How To Use A Market Research Survey 2

Questionnaire Tips for Customer Surveys

Market Research Online Survey Rules

If you want to have success with surveys and useful information there are guidelines to use:

1. Keep your survey short respect your prospect’s time most people won’t spend 10 minutes to finish it so try to make it a 5 minute ordeal.
2. Make your questions targeted and know what you’re asking and how you will use the answers. The answers should be applied to your business strategy.
3. Make sure you ask what product they would like to see for their market as an open ended question instead of giving them choices you decide for them. Your product ideas might not be wanted by anybody, and if you do not have an open ended approach you could end up creating something that nobody wants.
4. Try to ask the easiest questions first because if someone spends time answering the easy questions they are more likely to finish the survey.
5. Try to list your most important questions first and obviously then make them easy. If someone doesn’t finish it you a least want information to help you grow your business.
6. Try to format all survey questions in the same way and not mix multiple choice questions and open ended questions. Prospects don’t want to think to much.
7. Ask one thing at a time it eliminates confusion helps you get more detailed and useful answers. Do not use two questions together like: “Do you use product X? If yes, what do you think about it?”
8. Do not ask loaded questions that lead people straight to the answer you want them to give. Do not have any of the options already checked. This will create false results as people will just click the “submit” button quickly and not even change the “already checked” results.
9. Make your questions neutral and use politically correct wording so all respondents feel alright answering the survey.
10. Test your survey before you run it and have 10 people read the survey and list anything that makes them confused .
11. No fancy designs. Have your web page that hosts the poll on it, simply for hosting the poll. No need for fancy, flashy designs and links going to several different places. Just have your poll and that is it.
12. Test different survey formats and question order and answers orders to see if that has an effect on the ones people choose.

If you don’t have an email list I recommend getting the word out on blogs, forums, and chat groups where your niche market exists. Include a link in your signature file that goes straight to your survey questions. You will want to offer prospects a valuable free gift in order to encourage them to fill out your survey. A white paper, free products, or trial membership are good enticements.

Finding Out What Your Market Wants

All you have to do is poll your target market with a few survey questions to see what it is they are willing to buy. What problem do they have that you can solve? It is very simple and will give you a lot of ideas. This will also help you find a unique edge that you are looking to add to an already successful idea. You ask prospects what other features or things would compliment or make this product better. The wording of the questions needs to be thought out and tested.

Surveys of as many people as possible will show which product the majority of your market wants and are fairly easy to do. It will save you time and also allow you to create the products the way your market wants them. You will also build value into the price in your final ad copy all leading down to a reasonable price at the end of the capture page. Do not waste your time creating a product on a hunch or your money by advertising it. Let the market show you what to sell.

One way to get people to fill out an initial market research survey as I have mentioned previously is to make a free report on a topic that your target market is most interested. Do some research on forums, blogs and chat groups around your niche. Your free report is the reason people will fill out your survey in the first place. If you don’t give them something for their participation they are less likely to participate.

A paid survey will not give you a true reading because many people will just fill it out to get paid. You can use a newsletter in your market which offers solo mailings. The most accurate surveys are ones which offer nothing in return, but that can take much longer to obtain enough questionnaire responses.

You can do these types of surveys with solo mailings, forums, blogs, related sites and with pay per click. Your ad should be about getting a free report for clicking on your link. The link can take prospects to the survey page giving a short explanation. All they need to do to get the free report is fill out this short survey.

**Sample Survey Golf Product Ad**

Free Report! Learn How to Get the Most Out of Your Golf Swing! Tired of slicing or hooking the ball? This Free report reveals how you can instantly start hitting the golf ball as straight as you can point! Click here: www.golf.com

After you have your survey questions and answers sort the results and begin designing the product you are going to create. Your results can be placed into a spreadsheet and sorted by themes. In other words choose themes in the answers by keywords and this is easier to do with the two online survey software solutions in my last article. “Obedience” would be an example of one for the dog training niche.

Sort the responses of your customer surveys this way and you will be able to make sense of the fact everyone answers things differently but are saying the same things. If you are not going to create your own product then find one which satisfies the wants of the prospects.

There may be several things the you can sell them and if so this is even better evidence why you should be in that niche. They are asking you to show them the products so give it to them.

A Market Research Survey Can Make Sense
Author: Scott Holden – TrafficEraBlog