For those looking to undertake market research, commissioning a consumer survey is one of the best ways to gain useful and viable insights. However, consumer surveys largely rest upon one thing: the audience being surveyed. Despite what many think, the quality of survey panels is not always guaranteed.
Companies commissioning surveys need to appreciate that survey respondents are not a commodity, they are human beings who get bored, cut corners and need motivating – and they need to be treated accordingly. There are of course other things to take in to consideration such as the type of questions being asked and the way you ask them, however, it all begins with the panel.
This misunderstanding of the nature of respondents isn’t just an issue for companies that are in the business of supplying audiences for online surveys. It matters to the wider market research industry which relies on these audiences and it matters to the brands which use this research to make product and marketing decisions.
By not paying attention to the human element of survey panels, research outcomes are being negatively impacted.
One thing guaranteed to bore a respondent is an overly long survey. The length of a survey has a direct link to the accuracy of the results. Almost 60% of our panels spend more than 15 minutes answering surveys at a time, and almost 80% would consider a survey longer than 15 minutes. However, many admit to occasionally speeding through the process, citing boredom or lack of/low incentives. Almost a third of respondents have said they’ll click random answers if they are presented with too many options. With average survey times now regularly exceeding 20 minutes (when 15 minutes seems to be an upper limit for many respondents), incentives need to be increased in order to capture high quality data and avoid this trend of speeding through surveys.
However, in order for researchers, brands and panel companies to ensure that they’re getting the best out of panels, they need to recognise that not all panels are equal. For a long time competition for research audiences has been driven by price, but this is not going to optimise the research outcomes. By looking at the audience in detail we can understand where the value really lies. For example, we should be asking ourselves: what is the recruitment methodology? Can respondents be tracked back to source? What are the dropout rates for the panels? All of these indicators will show the value of a panel in terms of quality of audience.
In addition, the importance of making the survey device optimised cannot be stressed enough. Respondents are increasingly taking surveys on smartphones and tablets and many surveys do not take this into account. According to a recent report from comScore, users are consuming more digital media through their mobile than their desktop. Respondents shouldn’t be expected to sit at a desktop for 30 minutes answering questions, instead surveys should be shortened, and optimised for mobile. As we all know, time is precious, therefore a quicker and more user friendly process is more likely to ensure that respondents remain engaged throughout the questionnaire, which means the survey needs to be efficient. Rather than providing a raft of questions, work out what you need to know and what you already know and ask only the pure minimum. This will give you the best results.
Consumer surveys are a powerful weapon for market researchers and when done well they can provide a wealth of insight and data. But, the results of any survey are only as good as the respondents taking that survey. Therefore, always bear in mind the differences in quality across panel providers, and always keep in mind the potential needs and wants of your respondents. In order to keep them happy and maximise your data accuracy, ensure you are not feeding them overlong surveys and always offer a mobile optimised version.
By Ben Leet, UK MD of Instantly.
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