Offer Design
Part of Subscription product personalisation
Choosing preferences customers can easily provide
Write subscription preference questions customers can answer and connect each answer to a product choice the box can honour.
Choose questions customers can answer from what they know about their needs, without learning the merchant's catalogue or warehouse terms. Give familiar options, explain whether an answer is guaranteed or merely preferred, and allow ‘no preference’ where it makes sense. Each question should help select a product the box can actually supply.
Key principles for designing easy-to-answer subscription preference questions
- Clarify the commitment level of each answerUse 'preferred' for flexible choices, 'would you like' for firm commitments
- Include a genuine 'no preference' optionWhen either variant is acceptable, allow customers to skip the question without penalty
- Limit choices to what impacts selectionOnly ask about features that change the box content—avoid broad lifestyle questions
- Support claims with evidenceBack up product claims (e.g., size, compatibility) with verifiable data
Ask about a recognisable choice
Write the available options in customer language. If a box offers two notebook sizes, name and show those sizes accurately; do not use warehouse variant codes. Ask only for detail that changes the choice. A broad account of stationery habits may add effort without helping customers select between those notebooks.
Pictures can help distinguish options if they show the relevant difference accurately. Keep product descriptions and any claims supportable; the ACCC says it can require businesses to back up claims about their products or services. Where compatibility matters, provide substantiated dimensions or supported models so customers can check their answer before paying.
Wording also sets the strength of the promise. ‘Which colour would you like?’ can suggest a firm choice. ‘Which colour would you prefer if available?’ describes a flexible one. Use the wording that matches what the box-selection process can deliver.
Wording impact: guaranteed vs. preferred choice
- ‘Which colour would you like?’
- Implies a guaranteed delivery if available
- ‘Which colour would you prefer if available?’
- Indicates flexibility—may not be fulfilled if out of stock
Make the answer set manageable
Offer supported choices and a genuine ‘no preference’ option when either available variant would suit. Avoid asking customers to rank many similar products if only their first choice will be used. If an answer is essential, say why it is needed and what happens when it is left blank.
Open text needs a defined use. ‘Tell us everything you dislike’ can imply that every future product will be screened. A short category list can communicate a narrower selection rule. If a comment is for future product planning rather than the next box, label it as feedback.
Check what customers understand
Before using the screen, show the question and offer it to people unfamiliar with the catalogue. Ask what they think their answer changes, whether it guarantees an item and what they expect if they skip it. Compare those explanations with the actual selection rule and revise confusing wording.
After launch, inspect questions customers leave blank or change repeatedly. Those patterns may indicate confusion, but they do not establish the cause; ask customers before drawing a conclusion. Keep a question only when its answer serves a clear selection decision.
