Purpose of a Online Survey

Online surveys are structured interviews with users, where you display a list of questions online and record users' responses. You can use this technique at any stage of development: (1) Before you redesign your website, or (2) After you launch a new design. An online survey can also be a persistent item on your site that allows you to continually gauge how users view your site and identify ways to make the site better.

How do you conduct a survey?

• Decide why you are surveying your users.
• Decide where you will find the people you want to survey. (i.e. customers, interest lists, inquires).
• Post the survey to your website on a separate page or send an email to approved participants.
• Keep the survey short. Under 10 items is preferable.
• Make the survey easy to implement. It should take the user no longer than 10 minutes to complete.
• Use closed-ended or multiple choice questions. These types of questions are easier for your user to answer. People do not like to answer open-ended questions (these are questions that require the user to write something in a box).
• On your survey, ask if people are interested in answering more in-dept questions. If so, follow up with an electronic questionnaire.
• Consider combining an online survey with individual interviews via the telephone. This tactic allows you to go deeper into the interview process.

Use Online Survey

Use the data collected from your online survey to supplement other user data