Surveys have been firmly incorporated in the midst of market research. Since they are among the oldest quantitative research methods, it’s not surprising that the insight teams have relied time and time again on the simple method to gather crucial data on the needs and wants of consumers and their habits alike. Although market research has developed throughout the years, the advancement of this particular technology has made it easier for surveys to be used as a method of analysis that can be used internally and externally.
Have they adapted enough to keep pace with the other new advancements that are taking place in the field of marketing research?
Recent advancements have been made to ensure that the methods employed are as engaging as they could be, as keeping the consumer’s attention is now more challenging than ever before.
Why is it essential to make surveys more human-like?
The most important question that drives the decisions of all professionals is: Why? Why should we be innovating this specific aspect in market research? What is the reason consumers behave the way they do? What is the reason this data doesn’t match the actions of the consumers? Why can’t stakeholders take the insights to heart as they should in the critical process of decision-making?
Making questionnaires “more human” is an attempt to make the process of capturing data more interesting.
Since the beginning, surveys have undergone little change, and it’s easy for people to become bored of doing the same thing every time. They need in-depth and processed answers, not just quickly selected options for the participant to promptly make their way through.
Additionally to this point, the consumer’s focus spans are greatly affected over the last few years by technological advancements that have improved the speed of service: We now have more fast loading speeds, faster responses, quicker delivery times, quicker and more instant gratification and more convenient customer interactions like never before.
We’ve become accustomed to having almost everything we want immediately, with little to no need to wait. This has had disastrous effects on business decision-making as well as consumer interaction.
Survey research benefits from the advantages of being familiar, but it can also lead to a sense of contempt. The majority of consumers know what the questions aim for and what they can accomplish generally, and they comprise question after question. However, the effort required on the part of consumers to fill out these surveys doesn’t equal what they gain from it. If you don’t make them better, there isn’t any incentive today that can spur participants to participate to the maximum extent to make data collection worthwhile.
The tasks we have to do:
- Improve the quality.
- Make them more engaging.
- Grab and retain respondents’ attention in a more easy-to-access manner.
- Be more personal.
This will increase participation in research right from the beginning, and the best quality data will be readily available to stakeholder decision-making in the shortest amount of time.
How can we create more human-like questions?
As we’ve mentioned, we now face the need to use different strategies to keep consumers engaged and maintain attention. What strategies can we turn to?
Unexpected Questions
To avoid monotonous questionnaires, change the kinds of questions so that respondents do not have to repeat the same question every time. This will dramatically increase the number of questionnaires your customers fill out before they are bored. It is frustrating to spend a reasonable amount of time on a question, just being asked it rephrased.
Straight to the Point
Make the study brief and short. Get rid of the lengthy questions that cover every subject in the world. Create shorter surveys for each topic you’re interested in researching instead, even if it means you have multiple open simultaneously. This will allow consumers to reach a conclusion to the questionnaire before they get distracted by another topic. In each case, only include relevant questions with easy-to-answer options to ensure it doesn’t require ridiculous time to respond.
Comprehendible Language
Use a language that participants can easily comprehend. This topic gets talked about way too often for researchers and others (and maybe more to the side of the essential advice for market research), but it’s worth noting. What can researchers expect from consumers if they have no idea what they are even being asked? Your survey should encapsulate a secure and comfortable environment for customers to unwind and fill in everything they are confident about. Fancy words may seem professional, but if participants are discouraged, it means nothing.
Comforting Tones
When conducting a questionnaire, we should use particular words that make respondents feel safe, comfortable and secure in the company. Due to the multitude of subcultures and languages worldwide, it can be challenging to know the correct terminology to use at the beginning. However, when we track the activities of a group on social media as well as how they interact with the brand, we will soon begin to recognise aspects such as words and tone that could guide our work. Additionally, do not skimp on translation fees if you plan to implement your surveys internationally. There is nothing more discouraging than a badly translated survey. It can come across as sloppy and insincere and will only cause further frustration in your respondents. Sometimes some extra expenditure can yield substantial results, so every little helps.
In Conclusion
We believe that if you make an active effort to create more personable and tactfully designed surveys, your results will skyrocket. Performance heavily relies upon interest, so if you want something done right, you better make it enjoyable!
