Survey: Definition

A Survey is defined as a research method used for collecting data from a

pre-defined group of respondents to gain information and insights on
various topics of interest. Surveys have a variety of purposes and can be
carried out in many ways depending on the methodology chosen and the
objectives to be achieved.

The data is usually obtained through the use of standardized procedures

whose purpose is to ensure that each respondent is able to answer the
questions at a level playing field to avoid biased opinions that could
influence the outcome of the research or study. A survey involves asking
people for information through a questionnaire, which can be distributed on
paper, although with the arrival of new technologies it is more common to
distribute them using digital media such as social networks, email, QR
codes or URLs.

Characteristics of a Survey
The need to observe or research facts about a situation leads us to conduct
a survey. As we mentioned at the beginning, a survey is a method of
gathering information.

So, what do you need to conduct a survey?

First, a sample, also referred to as audience, is needed which should

consist of a series of survey respondents data with required demographic
characteristics, who can relevantly answer your survey questions and
provide the best insights. Better the quality of your survey sample, better
will be your response quality and better your insights.

Surveys come in many different forms and have a variety of purposes, but
they have common underlying characteristics. The basic characteristics of
a survey are:

Sample and Sample Determination

A sample is a selection of respondents from a population in such a manner
that the sample represents the total population as closely as possible.

The characteristics of a survey sample, are:

 Determining sample size: Once you have determined your sample, the
total number of individuals in that particular sample is the sample size.
Selecting a sample size depends on the end objective of your research
study. It should consist of a series of survey respondents data with
required demographic characteristics, who can relevantly answer
your survey questions and provide the best insights.
 Types of sampling: There are two essential types of sampling methods,
they are probability sampling and non-probability sampling. Although
sampling is conducted at the discretion of the researcher, the two
methods used in detail, are:
 Probability sampling: Probability sampling is a sampling method
where the respondent is selected based on the theory of probability.
The major characteristic of this method is that each individual in a
population has an equal chance of being selected.
 Non-probability sampling: Non-probability sampling is a sampling
method where the researcher selects a sample of respondents purely
on the basis of their own discretion or gut. There is no predefined
selection method.

Survey Questions: Questionnaire for your survey

Effective survey questions are the cornerstone for the success of any
survey and subsequently, any research study.

The characteristics of survey questions are as follows:

 Data collection: Whether it an email survey, SMS survey, web intercept

survey or a mobile app survey, the single common denominator that
determines how effectively you are able to collect accurate and complete
survey responses is your survey questions and their types.
 Fundamental levels of measurement scales: There are four
measurement scales which are fundamental to creating a multiple-choice
question in a survey. They are, nominal, ordinal, interval and
ratio measurement scales without the fundamentals of which, no multiple
choice questions can be created. Hence, it is important to understand
these levels of measurement to be able to create a robust survey.
 Use of different question types: Multiple choice questions are the most
common type of survey questions, in which, some of the popular question
types are: dichotomous question, semantic differential scale question,
rank order questions and rating scale questions. Open ended
questions are used to collect in-depth qualitative data.
 Administering the survey: To conduct a survey, it is important to plan
the type of survey to ensure you get the optimum number of responses
required for your survey. It could be a mix of interviews and survey
 questions or a questionnaire. Interviews could be telephone interviews,
face-to-face interviews, online interviews and questionnaires can be mall
surveys or web surveys. The underlying difference between a survey and
a questionnaire is that a questionnaire may or may not be delivered in the
form of a survey, but a survey always consists of a questionnaire.

Survey Logic: Survey Skip Logic and Branching

The survey logic is one of the most important characteristic of a survey.
The objective of using logic in a survey is to move a respondent to a
question on the basis of their current selection to a question. Survey skip
logic and branching provides the ability to create “intelligent” surveys,
meaning respondents can answer relevant questions based on their
answers to screening questions. The characteristics of survey logic, are:

 Survey design: In the survey design phase, the logic has to be

developed in a way that redundant questions to each respondent, don’t
show up as part of the survey.
 Application of survey logic: Survey logic can be applied by using
conditional branching or unconditional branching. Other parameters such
that form the basis of a survey logic depending on the objective of the
survey, are, piping data, question randomization, link quota etc.

Survey Methods
Survey methodology studies the in-depth sampling of individual units from
a population and administering data collection techniques on that sample. It
includes instruments or processes that ask different question types to a
predefined sample, to conduct data-collection and increase the survey
response rate.

The two distinctive member types are in a survey methodology are,

professionals in the field that focus on empirical survey errors and others
that work to design surveys and reduce them. it is therefore both a scientific
field and a profession. The primary tasks of a survey methodologist while
administering a survey is to identify and create samples, validate test
questions, select the mode to administer questions and validate methods
for data collection, statistical analysis and data reporting.

Survey Methods based on Design

Surveys can be administered by the time they take to complete, the two
types are:
 Cross-sectional studies: Cross-sectional study is defined as an
observational research type that analyzes data of variables collected at
one given point of time across a sample population. population or a pre-
defined subset. This study type is also known as cross-sectional analysis,
transverse study or prevalence study. The data gathered in a cross-
sectional study is from people who are similar in all variables except the
one variable which is under study. This variable remains constant
throughout the cross-sectional study. This is unlike longitudinal study,
where variables in the study can change over the course of research.
 Longitudinal studies: Longitudinal study is an observational study that
employs continuous or repeated measures to follow particular individuals
over prolonged period of time often years or decades. Longitudinal study
collects data that is either qualitative or quantitativein nature. In
longitudinal study a survey creator is not interfering with survey
respondents. Survey respondents are observed over a period of time
ranging from months to even decades to observe any changes in them or
their attitude. For example, a researcher wants to find out which disease
affects young boys (in the age group of 10-15) then the researcher will
observe the individuals over that period to collect meaningful data.
 Correlational studies: Correlational study is a non-experimental type of
research designwhere two distinct variables are studied and a statistical
analysis is run to study relation between them without the interference of
external “variables”. This study aims to understand the change and level
of change in one of the two variables in study, if the other variable
changes. It is close to impossible to understand in this research method
though, that, the cause of change in either variable. For example, if an
ice-cream truck has a jingle that can be loudly heard, people start
understanding which ice-cream truck is in the neighborhood and how far
it is from the location of the person in question.

Survey Methods based on Distribution

There are different ways of survey distribution. Some of the most
commonly used methods are:

 Email: Sending out an email is the easiest way of conducting a survey.

The respondents are targeted and there is higher chance of response
due to the the respondents already knowing about your brand. You can
use the QuestionPro email management feature to send out and collect
survey responses.
 Buy respondents: Buying a sample helps achieve a lot of the response
criteria because the people who are being asked to respond have signed
up to do so and the qualifying criteria for the research study is met.
 Embed survey in website: Embedding a survey in a website ensures
that the number of responses is very high. This can be done while the
person enters the website or is exiting it. A non intrusive method of
collecting feedback is important to achieve a higher number of responses.
The responses received are also honest due to the high brand recall
value and the responses are quick to collect and analyze due to them
being in a digital format.
 Post to social network: Posting on social networks is another effective
way of collecting responses. The survey can be posted as a link and
people that follow the brand can take a survey. This method is used
when there is no upper cap on the number of survey responses required
and is the easiest and fastest way of eliciting responses.
 QR code: QuestionPro QR codes store the URL for the survey. You
can print/publish this code in magazines, on signs, business cards, or on
just about any object/medium. Users with a camera phone equipped with
the correct reader application can scan the image of the QR Code to
open the survey in the phone’s browser.
 QuestionPro App: The QuestionPro App allows to quickly circulate
surveys and the responses can be collected both online and offline.
 API: You can use the API integration of the QuestionPro platform for
potential respondents to take your survey.
 SMS: Using SMS surveys are another quick way to collect feedback.
This method can be used in the case of quick responses and when the
survey is simple, straightforward and not too long. This method is used to
increase the open and response rate of collecting feedback.
Surveys can be distributed using one, some or a mix of the above methods
depending on the basis of the research objective and the resources being
used for any particular survey. Many factors play a part in the mode of
distribution of surveys like cost, research study type, flexibility of questions,
time to collect responses, statistical analysis to be run on data and
willingness of the respondent to take part in the survey.

You can conduct a telephone or email survey and then make a selection of
respondents for a face-to-face interview. Survey data are sometimes also
obtained through questionnaires filled out by respondents in groups, for
example, a school class or a group of shoppers in a shopping center.

You can also classify the surveys by their content, being able to use open
or closed questions to know, for example, opinions, attitudes, details of a
fact, habits, experiences for a later classification and analysis of the
obtained results.

In the same way you can use some sample survey question ; ask for the
classification of different alternatives. You can do a very short survey, with
 some questions that can take five minutes or less to answer, or it can be a
very long survey that requires one hour or more of the time of the
interviewee. For example, Those who need to know in depth behavior or
attitudes of people, prefer to use, in addition to surveys a panel or an online
community.

Survey Data Collection

The methods used to collect survey data have evolved with time.
Researchers have increasingly moved away from paper surveys to using
smart, online surveys. Each survey data collection method has it’s pros and
cons and the researcher has to in most cases, use different methods to
collect the requisite data from a sample.

The survey response rates of each of these methods varies as multiple

factors like time, interest, incentive etc. play a role in the data
collection process.

In the section above, we have looked at survey data collection methods on

the basis of design, cross-sectional surveys and longitudinal surveys. In
this method, we will look at the four main survey data collection methods on
the basis of their actual implementation. They are:

 Online surveys: Online surveys have now become the most widely used
survey data collection method. This method is now widely being used
because the reach of the surveys has increased to wherever there is
internet access, which is everywhere. There is no limit to the types of
questions that can be asked in online surveys and the data collection
and data analysis is now structured and easy to manage. The survey
response rate of online surveys is very high compared to other survey
mediums.
 Telephone surveys: Telephone surveys are a cheaper method than
face-to-face surveys and less-time consuming too. Contacting
respondents via the telephonic medium requires less effort and
manpower but the survey response rate could be debated as
respondents aren’t very trusting to give out information on call. In this
survey data collection method, the researcher also has less scope to
digress from the survey flow.
 Face-to-face surveys: Face-to-face surveys are on the most widely
used methods of survey data collection. The survey response rate in this
survey data collection method is always higher because the respondent
trusts the researcher since it is in-person. The survey designin
this research method is planned well in advance but there is so scope to
digress to collect in-depth data.
 Paper surveys: The least used survey data collection method that is
now being used mostly in field research, are paper surveys. Since they
are logistically tough to manage and tough to analyze, researchers and
organizations are moving away from using this method. These surveys
can be used where laptops, computers and tablets cannot go and hence
they use the age old method of data collection; pen and paper.

Survey Data Analysis

When you conduct a survey, you must have access to its analytics. While
manual surveys based on pen and paper or excel sheets require additional
man-power to be analysed by experienced data analysts, it becomes much
simpler when using an online survey platform.

Statistical analysis can be conducted on this survey data to make sense of

all the data that has been collected. There are multiple methods of survey
data analysis, mostly for what is quantitative data. Most of the commonly
used types, are:

 Cross-tabulation: Cross-tabulation is one of the simplest statistical

analysis tool that uses a basic tabulation framework to make sense of
data. Raw survey data can be daunting but structuring that data into a
table helps draw parallels between different researchparameters. It
involves data that is mutually exclusive to each other.
 Trend analysis: Trend analysis provides the ability to look at survey-data
over a long period of time. This method of statistical analysis of survey
data helps plot aggregated response data over time which can be used to
draw conclusions about the change in respondent perception over time.
 MaxDiff analysis: The MaxDiff analysis method is used to understand
customer preferences across multiple parameters. For example, a
product’s pricing, features, marketing etc. become the basis for maxdiff
analysis. In a simplistic form, this method is also called the “best-worst”
method. This method is similar to conjoint analysis but is much easier to
implement.
 Conjoint analysis: Conjoint analysis is an advanced statistical research
method that aims to understand the choices a person makes in selecting
a product or service. This method offers in-depth insights into what is
important to a customer and what parameters sway their purchasing
decisions.
 TURF analysis: TURF analysis or Total Unduplicated Reach and
Frequency Analysis, is a statistical research methodology that assesses
the total market reach of a product or service or a mix of both. This
method is widely used by organizations to understand at what frequency
is their messaging reaching the audience and if that needs tweaking.
 TURF Analysis is widely used to formulate and measure the success of
go-to-market strategies.
 Gap analysis: Gap analysis uses a side-by-side matrix question type
that helps measure the difference between expected performance and
actual performance. This statistical method for survey data helps
understand the things that have to be done to move performance from
actual to planned performance.
 SWOT analysis: SWOT analysis, another widely used statistical method
organizes survey data into data that represents strength, weaknesses,
opportunities and threats of an organization or product or service that
provides a holistic picture about competition. This method helps to create
effective business strategies.
 Text analysis: Text analysis is an advanced statistical method where
intelligent tools make sense of and quantify or
fashion qualitative and open-ended data into easily understandable data.
This method is used when the survey data is unstructured.

How is a Survey Created and Designed?

As explained before, a survey usually has its beginnings when a person,
company or organization faces a need for information and there is no
existing data that is sufficient. Take into account the following
recommendations:

 Define objective: The survey would have no meaning if the objective

and the end result was not planned before administering the survey. The
methodology has to be planned for and broken down into actionable
milestones as well as the sample planned for. Appropriate survey
distribution methods for these samples also have to be put in place right
at the outset.
 Number of questions: The number of questions used in a market
research study are dependent on the end objective of the research. It is
important to note, not to ask redundant questions or questions where the
answers are already known. The length of the survey has to be dictated
only by the core data metrics that have to be collected.
 Simple language: One factor that can cause a high survey dropout
rate is if complex language is used in a survey or if the respondent finds
the language uncomfortable to understand. Therefore, it is imperative to
use easily understandable text in the survey.
 Question types: Multiple types of questions can be used in a survey. It
is important to use the question types that offer most value to the
research whilst being the easiest to understand and answer to a
respondent. Using close-ended questions like the Net Promoter Score
 (NPS) questions or multiple-choice questions help increase the survey
response rate.
 Consistent scales: If you use rating scale questions, make sure that the
scales are consistent throughout the survey. Using scales from -5 to +5
in one question and -3 to +3 in another question may confuse a
respondent.
 Survey logic: Survey logic is one of the most important aspects of
the survey design. If the logic is flawed, respondents are put off from
continuing with the survey. Logic has to be applied and tested to ensure
that on selecting an option, only the next logical question shows up.
Apart from the above mentioned points, it is important to remember that
when you ask survey questions based on past events and experience, you
will have to rely and trust on the memory of the respondents. This is a
single “assumed” variable in any survey that seeks to understand user
behaviour through past experiences and events.

Survey rate

If you build it, they will come…right? When it comes to surveys, not necessarily.

Like many of today’s savvy marketers, you’re probably looking for creative ways to bring
in new leads or contacts and learn more about them, surveys being one of them.
But creating your survey is just the start—perhaps the biggest hurdle to overcome is
actually getting your potential and existing customers to take it.

It’s likely your survey is just one of many marketing messages your audience receives
every week, so how do you cut through the noise and get them to not only pay attention
to your survey but also fill it out? Here are four effective methods for increasing your
survey response rates, from sending the right message to offering incentives:

1. The Main Message: Make Them Feel Special

To get people to want to complete your survey, express your genuine appreciation for
their participation. Consider incorporating this messaging:

 “We want to know what you think.” Emphasize the fact that you value their
opinions—and explain how their feedback will directly impact your product
roadmap or offerings, the content you send them, etc. Be as specific as possible
so they understand how you’re going to leverage their expertise and opinions.
 “Please take 5 minutes to complete our survey.” Be respectful of their time by
giving them an idea of how long it will take them to complete your survey. Don’t
guess—ask a coworker who hasn’t seen your survey to time themselves taking it.
Also, be sure to tell them how much you appreciate the time they’re taking out of
their busy day to do you a favor.

Pro tip: Make your survey as short as possible. Our research shows that 45% of survey
takersare willing to spend up to five minutes completing a survey, while only a third are
willing to spend up to 10 minutes.
2. Eye on the Prize: Provide Incentives
Sometimes, you can’t rely on goodwill alone. If you’re having a tough time getting people
to complete your surveys, try offering incentives to boost your completion rates.

 Discounts, gift cards, and raffles. Without a doubt, cash incentives increase
response rates. Yes, there are pros and cons to incentivizing surveys (e.g.
people might rush through surveys just to receive the incentive). But in the same
research cited above, out of all the people who said they take surveys because
they want a prize, 94% report they still give honest answers extremely or very
often. Just make sure that your incentive will appeal to everyone in the segment
you’re targeting. For instance, an Amazon gift card will probably be appealing to
more people than tickets to Disney On Ice.

 The “show me yours and I’ll show you mine” approach. If you’re on a tight budget
and can’t offer discounts or prizes, considering sharing the survey results with
your survey takers after you’ve collected all of your responses as the incentive
(e.g. “See how you compare to your peers.”)

3. Don’t Waste Their Time: Keep Surveys Relevant

Put yourself in their shoes: Would you spend time on a survey that doesn’t give you a
way to say “Does not apply” or skip questions that aren’t relevant to you? Probably not.

For example, if you don’t drink coffee, answering questions about your coffee habits
would be a waste of your time—plus, the answers you’d give wouldn’t be accurate or
helpful. Instead, use the following methods to keep your surveys relevant:

 Give them an out. Don’t have enough information about your prospects? Add a
screening question to send them down the right path. Here’s an example:

In general, how often do you drink coffee (hot or iced)?

Several times a day
About once a day
A few times a week
A few times a month
A few times a year
Never or almost never

If your respondents select “Never or almost never,” you can send them directly to the
end of the survey and thank them for their time. That way, you don’t get a bunch of
opinions on coffee from people who don’t drink it.

 Send them down the right path. However, let’s say you want to find out why those
people don’t drink coffee. Maybe they don’t like the taste or it’s too expensive. If
you’re a company looking to market a new brew to a niche audience, use survey
logic to send those who select “Never or almost never” to a set of questions
tailored to their answer choice.

Pro tip: Good survey platforms will give you the option to easily build survey logic rules
and multiple paths into your surveys.

4. Be Top-of-Mind: Offer Surveys in Multiple Channels

You already have your subscribers’ email addresses, so the easiest way to make sure
your survey reaches them is to send it via email. But what if they ignore the survey you
send to their inbox?

One thing that can really pique their interest is if they “run into you” all over the internet.
Try posting your survey in your social media channels or embedding it into relevant
marketing pages. You can even send surveys via SMS. By the second time they see
your survey, they’ll undoubtedly remember it. The third time it comes to their attention,
they may be extremely curious and complete the survey just to see what you’re up to.

Pro tip: Avoid spamming by mapping your survey responses to your marketing
automation platform, then exclude anyone who has completed the survey from receiving
future sends.

The Bottom Line: The More Accurate Responses, the Better

Of course, in addition to learning more about your target audience, you’ll be in a better
position to identify and analyze data trends when you receive more responses. If only 12
people take your survey, you’d be hard pressed to come up with accurate conclusions
that generalize your target market’s habits and behaviors.

Whether you’re looking to draw conclusions about your target market, learn crucial
details about your audience, or identify hot MQLs, send surveys and sync survey
feedback with your marketing automation solution to reap all of the benefits.

Method of survey

Website (link, pop-up, embedding)

If your survey relates to services or products that you deliver via your website, you can embed a
link to the questionnaire on the site. This method has the added advantage of collecting
responses without making users leave your website.

To generate attention for your online survey you could launch a pop up to encourage
participation. However, remember to let users reject the invitation to respond if they are not
interested.

Email invite
If you are sending an online survey, more than likely you are distributing it by email. Delivering by
email is quick and easy, it means you can create a personalised message that can be sent to a
set list of contacts. The recipient of the email can simply click on a link you send them in order to
visit the survey. Using email means that you can also track who has opened the email, clicked on
the link and filled in the survey. You can also resend to those on the list who have not opened the
initial email.

Don’t forget to give the respondent the opportunity to unsubscribe from any further emails if they
so choose. This applies to all communications whether sent by email, SMS, MMS or via any
other form of electronic communication.

Send by SMS
To send your survey via SMS you will need a mobile number. Therefore it is best to build the
ability to collect numbers for SMS campaigns into your marketing plans. As with email, you must
get consent before sending SMS messages, this is not only the law but will ensure you receive a
better response rate.
Using SMS means that you can target users on the move. If your survey is related to customer
experience, you can deliver the survey immediately after the event whilst it is fresh in the users
mind. This will ensure the results are likely to be more accurate.

Distribute via push or rich message via an app

The emergence of mobile messaging apps has created new opportunities for communications.
Retailers, gaming, news and financial services providers have embraced apps and app
messaging. Consumers have become more comfortable with receiving messages directly from a
brand via an app, providing another way to share the link for your survey. One thing to remember
is that the recipient must have a data connection to receive the message.

Live Survey Panels

If you need an instant audience for your survey then live survey panels provide quick access to a
group with similar demographics. You can often choose from characteristics such as age, gender
or location as well as opinions such as retail interest. Survey panels provide you with fast,
guaranteed responses. There will however be a cost associated with this option.

QR Code
Quick Response Codes (QR) are 2D barcodes that can be used to distribute a link via web or
print. To read or scan the code you will require a smartphone or tablet that can take you to the
survey. QR codes are useful if you want to add the link to printed materials or signage, as it can
be easier to scan a code than type a long URL into a browser.

Social media
Social media is a great way to extend the reach of your survey as it allows contacts to share the
survey. You can post the survey on a variety of channels and track what works best for future
campaigns. Placing a link to your survey on social media has the potential to increase its visibility
to an audience that you do not have emails or a phone number for. Placing a link on a social
networks does mean it can be shared by others resulting in you attracting a wide range of
respondents. Remember that your survey, once posted onto a social network, will be visible until
you remove the post or close the survey and you will have no control over who responds.

We hope that this has provided you with some useful information and given you with some ideas
for your next research project. For information on the best way to reach your audience with
online surveys, contact our friendly support team.