty Measurement

Robinhood conducted NPS surveys asking, “How likely are you to recommend us?” to measure user loyalty. Insights highlighted trust factors which led the app to introduce security features.

Net Promoter Score (NPS) surveys are a direct way to measure user loyalty. By asking just one question, they reveal how satisfied and loyal your users are. 

Here’s what makes NPS surveys so effective:

• Assess likelihood to recommend: Ask users if they’d recommend your app on a scale from 0 to 10.
• Measure overall user satisfaction: Higher scores suggest strong satisfaction, while lower scores can signal issues.
• Identify loyal users: Users who score 9 or 10 are likely your most loyal and engaged.
• Spot areas for improvement: Lower scores highlight areas where you can work to regain user trust.

With NPS surveys, you get a clear picture of user loyalty and stickiness. Now, let’s explore how Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT) surveys can help measure enjoyment within the app.

3. Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT) Surveys for App Enjoyment

Amazon used CSAT surveys post-purchase, asking, “How satisfied are you with your recent purchase?” 

Responses helped the app identify checkout issues, concerns about delivery speed, and packaging preferences. This refined the checkout process and enhanced notifications.

CSAT surveys reveal where your app excels and where it could use a little boost. Here’s how they work:

• Measure satisfaction with specific features: Ask users how happy they are with particular elements of the app.
• Capture overall app expectations: Questions like “Did the app meet your expectations?” provide general satisfaction insights.
• Identify features users love: Spot the in-app elements that keep your users returning.
• Find areas needing improvement: Discover which features could use tweaks to satisfy users better.

CSAT surveys clearly show what users enjoy about the app. Now, let’s see how Customer Effort Score (CES) surveys can help measure the app’s ease of use.

4. Customer Effort Score (CES) Surveys for Ease of Use

Customer Effort Score (CES) surveys are ideal for understanding how easily users can navigate and complete tasks within your app. 

Candy Crush Saga used CES surveys after complex levels to ask players, “How easy was it to complete this level?” 

This feedback led to adjustments in-game difficulty and tutorial content, increasing user retention by making the game fun.

CES surveys highlight where the app might need improvement by measuring the effort required. Here’s how CES surveys help:

• Measure ease of completing specific tasks: Ask users questions like, “How easy was it to accomplish [specific task]?”
• Get direct feedback on user experience: Capture real-time insights on how users feel about navigating the app.
• Identify areas for smoother usability: Low effort scores suggest users find the app easy to use.
• Spot areas needing simplification: Higher scores can indicate spots where app flow or instructions could be simplified.

You can use different survey types to address user needs and gather insights that drive improvements. Let’s move on to some best practices to implement these surveys effectively.

Best Practices for Implementing Surveys

To get the most accurate and valuable responses from in-app surveys, it’s essential to implement surveys thoughtfully. 

Adopting the best practices encourages more users to complete surveys. Here’s how to set up your surveys for success.

1. Trigger Surveys at Strategic Points in the User Journey

Timing is everything. By pushing surveys at the right moments in the user journey, you can gather relevant insights. 

Here’s how to make the most of timing:

• Post-onboarding surveys: Ask for feedback right after users complete the onboarding process to assess their initial experience.
• After exploring new features: Prompting surveys when users try out a newly introduced feature.
• At major milestones: Reach out for feedback when users achieve specific milestones in the app.
• Following purchases: For apps with paid features, ask users about their experience right after purchase.

Using contextual surveys makes feedback collection feel actionable and relevant. You’ll now see how keeping surveys short can improve completion rates.

2. Use Short and Focused Surveys for Higher Completion Rates

Keeping surveys short and focused ensures you get higher-quality responses. 

Here’s how to keep surveys user-friendly:

• Limit the number of questions: Stick to a few essential questions to encourage users to finish the survey.
• Focus on a single topic: Ask about one feature per survey to keep responses relevant.
• Use simple, concise language: Write questions that are easy to understand, making it quick for users to respond.
• Prioritize actionable questions: Only ask questions that directly contribute to improving the user experience.

Next, let’s explore the importance of designing surveys within the app. 

3. Ensure Surveys Do Not Require Leaving the App

Users who can complete surveys without leaving are more likely to participate. Here’s how to make in-app surveys seamless:

• Embed surveys directly in the app: Users can answer questions without opening a separate browser or app.
• Keep the survey quick: Ensure that in-app surveys are brief so they don’t feel intrusive.
• Make surveys easy to find and complete: Place surveys where users naturally interact, keeping feedback collection smooth.
• Use familiar in-app design elements: Match survey visuals with the app’s style to make it feel integrated.
• Reduce interruptions to user flow: Trigger surveys at times when they won’t break the user’s engagement.

In-app surveys keep the feedback process convenient and accessible. 

We’ll now see how combining close-ended and open-ended questions is vital.

4. Combine Close-Ended Questions with Follow-Up Open-Ended Ones

Combining close-ended and open-ended survey questions provides a balanced view of user feedback.

Close-ended questions give you quick, quantifiable data, while open-ended ones offer more profound insights. Here’s how to effectively mix these question types:

• Start with close-ended questions: Begin with easy-to-answer questions, like multiple choice, to get quick responses.
• Follow up with open-ended prompts: After gathering a score, ask a question like, “What would improve this feature?” for detailed insights.
• Gather quantitative and qualitative data: Collect numbers for easy analysis and descriptive feedback to understand user needs.

Using a mix of questions gives you a fuller picture of user feedback. Now, let’s see how adding progress bars can help boost survey completion rates by giving users a sense of progress.

5. Add Progress Bars to Encourage Survey Completion

Adding progress bars to your surveys keeps users motivated to finish. With a clear sense of how much is left, users are more likely to complete the survey. 

Here’s how progress bars improve the survey experience:

• Show users their progress: Progress bars provide a visual cue so users know how many questions remain.
• Reduce survey abandonment: Knowing how close they are to finishing encourages users to stick with it.
• Create a sense of transparency: Progress bars let users see the survey’s length upfront, reducing frustration.
• Build momentum through completion: As users move through questions, the bar’s movement reinforces a sense of accomplishment.
• Improve user satisfaction: A clear path to the end makes the survey experience smoother and more satisfying.

Moreover, rewarding gamified surveys can help you gain higher completion rates.

We’ll now see how passive feedback widgets can gather ongoing insights without interrupting the user experience.

6. Employ Passive Feedback Widgets for Ongoing Insights

Passive feedback widgets make it simple to gather real-time user insights. Here’s how passive feedback widgets work effectively:

• Provide quick feedback options: Use simple icons like thumbs up/down or smiley faces for instant reactions.
• Allow continuous feedback: Widgets collect insights throughout the app experience, not just at set points.
• Minimize user effort: Users can give feedback in seconds, making it low-commitment and appealing.
• Encourage spontaneous responses: Users can easily share thoughts as they occur, capturing more genuine reactions.

Following these best practices will create a smooth survey experience that encourages responses and delivers reliable data. 

Next, we’ll explore some example questions you can use to gather valuable insights from your users.

Example Survey Questions

Creating effective survey questions is all about asking what truly matters. The right questions reveal insights into user satisfaction and preferences. 

Mixing quantitative and qualitative questions gives you both hard data and personal feedback. This helps you understand the “what” and the “why” behind user opinions. 

Here are some fundamental survey questions to consider:

1. On a Scale of 1 to 5, How Satisfied Are You with Our App?

Asking users to rate satisfaction from 1 to 5 is a simple approach. This question offers quick insights and sets a baseline for tracking satisfaction. Here’s why it’s effective:

• Easy for users to answer: A 1-to-5 scale is clear and fast to complete.
• Gives a snapshot of satisfaction: Instantly shows whether users are happy or issues exist.
• Highlights areas needing improvement: Low ratings point out specific areas of concern.
• Tracks satisfaction trends over time: Regular responses help monitor satisfaction changes.
• Establishes a baseline for quality: Initial responses set a benchmark for measuring future improvements.

A satisfaction scale question is one of the quickest ways to gauge user satisfaction. Let’s examine how asking users about recommendations can measure loyalty.

2. How Likely Are You to Recommend Our App to a Friend or Colleague?

Asking users how likely they are to recommend your app measures loyalty and appeal. This question connects directly to the Net Promoter Score (NPS), a trusted loyalty metric. 

Here’s how it benefits:

• Assesses loyalty levels: Shows how much users value and trust the app.
• Pinpoints areas needing improvement: Lower scores suggest issues that may need fixing.
• Provides insights on overall satisfaction: Reflects how users feel about the app’s quality.

This question helps reveal user loyalty at a glance. Next, let’s see how asking about desired feature improvements guides development.

3. What Feature Would You Like to See Improved?

Asking users which features they’d like to see improved provides valuable, actionable insights. This question shapes your app’s development roadmap. 

Here’s why it’s effective:

• Gather specific user suggestions: Users can share ideas on what needs improvement.
• Guides development focus: Directly indicates what the following app updates are supposed to be like.
• Shows users their feedback matters: Demonstrates commitment to improving based on user needs.
• Encourages active participation: Makes users feel involved in the app’s progress.
• Identifies high-impact changes: Highlights areas where improvements would significantly boost satisfaction.

This question helps focus development on what matters most to users. Now, you’ll look at how asking about ease of use can reveal app usability insights.

4. Do You Find Our App Easy to Use?

Asking users if the app is easy to use is essential to understand its usability. 

It provides direct insights into how intuitive the app feels and where improvements are needed. Here’s why it’s valuable:

• Measures app intuitiveness: Reveals if users find navigation simple and clear.
• Identifies usability hurdles: Highlights any points where users struggle.
• Provides direct feedback on ease of use: Offers insights on how user-friendly the app is.
• Shows areas for improvement: Points out specific sections needing design or flow adjustments.
• Boosts overall satisfaction: Improving ease of use directly enhances user satisfaction.

These questions are thus essential to give you a comprehensive view of user sentiment and app performance. 

Conclusion

An in-app mobile survey isn't just a tool. It is what connects you directly with your users. 

These surveys help you understand what your users love and where they struggle. This is essential for improving your app based on actual needs, not just guesses.

By acting on feedback, you build trust with your users. They’ll see that your app adapts to meet their needs over time, enhancing retention.

With Plotline’s customizable in-app surveys, you can seamlessly gather contextual user insights rapidly. 

Book a demo to optimize your app to new heights!