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Ask one question that decides how you spend money, usually “How did you hear about us?”, with 8 to 12 answers in the buyer’s words. Add at most two follow-ups, and show them only to the buyers they’re for: “Which creator?” only to people who picked Influencer, “What almost stopped you?” only to first-time buyers. Skip anything you won’t act on.
Start with the decision, not the question
A survey question is only worth asking if one of its answers would change what you do. Before adding a question, finish this sentence: “If most people answer ___, I’ll ___.” If you can’t, drop the question.
| Question | The decision it informs |
|---|---|
| How did you hear about us? | Where to spend marketing time and money |
| Which creator or podcast? (follow-up) | Which partnership to renew |
| What almost stopped you from buying? (first-time buyers) | What to fix on the product page or checkout |
| What’s this for? (gift, myself, a business) | Gift wrap, messaging, a wholesale page |
| How likely are you to recommend us? (returning buyers) | Whether to push referrals now or fix something first |
Word the answers so the results are usable
Most survey mistakes are in the answer list, not the question.
| Instead of | Use | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Social media | Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, Pinterest | You spend on these separately, so count them separately |
| Online advertising | Ad on Instagram, Ad on TikTok, or simply the platform | Buyers can’t tell an ad from a post. The platform is what they remember |
| Word of mouth | Friend or family | Plain words get picked |
| Influencer | Influencer or creator | Covers YouTubers and podcasters who don’t think of themselves as influencers |
| Search engine | Google search | That’s what people do |
| Other | Other (please specify) | The typed answers tell you which channel to add next |
Show the answers in random order. The first answer in a list gets picked more often simply for being first, and random order spreads that effect out.
Follow-ups worth one more tap
A follow-up is a question shown only to buyers who gave a certain answer, or only to new or returning customers. Everyone else never sees it, so it costs you nothing with them.
Three we’d start with:
- “Which creator?” (text), only if they picked Influencer or creator. Now you know which partnership earned its fee.
- “What almost stopped you from ordering?” (single choice: price, shipping cost, delivery time, unsure about size or fit, didn’t know the brand, nothing), only for new customers.
- “What could we do better?” (text), only after an NPS score of 0 to 6.
Questions to skip
- “How satisfied are you with your purchase?” They haven’t received it yet.
- “Rate our website from 1 to 10.” You’ll get 8s and learn nothing.
- Demographics (age, income). Buyers find them nosy after paying, and you rarely act on them.
- Anything you can look up. Order value, product, country and new vs returning are already on the order.
Examples by store type
| Store | Main question | Good follow-up |
|---|---|---|
| Skincare or beauty | How did you hear about us? | Which creator? (influencer answers) |
| Coffee or food subscription | How did you hear about us? | What made you try us today? (new buyers) |
| Gifts and handmade | How did you hear about us? | Is this a gift? |
| Pet supplies | How did you hear about us? | What kind of pet is this for? |
| B2B or wholesale | How did your business find us? | Roughly how often do you reorder supplies like this? |
Where NPS fits
NPS (“How likely are you to recommend us, 0 to 10?”) makes sense once someone has used what they bought. On a Thank you page, limit it to returning customers: they’ve had a past order arrive and can judge. Pair it with “What could we do better?” for low scores, and you’ll get a short list of real complaints to fix.
HearAbout by Centubo. Attribution question, follow-ups for some buyers, NPS and ratings on the Thank you page, with order tags and sales by channel. Free during launch.
Install on ShopifyQuestions people ask
How many questions should a post-purchase survey have?
One main question, plus at most two follow-ups shown only to some buyers. Every extra question loses some people, and the first question is the one you need answered.
Should answers be multiple choice or free text?
Multiple choice for the main question, so you can count and compare. Free text only as a follow-up or an "Other, please specify", where it catches what your list missed.
Should I ask for NPS after every order?
Not on the first order. "How likely are you to recommend us?" means little before the product arrives. Ask it of returning customers, or in an email after delivery.
Should I give a discount for answering?
It raises the response rate, but some buyers then tap anything to get the code. If you add a reward, compare your results before and after.