If surveys provide a way to connect with consumers, it’s only logical that companies want to get them right. Pre-testing a survey before it hits the masses is a way for them to ensure that what they are asking consumers to respond to is, in fact, meaningful, efficient and capable of producing results. Otherwise, consumers see the survey as only one more nuisance to handle, refusing to complete it, or worse, knowingly peppering it with useless information. Here are three ways testing your survey can help insure a positive user experience and, thus, enhance brand equity:
Evaluating your survey for the amount of time it takes to complete helps you fine tune your thoughts and streamline your questions. People are busy. No one wants to spend a lot of time running nowhere or running over the same ground. By gauging the minutes spent on each question, as well as the total amount spent on all of them, you can determine what needs to be amended in order to make the shortest and most concise survey possible. Trust us; your respondents will thank you for your consideration, thereby raising their view of you.
Poorly worded questions with typos and/or ambiguous meaning indicate a lack of respect for the people you are addressing. By not proofreading and testing your survey, you are either assuming that you can’t make mistakes or that your respondents won’t notice them if you do. It implies arrogance and superiority, traits seldom displayed in satisfactory relationships.
A survey that has been piloted is one that has been tested, among other things, for relevancy. Knowing how to make questions that demonstrate a knowledge of the people answering them is one of the best ways of proving your interest in the market at large. People are much more likely to help you if they feel like they can! Evaluate your survey to see if the people in your target population really have the answers to the questions you want to know and modify either the questions or the population as needed.
Testing your survey is a critical part of the research process. For additional tips check out Engage, a handbook created by our colleagues at Global Research Business Network or download our free guide to online surveys below. You may also contact our team at Communications for Research (CFR). We can assist you with all aspects of the survey process.