Ways to Get a Higher Response Rate from your Survey

How can you increase your survey response rate?

1. Keep it short and simple
2. Use survey tools
3. Send reminders and notifications
4. Make your survey accessible
5. Let them know your survey’s purpose
6. Make your respondents feel special

While the success of your survey is entirely up to your potential respondents, it is very difficult to get people to take the time to answer surveys. Nonetheless, there are many successful tricks that you can use, such as using the WordPress survey tool, to encourage more people to respond. Here are some tips to help you get the response rate you are looking for.

1. Keep it short and simple

One way to get a higher response rate is to be considerate of your respondents’ time. Nobody wants to answer a survey that will take up more than a few minutes of their time. Thus, it is important to keep your survey as short as possible. Avoid placing unnecessary questions that are irrelevant to your goal. Another tip is to state how long it will take to answer your survey because respondents will also want to know this from the beginning. When sending out your survey, you can add short messages stating exactly how much time it takes. For example, you can add a message saying “Please take three to five minutes to answer our survey”. In addition to keeping your survey short, you must also make sure that it is simple and easy to understand for all respondents. Avoid using jargons and technical terms that not all respondents will understand since this will discourage them from answering.

2. Use survey tools

One key part of getting a high response rate is being able to reach a large number of people. This is a very difficult and tedious task to do manually, especially if you plan to send your surveys through email. One easy way to get your survey to reach more people is to make use of online survey tools. There are many free online tools available, like the WordPress survey tool, which make it extremely easier to get more respondents. In addition to increasing your reach, survey tools also make the overall process of creating surveys and collecting results a lot more convenient.

3. Send reminders and notifications

Another way to increase your chances of more people answering your survey is to notify your potential respondents beforehand. Results from previous surveys have shown that people who expect a survey to be sent to them are more likely to answer. Additionally, sending one or two reminders to those who do not respond can also help in increasing your response rate. When sending notifications and reminders via email, make sure to use an appropriate “from” name and subject line to prevent users from pressing the spam button.

4. Make your survey accessible

Another tip is to make your survey easily accessible because respondents will not bother to answer a survey that is inconvenient for them. Make sure that your survey can be answered on a wide range of devices such as computers, cellphones, tablets, and more. You should also test your survey to make sure that it actually works on a wide range of devices before sending them out. For instance, if you are sending your survey through email, make sure that the attached links work. Another tip is to use platforms that majority of your target audience and demographic uses.

5. Let them know your survey’s purpose

Everyone nowadays is increasingly cautious of whom they send any sort of information to, online, so it is important to establish your credibility. One you can do this is to inform your respondents on the purpose of your survey and how the results will be used at the beginning of the survey. Be as specific as you can on how your respondents’ inputs will help you and your company so that they are more inclined to answer. Another tip is to brand your survey so that your respondents will know that they are giving information to a reputable company.

6. Make your respondents feel special

To further encourage people to respond, attach a message not only inviting them to answer but also making them feel special. You can do this by emphasizing how important their insights are to you and your company. Showing that you genuinely value your respondents’ opinions will get more people to actually want to help you and result in higher response rates. Another way is to tailor your message for each respondent by addressing them by name, although this may be difficult for wide-scale surveys.

Key Takeaway

It is important to remember that your respondents are doing you a favor by taking time out of their day to answer your survey. Because of this, remember to make your survey as convenient and easy for them to accomplish as possible.