10 Tips For Creating an Effective Online Survey

Creating an effective online survey can be tricky! Making sure that the survey-taker sticks around till the end is the most challenging part. Don’t worry; it’s simpler than you think… here are a few tips to create an awesome online survey:

1. Keep a clear objective in your head

Focus on what you want to achieve from the survey. Design clear and precise questions relevant to the topic. Avoid going on a tangent with subtopics and stick to the point.

2. Keep questions brief, simple and jargon-free

Use short, to-the-point sentences. Avoid using technical terms or jargon or heavy words that might intimidate the reader and he may leave the survey midway.

3. Logical order of questions

Give a pattern or a flow to the questionnaire. Use The Funnel Approach: Ask broad/general questions in the beginning to make the respondent comfortable and get into specifics towards the end. Detailed, demanding questions in the beginning can be scary!

4. Avoid asking leading questions

Make sure your questions, don’t seem biased or trying to influence the respondent. It is to your benefit that the user gives neutral answers.

5. Sensitive questions(if any) should be towards the end

We agree that some topics may demand this, but minimize them and keep them at the end. A survey-taker becomes tolerant once you gain his/her confidence.

6. Anonymity of survey-takers

Most people feel comfortable answering anonymously and can be honest without the fear of being judged. Make sure there isn’t any identity submission process attached to your survey.

7. Keep the rating scale consistent

Use the same format for rating throughout, such as 1 to 5, Yes/No, multiple choices etc. Avoid changing formats for certain questions. That would confuse your reader.

8. Include a progress bar

Don’t keep your reader anxious about the length of the survey. A progress bar shows how much of the survey is completed, so no need to be overwhelmed by the uncertain number of questions remaining.

9. Keep it short

It is always good to assure the reader that his/her time won’t be wasted. Ensure that the survey does not take more than fifteen minutes to complete!

10. Pre-test and revise

Ask your family, friends and associates to take the survey before you make it live. Revise it based on their feedback.

These are a few handy techniques to create an effective online survey. You can increase the traffic on your website or blog by adding plug-ins that link to exciting quizzes or surveys.

For WordPress users, an excellent plug-in for this feature is SurveyFunnel: You can use SurveyFunnel to set up questionnaires , quizzes and surveys on your website.Asking these questions help you interact with your customers and direct them to the content that is most useful for them – just like you would if they had walked into your brick-and-mortar store.
Using this plugin you can add relevant images or an instructional video to your survey. Images help in engaging with survey takers. Increase your conversion rate and set that cash register ringing!

Here are few Snapshots