I was skeptical at first because my first thought was ‘Who needs another nagging UI widget’? But Preflect’s widget isn’t asking for subscriptions like most do, but is helping your users navigate so they can find what they want and you can increase conversions.
For example, the bottom-corner overlay can display a navigation survey that asks visitors where they want to go, with each option clickable to lead them to the right page. To create a survey, install the script on your site, then configure it:
Configuring a Preflect survey
Preflect’s surveys can be customized to match your brand:
Customizing a Preflect survey
Once you’ve defined the question, options, and links for a survey, it looks something like this:
A bottom-corner overlay survey
If you select the modal option for the survey, it can display on exit, load, or with a 15s delay:
Configuring a modal survey
It’s important to emphasize that this is a navigation tool. So while you can collect info on what option is clicked, the user also benefits by specifying what they want and they’re taken directly to the option chosen (you define optional URLs for each survey choice).
Of course, the modal window should be used with care, as many users find it obtrusive. So you might opt for the bottom-corner overlay shown in the earlier image. If neither option works for you, you can choose the inline version of the survey.
Preflect’s control widget (where you create and customize surveys) lets you specify where in your content you want to inject the inline survey.
Setting up an inline survey
With custom branding, it works seamlessly, flowing with the content in any page you place it. Preflect’s widget allows you to hover over and click to select the spot on the page where you want the inline survey to appear. This is a great option if you feel the overlay and modal don’t fit with your site’s layout.
Once your survey is in place, you can start collecting data on survey views, number of responses, and response data. While writing this review, I added a Preflect survey on the
Web Tools Weekly archives, asking users to select which term best describes their job (front-end, back-end, full-stack, or other). Click any individual issue to see the survey overlay in the bottom-right corner. This can give me insight on users browsing older issues.
Here are some use cases for Preflect:
In addition to the surveys, Preflect gives you the option to add their
infinite scroll navigation to any page. Like the survey widget, this too is a navigation tool.
Setting up Infinite Scroll
To try out Preflect on any website (including Squarespace, WordPress, WooCommerce, and more), you can register for free (no credit card required).
The free plan gives you unlimited survey responses and stats with 3 concurrent surveys, or you can upgrade to Premium for $29/month to get unlimited surveys.
So if you’re looking for an easy way to improve your site’s navigation and give users clear, actionable choices when browsing your content,
Preflect might be exactly what you’re looking for.
