The start of a new year often makes you want to start fresh and think about changes you’d like to make. As you start to assess how 2013 went for your business, you can look at stats from emails, social media and Google Analytics, as well as what sold well, etc. But how do you know what your customers think or want from your business? Ask them with a survey. A survey can be set up in a short amount of time; send an email and then just wait for the info to come to you.

The VerticalResponse survey tool is simple to use – we have predesigned templates with questions for specific survey types. Just add your logo, tweak the questions as needed and send it out. We even have surveys specifically designed to solicit customer feedback.

To use a survey template, log into your VerticalResponse account, then:

• Click the Survey tab, then New
• Give your survey a name
• Under Template select Use a pre-made template

You’ll now have a list of templates split into categories. If you’re looking for feedback on your product or service, select the Product feedback and then the appropriate template from there. If you’re wondering about customer service, select Customer Satisfaction and select the template you need.

Finish making your survey choices then select Traditional or Blindfold, who can participate and a redirect URL once someone finishes the survey, then click Next.

Here’s where you get to customize your survey and give it the look and feel you want. Begin by uploading your logo so your customers recognize your business, select the appearance options you want to use, and then take a look at the questions. You’ll want to edit the questions a bit, to ensure you ask the questions you want answers to. Also, if there’s something specific about your products, service or business you’d like to know, you can add additional questions to the survey. When you’ve edited the survey to your liking, click Next to test it and then send it out to your customers.

Once your survey has been sent, you can look at your results and take action on the feedback you receive to better your product or service in the new year.

For more survey resources, check out our guide or recent blog post. And for specific help with editing your survey, our help site has lots of videos, text tutorials and even webinars.

Do you have plans to send out a survey in the new year? What do you hope to learn from it? Share in the comments.

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