An in-home usage testing (IHUT) lets consumers use a product at home and share feedback based on their real experience. The right survey questions help you understand what they liked, what they struggled with, and what could be improved.
Below, you'll find IHUT survey questions for before, during, and after product use, along with examples by product category and guidance on survey length.
IHUT Survey Questions to Screen for Category Experience
Use these questions to check whether participants have enough experience with the product category to provide useful feedback. They can also help you segment responses based on usage frequency and household habits.
Questions About Previous Category and Product Use
Start by understanding how participants currently use products in the category. Their habits and experience can influence how they evaluate the test product.
- How often do you use products in this category? (Daily, a few times a week, weekly, monthly, less often)
- How long have you been using products in this category?
- Where do you usually buy products in this category?
- Who else in your household uses products in this category?
- Roughly how much do you spend on this category per month?
- What made you start using products in this category?
Questions About Current Brands and Products Used
Ask about the brands and products participants currently use. This information can help you compare responses from loyal customers, competitor users, and other consumer groups.
- Which brand do you currently use most often in this category?
- How satisfied are you with your current brand? (1 to 5 scale)
- What do you like most about the brand you use now?
- What, if anything, frustrates you about it?
- Have you switched brands in the past 12 months? If yes, why?
- How likely are you to keep buying your current brand? (1 to 5 scale)
Questions About Expectations Before Trying the Product
Capture expectations before participants use the product so you can compare them with their experience later.
- Based on the packaging and description, what do you expect from this product?
- How well do you expect it to perform? (1 to 5 scale)
- What benefit are you hoping to get from it?
- What concerns you about trying it, if anything?
- How does it compare with your current product based on your first impression?
- How likely do you think you'd be to buy it? (1 to 5 scale)
IHUT Survey Questions to Ask During Product Use
During-use questions capture feedback while the experience is still fresh. Keep these check-ins focused on what participants did, noticed, and experienced during product use.
Questions About How Consumers Use the Product at Home
- When did you use the product? (Morning, afternoon, evening, overnight)
- Where did you use it?
- What were you doing before you used the product?
- Did anyone else in your household use it? If yes, who?
- How many times have you used the product so far?
Questions About Product Performance
- Did the product perform as you expected? (Yes, partly, no)
- How well did it perform its main function? (1 to 5 scale)
- Compared with your usual product, how did it perform? (Better, about the same, worse)
- What worked well about the product?
- What could have worked better?
Questions About Ease of Use and Convenience
- How easy was the product to open and use? (1 to 5 scale)
- Were the instructions clear?
- Did anything about the product make it harder to use?
- How well does the product fit into your normal routine? (1 to 5 scale)
Questions About Sensory Experience
Sensory questions should match the product category and the experience you want to measure.
- How would you describe the smell or scent?
- How would you describe the texture or feel?
- How would you describe the taste? (Food and beverage)
- How would you describe the product's appearance?
- How would you rate the scent, taste, texture, or appearance? (1 to 5 scale)
- What made you choose that rating?
Questions About Problems or Difficulties
- Did you experience any problems while using the product? (Yes or no)
- If yes, what happened?
- Was anything confusing or unclear?
- Did anything about the product make it difficult to complete the task?
- Can you upload a photo of the issue?
IHUT Survey Questions to Ask After Product Use
After-use questions help you understand the participant's overall experience, whether the product met expectations, and whether they would consider buying it.
Questions About Overall Satisfaction
- Overall, how satisfied are you with the product? (1 to 5 scale)
- Why did you choose that rating?
- How would you rate the product compared with what you normally use? (1 to 5 scale)
- How likely are you to recommend this product to a friend or colleague? (0 to 10 scale)
Questions About What Consumers Liked and Disliked
- What did you like most about the product?
- What did you like least?
- What worked particularly well for you?
- Was there anything that disappointed you?
- What stood out most about your experience?
Questions About Whether the Product Met Expectations
Compare these answers with the expectations participants shared before using the product.
- Did the product meet the expectations you had before trying it? (Exceeded, met, fell short)
- Which expectation did the product meet best?
- Which expectation did it fall short of?
- Did anything work better than you expected?
Questions About Purchase Intent
Use a consistent purchase-intent scale across your study so you can compare responses between products or participant groups.
- How likely are you to buy this product? (1 to 5 scale)
- What would you expect to pay for this product?
- At $X, how likely would you be to buy it? (1 to 5 scale)
- Would you buy this product instead of your current brand or alongside it?
- How likely are you to buy it again?
Questions About What Consumers Would Change
- If you could change one thing about this product, what would it be?
- What would make you buy it more often?
- Is there anything missing from the product or packaging?
- Who do you think this product is made for?
- What would make this product more appealing to you?
IHUT Survey Questions by Product Category
The best IHUT survey questions depend on what consumers need to evaluate. A food product may require questions about taste and portion size, while a beauty product may need feedback on results after repeated use.
Food and Beverage
- How would you describe the taste after the first bite or sip?
- How would you rate the taste overall? (1 to 5 scale)
- Was the portion size right for you? (Too small, just right, too large)
- How would you rate the product's texture? (1 to 5 scale)
- How likely are you to buy this product again? (1 to 5 scale)
Beauty and Personal Care
- How did your skin or hair feel immediately after use?
- How did it feel the next morning?
- Did you notice any change during the testing period? If yes, describe it.
- How easy was the product to dispense or apply? (1 to 5 scale)
- How would you rate the product's scent? (1 to 5 scale)
For products designed to produce results over time, include questions that measure the participant's experience across the full testing period.
Household Products
- How well did the product perform its main function? (1 to 5 scale)
- Did it leave any residue, streaks, or film?
- How easy was the product to use? (1 to 5 scale)
- How does it compare with the household product you normally use?
- Would you use this product as part of your regular routine? Why or why not?
Health and Wellness
- How easy was the product to use as directed? (1 to 5 scale)
- How well did it fit into your daily routine? (1 to 5 scale)
- How satisfied were you with your overall experience? (1 to 5 scale)
- Was anything about using the product uncomfortable or difficult?
- What, if anything, would you change about the product?
Consumer Electronics
- How long did setup take?
- Was anything difficult or confusing during setup?
- Did the product connect properly with your other devices?
- How easy was the product to use? (1 to 5 scale)
- How confident did you feel using the product after several days? (1 to 5 scale)
- What would you change about the setup or user experience?
How to Write Effective IHUT Survey Questions
A few simple rules can help you collect clear, useful feedback from IHUT participants.
- Use simple language. “Was the smell pleasant?” is easier to answer than “How would you characterize the olfactory profile?”
- Ask one thing at a time. “Was the product easy to use and effective?” combines two questions, so you cannot tell which part the participant is answering.
- Avoid leading questions. “How much did you enjoy the fresh scent?” assumes the participant enjoyed it. Instead, ask, “How would you rate the scent?”
- Connect each question to a research goal. If you will not use the answer to make a decision or understand the product experience, consider removing the question.
- Keep wording consistent across studies. Using the same questions and scales when you measure the same attributes makes it easier to compare results across tests.
- Combine rating scales with open-ended questions. Scales make responses easier to compare, while open-ended questions help explain why participants gave those ratings.
- Keep surveys manageable. If you need feedback at multiple stages of product use, consider using shorter check-ins rather than asking participants to complete one long survey at the end. A consumer product testing platform can help you set up these surveys and collect responses at different points in the study.
When to Use Open-Ended and Closed-Ended IHUT Questions
| Question Type | Best Used For | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Multiple choice (closed-ended) | Behavior and usage facts you'll sort by segment | "When did you use the product? Morning / Afternoon / Evening" |
| Rating or Likert scale (closed-ended) | Satisfaction, ease of use, purchase intent, or anything you want to measure consistently | “How satisfied are you overall?” (1 = Very dissatisfied, 5 = Very satisfied) |
| Open-ended text | Likes, dislikes, and problems you didn't think to ask about | "What did you like least about the product?" |
| Open-ended sensory description | Taste, scent, and texture in the consumer's own words | "Describe the texture as you applied it" |
| Photo or video upload | Proof of a defect, results, or how someone actually uses it | "Upload a photo of the issue you mentioned" |
Closed-ended formats give you comparable numbers across people and studies. Open-ended answers catch the thing your team never considered. Most solid IHUT surveys carry both.
How Many Questions Should an IHUT Survey Include?
There is no fixed number of questions that works for every IHUT. As a practical starting point, aim for around 5 to 10 questions per touchpoint, then adjust based on what you need to learn.
Before-use and after-use surveys can be somewhat longer because they cover more areas of the consumer experience. During-use check-ins should stay shorter, especially when participants need to answer them on a phone during or shortly after product use.
Skip logic can help keep surveys relevant. It shows follow-up questions based on a participant's previous answer. For example, someone who reports no problems with the product does not need to answer several questions about an issue they did not experience.
The goal is not to hit a specific question count. Keep each survey focused on the information you need and remove questions that do not contribute to your research goals. IHUT testing services can also help brands set up surveys, manage participant feedback, and collect responses throughout the study.
How Peekage Helps Brands Create and Run IHUT Surveys
Peekage helps brands with recruiting participants for IHUT and managing the study from product delivery to survey responses and results. Brands can create surveys with different question types, collect feedback at different stages of product use, and review responses in one place.
Brands can also target consumers based on more than 200 attributes, including demographics, product usage, shopping habits, and dietary preferences. This lets you recruit participants who match the audience you need to study.
Our product testing platform supports different types of product research, including in-home product testing, sensory testing, competitive testing, and concept testing. For IHUTs, brands can collect feedback before and after product use to compare consumer expectations with their actual experience.
Want to run an IHUT and collect feedback from the right consumers? Contact Peekage to discuss your study.
