Matt Foley, blogger for MROC Talk, asked an interesting question today:
I think this question can be altered to work for surveys: Would you complete your online survey? It doesn't matter if you're creating business surveys or customer surveys, if you wouldn't take your survey - neither will your survey sample. If you even hesitated in thinking about how to answer that question, it's not going to happen. Keep these simple survey best practice tips in mind when working on your survey design (these apply to business-to-business surveys for customers, employee questionnaires and consumer surveys alike):
1. Introduce your online survey. You don't have to explain everything you plan to ask, keep it short and sweet (like your survey questionnaire). Give a short outline of the topic you're asking about and why.
2. What's in it for them? Are you offering an incentive? Promising change? Tell your respondents why they should complete your questionnaire. Business professionals need a reason to complete your research survey just as much as consumers do. Consider offering an incentive to give them a reason to help you out (yes that's right, they are helping you).
3. Keep it short. Put yourself in your survey respondent's shoes, if someone sent you this survey would you complete the whole thing? If it's too long for someone else's online survey, it's too long for yours. According to some people, keeping your survey to 30 surveys questions or less is a survey best practice. I don't recommend going over 30, but don't think that because it's a survey tip means you need to use all 30 questions. Only use as many as absolutely necessary.
4. Keep it interesting and engaging. Use various question types and logic patterns to keep survey respondents from zoning out or rushing through your survey.
5. Make it visually appealing. Don't be fooled, looks and survey layout matter! The graphical survey design can make it easier or harder for online survey respondents. Keep color schemes and graphics in mind: are the colors easy to read or do they clash; do the images enhance the respondent experience or are they distracting or offensive?
6. Test, Test, Test! Another survey best practice: always test your survey. When you ask other people to look at it, ask them if they received an email survey invitation whether they'd complete your web survey or abandon it. Same rule applies, if your testers wouldn't take it - neither will your target population.
Would you want to be a member of your Market Research Online Community?
I think this question can be altered to work for surveys: Would you complete your online survey? It doesn't matter if you're creating business surveys or customer surveys, if you wouldn't take your survey - neither will your survey sample. If you even hesitated in thinking about how to answer that question, it's not going to happen. Keep these simple survey best practice tips in mind when working on your survey design (these apply to business-to-business surveys for customers, employee questionnaires and consumer surveys alike):
1. Introduce your online survey. You don't have to explain everything you plan to ask, keep it short and sweet (like your survey questionnaire). Give a short outline of the topic you're asking about and why.
2. What's in it for them? Are you offering an incentive? Promising change? Tell your respondents why they should complete your questionnaire. Business professionals need a reason to complete your research survey just as much as consumers do. Consider offering an incentive to give them a reason to help you out (yes that's right, they are helping you).
3. Keep it short. Put yourself in your survey respondent's shoes, if someone sent you this survey would you complete the whole thing? If it's too long for someone else's online survey, it's too long for yours. According to some people, keeping your survey to 30 surveys questions or less is a survey best practice. I don't recommend going over 30, but don't think that because it's a survey tip means you need to use all 30 questions. Only use as many as absolutely necessary.
4. Keep it interesting and engaging. Use various question types and logic patterns to keep survey respondents from zoning out or rushing through your survey.
5. Make it visually appealing. Don't be fooled, looks and survey layout matter! The graphical survey design can make it easier or harder for online survey respondents. Keep color schemes and graphics in mind: are the colors easy to read or do they clash; do the images enhance the respondent experience or are they distracting or offensive?
6. Test, Test, Test! Another survey best practice: always test your survey. When you ask other people to look at it, ask them if they received an email survey invitation whether they'd complete your web survey or abandon it. Same rule applies, if your testers wouldn't take it - neither will your target population.
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