No question about it — Associations are conducting more surveys than ever. But are they generating the high-quality data needed to make good decisions?
Kristin Clarke, CAE, interviewed Douglas Meyer with The Opinion Collective and SurveyMonkey’s, Sarah Cho, about trends in surveys.
Check out these trends to boost your survey savvy:
Start backward
Meyer encourages organizations to ask themselves what they actually, really want to know. This results in fewer, but more targeted and higher-quality questions.
Keep mobile in mind.
“Mobile surveys are ’the big thing’,” says Cho. More than 1/3 of surveys are completed on mobile devices.
A survey on a desktop computer can look radically different on a tiny smartphone screen, so careful design and testing are essential.
To encourage smartphone participation, Cho says a survey should include a maximum of 20 questions, with multiple questions displaying on a page.
Consider Timing
Survey timing is critical. “Seriously consider when your audience will be thinking about you and your issues,” says Meyer.
The Takeaway
Surveys can offer a valuable glimpse into members’ minds and identify their needs and preferences.
Focus on the one requirement that won’t change: “We need to make sure the respondent has a good experience,” Cho says. “Otherwise, without the respondent, you don’t have a survey.”
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