Crafting surveys can be one of the most challenging tasks for researchers, primarily because they often overlook a common mistake that turns their surveys into ineffective ones. Today, we'll discuss what to consider when crafting the responses for a powerful survey to achieve optimal results.
Have you ever wondered what a "bad survey" looks like? You probably didn't even know bad surveys existed, but if you aim to be an effective marketer, it's crucial to understand how good surveys are crafted and which mistakes to avoid. First, let's review what a survey is and how you can use it to your advantage.
A survey is a tool to collect information, offering questions that people can fill out on their own. It's powerful because it allows people to complete it wherever they are and whenever they can, without speaking to a researcher or, in some cases, even sharing their identity. This makes surveys feel like a "safe space" for expressing opinions without judgment. Surveys can provide insights on specific topics more quickly and affordably than other research methods. However, choosing the wrong set of questions can impact your study, which is what we'll discuss today.
As we've discussed in previous posts, distinguishing between qualitative and quantitative questions is crucial for your research study. Repeat after me:
“The wrong set of questions will lead to the wrong answers.”
So, I encourage you to check out that post if you haven't and return here after you've learned the difference.
Selecting between qualitative and quantitative questions is just the first step in crafting a survey. After deciding which type of survey best matches your goals, you need to choose the answers. Essentially, you're providing respondents with multiple options to select from, ensuring a truthful, unbiased, and complete survey for your study.
Seeking feedback from others can help prevent errors or biases in the responses.
In other words, a bad survey is one where the responses don't correctly match the questions. For example, if you ask for age using a typical multiple-choice response (18-25, 26-30, etc.), you won't know your respondents' exact ages. You might think age isn't relevant to your study, but what if it is for your client and you couldn't provide the answer because the age questions were improperly addressed?
There you have it. I hope I've provided an easy way to understand what makes a survey bad, so you start avoiding mistakes like crafting the wrong responses. These errors can lead to incorrect answers, wasting both money and time.
If research seems too complicated right now, don't worry. It's easier than it appears. Start practicing and continue learning from our articles on marketing research to deepen your understanding of this subject and become a proficient marketer. See you next time when we return to analyzing Disney's marketing strategy, and as always, have a magical day!