5 Reasons to use Online Quizzes for the Green Industry

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  If you are anything like the rest of our clients, you are consistently thinking of ways to further your brand and better understand your customers.  Today’s retail environment is constantly evolving and unfortunately for us, our customers and the way they become engaged are too.  To stay pertinent, retailers need to evolve along with their customers by remaining familiar with their consumers’ interests and more importantly meeting their shopping needs.  One highly effective way to investigate your customers’ preferences is online quizzes.  Interactive content drives customers to their favorite businesses’ time and time again. In fact, marketing studies have shown that interactive content, like quizzes and games, has become the most effective way to keep customers engaged in digital marketing, while at the same time capturing priceless consumer data.

Stat #1: 80 % of Online Readers Will Judge Your Quiz by its Title.

Have you ever heard the expression “You only get one chance to make a good first impression”?    According to this statistic, that statement could not be more accurate.  With this in mind, it is absolutely imperative that you create a fun and catchy title that will speak directly to your audience.  Also, there is more to a first impression than your title.  You should also consider the type of quiz you are going to give.  In order to implement an effective quiz, you should determine the quiz type.  Are you going to make it a personality quiz, categorizing participants based on personality traits (as a Garden Center, compare their answers to popular plants for an added fun factor) or a knowledge test, challenging your “players” on their trivia (or a perfect way to test knowledge of new green product trends)?

Stat #2: 31.6% is the Average Lead Capture Rate of the Typical Online Quiz

Let me break this down for you.  In marketing terms, a lead is any person or entity (as in business) that is potentially interested in purchasing your product or service. This stat implies that if 3 potential customers take your online quiz, at least one of them will provide you with contact information.

A perfect example of this would be Z Gallerie’s immensely successful “Style Personality Quiz.” It was able to generate almost 1,000 leads per day.  Industry researches attributed its success to its “engaging nature” and “simple lead capture form.”

Another important thing to remember while drafting your quiz is, while quizzes can be fun very few people I know enjoy taking tests. Please make sure your quiz is entertaining by keeping it short and full of interesting questions. Don’t go over 10 questions and be sure to keep the total quiz time below 4 minutes.  Also, a majority of the well-rounded people I have met in my life don’t love to be told negative things about themselves so keep the results positive, motivating and funny.  The more you encourage participants to share among their friends, the more successful your quiz will become.  Finally, you should direct readers to a link to your website or provide product recommendations based on their results. It doesn’t help you generate more revenue, what was the purpose of your marketing?

Stat #3: Visual content is 40 times more likely to be shared on social networks and increases conversions by 86 percent.

I really don’t think I need to explain a lot more about this statistic.  People love pictures.  If your results can include a graphical display or image you drastically increase the odds of it being shared.  Remember this and make sure your results have one. 

Stat #4: 1,900 shares! That’s the average amount of shares a typical online quiz can generate. 

The average online quiz gets more than 1,900 shares on social media. Why would any retailer not want to begin their campaign on social media? In fact, research has shown that Facebook is the source of 84 percent of quiz shares on social media. While you can include a lead capture form if you promote your quiz via email instead of as an added value to a promotional offer, for example, social media, both organic and paid, is likely to offer your biggest ROI.

Stat #5: Nurtured leads make 47% larger purchases than non-nurtured leads

Having spent such a large part of my career in a sales management role I can tell you this mistake is made by salespeople and retailers every day.  Great! You got a lead. Now, what are you going to do with it?  You need to make sure you immediately send a thank you for participating. Within a week follow up with shopper testimonials or in-store promotion offers. Continue to reach out to make them feel valued and valuable. Tailoring your marketing efforts and promotions to their individual needs and interests. As a bonus, try incorporating your online quizzes into your in-store promotions, possibly with customer-engagement kiosks in popular spots in the store or at checkout, attaching answers to a customer’s rewards profile for future targeted marketing and offering coupons or gift cards as an incentive to participate.


Mark Nelms is a Business Development Manager for Soft Intelligence.  He has conducted over 400 interviews with retailers from almost every vertical and size.  In prior roles, he’s assisted clients like Cumberland Packaging Corporation (Sweet N’ Low), The New England Patriots, and NCR (National Cash Register.)