Online Customer Surveys
With 30.1 million people in the UK gaining access to the internet every day, and 26.6 million homes having either a laptop or desktop computer, it's little wonder that electronic surveys are becoming more and more popular in the business world.Online surveys have recently emerged as essential research tools for businesses, making the more traditional surveys become increasingly obsolete as online surveys are far more cost effective than traditional ones as there are no print or labour costs involved. Additionally, they are far more accurate and the data provided is more relevant.
The speed, reliability, efficiency and cost effectiveness of online surveys can now help businesses to gain a larger return on investment than traditional surveys. Add to this that online surveying removes the need for long and costly evaluation, as the results can be analysed in 'real time' by being fed directly into analysis software, it's no wonder that online surveys are fast becoming the research method of choice for many businesses.
How it works
- 1. The client compiles a survey usually around 20 to 30 questions in length. The surveys can easily accommodate video, sound and photos
- 2. Existing and potential respondents are approached and invited to take part in the surveys by supplying their company information
- 3. If respondents are already part of a community or panel their contact information will already have been provided
- 4. Respondents will receive an email with a link to a page that will contain the survey
- 5. The respondent completes the survey online and upon clicking on "submit" the survey content is sent directly to the hosting company
- 6. The results are then instantly fed back into the analysis software and results can be updated in real time or off line (if more complex analysis is required)
- 7. The results can either be made available to view via a secure portal on the client website via a dashboard or can be sent directly to the client (as tables) in PDF
Advantages of Online Surveys
- Higher response rates than traditional methods
- A wide variety of studies can be conducted online such as employee satisfaction surveys, advertising research, etc.
- Survey results and statistical compilation is usually done in real time
- Final reports and results can be disseminated within a few hours as opposed to a few weeks
- Global surveys are easy as the geographic location of respondents has no bearing on the efficiency or quality of the data
- The efficiency of online surveys help to reduce the time for new services and products to get to market
- Because online surveys are presented to all respondents in exactly the same way then interviewer bias is eradicated
- Final data quality is of a much higher standard due to convenience for the respondent being able to read and understand the questions etc.
- Online surveys are more convenient for respondents as they can take the survey at their leisure
- Respondents only take part in online surveys after receiving an e-mail invitation / notification (i.e. they are not coerced into taking the survey)
- Multimedia advantage - pictures, audio and video can all be included
- Easy to segment and target specific demographic groups therefore the information gained is more accurate
- Online surveys are far more cost effective than more traditional methods such as telephone or face to face surveys.
- With a societal trend for having everything "online" and digitized, online research is the new way to conduct research