Why is my survey response rate so low?
What is your response rate for the surveys you’ve been circulating recently? If it’s higher than you prefer, you could be making one of these common mistakes that cause people to disregard or abandon your surveys.
1) Your surveys are too long
Remember that you’re asking people to give up some of their already limited time in order to complete your survey. Keep it as short as possible. The average person is willing to spend about five minutes taking a survey. Unless the rewards are significant and the user has a high level of interest in the matter, your surveys need to be completed in this amount of time. You will achieve a better response rate by issuing two or three short surveys rather than one long, time-consuming survey.
2) Your surveys are boring
One reason people don’t pay attention for more than five minutes is that surveys are often boring. Market researchers have now started combating survey boredom through gamification. Gamification turns the questions and answers of a survey into fun, interactive activities that keep people interested and engaged, improving completion rates dramatically. Gamification is a powerful tool for eliminating boredom in both B2B and B2C marketing surveys.
3) Your questions are repetitive
How many ways have you asked virtually the same question in a different way? Yes, there are good statistical and psychological reasons for repeating questions, but this practice can seem boring, redundant, and frustrating for the person taking the survey. Determine the strongest way to ask a particular question and ask it only once. You can verify findings via additional marketing data or on another survey.
4) People are disqualified after spending their time and effort
Asking a participant to answer several questions, and then telling them they aren’t eligible to complete the survey or receive a reward for their time, is discouraging and frustrating for your users. This can lead to ill will between your most promising customers and your brand name. Ask qualification questions early, keep them to a minimum, and make good on the reward you promise.
5) The reward isn’t worth it
Rewards are a lure only to the extent that they are attractive and valuable. What (within your budget) would actually be of value to your target audience? Make sure the reward is commensurate to the time and effort required to complete the survey. Also, take into account the personal nature of the questions you are asking. Asking more sensitive questions calls for more valuable rewards.
6) Your survey contains glitches and broken links
Respondents won’t have much patience for a survey that isn’t working. Make sure any bugs are worked out before distributing the survey, and conduct regular tests and troubleshooting for the duration of the survey. People won’t waste their time with glitchy surveys, and it gives the appearance that you’re an amateur or that you don’t really care.
With research gamification, Datagame can help improve your response rates, lower dropout rates, and deliver better survey data.
