10 secrets for crafting great website surveys
Asking questions may seem simple enough, but doing it effectively is a form of art. To be exact, it’s the art of asking the right questions. And nowhere is that more evident than with website surveys. The key to running surveys on your website is to always remember that every respondent is a visitor whose valuable time you’re taking up. And they’re not just any visitor, they’re one of your visitors. You need to make sure their experience answering your questions is as smooth as possible.
Here are some 10 secrets you need to know for crafting website surveys that respondents love answering and effectively deliver data.
1. Give a motivating reason why people should answer your survey
A respondent isn’t going to take the time to answer your survey without a reason to do so. Most first-time survey writers assume that means something that benefits them personally. But in truth, contributing to a greater good or helping someone else is pretty motivating. That’s why you should always make sure to include how you will use the survey's results in its introductory text. And you also have to use the insights gained from your survey in a way that’s noticeable to the respondents. There's nothing worse than leaving feedback into thin air.
2. Make sure the respondent has a way out
Sounds funny, right? But it’s not a joke. The phrase “a way out” means the respondent can take your web survey without being trapped when they’re not able to answer a question. So, for example, if you're asking about the search function on your website, you should include "I didn't use the search function" as one of the possible answers to choose. That’s a way out. The most common way out for a website survey question is the answer option “Other”.
3. Your question should be objective
For example, do not write ”Do you think our website is good?” Instead, write ”What do you think about our website” and use ”Good” as an answer choice.
4. Keep it short
It’s important to keep the overall survey brief but not too brief. You have to keep in mind that after 3-4 questions, most respondents get tired and start to drop off. In a general survey, which monitors the well-being of your website, we recommend a maximum of 10 questions. Need to ask more? Use a targeted survey to ask specific questions to a specific audience.
5. Keep the questions and possible answers short
It's not just the number of questions that you should limit. You should also limit the length of both your questions and the possible answers. A survey, especially if it's on a website, should be short and easy to answer. The respondent should know exactly what the question is about and know what to answer in as little time as possible. Stick to simple sentences and the language as down-to-earth as possible. You also don't need to use correct grammar. Remember: your aim is for the respondent to quickly understand what you're after.
6. Think about the next step
Sometimes you create a survey, and just as a reflex, you add questions about age, gender, and occupation. But do you need that information to analyze your result? For every question, ask yourself: "How will I use this when I analyze the results later?" Whatever data you collect, it should be something that you can take action on. So, for example, if you’re asking the gender of your respondents, what can you change on your website if you discover men are more likely to have a successful experience than women?
7. Avoid statement questions
Try not to write questions like “This is a great website” with answers like “I agree/disagree” with different scales in between. People tend to agree with statements. This is something that even has its own term, it’s called “acquiescence bias.” It's risky to use statements in a survey, and you may get skewed results.
8. Logically structure your questions
Make sure your survey has a logical and correct flow to it. Start with some easy questions that ask about your website visitors. People love to talk about who they are. Don’t start off by asking hard questions that force people to directly evaluate your website.
9. Make sure the questions you ask don't affect how people answer
What you ask will sometimes color how the respondents reply. Stay away from leading questions. For example, don't ask “Do you think our website is easy to use?". Instead, ask how people experience the usability of your website. Also consider how the structure of your survey may change things. If one choice alternative leads to four follow-up questions, respondents might change their original answer to avoid answering extra questions.
10. Free-text questions should always be voluntary
People hate it when they need to write things. If your free-text questions are compulsory expect non-answers like "..." or "yes".
Want some help creating your website surveys? Our Extellio platform features a bunch of ready-made surveys for almost every industry. If you need more help, you can get your own analyst with our Support and analysis offers. Believe us, it's worth every penny.
