How to Write Surveys That Give You Real Results
Market research is one of the most effective ways to understand your audience, improve your products, and make informed business decisions. But, to get the insights you need, you need to ask the right questions in the right way. In this post, we’ll walk you through how to craft surveys that deliver actionable results, how to choose the right types of questions, and even share some free tools to help you get started. Plus, if you’d rather leave it to the experts, we’ve got you covered!
If this sounds like a lot of work, we get it. That’s why we help businesses find high-quality participants. Click here to learn how we can help you find the right people.
What Makes a Good Survey Question?
Before you begin recruiting, you need to define who your ideal participants are. This is where demographics and psychographics come into play:
- Clarity is Key: Avoid using jargon or complicated language. Your respondents should understand exactly what you’re asking without having to reread the question.
- Keep It Focused: Don’t ask multiple questions in a single sentence. Break up complex ideas into simpler, more direct questions to get the most accurate answers.
- Be Specific: Instead of asking broad questions like, "Do you like our product?" try something more specific, like, "What features of our product do you find most useful?" The more specific the question, the more detailed the answers you’ll receive.
- Avoid Leading Questions: Leading questions like, "Don't you agree that our product is great?" will bias responses. Instead, ask neutral questions to allow for honest feedback.
Open-Ended vs. Multiple-Choice Questions
When it comes to choosing between open-ended or multiple-choice questions, it depends on the type of feedback you want to receive.
- Multiple-Choice Questions: These are great for quantifying responses. They help you get structured data that’s easy to analyze. For example, “Which of these features do you use the most?” with options like “Feature A,” “Feature B,” and “Feature C.” Multiple-choice questions work well when you want to compare responses and understand trends in a large dataset.
- Open-Ended Questions: These are perfect for when you want in-depth feedback. Open-ended questions allow respondents to explain their thoughts in their own words. For example, "What improvements would you suggest for our product?" This is especially useful when you’re exploring new ideas or want to hear from your audience in a more personal way.
Free Tools for Creating Surveys
Creating a survey doesn’t have to be expensive or complicated. There are plenty of free tools available that are easy to use and perfect for small businesses. Below are a few popular options, along with a key limitation to keep in mind for each:
- Google Forms: A simple, user-friendly tool that integrates seamlessly with other Google Workspace tools. It’s perfect for creating surveys, collecting responses, and analyzing data. Plus, it’s totally free!
Google Forms offers basic templates and minimal customization, meaning your survey might lack visual appeal and feel plain compared to other platforms with more design flexibility.
- Typeform: Offers a visually appealing and interactive interface for creating surveys that feel more like conversations. Its free plan allows you to create surveys with a sleek, modern design that can help increase engagement.
The free plan allows only 10 responses per month, which could be restrictive if you're aiming to collect more data or run multiple surveys.
- SurveyMonkey: Their free plan is perfect for creating short surveys. It comes with various templates and customization options, making it easy to get started.
The free version restricts you to only 10 questions per survey, which can limit the depth of your survey and may not be sufficient for more comprehensive research.
- JotForm: Allows you to create surveys with a simple drag-and-drop interface. It also offers plenty of templates to get you started, and the free plan allows for up to 5 forms with 100 responses per month.
The free plan allows only up to 100 responses per month, which could be a bottleneck if you're expecting a higher volume of survey participants.
Get the Insights You Need or Let Us Help
Creating an effective survey takes time and effort, but the rewards are well worth it. By asking the right questions in the right way, you’ll gain valuable insights that can drive your business decisions. If the thought of crafting the perfect survey seems overwhelming or you simply don’t have the time, we’re here to help. We can create customized surveys tailored to your business’s unique needs, analyze the data for you, and provide actionable insights.
Want to get started? Learn more about how we can assist with your market research today.
