As business coach Tony Robbins says, “The quality of your life is determined by the quality of your questions.” Suppose you want to know what your customers think about your product or services or wish to improve employee satisfaction and retention. In that case, you should ask the right questions to gain the right knowledge.
Conducting online surveys is one of the most powerful ways to explore market trends, collect customer and employee feedback, or validate business ideas. This week, Sogolytics partnered with the founder and principal analyst of Reticle Research, Ross Rubin, to explore the best strategies to boost survey response rates and get accurate and actionable data.
During this engaging 50-minute webinar session, the presenters and participants explored the following key areas:
- Good survey response rates and the factors that affect them
- Software features that help boost participation
- Tactics that help increase customer survey participation
- Tactics that help increase employee survey participation
Here are a few factors shared during the webinar that can help create effective surveys that drive reliable responses.
Target audience and sample size
Clearly define your project scope, including both audience and purpose. It can be difficult to conclude the results if the sample size is too small, but a sample that is too large can amplify the differences that may not be relevant. Balance fielding time against consistency of sample.
Personal touch
Plan to have personalized survey invitations and an effective introduction that outlines the significance of the survey and motivates your audience to participate.
Communication
Monitor, adjust, and engage – especially when it comes to communication. Your goal is to find your audience at the right time and through the right channels. Our data examples show that a little nudge after an initial invite will encourage more participation. (Tech trick? Hello, Intelligent Reminders!)
Incentives
Generally, harder-to-reach/busier audiences will need a “better” incentive. But incentives also don’t always have to be monetary. During the webinar presenters discussed other forms such as a chance to win a prize, a product discount, ability to see the research results, or contribute to a charitable event.
Survey length and complexity
To get optimal results, a survey should have the right question types, logic and right flow. Don’t miss these 15 must-know-about features that can help to make your surveys as simple and easy as possible – and maximize the response rates.
In the webinar, presenters reviewed a few bad survey examples in real-time and brainstormed multiple ways to improve. One of our attendees, a Customer Experience Manager, shared afterward that the webinar was an “excellent initiative, [and] there should be more of these sessions.” We’re inclined to agree. 😉
Interested in learning more? Watch the full webinar here. To take a deeper dive into how Sogolytics can help you boost your surveys, book a personal consultation here.
