How do you choose the best survey tool for you?

1. Understand Why You Need a Survey Tool
2. Determine Essential Features
3. Create a List of Survey Tools
4. Assess Your Choices

Looking to learn how to choose the best survey tool? There are tons of tools to choose from and it can be a challenge to pick the perfect one. Choosing a survey tool is somehow similar to choosing a car. You will need to be smart and efficient when looking at the different features bundled in a specific tool. Picking the right one can make a huge impact. Here’s how you can find the best one for you.

Understand Why You Need a Survey Tool

When you’re shopping for specific items, comparing prices and features is quite common. Essentially, you should be doing the same for your survey tool. Discover and understand why you want a tool in the first place. Survey tools are not a one size fits all. You may have to navigate the market for a while to find a few tools that appeal to you. You will then proceed to compare and contrast each one to determine which is the best fit for your needs.

When trying to find survey tools, you will need to understand your customers. Look at the current data that you already have, and piece together a comprehensive profile that lists down any common factors and how each customer interacts with your existing products.

You can also try putting yourself in the customer’s shoes and asking yourself what they look for and what they’d like to see in a survey. Some customers may enjoy using visual aids and mobile-friendly formats. You may also gather information within your internal staff and team members when it comes to choosing a survey software.

If you already have a tool on hand but are looking for an upgrade, it would be wise to make an outline of what you’re currently missing and what needs to be addressed. The current gaps in your tool can determine what kind of new survey tool you will get in the future.

Determine Essential Features

While it is possible to find a tool that has a diverse set of features that covers everything you need, it can be overwhelming for you to manage and for your customers to answer. You will need to ask yourself what features are essential to your business and why you need them. You can have 1000 features within your survey tool but that doesn’t always mean that you can get the best data and outcome.

An overwhelmingly complicated process can frustrate you and your customers. Make it easier by keeping it simple and within the lines of essential features you need. On the other hand, non-essential features can be added later on as an upgrade. Consider these upgrades as welcome additions to your current tool to provide and improve customer experience and back-end organization.

Create a List of Survey Tools

After determining the features you need, construct a list of the potential survey tools that you plan to use. There are a lot of survey tools out there and you will need to organize them accordingly so you can be guided easily into finding the best one. Creating a spreadsheet with information about prices, features, and other determining categories will help keep things organized and make your research process smoother.

After creating a curated list, you can then view and select which ones fit your criteria the best. Try utilizing your spreadsheet and ask any colleagues and fellow team members to see if they’re familiar with the tools you have listed. It can be tempting to try more than ten survey tools, but narrowing it down to your top five will help you deep dive into your chosen candidates.

Assess Your Choices

It’s important to take a closer look into each survey tool that you’ve chosen. Check if the tool will allow you to have a free trial or if you’re able to get a quick demo. As much as possible, you want the survey tool to be compatible with what you’re currently experiencing. A good tool should integrate with what you currently have in your set. A good survey tool should also have the ability to quickly integrate with your team members. It should be easy to use, easy to learn, and should have enough support from the company in case there are errors. Does the tool you choose have personalization options? What is the available level of reporting included?

Key Takeaway

Now that you know how to choose the best survey tool, it’s time for you to start searching! Picking the right one will satisfy your needs and upgrade what you currently have. You can choose one easily and carefully with this curated guide.