In the course of survey research several topics have developed a reputation for being ‘sensitive’. In short this means the topical areas are perceived to be just short of off limits by the culture we live in. Examples include cultural diversity, recreational drug use, sexual activity, alcohol use,...read more

Missing data can quickly  turn your actionable consumer insights into a lackluster pile of data. It is an issue that both consumer analytics professionals and B2B market researchers face on a regular basis. It is also an issue with which database marketers must contend. In essence, data is missing...read more

I recently came across an article posted in MarketingProfs that raised an interesting question. Is a 0.3% click-through rate for a banner ad acceptable? This may seem a bit afield from my normal conversations around online survey design, but the truth is many of us in consumer and B2B market...read more

We are a busy society. There seems to be less and less time for the smaller things. This is one trend that is negatively impacting survey response rates. This is a trend in both consumer and B2B marketing research. Unless you are lucky enough to survey a rabid fanbase then response rates will always...read more

At one point we all learned our ABCs. With the pace of change currently increasing in the marketing research world we are now in need of a refresher. In this case the A and B refer to the concept of A/B testing and the C is the outcome of that test, better known as the Champion. A/B testing has long...read more

What does B2B market research have in common with our general marketing colleagues? Well aside from serving marketers as our primary internal clients, we also rely on email as a tool for lead generation and other marketing tactics. In our case it is designed to encourage potential respondents to...read more

Setting up a market test is by no means a difficult task, but it does require foresight and patience. In the direct or database marketing worlds, we might test offer, copy, medium (e.g. postcard vs. letter), subject lines, response rates and so forth. In online marketing research, several options...read more

Surveys are a form of structured communication. In a sense they are a “marketing campaign” just the same as an outbound email designed to solicit a sale, acquire a new customer or re-engage a lost customer. Our “sale” is a completed survey, our currency or profit if you will is information. With...read more

Caroline Jarrett is a self-proclaimed "dedicated survey respondent" and blogger over at Rosenfeld Media who has ten years of experience writing and presenting about survey design. Even though she has plenty of reasons motivating her to respond to surveys, every now and then she sees some common...read more

Knowing where to direct respondents after completion is a critical task with several options available to the survey author. This takes on a higher level of importance if outside sample is being used. Our options are two-fold if we are using internal data for survey invitations. After completion...read more