Tips to Make Survey Forms
Writing good survey questions is key to getting actionable survey responses. Our guide on writing questions for surveys and polls will help you get the responses you need.
Tips for Writing a Great Survey or Poll:
Do these before creating your survey form
- Determine the objective of the survey
2. Introduce the survey’s purpose
3. Determine your target audience
4. Let the survey reflect the correspondent’s language
5. Use formatting, page titles, and instructions to keep your survey logical.
6. Ask brief questions and stick to specifics.
Before we proceed further, we should explain that the type of question you ask will significantly affect your pool. For example, poorly written and weak questions that confuse correspondents will undermine your effort. Also, you should do your best to avoid questions that will lead respondents towards a bias or particular response. Try straightforward questions instead.
Decide between open and close-ended questions:
Close-ended questions require a simple yes or no answer. In contrast, open-ended questions require your correspondents to add their comments or opinions in a provided space. If you want, you can include Likert rating scales and multiple-choice options.
Close-ended questions provide data that are easy to capture and analyze. It is also useful for measuring variables and generating quantitative data, and the answers are always conclusive or objective. In other words, it is not affected by bias. However, if you want to generate qualitative data, use open-ended surveys.
Ask only neutral questions
Use neutral answer choices
Back to our example, “We think we do a good job of satisfying our customers. How awesome is our service?” Let us assume you give the following options:
Helpful
Very helpful
Extremely helpful
Again, there is no opportunity to oppose your view. So, diversify your options and make sure they include all possible outcomes. For example,
Very helpful
Very unhelpful
Helpful
Not helpful, etc.
Don’t confuse your respondent:
Don’t ask for two opinions on different topics at once. For example, don’t ask customers to rate your product delivery and customer service in a single question since they are separate topics. If you do this, your correspondent will answer one and leave the other or provide irrelevant answers. Separate your questions and ask them individually.
Ask optional questions:
Give allowance for questions your correspondent may feel uncomfortable answering. If you insist that they answer all questions, they may select random answers. Also, don’t ask the same questions over and over again.
Format your survey:
Include visually engaging content and present your information in ways that won’t confuse your correspondent. Make your content scannable and use a rich text editor so that you can explore various formatting options. Then, test your survey before administering it to detect any errors.
How to Create a Survey Form?
An online survey form is the most efficient way to get insights without wasting time, money, or effort. Not just the creation, but you can also administer surveys online. A form builder software allows you to build forms, add themes, embed forms, and integrate them with apps. If you don’t want to build a survey form from scratch, you can use survey templates to make your work easier.
Conclusion:
Designing a survey takes effort and time. However, if you invest in thoughtful questions and design, you will gather high-quality data and faster results.
