Getting client feedback and finding out information about customer preferences can make the difference between the success and failure of your business. With the internet so widely available, web surveys are an easy way to gather information from your customers or potential clients. The first step in using web-based surveys is to select software to create surveys and analyze the data. There are a dizzying number of options available, and it can be difficult to know which survey software to choose. Fortunately, this choice can be simplified into the following five key considerations.
The Basics
- 1. Platform The platform that you are going to use to create your surveys is of great importance. Many survey programs are web-based, but if you will want to use them on in-house computers you will want to ensure that the software will run with the operating system you use.
- 2. Company Size The survey software you select must be able to accommodate the number of potential responses you will receive, and that is based on company size and customer base. Be sure to review the specifics of the company size served by the potential software to make sure it is appropriate for your business.
- 3. Locations Served With industry now reaching across the globe, you may have offices in various countries on several continents. Some software is only designed to serve locations in the United States and Canada, and some have a much wider span. If you will be using this software to launch surveys or analyze data in offices outside the United States, you will want to ensure that your survey software will support the locations you need.
Additional Features
- 4. Customizability The ability to customize templates, functionality, data collection and reporting cannot be taken for granted. Most of the best software includes these features, but if you are trying to save money with cheaper or less well-known providers, be sure that they allow the adaptations that will be necessary to provide useful data for your company.
- 5. Piping and Branching Piping is the ability to customize follow-up questions based on the customer or client's answer to the previous questions. You can also use this to qualify data samples - if they haven't purchased your product in the last six months, you can branch them to a page that thanks them for their time rather than asking them a dozen questions they would find inapplicable. Some survey software simply brings a customer through every question, in order, applicable or not. If you want specific data and a more useful customer experience, piping and branching will be important features in your software.
There are a lot of companies claiming to have the right survey software for your needs. You know your business better than anyone, and with this simple list of factors you can easily choose the best survey software and move on to strengthening your business.