Worth Their While: 5 Best Rewards for Survey Respondents

What are the best incentives I can give for my online survey?

1. Monetary: Either in electronic cash, check, or gift card form.
2. Samples: A free sample of any new product or service.
3. Coupons: A significant discount on products and/or services.
4. Donations: A certain amount donated to a charity with every completed survey
5. Raffle: An entry in a raffle to win an item – usually expensive gadgets.

 

So you’ve installed your survey plugin on WordPress and you’re ready to see the data pouring in so you know the next steps to take in your online business.  However, this is easier said than done because most people have survey fatigue causing them to lose the motivation to take yours.

Fortunately, there is a way to combat this. All you have to do is make it worth their while. In other words, give them something in exchange. If you have trouble thinking of what you can offer, then you can refer to this list of the top 5 incentives you can give to your survey respondents:

1. Monetary

The most common and successful type of incentive is the monetary kind. After all, paying for accurate data makes sense. Often, the completion rate is higher in surveys that offer money as incentives. This is because a monetary reward is useful for people. It’s almost like providing money as a gift to your friend or loved one, when you have no idea what to give them. For business, when the buyer personas are yet to be fully established, such an incentive is useful.

In order to find the right amount of money to offer for your survey, the survey length must first be taken into consideration. Of course, the longer it is then the bigger the amount must be given. If you are simply asking college students to give 5 minutes of their time to answer, then a few dollars should be enough. But if you are giving the survey to a group of professionals, who have the expertise to give you the data you need and if it will take a long time to answer, then the monetary reward should be significantly higher.

2. The Sample

If you are doing your surveys right, then the target respondents for it should also be your target market in order to get useful data. With this in mind, offering them a sample of your product or service in exchange for their answer is a great way to reel them in. Knowing that they are also the market of people that regularly consume your types of products and services, this type of incentive will be attractive to them.

Imagine you own a sports drink business and you have a new flavor that you feel is the next big thing. But in order to be sure, you need to have people test it and see how they react to it. The best people to ask are those already consuming your products since they are the ones familiar with your available flavors. Maybe they are even starting to grow sick of the old ones and are yearning for something new. So why not make a survey that asks them how you can improve your products, while at the same time, offering them a taste of your new innovative flavor as a reward for sharing their thoughts? It’s a great way to get customer feedback to your old and new products.

3. The Coupon

The coupon incentive is the type of reward that businesses give to their customers in order to get discounts on their favorite products. The businesses that do this have shown to be successful in getting customers to answer their survey.

It is smarter than giving cash incentives because it costs your business less funds. In fact, it gives the company more money because people become more motivated to buy. This is even more effective when done the moment they visit your online store. People will be browsing and will be in the mood to buy products. The moment you hit them with the offer of a discount in exchange for some answers that will cost them nothing, then there is a high chance for them to take your survey for sure.

4. The Donation

This one is tricky because you have to know your audience or market well enough in order to know what charity they wish to help out. Once you know that, let them know that you will donate a certain amount to that charity in exchange for their answers and feedback.

If you get the charity right, then the content of your survey will become secondary to the desire of your customers to help those they feel are in dire need. Both you and your customers will feel good with every completed questionnaire. It is also a great PR move for the business and it will make you look good and reliable to your market. Just make sure that you deliver your end of the bargain.

5. The Raffle

The raffle incentive is simple. When customers answer your survey, they get their names entered in a raffle where they can win something of value, if they are picked.

The prizes usually include iPads, Smartphones, cars, etc. As with the rest of the incentive types on this list, do your research about your audience and see what they would like to win in a raffle. Anything within your marketing budget can be a prize.

Key Takeaway

Getting accurate data is all about giving respondents a good reason to take the time off of their day to give you accurate answers. Giving incentives is the best way to do this. This is because surveys are more efficient, when it is beneficial to both parties; it’s a give and take action that you must master in order to evolve your business.