How To Create A Good Survey Or Polling Form
The Difference Between A Poll vs A Survey
Unlike surveys, which typically include many questions, a poll just asks one specific one. Find out what makes each tool unique and how to make the most of them when conducting research.
As business people, we’re always on the lookout for new insights. In order to stay one step ahead of the competition, marketers are constantly on the prowl for new pieces of information.
When evaluating the performance of a project and whether or not deadlines have been fulfilled, managers rely on the input of their team members.
Complaints about products or services from customers and business associates are addressed by customer service representatives and public relations professionals.
As a matter of fact, searching for information is an essential part of most company roles. It is critical that we know exactly what tools we have at our disposal if we are to be successful in our data collection activities.
Polls and surveys have slight but important distinctions, and the information we get from our viewers differs greatly as a result.
Even if you know what you’re doing, market research and opinion polling can be expensive. In order to prevent spending critical time and money on useless marketing initiatives, we will explain the differences between polling and surveying, two of the most prevalent forms of information collection.
How polls and surveys are used to acquire relevant customer data, what they look like in usage, the benefits and drawbacks of each are discussed in this article.
We’ll also look at how the data we gather may be used to improve our business.
Definition of Polling
A poll is a method for gathering data that enables us to gauge what the general public thinks. Customer happiness, consumer opinion, and changes in purchase patterns or trends can all be gathered through polling.
Many additional types of data can be gathered through surveys, such as people’s political beliefs and preferences in popular culture.
One of the most common and cost-effective ways to get input from a large population is to conduct a single-question poll.
Recently developed internet marketing tools have made the use of polling much easier. Companies frequently use polls on social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram to build interest in their products and services.
Multiple-choice questions are frequently used in polls. Since then, this easy polling method has grown in popularity on social media platforms.
Several survey tools, such as SurveyMonkey, TurningPoint, and Alchemer, are available for free or for a fee.
In order to acquire information on consumer preferences and emerging trends within their target audience, companies looking for digital marketing solutions frequently use software of this type.
Your audience will be more likely to react to your questions if you make your polls more enjoyable for them.
By posing provocative questions regarding divisive issues – like Coke vs. Pepsi, for example – we can encourage people to air their views in public.
Polling With a Multiple-Choice Questionnaire
Multiple choice polling has numerous advantages for both corporations and freelancers.
Polling is a simple and quick way to obtain data because it costs little or nothing to set up and can be done in a matter of seconds.
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Take a Look at Who’s Watching
Simple A/B polling can help us learn about our customers’ preferences, feelings and even their thoughts about our potential flaws.
“Which one of our speciality burger creations do you enjoy best?” may be asked by a restaurant to its patrons.
Our restaurants may then use this information to conduct a special deal on the winner burger, assess their current product offers, and so on.
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Boost Our Audience’s Interest in Us
Involving our clients in polling can be a great approach to build excitement for our projects.
Creating surveys that are culturally relevant or hilarious can do wonders for our brand’s reputation.
There are a number of ways in which you can indicate that you value your audience’s input, and it can also serve as a fun approach to show your patrons that you care about them.
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Boost Public Awareness
Polls may be a cheap and rapid way for brands to raise awareness of their products and services.
It is possible to use polls to boost sales, promote new product lines, raise enthusiasm for forthcoming events, and expose more people to our brand through the usage of polls.
On social media, we may get support from our customers by conducting polls that are shared with their friends.
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Inquire for Relevant Feedback
One of the most valuable aspects we as industry professionals can do to remain relevant and successful is to get feedback on our actions. Before launching a new product or service, it is critical that we test it out with our target audience.
Incorporating feedback from our consumers and business partners allows us to continually improve our business practices.
Polling provides us with a restricted number of options for obtaining audience response.
For example, if you want to know how customers feel about a recent advertising campaign or how they feel about the colours of our business, you may utilise a simple poll to get their thoughts.
The survey is a significantly more powerful feedback mechanism that we can utilise to acquire relevant information from our respondents.
Definition Of A survey
Surveying is the process of gathering and analysing data from a specific audience. Data gathered from surveys can be used to construct detailed customer profiles that marketers can then use to better understand what their customers are looking for and what they value.
Unlike polls, surveys are designed to collect a wide range of information that can be used to solve a variety of different business challenges.
The experiences and categories of consumers that we collect can be utilised to develop detailed profiles of individual consumers.
As a result of these consumer profiles, we may have a deeper understanding of our customers’ likes, dislikes, desires, and preferences; this information will help us better serve them.
Surveys have traditionally been expensive and conducted mostly by phone or in person. Digital surveys may now be carried out at a fraction of the cost and in a much shorter time frame than traditional paper-based surveys.
Qualaroo, SurveyLegend and Typeform allow users to construct both unique and pre-built survey templates that can be spread to hundreds of pollsters in just a few minutes.
Experimenting in Surveying
People who work in corporate environments use surveys all the time because they are effective methods of acquiring data.
Market research surveys aim to collect useful data from customers, which can subsequently be used to make products or services.
We can use data such as consumer preferences, emotions, and spending habits to better understand our target consumers.
Product positioning surveys help us understand how our products stack up against those of our competitors in the market.
These surveys help craft brewers gain valuable insight into their customers’ purchasing behaviour and identify the types of cannibalization occurring between their competing product offers.
Surveys of the market gather useful information on the general characteristics of the target audience.
Consumers are segmented based on their demographics, purchasing habits, geographic region, and level of income.
For marketers, this is one of the most important strategies, as it enables them to gain a better understanding of their target audience and so improve their marketing efforts.
Market Research Trends via Online Surveys for 2022
Market researchers’ go-to instrument of choice is the online survey. However, they’re popular with everyone who wants to know what the public thinks!
Social media, internet growth, and even the COVID-19 pandemic have all increased the number of people participating in online surveys.
We’ll take a closer look at the rise of online surveys in this post and a look at survey market research trends that surveyors can take advantage of.
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Data On Online Survey Trends And Survey Growth Rates
A compound annual growth rate of more than 16 per cent is forecast for the global online survey market through 2026, according to Knowledge Sourcing Intelligence.
Surveys aimed at gathering information about the opinions and experiences of the targeted population can now be conducted online, as noted in the study. Market and forecasting information can be gleaned through surveys.
Using loopholes for improved efficiency is also made easier. So, what’s the secret to this remarkable growth? There are a couple of things at play here.
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Increasing Internet Usage
Surveys can now be conducted more quickly and at a lower cost thanks to the internet.
As a result, individuals conducting surveys get easy access to a vast and diverse population because of the widespread usage of the internet.
According to data from the World Bank, the number of internet users will rise from 3.18 billion in 2015 to 4.5 billion in 2020.
The internet has also made it possible for scholars and organizations to conduct surveys from anywhere in the world. Survey costs and time are reduced by this method.
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There Has Been An Increase In Social Media Use
Market researchers now have a new tool in their toolbox with the growing popularity of social media sites like Facebook and Twitter.
More than 2 billion people are now using Facebook, while the number of people using Twitter has jumped from 43 million in 2010 to 330 million in 2019 by the numbers.
Growth on Instagram and other social media platforms is also soaring.
The use of social media allows researchers to conduct quick surveys via online survey software and enhance their reach.
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Affects of COVID-19
Lockdowns and travel limitations imposed by the pandemic prompted many people to stay at home or work from home, boosting internet surveys.
As a result, more people than ever before were able to participate in surveys thanks to the increased availability of survey respondents.
As the percentage of internet users grew from 50% in 2019 to over 60% in 2020, the need for online survey software grew as well, according to Internet World Stats.
Social media usage increased by 63% during the lockdown, which benefited the industry.
Online Survey Could Provide You With These 7 Opportunities
For market researchers and businesses conducting surveys, what are some of the most important takeaways?
Here are a few ideas to ponder.
1# Take Only a Few Questions in Your Survey
Because people’s attention spans are shortening, your survey should be as well. The average human reaction time has decreased from 12 seconds in 2000 to 8 seconds today, according to a recent study.
As a result, microsurveys, or small surveys, are becoming increasingly popular. It’s easier to analyse, they respond faster, and they have greater response rates. Find out more about micro surveys.
2# Reduce the Number of Questions on Your Survey
With so many rabbit holes to explore on the internet and social media, consumers can easily get sidetracked.
As a result, you’ll want to make sure that your questions are simple enough for your audience to understand and respond to.
Most surveys employ some form of multiple choice or Likert scale question to keep respondents focused. Take advantage of our free survey writing guide.
3# Responsive Design Is A Must
Nowadays, more than 60% of online traffic comes from smartphones, and even more, individuals use their phones to access social media.
Make sure your design can be viewed on a phone or tablet with the same clarity as on a computer.
Using a responsive design, text and visuals will instantly shift to fit any screen size. Take a look at the responsive design field.
4# Utilise Aesthetics Survey Design
Make sure your survey is visually appealing because humans are 90% visual. The ease with which graphics can be included in online surveys is one of their best features.
In order to keep participants engaged and reduce drop-off rates, each question can be accompanied by its own graphic. Participants’ memories can be jogged when you show them photos or videos.
For example, if you want to know if people remember your most recent print or television commercial, put it in the survey.
5# Disseminate the Results of Your Survey
Share the findings of your poll on social media after it’s been completed. People are more likely to participate in surveys if they see the value in their contributions, which is why results can be shared.
In addition, many people are curious to discover how their ideas compare to those of others. Think about letting respondents share their responses with others.
This increases the visibility of your survey and, if your primary goal is to increase the number of respondents, it can help you do so with little or no additional effort on your part.
6# Make Use of Effective Security Measures
The government’s stringent regulation on data collection is a problem for market researchers. There has been a rise in the number of cybercrimes around the world, which has led to stiffer standards for online surveys.
More and more people are realising that filling out online forms might be dangerous.
Encryption, data validation certificates, data portability and user authentication passwords are just a few of the current security measures that should be used to ensure that survey participants’ information is safe.
It’s important to make clear to your participants that their personal information will never leave your hands. Survey security is a topic of interest.
7# Make Your Surveys Fun
It’s also important to have fun with your survey! The usage of the word “fun” in an acceptable way may not be appropriate for all kinds of surveys, but it can undoubtedly affect the response rate.
As a result, you’ll want to employ humor and discussion, as well as images and icons, to entice users, display results, and make it easy for them to share your content.
Right Tool for the Right Job
We now know exactly what each of these research instruments does and how they differ from one another.
This data will only be useful if the numerous scenarios in which we might wish to collect it from our audiences are clearly outlined; from there, it’s all about employing the correct tool – survey or poll – to generate that data.
The following are some of the purposes for which we employ polls:
- Ask a single, broad question through a series of short, multiple-choice questions.
- Engaging our audience members.
- Analysing satisfaction with a specific product or service
- Promote our brand by hosting tournaments.
- Promote our future sales and product offerings by raising awareness about them.
- Creating interest in our firm from the ground up.
Surveying is used when we want to:
Pose challenging questions to elicit information on a certain subject or set of related issues.
- Assemble the information from a targeted group.
- Data about buyer behaviour, consumer preferences, or data that can be utilised to solve other marketing issues.
- Surveys of customer satisfaction with the brand, customer service channels, and so forth.
- As well as feedback on our design concerns.
Our customers, business partners, or staff can provide us with valuable information.
In the end, polls come out on top as the most effective research method.
Data acquired from surveys can be used to analyse our company processes, forecast market trends, and understand how we can better serve our clients.
How To Conduct A Successful Poll And Survey
If you follow a few survey best practices, you can ensure that you’re collecting the most accurate data possible when conducting a survey.
Survey design can take a long time, from figuring out what you want to accomplish to creating incentives for responders.
A brief guide to the basics is a terrific method for people who don’t have a lot of time to spend to be a survey-creation expert to get started.
How to design a survey that is simple for respondents to complete, answers the research questions you care about, and generates data that is easy to analyse are the topics we’ll cover in this post.
1# Make the most of every question
Every question in your survey should directly contribute to the goal of obtaining valuable insights that you’ve set for yourself while creating it.
Ensure that each survey question offers value and generates survey results that are relevant to your research objectives in some way or the other. As an example, if your participant’s particular age or home state is relevant to your results, then you can ask for that information. If you don’t want to waste your time and the time of your respondents, don’t bother.
To make the most of your survey, start by determining the information you need to gather and then crafting your survey’s questions from there.
The use of multiple-choice questions allows you to acquire a wider range of replies than a simple yes/no. There are no hard and fast rules in life.
2# Keep it brief and to the point
Your responders, on the other hand, may not share the enthusiasm for your survey.
One of your primary responsibilities as a survey designer is to keep respondents engaged and on task throughout the duration of the survey.
When asked to fill out surveys that go from one issue to the next in an unorganised fashion, people are less likely to complete them.
Ensure that your survey is well-organized and takes a reasonable amount of time to complete.
There is no requirement for your responders to know everything about your study, but explaining why you are asking about a certain issue may be beneficial nonetheless.
They’ll be more likely to keep their responses focused and in scope if they know the essentials of who you are and what you’re researching.
3# Put yourself in the shoes of the other person
When you ask survey questions that are difficult to understand, the data you get back is less meaningful. Make your survey questions as simple to respond to as possible by being as specific as possible and using clear and exact language.
A single scenario or conduct can be helpful rather than a broad trend. In this method, instead of asking the respondent to contemplate abstract views or concepts, you focus them on the facts of their life.
With different questions comes a wide range of clear responses, which in turn helps to find more in-depth information.
It’s not just about getting the data you need but also inspiring people to think in alternative ways.
4# Inquire about one thing at a time
In order to keep your survey as succinct and to the point as possible, you should avoid repeating questions. Confusion and mistakes in responses might result from cramming too much into one inquiry.
Pay attention to the word “and” in your survey questions; this can be a warning sign that your question has two components.
Examples include “Which of these cell phone service companies offers the best customer support and reliability?”
Because a respondent may believe that one provider is more trustworthy, but another offers greater customer assistance, this is a dilemma.
5# Make sure you don’t ask inquiries that are presumptuous or biased
It’s possible that even if you don’t mean to, some terms and phrases in your questions could lead the response in the wrong way.
A good rule of thumb is to limit the amount of information provided in a survey to the bare minimum necessary for participants to submit thoughtful responses. Don’t introduce anything that could be perceived as an argument for your own point of view in your query language.
Examine the adjectives and adverbs in your queries in particular. Remove these if they’re not required.
6# Speak in the language of the person you’re interviewing
A lot of this guide’s advice is based on the idea that you should only use sophisticated or elaborate language when conducting surveys.
Ensure that the language and terminology used in your surveys are understandable to your target audience.
Whenever possible, use clear language, eliminate technical jargon, and limit the length of phrases. Be careful not to lose the intended meaning of a question by simplifying it excessively.
7# Whenever possible, make use of response scales
Using response scales, you can get a clear picture of people’s attitudes and how strong they are. True/false and yes/no alternatives, on the other hand, tend to yield less useful information.
The number of responses is likely to be the best choice if you’re in a position to do so.
However, stay away from utilising scales that ask your audience to agree or disagree with statements. Invalid and unreliable data can be generated by those who are inclined toward agreeing with statements.
8# Responses should not be in the form of grids or matrices
Grids or matrices of answers require a lot more thought from your respondent than a simple scale or multiple-choice inquiry. As a result, people frequently make mistakes when filling out grids because of their inability to consider many factors at once.
Grid-based questions aren’t mobile-friendly, so keep that in mind.
It’s preferable to break up grid-based questions into individual survey questions with a different answer scale structure.
9# If at all feasible, rephrase the yes/no questions
Since there are just two possible answers to a yes/no question, they convey less information than a response scale or multiple-choice questions.
There are many ways to rephrase simple yes/no questions, such as “How much,” “How frequently,” or “How probable.” Always include a response scale when available to get more information.
Your survey findings will be more accurate and thorough if you rephrase your questions in this way.
10# To begin, begin with the simplest of tasks
Begin the survey by asking simple questions, and then go on to more difficult or thought-provoking questions once the respondent is fully involved in the process.
If you need to include confidential information in your survey, this can be really helpful. Avoid placing sensitive questions near the beginning of the questionnaire, where they are more likely to be perceived as threatening.
As the survey progresses, the respondent is more likely to grow distracted and fatigued, so place the most difficult or controversial questions in the center of the survey rather than keeping them for the conclusion.
11# Use response scales cautiously
Respondents can be misled by questions with unclear wording or an unbalanced response scale.
Since there are more favorable possibilities, consumers may be more inclined to give a product or service an “excellent” rating if you ask them to review it on a scale that includes poor, satisfactory, good, and excellent.
This means making sure your response rates have a defined, neutral midpoint and that they represent the whole range of replies to a particular inquiry.
12# Think about adding incentives to the equation
Incentives, such as discounts, offers, gift cards, or contests, can assist raise the number of responses.
Of course, the benefits of delivering incentives (more respondents) sound enticing, but there is the risk of drawing the opinions of the incorrect audiences, such as those who are only in it for the reward.
It’s important to keep in mind that surveys should only be conducted with your target audience in mind.
It’s Time To Test Drive Your Survey
A survey that may go horribly wrong? Here’s how. Send it out before you run a pre-test on it!
A pre-test of your survey is a good idea regardless of how short or simple your questionnaire is. This way, any potential errors can be caught before they have a chance to corrupt your survey data.
At least five individuals should take a look at your survey before you release it so that you can catch and fix any errors.
The Final Thought
Writing an effective survey will help you feel more confident in your abilities.
A good survey is one that asks the right questions in a way that allows respondents to be honest in their responses.
It also entails making the survey-taking process as simple as possible for respondents. When your surveys improve, your marketing improve as well.
