Feedback Form

The first part of this two-part series outlined how to write survey questions that are relevant to your audience in order to design good surveys.  This post will provide the rationale for asking questions to a competent survey sample, and how doing so reduces error and increases the validity of your survey results.

In general, when employees, customers and other types of respondents receive online consumer research or opinion surveys, they believe it is for a logical reason.  They are usually selected because they are employees with insight about a certain company, have previously used particular products and services, provided contact information to you (such as an e-mail address), or are believed to possess other information and/or opinions that are valued by researchers and organizations at large. 

Because of this, respondents naturally feel they should "know the answers" to your market research questions (i.e. they are competent regarding the concepts covered in the survey).  In fact, if your survey respondents come across a question that confuses them, or one that they do not know the answer to, many will select a response regardless of whether it accurately reflects their behaviors or opinions.  To design surveys that can reduce this possible source of error, you should attempt to include questions about which your survey sample is knowledgeable and able to answer. 

You know your customers and survey population best; asking them client survey questions for which they are unqualified to answer can not only confuse respondents, but may cause you to end up with bad data.  Design survey questions that are appropriate for your target market - this means your questions are both relevant to your audience, and that your audience is adequately informed about the concepts addressed in your feedback form.