Let's start from the basics - lesson one: formats and questions

Index

1. Choose the right format for your survey

3. Optimise your survey for more responses

The data clearly shows that forms with six or fewer questions have the highest completion rates. When it comes to creating online surveys, time is a crucial factor: forms that take less than a minute to complete have a 15% higher completion rate than longer ones.

But it's not just a question of length. How to create an effective online survey also depends on the tone you use. Our text sentiment studies reveal that forms with a positive tone achieved a completion rate of 55%, while those with a negative tone achieved only 38%.

In this first lesson of our survey school, we'll explore the different formats available and how to phrase questions that encourage people to respond. We'll walk you through every aspect to help you create surveys that people will actually want to complete.

Are you ready to turn your surveys into engaging conversations? Let's get started!

Choose the right format for your survey

The first step to obtaining quality responses is choosing the right format for your research. Not all online forms serve the same purpose, and choosing the wrong one could compromise the results of your work.

Differences between forms, quizzes and surveys

Although they share the same question/answer structure, forms, quizzes and surveys have different purposes. A survey consists of one or more questions that users answer based on their experience or opinion, with no right or wrong answers. In contrast, a quiz provides conclusive feedback where each answer is associated with a specific profile or score.

Forms, on the other hand, are often used to collect specific data such as contact information. When the goal is lead generation, it is essential to request only the data that is strictly necessary, always providing a valid reason to increase the conversion rate.

When to use open-ended or closed-ended questions

The choice between open-ended and closed-ended questions depends on the objectives of your research. Closed-ended questions, which allow respondents to select from predefined options, are ideal when you are looking for statistically significant and easily quantifiable data. Furthermore, as they are easier to complete, they increase the response rate when the topic is not of particular interest to participants.

On the other hand, open-ended questions allow respondents to express themselves freely and are excellent for exploring unfamiliar topics. They offer valuable qualitative information, revealing thought patterns and new currents of opinion. However, they take longer to analyse and can lead to superficial answers if not formulated correctly.

How to create an effective online survey

To create an effective survey, follow these basic principles:

Formulate questions in a concise and direct manner to avoid confusion and increase engagement
Focus on a single idea per question, avoiding vague wording that could lead to ambiguous answers
Provide clear answer options and do not use language that is open to different interpretations

Before launching the survey, conduct a pilot test to identify any design flaws. Ensure that it is accessible from any device, especially smartphones, and distribute it through multiple channels to reach a wider audience.

A well-designed online survey offers numerous advantages: the data collected is immediately available for analysis, you save on costs, and you obtain valuable information without having to wait for manual data entry.

Write questions that get answers

The quality of your questions determines the value of the responses you will receive in your online surveys. Even the best format will not save a questionnaire with poorly worded questions.

Know your audience

Before writing any questions, it is essential to understand who will be responding to your survey. Putting yourself in the respondents' shoes helps you understand their point of view, identify any critical issues in the questionnaire, and anticipate the emotional involvement that the survey may generate. This approach will also allow you to identify the most useful data to collect.

When preparing a survey, always include basic demographic questions such as age, gender, marital status and occupation to segment your audience correctly. This data will allow you to analyse responses based on different demographic groups.

Avoid ambiguous or double questions

Ambiguous words confuse respondents and compromise the effectiveness of your survey. For example, a question such as ‘Where do you like to shop?’ contains the word ‘like’, which is open to too many interpretations: does it refer to shops with friendly staff, affordable prices or a pleasant atmosphere?

Double questions are another common mistake. These ask two different things in a single question, such as: ‘In the next election, will you support a candidate who will increase spending on welfare and education?’. What if the respondent only supports education but not welfare? They will be forced to give an inaccurate answer.

Here are the main types of problematic questions to avoid:

Tricky questions that make assumptions about respondents
Categorical questions with absolute terms such as ‘always’ or ‘never’
Questions that contain personal opinions
Ambiguous questions that leave room for interpretation

Balance open-ended and closed-ended questions

A good online survey strategically combines open-ended and closed-ended questions. Closed-ended questions provide easily analysable quantitative data and increase completion rates when the topic is not of particular interest to respondents.

On the other hand, open-ended questions allow you to gather detailed opinions. However, plan them with moderation: a survey with too many fields to fill out risks tiring participants, who may provide superficial answers or abandon the interview.

Adapt your language to the context

Effective communication requires you to tailor your language to the objective, the audience and the context. Consider the characteristics of your respondents: use a more informal tone with a young audience and more formal language in professional contexts.

Simplify your message by making it accessible. Use concrete examples and adapt the length of sentences and vocabulary to the level of understanding of the interlocutor. Remember to eliminate linguistic artifices such as negations, passive sentences and complex verb tenses to increase the likelihood of obtaining relevant answers.

Optimise your survey for more responses

Once you have structured your questions, it is essential to optimise your survey to get more responses. A few simple tricks can make the difference between a questionnaire that is ignored and one that is completed with enthusiasm.

Limit the number of questions

Customers do not want to spend ten minutes filling out a questionnaire. Ideally, you should create surveys that take about two minutes of their time. Forms with six or fewer questions have the highest completion rates, while those that take less than a minute to complete have a 15% higher response rate than longer ones. As a general rule, you can estimate that five closed-ended questions take one minute, and two open-ended questions also take one minute.

Use a friendly and direct tone

Welcoming language builds trust and increases engagement. Surveys with a positive tone achieve a 55% completion rate, while those with a negative tone achieve only 38%. Address readers directly as individuals to pique their interest. An effective approach is to ask a single question in the body of the email, creating a micro-survey that can significantly increase the response rate.

Include visual elements to engage respondents

Visual elements make your survey more appealing and easier to complete. Consider these elements:

Ratings with stars, smiley faces, or “like” buttons
Drag & drop and slider questions
Carousels and buttons designed with a ‘mobile first’ approach

A polished graphic design can increase trust, reduce abandonment and make the completion experience more fluid.

Make your survey mobile-friendly

In the digital age, customers use a variety of devices: computers, smartphones, tablets and smartwatches. Your survey must work perfectly on each of them. Some important tips: minimise scrolling, automatically convert grid questions into single questions for small screens, and use a responsive layout. Ensure that call-to-action buttons are easy to see and tap, with ample white space around them and contrasting colours.

Personalisation and logic in surveys

To make your online survey truly effective, it's not enough for it to be short and engaging: it also needs to be intelligent. Advanced personalisation through conditional logic is the key to creating tailored experiences that significantly increase completion rates.

What is logic in forms?

Conditional logic is a set of rules that determine the behaviour of a form based on user input, following the principle of ‘if this happens, do that’. Essentially, it allows you to show or hide specific questions based on previous answers, creating a personalised experience. This makes your surveys cleaner and easier to navigate, ensuring that users only see fields relevant to their situation.

Examples of conditional logic

In a customer satisfaction survey, if a participant rates their experience as ‘Low’ (1-2 stars), you can automatically show additional fields such as ‘Describe your problem’ and ‘How can we improve?’. Conversely, if they rate the experience as “High” (4-5 stars), you could ask “What did you like most?”. In practice, the survey path adapts in real time to the answers provided.

How to segment your audience with questions

Segmenting your audience through strategic questions allows you to obtain more accurate and relevant data. In addition, you can use branching logic to direct different types of respondents to customised paths. Therefore, instead of creating separate surveys for different segments, you can design a single smart survey that automatically adapts to each participant, optimising both the user experience and the quality of the data collected.

Conclusion

Creating effective surveys requires attention to detail and a deep understanding of your target audience. In this first lesson, we explored the fundamental elements that transform a simple questionnaire into a powerful and engaging data collection tool.

The right format is the foundation of any successful survey. Therefore, the choice between forms, quizzes, or polls must align perfectly with your specific objectives. Furthermore, the questions are the heart of your survey—formulated clearly, avoiding ambiguity, and tailored to your audience, they will ensure quality responses.

Of course, optimisation plays a crucial role in the process. A limited number of questions, a friendly and direct tone, appealing visuals, and mobile compatibility significantly increase completion rates. Finally, personalisation through conditional logic creates a tailored experience that engages participants and provides more relevant data.

The art of online surveys is not limited to technology, but extends to psychology and effective communication. These principles, applied correctly, will allow you to create surveys that people will actually want to complete. The result? More accurate data, greater participation, and valuable information for your future decisions.