Online surveys have made it possible for all and sundry to conduct surveys quickly and cost effectively. Given this there are many instances where the survey has been less effective than it otherwise should have been.

To alleviate this we have prepared a quick check list of do’s and don’ts. The list is very much a beginner’s guide. Our recommendation is to spend a little more money and have you survey professionally critiqued as per our managed solution to ensure your survey achieves your objectives.

Survey Creation

The most common mistake when designing an online survey is to take the same survey used for telephone or mail and simply put it online.

Overall Considerations

Before creating your questions consider the following:

• What problem are you trying to solve?
• What decision do you need to make to solve that problem?
• What kind of information do you need?
• Who can give you that information?

The objective of any survey is to gather the information you need to make a sound decision – so it is important that you identify a single hypothesis and develop a survey around testing that hypothesis.

Avoid the temptation to ask a respondent too much. If you find that you have more than one objective, give serious consider developing more than one survey. The affordability of online surveys makes it both possible, and the best approach.

In addition, you want to build a straightforward survey that is:

• Interesting and engaging for participants
• Free of jargon
• As short as possible

And you should test your survey before rolling it out.

Order of Questions

Begin your survey with a brief introduction that thanks the respondent for participating and their time and let them know how long the survey will take.

The first question should be one that captures the respondent's interest, is easy to understand and easy to answer. At all costs avoid multiple-answer grids at the beginning of the survey. Ease into the harder questions as you gain the respondent’s confidence.

Wrap up your survey with your demographic questions – by that time you have built a rapport with your respondent and they will feel more comfortable answering the personal questions.

Survey length

Overall, it is important to remember that respondents almost always show a preference for shorter surveys over longer ones. If you still have more questions to ask, conduct another survey.

Question Wording

The best approach when creating your questions is to make sure that each question is as short, simple, and direct as possible.

Converting Mail and Telephone Surveys

A common misperception market researchers have is that converting a survey from traditional methods to online requires little, if any, design changes.

Rewrite your survey keeping in mind that your respondents are always just one click away from leaving the survey.