Lets first understand survey response rate? What counts as a good survey response rate?
For Survey research, the response rate is the percentage of people gained which means formatically. Responses Rate = Number of People Who Answered the Survey * 100 / Number of People to whom the survey was sent On average, a normal public survey has a response rate ranging from 5% to 33%. A good response should have a response rate of 50% or higher. A lower response rate might make the survey data void as it may give rise to sampling bias. If you ask 100 students across different standards if they are comfortable with their current load of homework, the ones from lower classes might answer yes while their upperclassmen might not answer the survey at all due to being too busy. Therefore having an above-average survey response rate is a prerequisite to collecting proper data and publishing valid results. But that is easier said than done, as you can see above that the average response rate ranges from 5-33%. Interested to gain a higher percentage? Then read on
Here are the 5 essential tips guaranteed to skyrocket your response rates:
Engage your participants:
The simplest method to increase your response is to get your participants hooked from the very first question itself. Make them feel like they’re part of something bigger. Use a professional survey designing service or ready-made and tested survey template to aid in your survey creation. Survey builders allow you to set up engaging surveys, polls, subscription forms, etc to get the attention of the participants. Try to use both open and close-ended questions to get the participants thinking and hyper-focused on completing the survey questions.
Use widespread distribution channels:
To reach the majority of the target population, you should consider setting up a multichannel survey distribution system via emails, social media sites, direct messaging services, etc. The more people you send the survey to, the more likely you are to achieve statistical significance with your results. There are several online sites that help you build an easy to understand and appealing email survey template to ensure more and more responses come in through the window such as Survey Analytica, etc.
Offer incentives and rewards for completing the surveys:
People are psychologically proven to be more likely to complete a task if there is the promise of a reward or an incentive to complete it. For a particularly in-depth survey, monetary rewards or gift cards go a long way in increasing response rates. A gentle nudge is all it takes to get them started, and if you have followed our first two points, you're all the more likely to get your participants up and running to finish answering all your questions. People are psychologically proven to be more likely to complete a task if there is the promise of a reward or an incentive to complete it. For a particularly in-depth survey, monetary rewards or gift cards go a long way in increasing response rates. A gentle nudge is all it takes to get them started, and if you have followed our first two points, you're all the more likely to get your participants up and running to finish answering all your questions.
Keep it quick:
It's no secret that in today’s world, people are way too busy to look a second time at something that they are not interested in at all. For the ones that do decide to attempt to respond, the endeavour must be kept short and simple. Keep your questions simple and to the point. Try avoiding any unnecessary information and use easy to understand language. Remember that the participants do not have the same drive towards the study as you do and try to adjust your survey accordingly.