How To Increase Survey Response Rates?

What You’ll Learn

By the end of this lesson, you’ll be able to:

• Understand key strategies to improve the response rates of your survey.
• Learn to keep surveys short & use simple language.
• Learn sending periodic reminders, leverage social proof, and more.

1. The Restaurant Party Example

Imagine you're planning a big party in a restaurant. You're excited about the party but also a bit worried. Will everyone come to your party? Will they have fun? That's kind of like making a survey – you make it, but you also wonder if everyone will respond to your survey.

You need to execute a few time-tested methods while designing your survey so that more people will want to take it. You'll need ideas to make your surveys a little more receptive so more people will notice them and want to fill them out.

Make people really want to take your surveys. Find the best ways to make your survey interesting. As are result, your survey will have more respondents!

Finally, with the analogy we had, more people will come to your party.

2. Keep your Surveys short

Long surveys, usually more than 5 minutes, can bore the respondents. So it is necessary to keep your surveys short. Go for longer surveys only when it is needed.

When your surveys are short, more people take your surveys. It's like when a student has less homework, they will finish it with more eagerness.

Below are a few actions you can take to keep your surveys short.

• Keep your surveys simple and easy to understand.
• List only key questions you want respondents to answer.
• When you already know the answer, don’t ask that question.
• Do not lengthen surveys, especially if there is no incentive.

3. Use Simple Language

When you use clear and simple English (or any language), it is easier for respondents to fill in. It’s like giving clear instructions to a student so that he completes the homework more easily. Do not bombard the audience with complex jargon.

Below are a few advantages of using simple language in surveys.

• Straightforward questions are faster to complete.
• Clear language reduces the chances of confusion.
• Clear questions ensure accurate answers.

4. Create User-Friendly Design

A good-looking survey makes it more fun for people to answer.

You can make your surveys more appealing by making them consistent with your branding.

Below are a few points to make respondents recognize who the survey is from and make them trust it more. BlockSurvey allows you to do all of the below.

• Add your own logo
• Add your themes
• Add your fonts
• Use a custom domain

Choose a simple, user-friendly design that is easy on the eyes. Your colors should be pleasant and not too bright or dull.

A neat and attractive design can really make a difference in how people feel about answering your questions.

5. Personalize Your Survey

Personalizing your survey helps a lot. It can increase response rates dramatically by up to 50%.

When you send out your survey invitations, could you use the person's name? This makes your survey feel more like a special invitation just for them and adds a warm & humane dimension to your survey.

An example might be like,

‘Hello Cyrus, we hope you’re loving our Restaurant visit. May we ask some questions about your dining experience with us today?’

Also, tell them why their answers are important. Explain how you'll use their feedback. This shows that their thoughts really matter and are not just another response.

By personalizing your survey, you make respondents feel more special.

Respondents are more likely to take part because they feel their opinion is valued.

6. Send Periodic Reminders

When people don’t take your surveys, sending a friendly reminder can help them remember to complete your survey. It's a humble move to encourage them to participate.

Be careful not to send too many reminders. People will get annoyed with too many reminders. Usually, just 1 to 3 reminders are enough.

Make sure that your content is not the same in all reminders. Refresh your content in every new reminder.

Reminders be gentle instead of annoying spam

The challenge is to remind the audience without becoming a disturbance. Aim to increase your responses while maintaining a good relationship with your audience.

7. Choose Your Timing

You can choose the right time to send survey invitations and reminders.

Avoid sending survey invitations on Monday mornings and Friday evenings, as people might be busy. They will not be in a position to respond at those times.

The middle of the week – like Tuesday or Wednesday – is often best for getting answers. People are more likely to engage in those days.

Every group of people is different, so try sending & testing your surveys at various times.

This way, you can determine when your audience will most likely respond.

One more mode of thought is to send your survey invitations immediately when you need feedback on a purchased product. For this case, surveys sent after 24 hours have a very low response rate.

8. Leverage Social Proof

Social proof is like a friend's recommendation.

Social proof encourages people to take part in your survey. If popular people or big organizations support your survey, tell people about it in your invite. This can make respondents more interested in taking your survey.

Also, talk about your past successful surveys. Share how the feedback people gave before was helpful.

Knowing that others, especially those they trust or admire, have taken your surveys makes new people more likely to participate.

Simply put, this lets them see that their opinions make a difference. It's like others seeing the restaurant party and deciding to join as well.

9. Assure Respondent Privacy

A lot of people worry about their private information being shared. It's essential to ensure that whatever they tell you in the survey will be kept secret and safe.

Below are a few steps that you'll be able to take to ensure respondent privacy.

• Use a secure and encrypted survey platform.
• Comply with the local privacy laws & regulations.
• Be transparent with respondents about any risks.
• Avoid collecting personally identifiable data.
• Provide opt-out options at any point in the survey.

By assuring the protection of their information, people will be more comfortable answering your questions honestly and in detail.

10. Optimize For Mobile

Nowadays, more people use phones and tablets. So, ensuring your survey works well on these devices is essential.

In the context of the survey, a mobile responsive design means your surveys display well on mobile devices without zooming in or out to take the survey.

When your survey is mobile responsive, people can take it anywhere & anytime.

The mobile-friendly design accomplishes below.

• Improves survey experience.
• Increases response rates.
• Improves brand reputation.

Respondents can take surveys quickly and comfortably, increasing engagement rates.

10. Incentivize your Respondents

Giving people a little reward for filling out your survey can really help get more answers.

The reward could be something like a slight discount, a chance to win something, or unique content just for them.

According to Greenbook, a consumer research company

“⅓ of all respondents cite a desire to earn rewards or prizes as their primary reason for participating”

It's essential to choose a reward that the people you're asking will really like. This way, they'll feel more excited about participating in your survey.

Any small reward can significantly affect how many responses you get.

Test Your Knowledge

Key Takeaways

• Keep your surveys short to increase response rates.
• Send reminders to encourage respondents to complete the survey.
• Assure respondent privacy by complying with local laws.
• Optimize your survey for mobile devices.

Congratulations! You have completed this lesson.