NPS survey: a practical guide to choosing between email, SMS and pop-ups

Index

1. When to use email, SMS or pop-ups in NPS surveys

2. Key factors for deciding on the survey channel

3. Best practices for increasing responses in NPS surveys

Are you trying to implement an effective NPS survey but don't know which channel to choose? The data speaks for itself: while emails have an average open rate of 19.2%, text messages reach an impressive 98%. This substantial difference can have a significant impact on your results.

In fact, over 90% of people read a text message within the first three minutes of receiving it, and on average we check our phones 58 times a day. However, choosing the right channel for your NPS score survey depends on many factors. Pop-ups, for example, can offer a 4% conversion rate of visitors, with 42% higher engagement on mobile than on desktop. To achieve optimal results, it is essential to be familiar with the various NPS survey examples and adapt them to the specific needs of your company.

A good survey response rate generally ranges between 5% and 30%, while exceeding 50% indicates an exceptionally high level of customer engagement. In this practical guide, we will show you exactly how to choose between email, SMS and pop-ups to maximise responses to your NPS surveys.

When to use email, SMS or pop-ups in NPS surveys

Choosing the right channel for your NPS survey can determine the success of your data collection. Each method offers specific advantages depending on the timing and context in which it is used.

Email: ideal for post-purchase or periodic feedback

Email is a proven method for gathering in-depth customer feedback. Although the average open rate is around 19.2%, this channel offers considerable advantages. First of all, it is non-invasive and allows customers to respond when they feel comfortable, increasing the likelihood of receiving qualitative and thoughtful feedback.

Sending emails is particularly effective after a purchase or contact with customer service. In addition, emails allow for powerful personalisation thanks to fewer technical limitations in design and formatting. You can include more information than SMS or pop-ups, clearly communicating the purpose of the survey.

To get the best results with an NPS survey template via email, plan to send it at regular, predefined intervals (30-90 days after the first contact).

SMS: perfect for immediate feedback after an interaction

Text messages are the fastest and most effective way to reach customers. In fact, while emails have an open rate of 19.2%, SMS messages achieve an impressive 98%. This makes text messages particularly effective for obtaining immediate feedback.

A significant advantage of SMS messages is the speed of response: 31% of consumers provide feedback within five minutes. This channel is ideal for sending surveys immediately after a customer interaction, when the experience is still fresh in their memory.

To maximise the effectiveness of your NPS survey software via SMS, send the message immediately after a support session or purchase. Customers can respond when they see fit, ensuring honest and unbiased feedback.

Pop-ups: useful when using the website or app

Pop-ups are an excellent solution for engaging customers directly while they are using your website or app. This method is particularly effective because it provides contextual insights: users have both the questionnaire and the experience in front of them.

An NPS survey tool integrated into the website can appear as a pop-up, button, full-screen overlay or be integrated directly into the pages. This versatility allows you to request feedback at specific touchpoints in the customer journey.

Pop-up surveys are ideal for conversion pages or as exit surveys, offering an immediate opportunity to gather opinions while the user is interacting with your brand. As a result, the feedback is specific, fresh and relevant, with a high response rate due to the immediate visibility of the survey.

Key factors for deciding on the survey channel

Once you understand the different channels available, it is essential to analyse the factors that will help you choose the most suitable one for your NPS survey. There is no universal solution, but specific criteria that guide the decision.

The nature of the interaction directly influences the choice of channel. For customer service interactions, an immediate SMS survey can capture the immediate impression. On the other hand, after an online purchase, an email allows the customer to evaluate the overall experience. Many companies send NPS surveys after customer service interactions to monitor sentiment at a more granular level. Website surveys can appear on conversion pages or as exit surveys.

Each moment of the customer journey requires a specific approach. During onboarding, an integrated pop-up can assess the effectiveness of conveying the value of the product. In the post-adoption phase, when customers have become regular users, a periodic email is less invasive. By customising surveys to align with each stage of the customer journey, you can quickly identify and address any points of friction.

Segmenting customers based on their behaviour improves the effectiveness of your NPS survey template. You can choose customer segments based on various factors: when they made their purchase, how long they have been customers, or demographic factors such as age and gender. For a SaaS product, in-app surveys are effective while users are still using the product. For e-commerce sites or blogs, surveys on specific pages can be activated at specific times.

Timing is crucial when choosing a channel. When you need immediate responses, SMS offers the advantage of speed, with 31% of consumers responding within five minutes. In contrast, email surveys require more initial effort from customers but allow users to reflect on the overall customer experience. For continuous monitoring, consider sending a survey to 1/90 of users every day for 90 days, thus gaining insight into interactions over time.

Best practices for increasing responses in NPS surveys

Optimising the response rate of your NPS surveys requires precise and well-planned strategies. Here are six key approaches to significantly increase participation in your surveys.

Personalising surveys greatly increases open and response rates. According to recent research, 74% of marketing professionals confirm that personalising communications improves engagement rates. Ensure your surveys reflect your brand colours, logos and style to convey credibility and improve recognition. Also, tailor the language to reflect how your brand typically communicates, using terms familiar to your customers.

Timing is crucial. Research indicates that Tuesday between 10 and 11 a.m. is the optimal time to send surveys. To avoid customer fatigue, send NPS surveys quarterly or semi-annually. If you don't receive a response after the first attempt, consider up to three follow-up emails. Remember that surveys should be sent after customers have used the product for a sufficient period of time to provide meaningful feedback.

Incentives can dramatically transform response rates. You can offer:

Gift cards (Amazon, Starbucks)

Direct monetary incentives

Discount vouchers for future purchases

Digital rewards such as subscriptions or premium content

Monetary incentives tend to produce the best results, but non-monetary incentives such as branded gadgets can also be effective.

A well-designed template simplifies the process for both you and your customers. Look for templates that include a predefined logical structure, open-ended questions for qualitative feedback, and a responsive design for different devices. Professional templates are often developed by experts using scientifically validated methodologies that significantly improve response rates.

You cannot know immediately which approach will work best. Therefore, it is essential to implement A/B testing on different elements such as titles, questions, styles, and distribution channels. Test variables such as the number of questions, sending times, and different stages of the customer lifecycle to identify the optimal combination.

Expressing gratitude is essential for building lasting relationships. Customise your thank-you messages based on the customer category (promoter, passive or detractor). For example, for promoters: ‘Thank you for your feedback. It's great to know that you appreciate our product.’ This approach not only shows appreciation but also increases the likelihood of participation in future surveys.

Practical examples and tools to use

Moving from theory to practice in NPS surveys requires concrete examples and effective tools. Let's take a look at how to implement winning strategies across different channels to maximise the value of customer feedback.

Real-life examples offer valuable insights for your first NPS survey. In the long-term car rental sector, Arval uses emails that allow guests to rate their experience in a second, with a simple scale from 1 to 10. Similarly, Grammarly adds a link that allows customers to express more detailed opinions after using the product. As for pop-ups, Google Meet requests feedback immediately after meetings conclude.

Choosing the right tool is crucial to the success of your NPS programme. LiveNow allows you to create questionnaires and provides an advanced dashboard for analysing results. In addition to SMS, email and pop-ups, LiveNow offers the option of accessing the survey via QR code and combining NPS with other metrics that provide an in-depth understanding of the Customer Journey.

Continuous monitoring is essential to getting value from NPS surveys. LiveNow allows you to filter responses by different periods and locations and offers graphical representations of trends over time. For a more effective analysis, you can invite the whole team to check the scores regularly.

When interpreting data, it is essential not to send surveys to all customers at the same time. An effective approach is to send surveys to 1/90 of users every day for 90 days, thus obtaining a complete picture of interactions over time.

Conclusion

Choosing the right channel for your NPS survey is crucial to obtaining meaningful feedback from your customers. Of course, each method offers specific advantages: emails allow for thoughtful responses and advanced personalisation, SMS messages guarantee impressive open rates of 98% with quick responses, while pop-ups capture contextual feedback during the user experience.

So remember to base your decision on key factors such as the type of interaction, the stage of the customer journey and user preferences. Equally important is the implementation of best practices such as message personalisation, choosing the optimal time to send messages and offering appropriate incentives.

The tools available on the market also greatly simplify the creation and management of NPS surveys through whatever channel you choose. During implementation, don't forget to test different variations to identify the most effective combination for your specific audience.

Continuous monitoring of results will allow you to observe trends over time and make constant improvements to your approach. Ultimately, a well-structured NPS programme is not just about collecting data, but becomes a valuable tool for building stronger customer relationships and driving concrete improvements in your offering.