Surveys are an excellent way to align with your customers and connect with your employees.
However, a survey can have very different setups and, because of this, a very variable return on investment. Therefore, when you send out a survey, your main concerns are always:
- To get enough response
- To get usable feedback
But how do you design a survey strategically to ensure quality feedback? We have developed a unique system that allows you to collect and provide usable data to optimize your business.
Our system uses the data to create to-do lists and visual feedback on the fly.
We have over 15 years of experience building effective surveys that ensure high ROI. Here’s how to build good surveys in 8 easy steps:
1. First off
Before you even begin the survey, make sure you have defined what you hope to achieve. What is the main goal, and what precisely do you want to get answers about? Make a list and prioritize.
2. Make sure every question is necessary
To help the process, it’s helpful if the respondents can see the point of each question. The main focus of your survey is to collect critical data, so each question should play a part in this.
If you use low-priority questions in your survey, you risk getting low-quality responses. Ensure the respondents feel that their time is well spent answering every question.
3. Keep it simple
This goes for the survey and each question – no need to over-complicate or explain. Your respondents are on a need-to-know basis. You risk losing people if you explain each question or general motive too much. Keeping it short and simple is the key to ensuring a high number of responses.
4. Use scales as often as possible
When you ask yes or no questions, you get answers without explanation. You want the average opinion and get this better by creating response scales. By asking on a scale from 1-10 or from ‘not at all to ‘extremely’, you invite the respondents to consider their answers.
This is useful to get insight into data or to keep up a standard. However, you should avoid using scales on opinionated responses. You’ll risk people getting biased towards agreeing with statements, and you’ll get unreliable data.
5. Ensure a best practice flow in the survey
When you invite people to a survey, you also invite them to get information and insight. This can give a sense of responsibility to the respondents. If you create a natural flow in your survey, you also create a flow of understanding for the respondents. They understand why you ask each question and which areas interest you in gaining knowledge.
Don’t ask difficult or high-priority questions at first. Invite your respondents with easy but important questions and build up to your focus point.
6. Ask and speak directly
Use words and phrases that your respondents would use themselves. By using their tone of words, you become eye to eye with your communication and avoid losing some. Especially if your questions have a significant level of difficulty or technical language that your respondents may not be familiar with.
7. Allow image responses
Upgrade your responses by getting image feedback. With our software, you can allow your respondents to insert a picture with the answer. This allows you to check in and be aligned with what your respondents see. By using images in your survey you get much better insight and documentation that can be used to ensure quality measurements and uniformity in franchises.
8. Test before you send
Make sure you take your survey for a quick test run before you distribute. Have a handful of trusted respondents to be your test recipients to catch and correct errors.
Try it for FREE
All of this, we can do for you. With our app, you can design your surveys to accommodate your needs, access them directly from all devices, and upload pictures. We have intelligent software to help you out.
Curious? Book a non-binding meeting with our expert, Morten Munch-Andersen, at +45 2162 3159 or mma@instoreexcellence.com. You can also check out our FREE trial here.