What is Qualtrics? The Ultimate CX Software Guide

To understand the complexities of modern business, you need more than just good products. The business world demands a deep understanding of customer and employee experiences. Luckily, Qualtrics helps you gather and analyze feedback to see what’s working and what’s not. Below, we have explained all the details about this management platform.

Zight | July 16, 2019 | 15 min read time

Article Last Updated: September 30, 2024

What is Qualtrics? The Ultimate CX Software Guide

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Experience-whether a consumer, an employee, an owner, or an every day individual, we all thrive off of experience. Experience is a determining factor when it comes to how our actions further play out. A good experience can be grounds for repetition or recommendation. A bad experience can lead to hard feelings and a change in the direction of course you were taking. No matter the outcome, experience plays a substantial role in it all.

‍Qualtrics XM is a CXM (Customer Experience Management) software that puts a highlight on, well, customer experience. Their motto says it all:

“Software to help turn customers into fanatics

products into obsessions

employees into ambassadors

and brands into religions”

‍Customer experience should be at the forefront of any business, but prior to doing just that, it’s important to dig a little deeper and fully understand the audience in front of us. Understanding the fundamentals of an experience is essential for relaying value behind what you have to offer to your customers. The creators of Qualtrics know all too well the importance of understanding the behavior of consumers and how to obtain that information in order to further heighten their overall experience.

What is Qualtrics?

Qualtrics is a CXM platform that focuses on collecting, organizing, and understanding important data relative to customers and employees. From here, businesses can better understand what drives their customers to take action, what they flock towards, and what could use some tweaking. Qualtrics aims to help business further drive a customer centric company culture by focusing on retention, loyalty, and overall, satisfaction related to customers.

Qualtrics works by organizing and collecting important metrics relative to customer experience. From here, those utilizing the software can better understand any changes that need to be made and take action. Qualtrics has 4 core functions: CustomerXM, ProductXM, EmployeeXM, and BrandXM, all with the underlying goal of crafting a model contingent on customer reception and contentment.

 

What is the Use of Qualtrics?

Qualtrics puts a spotlight on customers, helping businesses better understand their target market and deliver exceptional results based on it. The platform helps businesses become more “people-centric” in their efforts to understand, not only customers, but employees as well. All in all, its premise is to collect, measure, and organize data necessary for businesses to better understand how they can continuously improve for the sake of their customers and employees.

Qualtrics simultaneously combines four experiences into one platform: customer, product, employee, and brand.

CustomerXM

Qualtrics CustomerXM tool takes understanding to the next level. CustomerXM allows you to aid your customers from start to finish. Starting with the root of understanding and generating qualitative customer engagement, Qualtrics allows you to identify issues that may arise when it comes to your customers. It is here that you can reach out to your customer, via email, SMS, messaging apps, etc and activate the people who best understand the customer and can further aid them.

The CustomerXM tool also utilizes smart IQ technology to predict what your customers next move is based in their patterns and behavior. This can help correct issues or improve upon a situation before either or should happen. The CustomerXM tool has a simple UI, making it easy to dissect for any member of the team.

ProductXM

Creating a product and catering it to our own needs is simple, however at the end of the day, we aren’t the ones completing a transaction. Thus, products need to be met with great reception by potential and current customers in order to generate the optimal ROI.. From market analysis to product satisfaction, the ProductXM tool allows you to better integrate your product with the needs of your customers.

Receiving true customer feedback in every stage is made simple allowing you to make changes throughout the process if needed. The tool also allows you to build and manage your own list of product testers, allowing you to gain insight from your most important target demographic.

EmployeeXM

Happy customers start with a happy team. Content employees are significantly more productive and receptive to growth as opposed to employees who feel their thoughts and needs get swept under the rug. The EmployeeXM tool aids in the improvement of employee satisfaction from onboarding all the way through to potential exits.

Similar to the CustomerXM tool, it comprises behaviors, patterns, strengths, and potential issues correlated to your employees. Curating this information will aid in retention and individual as well as company growth. Who doesn’t like having a happy team onboard?

BrandXM

Branding – a term business owners and marketers know all too well. Building a reputable brand is essential when it comes to the longevity and authority of a business. Digital branding consists of efforts made across social media platforms, email, and search engines.

When it comes to branding, every step is essential and like any aspect of business, it all comes down to the customers reception of the branding efforts put forth. The BrandXM tool aids in creating winning campaigns as well as metrics that allow you to track how customers perceive what you have put out. Long gone are the days when understanding whether or not your branding efforts are effective was a difficult task.

What is a Qualtrics Survey?

What’s a great way to receive actionable feedback and increase customer engagement? Surveys! Surveys allow you to curate important questions regarding your product, brand, customer service, etc and deliver them to your customers in a simple manner. Qualtrics Survey software allows you to create the optimal survey for your business in order to receive only the most important feedback.

Prior to the internal content, a survey much catch an individual’s eye. Many turn down survey’s simply because they aren’t driven to take action based on what is presented in front of them. Qualtrics offers an array of pre-build templates that cater to different markets. These eye-catching templates can increase action and follow-through rates. While there are pre-built templates, it doesn’t mean all creativity is relinquished.

Qualtrics Survey allows you to take control with custom programming – placement, types of questions, embedded data, and multimedia can all fall within your control and can be programmed within. The available API allows you to code in various mainstream languages including Java, Python, NodeJS and more.

Once you craft the optimal interface, it comes down to the bread and butter of any survey – the questions. To relate it back to the most important aspect of business, creating questions that are relevant to your customers in coherence with areas you are looking to improve upon is important. The Qualtrics Survey software can aid you in crafting such questions; allowing you to customize questions based on 20+ various targeting variables. The goal is to ensure all questions asked pose a high sense of relevancy to your target market and can help you dissect commonalities across all received surveys.

Content and visual entities complete, it comes down to the delivery of the survey. The Qualtrics Survey software has vast flexibility when it comes to where your survey is placed. From integration on your website utilizing a CRM to direct-to-customer surveys utilizing email, text, or messaging apps, it’s easy to deliver and bring awareness to your survey. This software is a key contender when it comes to understanding relevant information between your customer and your business and rectifying any common issues outlined from the survey data.

Cost of Qualtrics

The cost of the software is contingent on what product of Qualtrics you require. They offer a variety of packages to suit the budgets of any business owner, from start-ups to enterprise-level companies.

If you are looking to test the waters with Qualtrics, they offer a Free Trial plan which gets you;

  • 100 responses
  • 10 outgoing emails
  • 7 question types (survey software)
  • Access to certain tools including summary reports and logic, online reporting, and survey logic

Qualtrics pricing works on a subscription-based model requiring annual renewal. Plans start at $1,500 a year and go up to $5,000 a year. The pricing is based on what features you require, how many features you require, how many active team members will be utilizing the software, and the size of your business.

Because every business is different, it’s vital to get a plan that works for you. Qualtrics Support will work with you to better understand your business so they can help comprise a plan that best suits the needs of your business, your team, and your customers. Gathering data from the aforementioned factors, they will suggest the optimal plan for you.

 

Is Qualtrics Easy to Use?

Glancing at all Qualtrics has to offer may make it appear impossible to use, however, that is far from the truth. Qualtrics was purpose-built and created to simplify the realm of experience. The Founders wanted to ensure the software provided a high-level of information within an easy to use software. Whether an owner, marketer, intern, or anything in between, Qualtrics is easy to utilize and understand. Many users who have had nominal experience with CXM software prior to using rave about the simplicity of the UI.

Of course, fully understanding anything new to you takes time and all may not be evident at first. Qualtrics has a full support team ready to answer your questions and help you better understand the software should you have any questions. Albeit, Qualtrics contains a superfluous amount of resources in an easy to use software allowing you to obtain the information you need without any complexity.

What Can You Do With Qualtrics?

The better question being – what can’t you do with Qualtrics?

Qualtrics aims to heighten your ability to better construct experiences, products, an authoritative brand, and employee productivity and satisfaction. Aiding in every stage, Qualtrics allows you to;

  • Build your target market based on varying factors relevant to your brand
  • Understand your customers – wants, needs, pain-points, common issues, high-points
  • Create content based on the acquired demographics to ensure you are catering to your target market
  • Measure interactions with your customers, behavioral patterns, and key metrics
  • Receive feedback based on your products or overall business from key demographics
  • Comprise surveys to better understand customers and heighten their experience
  • Organize important data
  • Optimize your product at any stage based on customer experience and reception
  • Retain customer loyalty and satisfaction

Qualtrics goes beyond just understanding how your product fits in the general market. It allows you to zoom in on target demographics who will actually take action and curate the best possible experience for them based on their reception to what you gave to offer. Qualtrics provides necessary and valuable information that bridges the gap between your business and your customers.Learn more about the importance of CX software with this guide to customer experience management.

While products and services are tangible assets, it’s important to understand the non-tangible entities of business. The overall experience of each and every customer has a marginal impact on your business, ergo, having a better understanding of such goes a long way. Qualtrics’ main goal is to help businesses better understand their audience and how to gear their products, content, and brand around them. Understanding how your business is beneficial is important, however, understanding how your business is beneficial to your customers is what makes all the difference.

Why does customer experience matter?

Customer experience (CX) is crucial for several reasons that directly impact a business’s success and growth:

  1. Customer Loyalty and Retention: A positive customer experience leads to higher customer satisfaction, which increases loyalty and reduces churn. Satisfied customers are more likely to return and continue using a company’s products or services.
  2. Word-of-Mouth Marketing: Happy customers often share their positive experiences with friends, family, and on social media. This word-of-mouth promotion can attract new customers and enhance the company’s reputation.
  3. Competitive Advantage: In a crowded market, providing an exceptional customer experience can differentiate a company from its competitors. Businesses that excel in CX often have a unique selling proposition that sets them apart.
  4. Revenue Growth: A great customer experience can lead to increased sales and revenue. Satisfied customers tend to spend more and are more likely to purchase additional products or services.
  5. Customer Feedback and Improvement: Engaging with customers and understanding their experiences provides valuable feedback that can help businesses improve their products, services, and overall customer journey.
  6. Brand Perception and Reputation: Consistently delivering positive customer experiences helps build a strong, positive brand image and reputation. This can enhance customer trust and credibility in the market.
  7. Operational Efficiency: Understanding and addressing customer needs and pain points can streamline processes, reduce costs, and improve overall operational efficiency.
  8. Employee Satisfaction: A focus on customer experience often leads to a better working environment for employees, as they are more likely to feel valued and empowered to deliver excellent service. This can increase employee satisfaction and reduce turnover.

Investing in customer experience is not just about meeting customer expectations but exceeding them to create memorable interactions that foster long-term relationships and drive business success.

How does Qualtrics help with customer experience?

Qualtrics helps enhance customer experience through its comprehensive suite of tools and features designed to gather, analyze, and act on customer feedback. Here are key ways Qualtrics supports customer experience improvement:

  1. Customer Feedback Collection: Qualtrics allows businesses to collect feedback from customers across various touchpoints, including surveys, websites, mobile apps, and social media. This helps in understanding customer needs, preferences, and pain points.
  2. Experience Management Platform: Qualtrics provides a centralized platform for managing customer experience data. It integrates feedback from different sources, giving businesses a holistic view of the customer journey.
  3. Real-time Analytics and Reporting: Qualtrics offers advanced analytics and reporting tools that provide real-time insights into customer feedback. Businesses can track key metrics, identify trends, and monitor customer satisfaction levels.
  4. Customer Segmentation: The platform enables businesses to segment customers based on demographics, behavior, and feedback. This helps in tailoring experiences and communications to different customer groups, enhancing personalization.
  5. Actionable Insights: Qualtrics uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to generate actionable insights from customer feedback. This helps businesses prioritize actions that will have the most significant impact on customer experience.
  6. Closed-loop Feedback System: Qualtrics allows businesses to implement a closed-loop feedback system, ensuring that customer issues are addressed promptly. This helps in resolving problems quickly and improving customer satisfaction.
  7. Voice of the Customer (VoC) Programs: Qualtrics supports the creation and management of VoC programs, which systematically gather and analyze customer feedback to drive improvements in products, services, and overall customer experience.
  8. Employee Experience Integration: Recognizing the link between employee experience and customer experience, Qualtrics also offers tools to measure and improve employee engagement. Happier employees often lead to better customer service and experiences.
  9. Predictive Analytics: Qualtrics’ predictive analytics capabilities help businesses anticipate customer needs and behaviors. This proactive approach can prevent issues before they arise and enhance the overall customer journey.
  10. Customization and Flexibility: Qualtrics provides customizable survey templates and feedback mechanisms, allowing businesses to tailor their approach to specific needs and industries.
  11. Integration with Other Systems: Qualtrics can be integrated with other business systems, such as CRM, ERP, and marketing automation tools. This ensures that customer experience data is seamlessly incorporated into broader business processes and decision-making.

By leveraging Qualtrics, businesses can systematically improve their customer experience, leading to higher customer satisfaction, loyalty, and ultimately, better business outcomes.

How can Zight help with Qualtrics?

Zight can work with Qualtrics to enhance customer experience management by integrating visual communication and feedback collection. Here are some ways Zight can collaborate with Qualtrics:

  1. Enhanced Feedback Collection:
    • Video Surveys: Use Zight to create video surveys within Qualtrics, allowing customers to provide feedback through recorded responses. This can add a personal touch and provide richer data.
    • Visual Feedback: Incorporate screenshots or screen recordings in surveys to help customers illustrate their feedback, making it more precise and actionable.
  2. Training and Onboarding:
    • Interactive Training Modules: Develop interactive training modules using Zight’s screen recording and annotation tools. These can be embedded into Qualtrics for training customer service representatives on how to handle feedback and improve customer interactions.
    • Onboarding Programs: Create visual onboarding programs for new employees, integrating Qualtrics to measure their engagement and understanding throughout the process.
  3. Customer Support Enhancement:
    • Visual Support Tickets: Enable customers to submit support tickets with screen recordings or annotated screenshots via Zight. Qualtrics can track and analyze this feedback to identify common issues and improve support processes.
    • Live Customer Interactions: Use Zight for live video calls or screen sharing sessions with customers. Qualtrics can capture feedback from these interactions to help refine customer support strategies.
  4. Marketing and Customer Engagement:
    • Video Testimonials and Case Studies: Collect customer testimonials and case studies via video using Zight. Qualtrics can help analyze the impact of these materials on customer perceptions and engagement.
    • Personalized Communication: Create personalized video messages for customers, enhancing communication and engagement. Qualtrics can track customer responses to these messages.
  5. Data Integration and Analysis:
    • Integrated Data Analysis: Combine Zight’s visual data (screenshots, recordings) with Qualtrics’ survey data for comprehensive analysis. This can provide deeper insights into customer behaviors and preferences.
    • Dashboard Integration: Use Qualtrics dashboards to display Zight data alongside other customer experience metrics, providing a unified view of customer interactions.
  6. Employee Feedback and Collaboration:
    • Internal Surveys with Visuals: Use Zight to create internal surveys with embedded videos or screenshots for employee feedback. Qualtrics can analyze this feedback to improve internal processes and employee satisfaction.
    • Collaborative Projects: Enable teams to collaborate on projects using Zight for visual communication. Use Qualtrics to gather feedback on the effectiveness of these collaborative efforts.
  7. Product Development:
    • User Testing: Conduct user testing with Zight’s screen recording tools to observe how customers interact with products. Qualtrics can collect feedback from these sessions to guide product improvements.
    • Feature Requests: Allow customers to submit feature requests with annotated visuals. Qualtrics can prioritize these requests based on customer feedback data.

By combining Zight’s visual communication tools with Qualtrics’ advanced feedback and analysis capabilities, businesses can create a more engaging, efficient, and effective customer experience management system.

How can Zight help with customer experience?

Zight can significantly enhance customer experience (CX) by leveraging its visual communication tools. Here are some ways Zight can help:

  1. Clearer Communication:
    • Visual Explanations: Use screenshots, screen recordings, and annotations to explain complex issues or processes clearly. This helps in reducing misunderstandings and ensuring customers fully grasp the information provided.
    • Personalized Videos: Create personalized video messages to address customer concerns or provide updates. This adds a personal touch, making customers feel valued and understood.
  2. Efficient Support:
    • Visual Support Tickets: Enable customers to submit support requests with annotated screenshots or screen recordings, providing support teams with a clear understanding of the issue. This can lead to faster and more accurate resolutions.
    • Live Support: Use Zight for live video calls or screen sharing sessions to assist customers in real-time, offering immediate help and enhancing the overall support experience.
  3. Proactive Problem Solving:
    • How-to Guides: Develop comprehensive visual guides and tutorials to help customers navigate common issues or use product features effectively. These can be shared via Zight and reduce the need for support interactions.
    • Proactive Outreach: Identify common customer pain points and proactively send visual instructions or solutions before customers encounter problems, improving their experience and satisfaction.
  4. Enhanced Feedback Collection:
    • Visual Feedback: Allow customers to provide feedback using videos or annotated screenshots. This detailed visual feedback can reveal insights that text-based feedback might miss.
    • Interactive Surveys: Integrate visual elements into customer surveys to make them more engaging and easier to complete, increasing response rates and the quality of feedback.
  5. Improved Onboarding and Training:
    • Onboarding Videos: Create engaging onboarding videos for new customers, guiding them through the initial setup and key features of your product. This helps in making the onboarding process smooth and enjoyable.
    • Training Materials: Develop visual training materials for customers to ensure they are well-versed in using your product or service, leading to higher satisfaction and better usage.
  6. Building Trust and Transparency:
    • Product Demonstrations: Use Zight to create detailed product demonstration videos, showcasing features and benefits transparently. This builds trust and helps customers make informed decisions.
    • Customer Stories: Share customer success stories and testimonials through videos, highlighting real-life experiences and building credibility.
  7. Engaging Marketing Campaigns:
    • Visual Content: Use Zight to create compelling visual content for marketing campaigns, such as promotional videos, tutorials, and social media posts. Engaging content can attract and retain customers more effectively.
    • Customer Interaction: Utilize visual content in interactive marketing strategies, encouraging customers to engage and interact with your brand.

By incorporating Zight into your CX strategy, you can provide more engaging, clear, and effective communication, support, and feedback mechanisms, ultimately leading to a superior customer experience.

How to Get Started with Qualtrics

Now that you’re aware of the features and services that Qualtrics provides, it’s time to create an account and get started. To assist you with your efforts towards superior customer experience, Zight (formerly CloudApp) has put together a guide to creating a Qualtrics account. Simply follow the tutorial to get started in a matter of minutes. Improving your customer experience has never been easier!

Zight (formerly CloudApp) can be a great addition to setting up a Qualtrics survey. You can use the free screen recording tool and screenshot on mac tool to help you communicate faster with your colleagues and get better results.

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