Online surveys today are one of the fastest and most effective tools for collecting and analyzing data. For example, you can check customer and employee satisfaction, measure the liking of a new product, predict voting intentions, conduct online market surveys, and much more.
Thanks to the massive presence of the Internet in our daily lives, online surveys are one of the most effective data collection methods. In fact, according to 2022 data, more than 60 percent of the world’s population has an online presence.
How to create a web survey?
Let’s start with the basics. To create a survey online, you need to equip yourself with a survey software to create and distribute your survey on the Internet, based on the the CAWI methodology.
A web survey in 3 phases
A web survey consists mainly of 3 steps:
- Design the survey: at this stage, you will add questions and answer options to your project. You need to be careful about the type and number of questions you add. A questionnaire that is too long may discourage responding and increase the dropout rate of your survey. Conversely, a questionnaire that is too short may not be sufficient to gather the information needed for your analysis.
- Distribution of the questionnaire: once you have finished the script, you should distribute it to your audience so that respondents can answer the questions you have designed by clicking on the link, The distribution can be anonymous if you do not know your respondents in advance or authenticated if you already have the list of people to invite.
- Data analysis: at the end of the collection, your data will be ready for analysis. Depending on the tool you have selected, you will be able to download the raw data or see the results of your questionnaire online. For example, idSurvey offers both downloading data in six different formats and viewing reports and statistics online.
IdSurvey offers both the download of data in six different formats and the consultation of reports and statistics online.
How do I reach my audience with online surveys?
With professional survey software on the market today as IdSurvey, it is possible to reach a wide and diverse audience through online questionnaires that can be accessed through a link.
These links can be distributed to your sample by various methods.
If you have a list of contacts to invite, you can send an email or text message containing the survey link. In this case, the distribution can be traced, so you can monitor the progress of your survey and send reminders – if necessary.
Or, you can share the link on social media, post the link or QR code on a website, or use a panel provider. In the latter scenario, you will decide when to close the survey and end data collection.
In either case, the respondent will immediately access the survey by clicking on the link, and their answers will be saved in real-time in your platform’s database.
How to choose the most suitable survey software an online survey?
Your choice of online survey software can influence the final result of your research. Depending on the tool you use, you may or may not benefit from some key features:
- All-in-one: Your work will be easier if you have software that allows you to cover all stages of a survey in the same space. Look for a tool that allows you to create the questionnaire, distribute the link, and analyze the data in a single interface (such as IdSurvey).
- No limitation: some online survey software often has limitations to its use (especially the free ones): limitations in the number of questions, limitations in the number of responses, limitations in customizing the layout, or limitations in data analysis. Having a professional and flexible tool means collecting reliable and valuable data. Don’t be fooled by the word “free”: quality has its price!
- Make a good impression: when creating a survey online, the eye wants its share. Some tools do not allow you to customize either logo or template of your questionnaire. As trivial as it may seem, presenting yourself well to the respondent can be very helpful in getting a higher response rate.
- Mobile friendly: did you know that nearly 70 percent of the population accesses the Internet via mobile devices only? It is most important that your online questionnaires be responsive, that is, able to graphically adapt to the device with which they are opened. Spoiler: not all survey software guarantees this.
- Analyze all data: the ultimate goal of your survey is to analyze the data and use it profitably for your business. Some software only allows you to download the raw data in certain formats or only to view the aggregated data online. Instead, you must be able to follow in real time the results you are collecting, but also to download all the responses collected for more technical and detailed analysis.
By now, you should have all the basic information you need to create and distribute an online survey. Start your research professionally and effectively today!
