Analyzing and understanding a survey can be a complex process, it requires statistical knowledge and experience to help your business. Yet planning and creating that same survey is much less discussed and ultimately much more important. A survey improperly planned creates data that is useless no matter how it is analyzed.
The big questions to ask in creating a quality survey are why and what? Why is the survey being created? What is trying to be measured? What should be the length of the survey? And what platform should host the survey (or should it be done physically)? It’s typical to reassess these questions as the process continues, but there should be a base. If these questions aren’t answered the survey may end up directionless and eventually useless.
Another key consideration is what questions to use. They should, of course, match what is trying to be measured, but there’s more to it. Are these questions fair? Do they lead the participant to an expected answer? Do they make assumptions? Are they concise and clear? While making a survey every question seems fine, but having someone else take it can reveal that isn’t the case. This makes testing a powerful tool in survey creation.
These aren’t terribly complex or hard steps to take, but they’re easily missed. This is the fundamental challenge in making a survey. It’s easy enough to ask someone questions, but it’s hard to do it right. So for anyone looking to make a survey, plan and test rigorously, otherwise it may all be for null.
