As a business owner, you know that success of your business depends on knowing what your customers want. It’s impossible to know enough about your audience. In order for businesses to survive, they need to constantly gather information about their audience, discover their likes and dislikes, and adapt to reach their needs. There are several ways to go about gathering this information. One of the most common is the survey. Surveys work well because they are done on a volunteer basis. Your customers’ participation is strictly voluntary and you can trust that for the most part, their responses will be truthful. But what is the best way to go about conducting a survey? Here are a few tips.

SMS: an effective channel

There are various methods of conducting surveys. These days, surveys by mail are all but extinct. Businesses know that customers won’t take the time to fill out a survey and mail it back. Plus, there are much more effective methods out there. Email and phone surveys became the new norm. However, many email requests for surveys go unnoticed; some email providers even send them straight to the junk folder where they’re eventually deleted unread. Surveys tend to come across as more intrusive and unwelcome and many consumers screen their calls. The new channel of choice for conducting surveys is SMS.

SMS surveys are ideal for a number of reasons. First of all, it’s practically guaranteed that your recipients will at least see your request for their participation. That’s more than can be said of other channels. Most importantly, people tend to associate texting with casualness and ease. Something about a survey conducted via text seems so much more welcoming to your customers.

What makes a good survey?

A good survey requires careful forethought and planning. In the case of SMS surveys, they also require an investment of money. The investment is well worth it, however, when you consider the valuable information that you get in return. Unfortunately, not every survey yields great information. As a general rule, the quality of the feedback will depend on the quality of your survey. Since you’re going to invest some time and money into conducting a survey, take care to do it right.

A good survey asks specific questions that won’t evoke a “yes” or “no” answer. For example, if you ask if customers are satisfied with your products, they’ll just answer with a “yes” or a “no.” If you ask them how many times they’ve returned one of your products that forces them to give an honest, thought-out answer. The answer to the second question will be a lot more helpful to you.

The most important factor in the effectiveness of a survey is its length. The longer your survey, the less likely your customers are to participate. It’s much better to have a three question survey that most of your customers will participate it than a ten question survey that very few will participate in. Make sure to tell your customers up front how many questions your survey is so they know what to expect.

Source: businessreviewusa.com/marketing/4780/3-Steps-to-a-Successful-Survey