Do you really need a survey?

When many people think about conducting research and connecting with customers, their first instinct is often to launch a survey. But not every situation calls for a survey. Besides making sure a survey is the appropriate method for the information you want to collect, know that they are also a big investment of your time and resources, so choose this method only when it’s necessary and you can fully commit to and when you can fully commit to executing them properly.

Surveys can have significant overhead, especially if they don't achieve the desired response rate. The average response rate typically ranges from 10% to 60%. There are a few considerations when it comes to research operations you’ll want to consider beforehand to ensure you have the time, resources, and budget to launch a survey.

When planning for your survey, it’s important to think about what’s required before the launch. Below are some important considerations to keep in mind before launching a survey.

Work your way through the questions below to help you determine if a survey is the right choice for you.

Have you checked to make sure there isn’t already existing research that covers what you’re looking for?

1. Do you have the time and resources to conduct a survey?

If you're not prepared to analyze and interpret the data (or don't have the tools and expertise to do so), you will miss out on valuable insights. Even with a simple survey design and basic analysis, you'll still need to give your respondents enough time to complete the survey; it’s unlikely that most people will complete it right away. You should also make time to test your survey and get feedback from at least one other person prior to launch, as making revision while a survey is already live is problematic and can compromise the quality of your data.

We suggest giving yourself a minimum of two weeks lead time for your survey. Check out our recommended survey timeline for more details about survey planning.

2. Have you checked to make sure there isn’t already existing research that covers what you’re looking for?

Do some background research before committing to doing a survey. If what you are looking to learn has already been asked and answered, there might not be a need for you to invest resources in conducting your own survey. Don’t underestimate the power of secondary research. It not only shows you what’s already been done, but also gives you a better understanding of your users and the current state of your product. Be mindful of how recent the information is too. It might not be relevant if there have been significant changes since it was last collected. If you need help, the UXCoE can advise you on a background research strategy.

3. Are you conducting a survey about something your users genuinely care about?

One of the biggest survey pitfalls is asking your audience about topics they are unaware of, not invested in, or don’t have strong opinions about. While collecting this data might seem important to you, consider if it is actually relevant to your users. Asking about small details that are not top of mind, like habitual behaviors, is difficult for users to recall and they won’t be able to provide the useful insights you need.

For example, asking about silverware in your restaurant likely won’t matter to your customers unless something about it really stands out.

4. Are the topics you want to ask about simple and direct enough to be covered in a survey?

Some topics are too complex and require in-depth exploration or nuanced feedback that surveys aren’t designed to capture. If your users are not able to articulate their responses appropriately in a survey, you risk getting unreliable data. If you can see yourself already relying on more open-ended format questions or find yourself unable to create short exhaustive answer options for your multiple-choice questions, there’s a good chance a survey might not be right for you. Surveys are quite rigid, other more flexible methods may be more effective for your needs. Review the research methods summary chart for other ideas to consider.

5. Are your users motivated to take your survey?

What do you know about your users’ past engagement with surveys and research? If historically their response levels have been low, this is something that you need to address first, so that your survey efforts don’t go ignored. If your response rate is low, you risk making decisions with data that is not representative of your user base.

Your audience should also have a good reason for participating in your survey. Some users may be intrinsically motivated. They like to have their voice heard and want to influence change. Others may be more motivated by rewards like money and gifts. Offering a financial incentive or showing a commitment to making changes based on the feedback could motivate your audience to participate.

6. Is now the right time for a survey?

Sometimes, users might be willing to take your survey, but the timing is not right. If your users are busy, like during final exams week, that’s probably not the best time to ask them to participate. It’s important to consider survey fatigue and avoid overwhelming your audience with too many surveys. If you know of others who are planning surveys, work together to stagger your efforts or combine them into one survey that benefits everyone. If your audience has been surveyed recently, or if you’ve conducted surveys frequently, they may be less engaged, which could result in lower response rates or poor quality of responses.

7. Are you able to make your survey accessible for all of your users?

Depending on your audience, you may need to make accommodations to ensure that everyone has the same opportunity to express themselves and without excessive effort. Accessibility also means thinking about how you will administer your survey. If your survey is online or web-based, you should confirm that your users have the digital skills necessary to interact with the survey UI. If you choose to administer your survey in-person, you must consider which locations are convenient for them. Making your survey easy to understand includes being mindful of the words, terms, and vocabulary you use, any maybe even making translation if you know your audience speaks different languages.

8. Do you have a clear post-survey plan?

Your actions after the survey. How you will communicate results, what actionable insights, decisions they will drive, what relationships they will build and influence. Prior to embarking on a survey, you should have established clear goals and how attainable. Embarking on a survey is a big investment and you must make sure your return on your investment.

If you’ve made it through all of the questions and answered them all with a confident yes, then congratulations, you should be ready for a survey. If you got some No’s or are starting to feel less sure about surveys, check out the Research Methods Chart to learn about other methods and what they are best used for. Surveys are a great tool, but not the only one. And of course talk to us at the UXCoE for more help.