In 7 Habits of Highly Successful Surveys, marketing experts at Vovic Corporation write:
Surveys are perhaps the most proven method for gathering data about customers in a structured way. But a number of trends have made it harder for survey authors to be successful. First, phone surveys suffered declining responses, as people thought the Do Not Call list exempted them from surveys (it doesn’t) and as households gave up landlines for cell phones (which it is against U.S. law to call in an automated fashion). Now, web survey response rates are dropping due to the rise in spam and the increasing use of smart phones to check email. A successful survey is one that is designed to meet its original goal, provides accurate data that is representative of the target population, and that improves the satisfaction level of its respondents. This whitepaper distills the seven keys to ensuring the best possible outcome for the survey author.
1. Focus on a Goal 2. Survey the Right Number of People 3. Craft Your Invitation Carefully 4. Order Questions Logically 5. Write Objective Questions 6. Shorten the Survey 7. Close the Feedback Loop