MarketTools Blog

So, you’re proactively using online surveys to get quick answers to questions about what your customers are interested in, or what they think about a product or service. Brilliant! Online survey tools like Zoomerang and online panels such as ZoomPanel sample are used by some of the world’s most respected brands and market researchers to conduct fast and easy online research.

But before you field your next survey, here are six signs your survey results may not be all that useful.

1.    Your mom is the only person that completed your survey
Um.  Yeah. At least she loves you, right? The truth is that relying on friends and family to help make product, marketing, or business decisions is probably not the best way to roll.  An online sample provider can provide survey respondents who are truly representative of the audience you want to reach. 

You also want to ensure that you’ve calculated the correct size for your sample population, which has a major impact on the statistical validity of your results.  Zoomerang offers Sample Size Calculators to make it easy to understand how many survey respondents you need to get more accurate survey results.

2.    mickeymouse@fake-email.com, elvis@junkmail.com, and santaclaus@northpole.com contributed to your research results
It happens. Some people actually create multiple fake aliases in an effort to complete as many surveys as humanly possible. The good news is that if your online panel provider uses TrueSample to filter out fake panelists, you can be sure that your respondents are real and unique. Otherwise there is no telling whether your survey results are all that useful. 

3.    Your respondents’ ultimate goal is to earn the points to buy enough crockpots to fill a crockpot museum
In a mad dash for panel points and rewards, some people may straightline or speed their way through surveys.  They’re not really interested in your survey subject – they may be just looking for goods or cash.  The best panel providers have the online data quality technology to screen out these unengaged folks.

4.    You have no idea who has completed your survey
If you haven’t asked your sample provider to profile your survey sample on basic attributes (like age, gender, zip codes, or income), make sure you incorporate basic demographic and behavioral information into your survey questions.  In fact, it’s a best practice to always ask for the basic attributes in each survey you send out.

5.    Your survey sample wasn’t balanced
It’s extremely important to balance your sample—in other words, to make sure it’s representative of the entire population you want to reach. But it’s not enough for a vendor to tell you that they have a balanced sample. You should always ask how the sample is balanced for age, gender, race and other demographics.

6.    You’re using paper surveys
At least it’s an improvement over stone tablets.

For more serious advice on best practices for conducting online surveys, check out The Essential Guide to Online Market Research.