Online Survey Basics

In a previous post, entrepreneurs and marketers agreed that startups could benefit from surveying present and potential customers. The next logical question is:  What is the best way to go about conducting these surveys?

Again, entrepreneurs and marketers graciously shared their insights via email interview. From those insights came a list of survey best practices for startups.

1. Brevity is the soul of surveys. Jim Olenbush, a broker/realtor for Cantera Real Estate, Inc.; Denise Beeson, small-business management teacher at Santa Rosa Junior College; and Ann Middleman, principal at ADM Marketing and Research, all agree short surveys have the greatest chance eliciting customer responses. If you want customer feedback, keep it short and simple, Olenbush advised.
2. Design matters. The survey's structure could make or break a starup's chances of getting feedback. The value of surveys lies in how and when the questions are asked, said serial entrepreneur, Elizabeth Moskow.
3. No names, please. Anonymity often inspires greater honesty. Anonymous surveys are a great way to get candid feedback on your product or service, said Tracy Sigler of AVL Marketing. But having said that...
4. When appropriate, take the direct approach. Sometimes, it's more prudent for entrepreneurs to conduct their surveys face to face. Reaching out to people on an individual basis is more intimate and personal, said Brianna Sylver, president, and Ellen Frank-Miller, quantitative guru, of Sylver Consulting. Jeremias de la Cruz, founder of SoCal Entertainment, also prefers the personal touch. I can go to the patrons at a show as well as the DJ's and then compile a way to make a positive or relevant change.
5. Don't break the bank. You don't have to spend a lot of money to create a survey. Brett Brohl, of Scrubadoo.com, created a survey that helped his company figure out what products they needed and identify their competitors, among other things. It was a very inexpensive way to learn a lot, said Brohl.
6. Don't let survey results derail you. An entrepreneur must be firm in vision, advised Melinda Mallari of Precision Market Services. Use feedback as a weather vane. You cannot please everyone. Watch trends.

Brandon Sargent, co-founder of EcoScraps, shared his survey success story: To help us craft our packaging text, we conducted several surveys among independent nursery owners. In a way, this was like gathering information from hundreds of consumers. We figured out what sells and what doesn't. I believe this step is what has set us apart from some competitors who have been around longer but aren't selling in as many places as we are or the quantity we are.

In this internet savvy world of doing business, where 90% of people begin their research online, why not invest in customer satisfaction surveys or testimonials to help build your business? said Jennifer Chiongbian, SVP/associate broker at Rutenberg Realty.

Success stories and potential benefits notwithstanding, there are still some people who believe entrepreneurs should save surveys for later. People like David Molian, the director of business growth at BGP, a British based company. According to Molian, Surveys are better used once the business is trading. Often, their greatest value is as marketing tools.

Shilonda Downing, owner of Virtual Work Team, agrees with Molian that once you get established, surveys can be invaluable in gauging the needs and wants of your clients.

Whether entrepreneurs decide to survey customers and prospects in the early stages of their startups or wait until later, the best practices shared by other entrepreneurs and marketers could still prove useful.