Popup surveys 101: Design, timing, and questions that convert

Reading Time: 10 minutes

Ever wondered what your visitors are really thinking while browsing your website, but sending an email would seem too pushy? Integrating the right popup surveys on your website can be your solution. 

Popup surveys are one of the most direct and effective ways to get visitor opinions about your website. Instead of lengthy forms, a quick popup survey allows you to gather real-time insights.

But here’s the deal: a popup survey can either be incredibly valuable or annoying, depending on how you design it and the questions you ask.

In this guide, we’ll break down the essentials of popup surveys and explain how to craft an eye-catching design. We’ll also discuss the best timing strategies to maximize responses, and the types of questions that actually convert.

What is a popup survey?

A popup survey is a short feedback form that appears on a website or app while a visitor is browsing. Unlike traditional surveys sent by email, popup surveys can capture in-the-moment responses and highlight pain points as they happen.

Popup surveys can be activated in different ways to match user behavior. Common triggers include time on a page, which appears after a visitor spends, for example, 30 seconds on a page. A website popup survey can also appear based on scroll depth or exit intent when a visitor’s cursor moves toward the browser bar.

These triggers help ensure that the survey appears at the right moment, which can help you build an email list more conveniently and organically.

Some brands combine surveys with incentives. In this example, Levels2Skin asks a single question about customer concerns while offering 20% off:

Why use a popup survey?

Popup surveys do quite a bit more than collect emails. They help you understand customers better and improve results across the funnel. Here’s how surveys can be beneficial:

• Get real-time insights while visitors are engaged: With popup surveys on website pages, you can gather timely feedback from visitors while they are actively browsing. This makes the interaction feel more natural and timely. Customers are more likely to share their thoughts when the survey connects directly to what they are doing.
• Higher completion rates than email surveys: Unlike lengthy email surveys, a popup survey does not require too much information and takes only a few seconds to complete. This simplicity drives higher participation and better response quality.
• Spot friction points in checkout and product discovery: Popup surveys can uncover issues that prevent visitors from completing a purchase or finding products. For example, unclear pricing or hidden charges often come up as key complaints. 
• Segment visitors for personalization: With a survey popup, you can ask focused questions to learn about customer preferences. Based on answers, you can segment users into groups with shared needs or interests. This allows you to personalize offers, messages, and recommendations to drive engagement.

When to trigger a popup survey

The timing of a popup survey is just as important as its design and questions. Displaying it at the right moment makes customers more likely to respond.

Here are four effective times to trigger a survey popup and why each works:

After purchase

Triggering a popup survey right after purchase is a great way to measure customer satisfaction and loyalty. You can quickly learn if customers are happy with their shopping experience and are likely to return.

For example, you can ask customers to share their feedback on their experience with your product.

On exit intent

An exit intent survey popup appears when a visitor is about to leave without converting.

It can communicate the reasons why people abandon carts or don’t make purchases even after browsing. Common reasons include high shipping fees or unclear return policies. Identifying these pain points can help you reduce cart abandonment.

This exit intent popup example by TOMS, asking visitors about their preference, is a great example:

Post-interaction with key site elements

Triggering a feedback popup after someone uses your search bar, filters, or wishlist can uncover valuable usability feedback. It helps you understand whether visitors find results useful or if they struggle with navigation. This data can help you refine the shopping experience.

After a certain time spent on page

If visitors spend a while on the page, it’s a sign that they’re engaged but might need a nudge. A well-timed popup can ask for feedback or suggest relevant products. This timing works well for gathering feedback on content, product descriptions, or page design. 

For example, Kith displays a popup form when visitors spend a while on the site with product category options:

Best practices for creating popup surveys

Popup surveys work best when they are focused, well-timed, and easy for visitors to complete. Here are some proven popup best practices you can follow to ensure better response rates from every popup survey.

Ask only one goal-oriented question

A popup survey works best when it focuses on one clear, actionable insight at a time. Asking multiple unrelated questions can reduce participation and lower the quality of responses. 

For example, asking “Was there anything that could have made your shopping experience easier today?” would encourage a straightforward response.

Visitors are more likely to share honest answers when they do not feel overwhelmed. Always identify your most pressing business need before designing the question.

Trigger at the right moment, not immediately

A popup survey should feel natural, not disruptive, so timing is important. Since visitors need time to understand your page, a popup survey should not appear immediately after they land on your site. 

A popup that triggers too soon can feel disruptive and may even reduce engagement. Instead, wait until visitors have scrolled at least halfway or stayed for 15–30 seconds. 

You can also use exit-intent triggers to capture feedback before visitors leave your site. This way, visitors would have explored your page enough to provide meaningful feedback. 

Use clear, conversational language

Your popup survey should use simple, friendly words that feel natural to read and answer. Visitors respond more honestly when questions sound conversational rather than like a corporate interrogation. 

Avoid jargon, technical phrases, or overly formal wording that can confuse people. For example, “Did you find what you were looking for today?” sounds natural. Compare this with a question like, “Evaluate your navigational success rate,” which sounds robotic. 

Every popup survey should sound like a question you would ask face-to-face.

Offer an incentive for responses (when appropriate)

Sometimes, participation in a popup survey can be increased with small but meaningful incentives. For instance, you can offer discounts, free shipping codes, or contest entries to encourage more visitors to share feedback. 

This works well in ecommerce, where shoppers might appreciate immediate rewards. Incentives can make customers feel that their time is valued and appreciated, and are great for a retention marketing strategy.

However, incentives should be relevant, easy to redeem, and not hurt your profits. 

Test and optimize placement and design

You should test your popup survey to refine its elements if required to improve effectiveness.

You can A/B test different layouts, question wordings, and placements for your popup survey. For example, you can compare a centered popup with a small corner placement. 

Testing would help you discover the best format for your specific visitors. Also, you can check how changes in font, color, or button size can affect results.

5 popup survey examples that work

One of the best ways to learn how to design a popup survey is by studying real-life examples. Below are five website popup examples you can take inspiration from:

1. AT&T

AT&T uses a simple popup survey that appears after visitors finish browsing the website, while their experience is still relatively fresh.

Asking for feedback at that exact moment leads to more honest and accurate responses compared to later email surveys.

The design is also clean and distraction-free, with a plain white background and easy-to-read black text. Visitors don’t feel pressured, because the survey offers two clear choices: “Sure, I’ll give feedback” or “No thanks”:

2. Blume

Blume uses a strategic popup that combines a special discount with a short survey. Visitors are offered a discount in exchange for sharing quick insights.

The timing is strong as it appears early enough to capture attention, but not so soon that it feels intrusive. By asking about skincare focus, Blume collects information that helps segment customers into specific and relevant marketing groups.

The multiple-choice options also make responding easy while still capturing highly valuable customer preferences. Plus, the design is clean and bold, with large, clear text that emphasizes the discount and keeps choices visible:

3. Miracare

This website popup survey example from Miracare doesn’t directly ask a question but still engages visitors by prompting them to share their fertility goals. At the same time, it announces an exclusive discount, which creates added value.

The design is simple, with a congratulatory message and clear buttons that make responding quick and easy. The options are multiple-choice, covering a wide range of user journeys, giving Miracare precise data to segment its audience.

With this segmentation, Miracare can deliver personalized content, resources, and product recommendations tailored to each fertility stage:

4. Cirkul

Another example of an effective popup survey is this colorful design from Cirkul that appears as soon as you land on the site. Cirkul uses a bold popup that highlights a free offer to grab attention and encourage participation. 

Visitors are asked to choose between bottle or flavor offers, which provides valuable segmentation data at signup. This helps Cirkul understand whether new leads prefer bottles or flavors.

This makes the survey functional, since customers feel in control of their reward choice. The design is effective, with large headers and clear option boxes that guide visitors:

5. Refiner

Refiner’s popup survey takes a unique approach. Instead of pushing a product or discount, it asks visitors about their goals.

The choices are also spot on. The options provided are relevant to anyone exploring Refiner. By allowing visitors to select more than one, Refiner gets richer insights. Visitors rarely have a single goal, so multiple answers provide a more accurate picture. 

The popup appears when a visitor has explored Refiner’s pages. By that stage, they’re primed to think about goals and are more willing to share them:

Create popups with Omnisend

Omnisend, an ecommerce marketing platform, offers powerful on-site engagement features. One of the most effective ways it does this is through customizable popup forms.

With Omnisend, you can create attractive and high-converting popups in just a few steps. Watch this video for a quick overview of the process involved:

Here’s a step-by-step guide below to build your first popup survey with Omnisend:

1. Log in and open the Forms section

From your Omnisend dashboard, go to the Forms tab. This is where you can create, manage, and edit all your popup and signup forms.

2. Choose a popup template to get started

Click Create form and select Popup from the list of form types. Browse through Omnisend’s ready-made templates and choose the one that best fits your brand style:

3. Customize the design and text for your brand

Use the drag-and-drop editor to adjust colors, fonts, and images. Replace the default text with your own message, highlighting your offer or incentive, like a discount or free shipping:

4. Set display rules and audience targeting

Decide when and where your popup will appear. You can trigger it immediately, after a delay, or when a visitor is about to leave. Also, you can make it a desktop or mobile popup, or for both device types: 

5. Connect the popup to your email list

Select the audience list where new subscribers will go after signing up. This makes sure every collected email address flows directly into your campaigns and marketing automations.

6. Preview, test, and publish your popup

Check how the popup looks on both desktop and mobile. Run a quick A/B test signup to confirm everything works correctly. Once satisfied, hit Enable form and watch your subscriber list grow:

Creating a popup is just the start. With Omnisend’s omnichannel marketing tools, you can combine email, SMS, and push notifications for better results.

Using multiple channels can help you reach customers wherever they are, which increases engagement, as seen with Vape Superstore.

Start listening to your visitors today

At the end of the day, every marketing tool you use should serve one clear purpose — to better understand and connect with your audience. Popup surveys do exactly that. 

They let you capture instant feedback from visitors, giving you a clear view of what works and what needs improvement. Instead of guessing why someone abandoned a cart, skipped a product, or left your site, you can ask directly and act on the real answers. 

Creating effective popup surveys with Omnisend is intuitive and accessible even for beginners with its drag-and-drop editor and pre-designed templates.

Popup surveys FAQs