10 best practices for creating survey invitation emails

Nothing is worse than customer feedback slipping through your fingers. You have a catchy subject line, a newly crafted survey invitation email, and targeted respondents, but you hit a wall of silence. While it is common, as 31% of surveyed businesses have an 11–20% response rate, it shouldn’t be your reality. How about becoming one of the 15% of companies with 41–60% reply rates? 

This article explores the definition, importance, examples, and best practices for a perfect survey invitation email. By the end of the guide, you will know the practical approaches to increasing survey results.

What are survey invitation emails?

A survey email is a questionnaire to get people to talk about their experiences and share valuable feedback. In such cases, message quality determines your chances of getting a response.

Well-crafted email surveys set the tone of the conversation, clearly outline its purpose, and encourage participation.

Main types of surveys

Now, let’s discuss the four main types of surveys used to collect feedback:

• interactive star ratings & NPS: With this type of feedback survey, a participant can complete the entire survey directly in the email. Our tests showed an increase in response rate of 5.2 times in interactive forms compared to external link options;

(Source: Email from GymBeam)

• links to questionnaires: The benefit of using an email marketing questionnaire is its web safety since it is a URL wrapped in a call-to-action button;

(Source: Email from Litmus)

• images/icons with links to them: This email survey type works on all popular devices and email clients and helps collect responses easily;

(Source: Email from Stripo)

• polls: A poll is a type of survey that includes an interactive form for collecting survey responses. The main benefits are increased engagement, improved customer satisfaction, and overall simplicity.

Benefits of survey emails

The motivation behind your survey invitation email is to show customers how they’ll benefit once they complete the survey. This can be participation in improving a product, winning a gift card, or getting a discount.

On the other hand, senders may identify their weak spots and improve customer satisfaction, which is still a relevant concern.

If your new feature was once a customer’s idea, highlight it so that people have a reason to contribute and share their honest feedback.

The best time to send survey invitation emails

Did you know that the sending time of the survey invitation email influences the response rates? The good news is that I have the best days for both customer and internal surveys:

• customer surveys: Mondays and Tuesdays get the highest survey response rates, while Wednesdays and Fridays have the lowest results;
• internal employee surveys: Unlike customer feedback surveys, internal surveys peak on Mondays and Fridays and have the lowest response rate on Thursdays.

These tips could be a foundation for testing your feedback request email and improving your survey results.

How to create survey invitation emails

Crafting a compelling survey invitation email depends on the type of survey form you want, so the steps for each variant are listed below.

Interactive star rating and NPS

Star ratings and NPS questionnaires are easy and convenient survey email examples. Interactivity can help you receive more survey responses, boost engagement with prospects, and get valuable input in just a few minutes.

Stripo’s interactive module generator lets you easily create an NPS feedback survey. Here is how you can do it:

1. Open the NPS survey in the module generator.
2. Fill in the Settings, Completion Screen, and Fallback Message tabs.
3. Click Appearance to adjust the survey form to your Brand Guidelines.

   

4. To pull data from your sources, click “Want to pull in content from your source?”

   

5. Save the feedback survey as a module, or send it to your email.

All surveys you create in Stripo are fully accessible, so you can gather feedback from everyone in your audience.

Links to questionnaires

Adding a link to the survey to the call-to-action button is another safe, simple method. Moreover, the main layout element — the button — is premade, so you can focus on design instead of coding.

Here is how you can create this CTA button in Stripo:

1. Drag and drop the button onto the template.
2. Click the button and go to the Settings tab.
3. Add a link, and save the changes.

The call-to-action buttons from Stripo are supported by all email providers, so your survey form is safe.

Images/icons with links to them

This variant is suitable for those who add a link to survey questions in the old-fashioned way — through images. Below are the steps you need to follow to set everything up:

1. Drag and drop a structure with the necessary number of columns.
2. Pull the “Image” block to each column.
3. Upload images and add proper links.
4. Add alt texts to all images to ensure they are accessible.

That’s it! I also recommend that you try email client testing to ensure your survey email template is reflected correctly on all devices and providers.

A poll

Embedding a poll in your survey invitation email is a great way to get answers without overwhelming the audience. Customers respond more actively with less effort, and you get answers for conducting market research or improving internal flows.

The steps for building a poll are similar to those of the NPS email survey:

1. Open the poll.
2. Fill in the Settings, Completion Screen, and Fallback Message sections, and update the poll template if needed.

   

3. Adjust questions and answers, and add a confirmation button.
4. Save the changes, and the poll for your research survey is done.

This section summarizes the instructions for a feedback survey email with no coding skills. Now, let’s move on to best practices.

10 best practices for survey invitation emails

To create effective survey invitation emails, you need to find a perfect balance between creativity and trusted approaches. While the former comes from the heart, this guide can help with the latter.

Let’s review 10 best practices for strengthening your marketing strategy with surveys.

1. Address survey fatigue

Survey data is a valuable source of information from the customer’s perspective and should be treated carefully. Whether you work with a market research survey or a post-event survey email, consider the history of interactions with the reader. Even the catchiest short forms may appear clingy when sent too often.

Apart from the frequency, consider the length of the customer feedback survey and the time needed to complete it. Even a few words can help set expectations, whether you have a short survey or not.

(Source: Email from BlaBlaCar)

2. Personalize survey emails

A properly personalized email survey can set your message apart from the generic alternatives. Moreover, around 89% of business leaders believe that it will influence the company’s success in the next three years.

Take a look at two survey email examples:

• variant 1: The first survey email does not have a reader’s first name. It clearly states the time the form takes and the company name the email is from, but there’s little information on the respondent;

(Source: Email from Wizz Air)

• variant 2: This survey email uses the customer’s first name, trip dates, and the name of their stay. These details are enough to fully understand what you are about to comment on.

(Source: Email from Booking.com)

As a result, the first survey invitation email may appear more generic, while the second one focuses on the participant.

3. Improve call-to-action buttons

If you attach your survey link to the call-to-action button, ensure the clickable element is contrasted, uses action language, and shows up well in dark mode. The latter may negatively affect the overall perception of the survey email.

Let’s compare our findings to highlight the importance of these best practices:

• variant 1: In dark mode, the call to action loses its contrast — the text blends in with the button color;

(Source: Email from Ryanair)

• variant 2: The button’s colors remain in contrast, so some readers may perceive the survey email better.

(Source: Email from BlaBlaCar)

4. Offer rewards

Would you dedicate only a few minutes to the email survey for a chance to win a €100 gift card? Personally, I shared feedback without hesitation.

Spicing up your customer feedback survey email with promo codes or gift cards can increase survey responses and level up overall engagement. Exchanging valuable feedback for internal bonuses is fair, so if you can offer your audience anything, do it.

(Source: Email from Ryanair)

5. Include a progress bar

Falling into an endless void — that’s how filling in a lengthy and complex email survey can feel with no sense of progress. How do you ensure this does not happen to your survey request email? Add a progress bar.

Still, it’s best to test multiple variants on your target audience to ensure you have the most effective survey invitation emails.

(Source: Email from Ryanair)

6. Embed surveys in the email

The best thing about an embedded email survey is that potential respondents have everything right in front of them. 

With no need to open tabs or visit websites, they are more likely to participate. Overall experience improves, and you get more survey responses.

(Source: Stripo template)

7. Optimize mobile devices

If you are of two minds about optimizing your survey email for mobile devices, the numbers below will help you decide.

Mobile optimization ensures that you do not lose survey responses due to improperly reflected emails. Moreover, it shows your dedication to customer satisfaction, which improves your brand image.

8. Set up a survey invitation reminder

What happens to the right thing that is sent at the wrong time? It gets ignored. And the same goes for the survey email. That’s when the survey reminder email comes into play.

Whether the reason is a busy inbox or a tight recipient’s schedule, a survey invitation reminder is another chance to collect feedback.

(Source: Email from Litmus)

9. Mention the expiry date

Similar to the section above, people can postpone filling out the email survey, so knowing the closing date is handy. Besides, countdown timers create a sense of urgency, thus raising survey response rates.

However, since there is a chance someone will open a survey link after its end date, consider notifying people that the survey has ended.

(Source: Email from Litmus)

10. Share survey results

The email survey reward does not always have to be monetary. Sometimes, it is a feeling of being included in the product’s development. 

When I vote for service improvement or respond to the onboarding feedback email, I expect to see the results. Consider adding a note about the survey email outcomes, and always keep your promise. 

7 engaging survey invitation message examples

Need a survey invitation message example? A great survey invitation includes a clear purpose and a call to action and highlights the value of participation. For instance: "We value your input! Please take a moment to share your thoughts in this short survey and help us improve your experience."

Now that you are equipped with best practices and know how to build feedback forms, I’d like to share the best survey email examples and templates.

Support quality survey email template

The support team represents the brand, and its smooth processes can improve customer experience. An email survey helps managers understand the effectiveness of the department or employees.

(Source: Stripo template)

Product satisfaction survey email template

This email survey is handy if you’d like to assess customers’ overall satisfaction with the product or service. Whether you plan to add a new feature or update an existing one, a survey is a good way to understand your audience.

(Source: Stripo template)

Survey email template with a reward

If you have any rewards to offer, this survey invitation message example could be the one for you. With a reward right in the message body, respondents see the value on the spot.

(Source: Stripo template)

Movie rating survey email template

A movie rating email survey is a quick way to check whether everything is running smoothly. Ads or slow player loading negatively impact customer experience. Surveys can help eliminate these problems.

(Source: Stripo template)

Customer’s first-day survey email template

The first time the customer tries your product or service is essential. An email survey shows whether a customer’s expectations are met or exceeded or if they are upset.

(Source: Stripo template)

Last order survey email template

A short survey about the customer’s last purchase can help you identify problems before they appear in public reviews. Besides, it is a great way to show your involvement in customer satisfaction.

(Source: Stripo template)

Message quality survey email template

A quick question at the end of the email survey will help you assess whether you have anything to improve. This approach lets you react quickly to negatively perceived messages and change them.

(Source: Stripo template)

3 survey email copy examples

Customer satisfaction survey email copy

Email subject line: Help us improve our team and serve you better!

Hi [Customer’s name],

Thank you for choosing [your company name]! Our support team continually strives to improve your experience, and your feedback guides us toward perfection.

This quick survey will take 4 minutes to complete, and your insights will help us enhance our products and services.

[CTA: Take the Survey]

We appreciate your time and value your input. Thanks for helping us grow!

Warm regards,

[Your company name]

Post-event survey email copy

Email subject line: How was the [event name]?

Hi [Customer’s Name],

Thank you for attending our annual [event name]! We hope you enjoyed the conference as much as we did.

We’d love to hear about your experience to improve our future events. Could you please take two minutes to share your thoughts?

[CTA: Share Your Feedback]

Thank you for your time and for being part of [event name].

Best regards,

[Your company name]

Onboarding survey email copy

Email subject line: Help us improve your onboarding experience

Hi [Customer’s Name],

Welcome to [your company]! It is so exciting to have you here. To make our onboarding process easier, we’d love to hear about your experience.

This short survey will only take 3 minutes to complete, and your valuable insights will help us ensure you have everything you need to succeed with [product/service].

[CTA: Take the Survey]

We’re always here to support you every step of the way.

Best regards,

[Your company name]

Wrapping up

Survey responses are the voice of your target audience, and properly crafted forms will help you stay on the same page. This article has picked and analyzed 10 best practices to help you improve your survey emails.

Now that you’re equipped with practical copy examples and templates, you can boost your results and make your services even more relevant. Good luck!