We’ve made it, friends! It’s FRIDAY, which means another edition of FAQ Friday is coming at you live. This is another one of those ‘I’ve never really been asked this question but feel that I need to answer the question’ kind of posts, so….let’s dive right in!

If you’ve worked with me before, or are working with me now, you know that I LOVE sending questionnaires and surveys to grab information from you. First, I just wanted to send you a quick THANK YOU for filling them in in such great detail, and second, I wanted to loop you in on why I am so survey obsessed! So for today’s FAQ Friday, I’m sharing the why behind my questionnaires for my clients and the how for my photog friends!

So…why do I LOVE questionnaires so much? Here are the top THREE reasons I love and so appreciate you taking the time to send me your details:

1. Surveys eliminate the need the crazy back and forth email chains: 
   • Let’s face it…you’re BUSY, and sending me your mailing address, preferred means of payment and a little bit about your love story isn’t at the top of your to-do list! I totally get it! Think about sending these details over the series of 7 or 8 emails. Something is BOUND to get lost, left out of a reply, or misplaced in one of our inboxes! I have designed my surveys in a way that I know I will be getting all of the information I need to fill out, not only your contract and invoice details, but also blog posts down the line. Best of all, all of this is taken care of with the push of ONE button on your end! I’ll receive your details in one neat form, and then they’ll be tucked away for safekeeping…which is a convenient way to transition to my next point:
2. All of your details are in ONE place
   • If you took a look inside my Gmail inbox, you would find a folder for each of my individual clients and shoots! After clients express interest in booking a session, wedding or event with me, they get their very own custom Gmail label! {Exciting stuff, right guys? Stay with me!}. From there, all of our communication is saved and filed under your folder for quick reference, search and general safekeeping on my end. I mark each of my surveys with a clear title on their hosting platform, and once I receive your survey, it is filed under your special folder. So, I’ll always know where to find the information I need to fulfill items for you on my end! Questionnaires have made it SO much easier for me to track client details throughout our the time we spend working together and makes the organization of my inbox {and brain!} a bit more streamlined!
3. My questionnaires are designed to help me get to know YOU
   • Yes…I love surveys because they help me take care of the necessary logistical details {like gathering your pre & post wedding mailing addresses, phone number, your preferred means of communication, preferred means of payment, etc.}, but they also give me the opportunity to ask you some fun questions that will help me get to know YOU a little better before we meet. Regardless of the project we are working on together, my first priority is that I am able to get know you as a human! It is so important to me that I know your story, your vision, and your amazing plans that are in the works. I’m sorry to say that when you work with me, you’re also getting a new friend in the process 😉 I love that surveys allow me to ask you some more personal questions {like how much PDA you’re okay with, where you met, how he popped the question, and what you love the most about each other!}. I love using my surveys as a way to get to know you as a person and a couple. {and best of all? All of your answers are in one place, if I ever need to reference details later!

Ultimately, my goal is to serve you even BETTER with the help of a few quick questionnaires! Now…how do I send out questionnaires? This one is for my photog friends! My website lives on Squarespace, and I have absolutely fallen in love with their drag and drop contact forms. I create an individual, un-linked page on my website for each survey and then insert a form and customize the questions to read exactly as I want them to!  Easy as that! Why do I love housing my questionnaires on Squarespace?

• I know the platform, I love the platform, and most of all, I already pay for the platform! Running a business is expensive enough…the last thing I want is to be paying for yet another application.
• I have the opportunity to password protect pages and surveys for increased privacy.
• I receive an email each time a client submits their form and that email can be filed away in my records for safekeeping.
• Ok…this one *might* be a little creepy, but I can also tell if a client has opened the link to their survey! I can take care of that by checking stats under my analytics tab. A little creepy, but sometimes necessary!
• Because the forms live on my website, each are custom branded to match my content {Hello, site header! My forms literally look no different than this blog post!}. And because they are on my website, so clients are easily able to explore my web presence after completing their survey.

So there you have it! Who knew you could write an entire blog post on questionnaires alone?! They have become SUCH a huge part of managing my business and various projects, and I am SO thankful for my amazing clients that take the time and care to put so much love into their responses to me! Want to see one of my questionnaires in action? Just look below {and then send me a quick note to let me know exactly what you want to see in next week’s FAQ Friday post!}