By Scott Oliver

YNOT EUROPE – Sometimes it can feel as though you’re alone in the online business world, just trying to guess at what will make your customers happy. It would be so much easier if customers would simply tell you what they want and what they don’t want from your business, wouldn’t it? This is why you’re seeing more feedback options on websites than ever before. The trick is to encourage your customers actually to utilize this option for your benefit.

Here are five ways to encourage customers to give you the feedback you need.

Make it quick
When your customers are asked to provide feedback, you shouldn’t necessarily give them a list of hundreds of questions. While this might seem helpful to you, if a customer has to spend more than five minutes on a feedback form, chances are high they will either lie or they simply won’t fill it out at all. Try to limit your form to about five to 10 questions with short or multiple-choice answers. You can always come up with new questions when you’ve received enough answers to the first set.

Make it easy
Feedback forms that are easy to find and easy to use are the ones that will get used most often. Place your feedback form somewhere within the checkout process when people might be waiting for things to happen. The form will pass the time. Or, you might want to create a link in the receipt email that you send to them at the end of a transaction. You might also send out a short email after the transaction is complete to see what their feedback might be.

Make it worthwhile
Of course, some people will want to receive something in return for their opinions. If this seems to be the case, you may want to offer a discount on their next order or perhaps create a sort of contest in which one name is drawn each day for a prize. If you find your customers aren’t answering your questions, it may just be a matter of giving them something in return for their time — and it doesn’t have to be something substantial, either. A day of free access? A free downloadable image or video clip?

Make it fun
Feedback forms that are fun to use are the ones that will get used. Simple multiple-choice surveys can be bright and colorful, and you can set them up so users see the results once they’ve voted. Perhaps when they click on a certain answer, they will see a picture or they might receive a response to their opinion. Try to create a feedback form that is interactive to help engage users and make the time they spend pass quickly.

Make it confidential
Very often, customers are nervous about giving feedback for fear they will be identified with a negative response. In the adult industry, they may be nervous about being identified at all. Make sure you do not ask for any identifying information. Do everything you can to reassure users that you simply want feedback and aren’t going to “out” them or penalize them if they offer a negative response.

The value of feedback is difficult to measure. Feedback can help you find a new direction for your business or choose a new product to sell. On the other hand, you might find out about problems that need to be addressed immediately. In any case, make sure that you read the answers and respond to them so customers know their opinions are valuable.

This article originally appeared at MainstreamWebmasters.com. It was revised and reprinted with permission.