How to Create an Effective Market Research Survey?

Market research surveys are very essential in modern-day business and consulting practices. Research surveys help in soliciting honest feedback about an existing product or a new product launch. It can give critical insights and data about the behavior of potential customer segments/ pricing range/ competition, etc. Likewise, it tells a lot about how the customers perceive your brand. 

Also, the quality of data in the survey is generally good with limited scope for bias. Market research surveys are multipurpose and can be used across a range of activities, like- segmentation analysis, customer loyalty surveys, advertising research buyers’ personas, etc. They are applicable in a wide range of industries, such as retail, manufacturing, professional services, IT & technology, digital consumerism, consumer durable, etc.

However, while designing and implementing a survey piece, one needs to take care of a few things. There are some dos and don’ts in a survey design. Mentioned below is the blueprint of a survey design.

Set Clear Research Objectives

It is very important to understand the exact goal/ objective of the survey. What problems are they trying to solve, or which opportunities are you trying to evaluate? Defining the goals/ objectives is very important in survey design. The absence of a clearly defined objective is like traveling without a GPS. Having the right objective in mind also helps in selecting the right set of relevant questions, which are in tune with the survey objective.

Keep it Short & Simple

It is advisable to avoid long surveys and keep them short and simple. Some might not even start if they realize that it is going to take a lot of time to complete the survey. Also, long surveys inherent the risk of poor data quality. During a long survey, the respondent might lose interest and start ticking without giving much thought. This will adversely impact the data quality. 

Keep Neutral Tone

It is suggested to keep a neutral tone in the survey as it helps in reducing errors and biases. Respondents have in general numerous biases, such as acquiescence bias (always willing to answer a yes), confirmation bias (to conform to the prescribed social norms), extreme response bias (always giving an extreme response), etc. Hence, it is advisable to keep a neutral tone, as it will help the respondents to think clearly in an unbiased fashion.

Avoid Open-Ended Questions

One should avoid open-ended questions in a survey as much as possible. Respondents do not like to write much, and an open-ended question might create some fatigue. No one wishes to specify too much. Looking at the open-ended questions, one might lose interest in the survey. Instead, it is good to have options in most of the questions. Having options gets more responses. 

Give Options

As a natural progression to the previous section, it is important to add an option(s). It helps the respondents give better answers. It also keeps the interest of the respondents hooked up in the survey.

Try to Make a Logical Flow 

While designing a survey, one should adhere to a logical flow of survey questions. Failing to follow a well-structured and logically intact flow will make the survey cumbersome and divert the respondent from the core research objectives. Having a logical flow also helps the survey designer to obtain inputs/ insights in a systematic and organized manner. Moreover, it keeps the interest of the respondents hooked to the survey. 

Pretest the Survey 

Often overlooked, but this is highly important. A survey needs to be pretested. If the budget is limited, one should just pretest it with 5-10 people, as pretesting is the necessary step in the survey-designing process. There are a multitude of benefits of survey pretesting. For instance-

Ø It can tell whether respondents understand the survey or not. 

Ø It can tell whether respondents liked the survey or found it a bit boring.

Ø Respondents can suggest if any option(s) is missing. 

Ø Respondents can suggest if any question is undesirable.

How can The India Watch Help? 

The India Watch is an India-based market research agency. We work with retail companies, corporate, investors, etc., to help them with various types of market research. Our range of services includes but is not limited to:- 

For any further queries, feel free to drop us a mail at Info@theindiawatch.com.