I would like to add a couple of surveys to recently deployed sites and I really need to know how a visitor found the experience. Ideally I would have a number of participants to interview but I'm currently unable to do this.
My plan currently is to have a simple lightbox window when a user first arrives requesting that they complete my survey (includes an external link). That's all fine. What I need to know now is what the best approach is to get the same users to enter information when / just before they leave the site.
It's a tricky technical problem but I'm worried about negatively impacting the usability which would either drive participants away or be reflected in the responses.
From what I can see a typical approach is to open a new window. Another option would be to use onbeforeunload
javascript to request that the user stays on the site long enough to complete the exit survey. If you are unfamiliar with this javascript start writing a response (a single space will do) and try to navigate away from this page. The alert box (which is not very customisable) that appears is called by this function. In my version it will only appear when you leave the domain (or, unfortunately, refresh the page).
A further complication I have is around the multitude of devices I need to support. I can't imagine that opening a new window for this purpose is every welcome or recommended on a mobile phone (especially).
So that's my problem.
Is there an understood best practice for exit surveys?
Update: I left off a small bit of possibly important information - I would like to gather the same data before and after I overhaul a site. So client X comes in with a website circa 1990 and wants a 'refresh'. I'd like to gather information to find out what current users are (dis)content with and develop from there. Then I need to gather information after the new site goes live to check how I've done and what issues remain.