Three Things Every Consumer Survey Needs
A consumer survey is a unique opportunity, a chance for you and your business to connect more directly with your clients and customers to discover what works, and what doesn’t work, with your business and products. Being such an important source of information, it is important that your consumer survey is at its most effective, but how can you tell? Here are five key indicators to look for in your consumer survey. Each is a good sign that your survey will get results and information that you can use to improve your business.
1. It Has Structure
A survey may just be a bunch of questions, but it can also be an opportunity to tell a story of sorts. Effective surveys have a narrative that help your respondents work through the questions. More than a random assortment of questions, a consumer survey with proper structure helps those taking it provide better, more effective answers.
One way you can achieve this narrative is by breaking up the consumer survey into discernible parts, each addressing a different aspect of what you are attempting to learn. Individual sections could cover aspects like the customer buying experience or the effectiveness of the packaging. By splitting things up, you can ask questions that get more specific, giving you more specific information that is much more usable.
2. It Gets to the Point
Surveys may take the form of a multiple choice exam, but remember, the incentive to finish an exam is much greater than a consumer survey. Drop off rates increase with length, so it is important that you keep your consumer survey as short and sweet as possible. Just like a great editor, be ruthless in your cuts. Get rid of questions that don’t directly relate to the information you are trying to gather, and only keep questions that will give you solid information.
By keeping your consumer survey focused and to the point, you will have a much better completion and response rate, and that will lead to better, more comprehensive information.
3. Make it Available
Does your survey work only on a desktop? Then it isn’t going to work. Today’s consumers are doing more and more on their mobile devices, so it is important that you bring your consumer survey to where they are, namely on tablets and smartphones. This is not only important from an accessibility perspective, but a demographics one as well. If you limit how people can get to your survey, you will also limit what kinds of people are responding, which could potentially skew your responses. With more and more people using their mobile devices for online experiences, the best way to get good information is to make your surveys more accessible.
When it comes to effective consumer surveys, it is important to consider the actual experience. Be sure to make your survey focused and short, keeping in mind where people are commonly getting their information from. It also helps to call in the professionals to help you develop the right questions and help you sort through the data that your consumer survey gathers. With professional help, your survey could be more effective, and that will help your company reach new levels of success.
Kelton, a market research firm in Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, and London provides actionable strategic plans with a range of qualitative and quantitative research methodologies like brand tracking, customer journey mapping, market segmentation, concept testing, consumer surveys ( www.KeltonGlobal.Com/Consumer-Survey ) and many more. Visit www.KeltonGlobal.Com for more info.