10 Best Survey Questions to Ask Your Customers – According to Our Survey Platform Data

Amee Xu
April 19, 2024

As a Shopify store owner, understanding your customers can significantly impact your growth and success. At Gojiberry, our Survey & Feedback app has supported hundreds of Shopify merchants by providing actionable consumer insights. Leveraging our platform's comprehensive data, we’ve identified the 10 most effective post-purchase survey questions that help improve and grow your business. This guide provides both the survey templates and explanations of each survey’s purpose and benefits for your Shopify store.

Table of contents

What is a Shopify Post-Purchase Survey?

10 Essential Questions for Your E-commerce Post-Purchase Survey

To sum it up

What is a Shopify Post-Purchase Survey?

A Shopify post-purchase survey is an embedded questionnaire on the post-checkout page used by Shopify stores to gather valuable feedback from customers immediately (or with a time gap) after making a purchase. This feedback is crucial as it helps merchants refine their products, improve customer experience, and optimize overall business strategies. Using a Shopify post-purchase survey can significantly enhance customer loyalty and provide deep consumer insights, making such surveys vital components of successful e-commerce operations.

10 Essential Questions for Your E-commerce Post-Purchase Survey

1. Marketing Attribution: "How did you hear about us?"

The Marketing attribution template is one of the most popular templates used by our clients. Understanding which channels drive customers to your Shopify store can help you allocate your marketing budget more effectively. This question is vital for optimizing marketing efforts and increasing ROI.

Why can’t I just use Google Analytics instead? You might ask. Google analytics is indeed a good way to give an overarching picture of where your sales come from, but it is by no means comprehensive or accurate. The plethora of articles online about how to identify bot traffic in GA4 suggests that there’s much to do before Google Analytics can give you a more precise picture. Not to mention that GA4 cannot measure channels such as word of mouth or online traffic coming from one’s brick-and-mortar stores

Our close study with one of our clients in the outdoor camping industry has revealed quite a stark difference between zero-party data collected with Gojiberry post-purchase survey VS their GA4 data. The results were collected and compared over 7 months. Here are the final results:

Image Source: Gojiberry.app Comparison Chart GA4 VS Gojiberry Survey Data 2024

The results between zero-party data (self-reported by customers) and third-party data (collected via web cookies) are strikingly different. With more percentage of customers self-report coming from social media channels and much less coming from web searches. Also, note the small but significant number of people coming from word of mouth. While both sources should be of reference, it appears that zero-party data is a more reliable source when it comes to making important marketing decisions. 


Marketing Attribution Survey Question Template

Wondering how to create a marketing attribution survey for your Shopify store? Here’s a handy template to help you. If you are creating your survey via the Gojiberry Survey & Feedback app on Shopify, the template is integrated with the app, so activation is just a click away. 

Question: "How did you hear about us?"

Answer Template:

2. Product Research: "What other categories of products would you want to see more in our store?"

The next on the list of survey question popularity is future product research-related questions. From the R&D departments of larger brands to single-person venture shop owners, the question before pulling the buy trigger has always been “What would my customers want to buy?” Getting some empirical evidence before creating the products, or before buying the product in bulk can make a huge difference in the Shopify store’s bottom line. 

Product Research  Survey Question Template

One of our furniture store clients took the opportunity to ask their converting customers for their next needs. 

Question: "What other categories of products would you want to see more in our store?"

Answer Template:

This survey question is designed to identify which additional product lines might interest current customers of a furniture store, helping the business to strategically diversify their offerings. The categories chosen are complementary to furniture, potentially attracting a broader customer base while maintaining relevance to the store’s existing market.

3. Web Improvement: "How easy was it to navigate our website?"

Feedback on your website’s usability can drive significant improvements in the customer shopping experience, potentially boosting conversion rates. 

Our clients have actively used this survey feature to learn about their mobile experience since 50% of EC customers complete their purchase via mobile phone according to Outerboxdesign.com. 

Web Improvement Survey Question Template

The Gojiberry 1-click survey also provides a very easy-to-use survey template regarding mobile experiences. 

4. Purchase Intent: "What is the primary reason for purchasing this product?"

Purchase intent surveys are vital for refining product development, enhancing marketing strategies, and segmenting customers based on their buying motivations. For example, a tech company might discover that customers primarily buy their smartwatches for health tracking, prompting them to focus on improving these features in future models. Retailers, like clothing stores, can use this data to tailor marketing campaigns around the style or durability that customers prioritize. Similarly, understanding that a significant portion of purchases are driven by price can lead companies like discount supermarkets to adjust their pricing strategies to capture a larger market share. These surveys also aid in forecasting sales, managing inventory, and developing loyalty programs that resonate more effectively with consumer preferences.

Purchase Intent Survey Question Template

What is the primary reason for purchasing this product? (Open-ended)

This question helps you understand the driving factors behind purchases, aiding in personalized marketing and product alignment.

5. Purchase Target: "Who is this purchase for?"

Purchase target surveys are crucial as they allow businesses to understand who their products are being bought for, which significantly impacts marketing strategies and product offerings. For example, during holiday seasons, a toy company might find through these surveys that a high percentage of their products are purchased as gifts. This insight could lead them to enhance their gift-wrapping services, create special holiday bundles, or run targeted advertising campaigns focused on gift-givers. Similarly, an electronics retailer noting that many purchases are for personal use might focus on promoting product features like customization and personalization, appealing directly to individual needs and preferences. This targeted approach ensures more relevant and effective marketing, potentially increasing customer satisfaction and sales.

Purchase Target Survey Question Template

Knowing whether purchases are intended for personal use or as gifts can help tailor marketing campaigns and product offerings.

6. Product Quality: "How would you rate the quality of the product received?"

While most of Gojiberry’s surveys appear embedded in the post-purchase page, there’s another useful function where merchants can copy the survey link / QR code and send it to their customers with a time gap. While emails are a good way to go about this, another common practice is to include the QR code in a product insert so both the survey & product can arrive at the same time. We found that product inserts that explicitly call for feedback with incentives tend to perform better. 

Product Quality Survey Question Template

Insights into perceived product quality can inform quality control and product development strategies. This is especially valuable for those doing Shopify drop-shipping where the merchant is not always informed about the product quality and logistics experiences. 

7. Demographic Survey: "Can you tell us a bit about yourself?"

Demographics survey data can help with creating personas as well as inform marketing / ads target. One trick is to look at the ads setting of the type of ads you are running, and ask the same questions to your converting customers. Overtime, the demographic data can guide the basic setting of your ads. You can even ask questions such as interest, marital status, and family compositions that are relevant to your product and brand.

Demographic Survey Question Template


1. Age Range:

2. Gender:

3. Occupation:

4. Location (City/State):

Gathering demographic data supports targeted marketing and enhances customer segmentation strategies.

8. NPS Survey: "On a scale of 0-10, how likely are you to recommend our product?"

The Net Promoter Score (NPS) survey is a critical tool for measuring customer loyalty and satisfaction, serving as a strong predictor of business growth. By asking customers how likely they are to recommend a product or service to others, companies gain insights into their overall customer experience and brand perception. For instance, a telecommunications company might use NPS to evaluate the impact of customer service improvements on customer loyalty. Similarly, a software company could track NPS to see how new features affect user satisfaction over time. High NPS scores are often correlated with repeat business and more referrals, which are key drivers of organic growth. Thus, regularly assessing NPS helps businesses identify their advocates and detractors, enabling targeted strategies to enhance customer satisfaction and foster loyalty.

NPS Survey Question Template

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

9. Competitor Research: "What other products did you consider before choosing ours?"

Competitor research surveys are crucial for businesses aiming to understand their market position and consumer preferences, especially in terms of how their products compare to those of their competitors. For instance, a consumer electronics company might conduct a competitor research survey post-purchase to determine why customers chose their smartphone over alternatives. This feedback can unveil key factors such as better camera quality, longer battery life, or a more user-friendly interface that influenced their decision. With these insights, the company can enhance its strengths and address any weaknesses revealed in comparison to its competitors. This strategic knowledge allows for targeted improvements in product development and marketing, ensuring the company remains appealing and competitive in a fast-evolving market.

Competitor Research Question Template

What other products did you consider before choosing ours? (Open-ended)

10. Customer Habit: "How often do you shop online for [product/service]?"

Customer habit surveys are invaluable for e-commerce businesses aiming to optimize their online platforms and tailor their marketing strategies to better match consumer behaviors and preferences. For example, a fashion e-commerce store might use such surveys to understand the frequency and device preference of their shoppers, discovering that many customers prefer shopping via smartphones. This insight could lead to a focus on enhancing mobile user experience and optimizing mobile checkouts. Furthermore, by analyzing preferred payment methods and the factors influencing online purchases, such as price sensitivity or the importance of customer reviews, e-commerce platforms like Etsy or eBay can adjust their features and marketing to better cater to their audience's needs. These platforms might introduce more robust customer review systems or simplify their payment processes based on feedback. By directly addressing the habits and preferences identified through these surveys, e-commerce stores can significantly improve customer satisfaction, retention, and ultimately, their sales figures.

Customer Habit Question Template

How often do you shop online for [product/service]?

2. What devices do you primarily use to shop online? (Select all that apply)

3. What factors influence your decision to shop online rather than in-store? (Select all that apply)

4. How do you usually find the products you purchase online?

5. What payment methods do you prefer to use when shopping online?

6. What is most important to you when choosing an online retailer? (Rank in order of importance)

This survey template is aimed at gathering detailed insights about the online shopping habits of e-commerce customers, helping businesses optimize their online platforms, marketing strategies, and overall customer experience based on specific user preferences and behaviors.


Bonus: 5-Second Test for Product Research

The 5-second test survey is available on Gojiberry platform but has only recently gained recognition amongst our clients. One use case is a fashion apparel company trying to understand customer preferences and how to optimize their buying process for the next season of clothing. The 5 seconds test shows a photo visualization of the clothing style to the customers post-purchase, and a set of survey questions after 5 seconds. The fashion apparel company can gather data on their customer’s fashion preferences and to use that data to inform their next purchase decision. 

Further reading - How to create a good survey

5 Tips for Writing Effective Post-Purchase Survey Questions

How to Easily Add a Survey to Your Shopify Store: A Step-by-Step Guide

To sum it up

By incorporating these questions into your Shopify post-purchase surveys, you can gain profound insights that foster growth and customer satisfaction. Gojiberry’s Survey & Feedback app provides an intuitive template to seamlessly integrate these questions into your Shopify store, empowering you with the data to drive your business forward.

Discover the Full Potential of Marketing Attribution

Ready to dive deeper into the world of marketing attribution? Our comprehensive report, "State of Marketing Attribution in E-commerce," is packed with valuable insights, real-world data comparisons, and actionable recommendations to help you enhance your marketing strategies.