My job at Zoomerang has resulted in an unintended consequence—I’ve become compulsive about taking online surveys. Customer satisfaction surveys, consumer behavior surveys, funny surveys I find on Facebook and Twitter. You name it, I’m taking it.
All this survey taking has helped me get into the head of an average respondent, and understand what works and what doesn’t when creating an online survey. Here are my top 10 tips if you want me to stick with your survey, and give you my complete, honest opinion:
1. Keep mandatory responses to a minimum
I recently was asked on a survey what I have planned for Vegetarian Awareness Month. I haven’t actually planned anything for Vegetarian Awareness Month (I naively didn’t even know it existed!). I wanted to leave the question blank and move on to the next one, but the survey wouldn't allow me to do so.
The question was required, and there was no option to opt out, so I was faced with the choice to either make something up, or quit the survey. I quit the survey.
2. Keep demographic questions specific
I’m especially a sucker for taking surveys designed by students to help them with a class project, for example. In a recent survey, I was only presented with 3 options for age range: 1) 18 or younger 2) 19 to 55 3) 55 or older.
At 23, I feel like the 19 to 55 category is less than telling about my specific demographic information. How likely is it that a 19 year old will respond the same way a 54-year-old would? Doubtful…
At best, such unspecific choices leave you with inaccurate results; at worst, they’ll insult your respondent. If you’re going to ask, break it into ranges (under 18, 18 to 24, 25 to 34 etc) to get better results.
3. Keep it short
If you can get the information you need in five questions, why ask ten? Give me something I can answer in five minutes or less; two minutes or less is even better!
Unnecessarily long, drawn-out surveys make me think you don’t value my time, which means I'll be less likely to value your survey.
4. Use clear language
Asking someone a question like, “do you appreciate the presence of senior citizens?” is begging for confusion.
What do you mean by “appreciate?” Do I think the world is a better place because of senior citizens? Am I aware of them in public? Am I familiar with all the ways they’re contributing to society?
Keep your language simple and specific so you and your survey taker stay on the same page.
5. Looks matter
I may not be less likely to take your survey if it’s not beautiful, but I certainly will think less of it, and you, as a result. Invest the extra 5 minutes, and make your survey a looker. And please, check your spelling!
6. Use tact
You wouldn’t ask me about my sexual orientation within five minutes of meeting me, would you? The same should be true of your online survey. If you’re going to ask me something personal, confusing, or potentially not applicable, give me an out.
A simple “decline to answer” will do. Leave it out, and I’m likely to get uncomfortable (or worse, annoyed!) and quit.
7. Remind me!
Often I'll have every intention of responding to a survey, but for some reason, I don’t get to it right when I open the email—Don’t assume that I care as much about your survey as you care about my response. Remind me that you value my response, and are waiting for it.
P.S. Our Pro and Premium accounts let you send a reminder invitation to give respondents who have not yet taken your survey a (friendly) kick in the pants
8. Make Sure It Works
Test your survey yourself, then have someone else try it. Do all your buttons work? Have you seen all the pages? Do all your questions make sense? Getting another set of eyes on your survey will give you a perspective that you very easily could miss.
9. Be comprehendible
Don’t use big words or jargon I may not be familiar with. “Growing fragmentation? Disruptive leapfrogging?” True story. Do you think I finished taking that survey? Not a chance.
10. Give me an ETA
If you ignored rule 3 and created a long survey, I’m a lot more likely to hang with you if you give me fair warning. Bonus points if you spruce it up by including images, fun language, and color.
You never know when I’m going to come across your survey on Twitter, so follow these tips to keep your respondents (and me) answering your survey thoroughly, honestly, and completely.
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