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Surveys provide feedback. The answers to survey questions help to form a consensus about products, services or ideas. Companies and organizations can use the information gathered from surveys to make business or political decisions that will affect their customers, constituents or stakeholders. In order for a survey to be helpful and accurate, it is important to ask the right questions. Ask survey questions that will elicit honest answers for the needed insight.

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Steps

  1. 1
    Identify the survey objective. Establish what information is needed. Knowing the objective will keep the survey questions targeted and focused.
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  2. 2
    Introduce the survey to the respondents by letting them know how long it will take to complete. Include a summary of what the information will be used for, and a due date for when the survey needs to be completed.
  3. 3
    Keep the questions easy to answer. Use proper grammar and words that will not be difficult for respondents to understand. Ask short questions. If the person responding to the survey has to struggle to comprehend the question or gets confused by the wording, they may not give an accurate answer. Avoid sounding too formal or using technical jargon.
  4. 4
    Use many different question formats. Some people respond best to open-ended questions, and others prefer having multiple choice questions to answer. Use both of those types of questions, as well as yes or no questions and questions that ask the respondent to rate a service or product on a finite scale.
  5. 5
    Manage the pace of the survey. Make sure the person answering the survey will not struggle with one specific question, and be unable to move on to the next questions. Mix up the order of the questions to keep the questions and answers moving smoothly. If there are questions that are more difficult than others, be sure to mix those in among easier questions that will not take a lot of time to respond to.
  6. 6
    Ask objective questions. Avoid asking questions in a way that might lead the respondent to one answer or another. This is the best way to get a true response. Do not ask biased questions that may promote or discredit a particular product, service or idea.
  7. 7
    Obtain demographic information. It is important to take demographic data into account when analyzing survey results. At a minimum, note the age range, gender, and geographical location of the respondents. Depending on the purpose of the survey, other information may need to be gathered about the person responding.
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Tips

  • Test the survey. Before using the survey on the large targeted audience for which it is intended, test it on a smaller group of people. This will help to ensure the questions are clear and easy to respond to.
  • Remember to keep expectations reasonable. The idea behind most surveys is to affirm or discredit assumptions that have already been made. Use the survey to gather supportive information. Do not expect to discover brand new trends or responses never before considered.
  • Consider the survey format when writing and organizing questions. Online surveys should be no more than 15 questions, and should not take any longer than 5 minutes to complete. This will keep survey takers from navigating away from the page. Follow the same guideline for telephone surveys to avoid being hung up on. Give respondents an incentive to finish the survey, such as a coupon or other discount.
  • Do not display all the survey questions at once. This will allow respondents to focus on 1 question at a time. Also, make sure the questions asked first will not bias the results of the following questions.

Warnings

  • Limit multiple choice options to between 3 and 5. When asking a range question, use the numbers 1 to 5. If there are too many options to consider, a respondent may get confused or forget what the other options were.

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Categories: Research and Review

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