Response rate determines if your surveys are curated for the right target respondents. However, if your survey does not get the right number of response rate, results get skewed. In this blog, we will discuss how to increase the engagement rate of a survey.
Why is Survey Engagement Important?
Survey engagement is required to collect accurate data and improve gaps in customer experience. High survey engagement brings thoughtful, honest responses. Engaging surveys improve response rates and positively impact brand perception. Here are some factors to consider:
Your Target Audience:
Understand your target audience and identify their preferences. This is the foundation for crafting relevant questions.
Demographics:
Factors such as age, gender, and location can influence how people respond to questions. Demographic data can also be used to segment survey results and understand specific groups. However, remain mindful of any potential biases or assumptions when analyzing survey data.
Psychographics:
Psychographics will tap into a person’s personality traits, values, and interests. You can tailor your questions to their preferences and generate more meaningful responses. Obtaining psychographic data is easier than ever with online tools such as social media insights and customer feedback forms. Craft questionnaires that captivate respondents and deliver valuable insights.
12 Tips to Create A High Survey Response Rate
Here are 12 tips that can help you create compelling customer feedback forms.
1. Customize your survey for your audience
Consider factors such as age, gender, occupation, and location to tailor them specifically for your target audience. Look into post-purchase surveys that get triggered at certain touchpoints. Example, people can opt to fill a survey during their first in-store purchase. This will capture their in-moment shopping experience. This way, people feel valued and validated from the brand. Personalization can also be with relation to particular customer grievances for offering appropriate solutions.
2. Use attention-grabbing survey headlines
When inviting customers to fill a feedback form, use an attention-grabbing subject line that clearly communicates the survey’s purpose. Many people scan subject lines and may not open emails from businesses. A concise, engaging headline and introduction in the questionnaire can increase response rates. It can explain the survey’s relevance and benefits. Use persuasive language and keep it conversational to motivate participation.
3. Keep the survey tone conversational
Creating a personal and conversational survey can significantly increase response rates. Use friendly and informal language. Address the respondent by their name if possible. Include open-ended questions to encourage thoughtful and detailed responses. This will encourage people to participate in your future feedback surveys.
4. Keep questions short, simple, and specific
Long, complicated questions can confuse respondents. This can cause cognitive fatigue. Keep questions short, simple, and specific to improve the quality of responses. Avoid using technical jargon or complex language that may confuse respondents. Avoid leading questions that may bias responses. Consider using multiple choice or rating scale questions to provide more structured responses. This approach ensures a straightforward survey experience for participants.
5. Value your respondents’ time
People are busy and don’t want to spend too much time answering questions. Keeping your questionnaire short and to the point is key. You can also aim for specific micro-surveys that do not need much time to fulfill. Focus on 2 to 3 questions that are experience oriented.
6. Add variety to your questions and response options
Consider a variety of questions and response options. Include appropriate and different types of questions: multiple choice, open-ended, and rating scales. This can increase engagement and gather more comprehensive data. Additionally, including both positive and negative response options to provide a more nuanced view of customer opinions.
7. Use visuals to enhance question navigations
Visuals can make surveys more appealing and easier to understand. Visuals such as icons, images, graphics, and charts can enhance navigation. Using relevant visuals that do not distract from the survey’s purpose. Moreover, visuals in surveys can break up text-heavy sections and present data in a clear manner.
8. Ensure compatibility across multiple platforms
Every survey should be compatible across multiple devices (android, iOS and computer systems). Creating a responsive design can reduce friction points and high drop-out rates. Testing your survey on multiple devices can identify compatibility issues and offer a seamless experience for all respondents.
9. Offer survey incentives for participation
Survey incentives can motivate people to complete a survey. This can include discounts, free products, or gift cards, which are relevant to your customers. To create excitement and interest, consider offering a sweepstakes or prize for completing the survey. Clear communication about the incentive and how to redeem it can increase participation rates and improve the quality of survey responses.
10. Timing matters – when to send your survey
Sending surveys at the right time can maximize participation rates. Avoid sending surveys during holidays or other periods when people may be less likely to respond. Sending the in-moment survey, i.e. close to the time of the customer’s interaction with your business. For example, sending a survey immediately after a purchase or service experience to get more relevant feedback.
Tip: avoid sending too many surveys in a short period of time. This will lead to survey fatigue and decrease participation rates.
11. Use customizable survey templates
Survey templates reduce manual work and help build surveys quickly. However, it’s important to use them with care and customize them to your specific needs. Generic survey templates may not address your unique business requirements or capture relevant insights. Customizing survey design can help you tailor questions to your target audience so that you collect relevant data from your customers.
12. Pre-test survey campaigns
Pre-test survey campaigns before releasing it for public usage. Demo test the questionnaire among a sample audience. You can detect gaps which you can correct in advance.
Merren Increases Survey Response Rate by 17%
Merren CX is an AI-driven customer feedback tool that does not need any coding experience to operate.
- Built customized survey templates for any industry and any campaign. All templates are pre-designed and pre-tested.
- Use this AI survey builder to create instant AI-driven surveys in a few clicks.
- Merren has responsive survey channels: WhatsApp surveys, Facebook messenger surveys , chatbot surveys and dynamic email surveys. These channels get more response rate over traditional mediums.
- Merren’s AI-based open ended questions customize new questions based on previous responses. This method brings more genuine responses from customers. Read about it here.
Conclusion
Effective surveys are a great way to gather customer data. Brands need constant feedback from their patrons to make better business decisions. Use the tips on this blog to craft better surveys. Consider using simple questions, survey rewards and multichannel platforms to share your surveys.
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