Whatever type of survey you conduct, there are some things you should keep in mind when formulating the questions. Imagine a typical person from the group of participants you are sending the survey to and put yourself in that person’s mindset. Then try to design the questions for this person, this way you will definitely achieve better questions!
Examples of different question types
If you want to achieve a high response rate and few drop-outs, it is important to support the participants as much as possible. Different types of questions are suitable for different response options: A slider, for example, makes it easy for participants to select their answers on a scale, and a drop-down menu makes it easier to indicate age. The most common response types given in surveys are text boxes for free text answers, response types where an answer alternative can be selected, or those where multiple answer choices can be selected.
1. Formulate simply and clearly
The most important thing is to formulate the questions in such a way that every participant understands them. Therefore, formulate clearly and try to avoid words that are common in the industry.
2. Give as many answer options as possible
Not giving enough answer options can frustrate your participants and give you misleading results. It is, of course, impossible to add answer choices for all participants. Therefore, you should:
3. Add “other” to the answer specifications.
If you want to allow alternative answers in addition to your answer specifications, give participants the option to add them themselves.
4. Avoid emotionally charged words
Emotional words – whether positive or negative – can influence the participants’ responses. Therefore, try to remain neutral when formulating your questions.
5. Do not try to save time by combining several questions into one.
Do not ask: What is your experience with the support service and how do you rate its expertise? If the respondent finds the service excellent but the know-how negative, the wording makes it impossible to answer the question. 6.
6. Be clear with what you are asking
When asking questions about a specific product or event, make sure it is very clear what you are referring to. Describe the product or event if there is a possibility that there might otherwise be ambiguity.
7. Test the question
Have colleagues read and answer the questions and get their feedback. Ask them to mark anything they do not understand or do not feel is clear.
You can use our ready-made survey template to get started. And if you want to build an online form from scratch, sign up with our free online form builder today.