“What happened today that made you finally sign up?”
From getuserfeedback.com · Editorial
Why it works
Most people consider a product for weeks before they act. The interesting question isn't why they were interested — it's what tipped them on this particular day. That trigger is the highest-intent moment in the entire funnel, and it almost always points at a concrete event: a deadline, a failure of the old way, a recommendation, a price they finally couldn't justify. Marketing that names the trigger back to the next person converts; onboarding that delivers value against that trigger retains. The word 'today' is doing the work — it forces a precise event instead of a tidy backstory.
When to ask
In the first session, immediately after signup, while the moment is still warm. The answer decays fast; ask within minutes, not days.
Good follow-ups
- Why today specifically, and not a month ago?
- What were you using to handle this until now?
- What would have happened if you hadn't found us?
Watch out for
Accepting a generic motivation ('I wanted to get organized') as the answer. That's the standing desire, not the trigger. If you get a backstory, follow with 'right, but why today and not last month?' until an event surfaces.
Where to ask
- In-product surveygreat
A post-signup pulse fired in the first session — exactly when the trigger is still warm and the answer hasn't decayed.
- User interviewworkable
Good live opener, but the live setting often arrives days late, by which point 'today' has blurred into a tidy backstory.
Available as a ready-made survey: Welcome message + strategic questions
Pairs well with
Stage: Onboarding · May 2026