You’ve got questions, and you need answers. This may be questions about your products, customer service, or new offerings.

You want to pose these questions to your customers, but you aren’t quite sure how to do it. In comes the survey.

While many think you can just throw a few questions together, it’s important that you create questions that will provide you with valuable data. Ask the wrong questions, and you won’t see the right answers.

In this article, we look at seven tips for creating meaningful questions, so you get good feedback.

#1: Make a Plan

The best surveys start with a plan. Before you sit down to create your questions, you first want a plan, so you have actionable results.

The first thing to ask yourself is what you want to learn. Here are some things to get you thinking:

• What is the purpose of your survey?
• What will you do with the results?
• What to do you need to know to take action?

#2: Have a Focus

When you make a plan, you’re better able to spot your focus. The most successful surveys have no more than one or two focus points. (tweet this)

In other words, you don’t want to ask too many varied questions. Why? Your survey won’t be as meaningful, and you’ll have more survey dropouts.

What’s more, if you have too many topics, you’ll have too much data to take action on.

#3: Make Your Survey Simple

Don’t confuse your respondents. The most meaningful surveys are short and to the point.

When it comes to wording, make the words short and easy to understand. You don’t want respondents getting out their dictionaries.

Use words that mean only one thing. Don’t leave room for any interpretation. Avoid slang.

Include only one thought per sentence. Don’t be biased and avoid all negative contractions.

#4: Make Your Survey Short

Longer surveys have a lot of drop out. So, keep your survey to one-five questions for the best, most meaningful results.

#5: Have an Order to Your Questions

When survey makers place questions out of order, it’s confusing for your respondents.

Keep survey questions in order and in context. For example, you can start with broad questions about your topic and then move on to more specific ones. Make sure your questions build on one another to increase your relevant data.

This is the funnel approach, and it makes it easier for your customers to work through your survey.

#6: Analyze Your Questions

Do be sure to analyze your questions.

For example, if you are asking a yes or no question, does it really work? These are easy questions for people, but are they really meaningful?  Most often, only for data points.

For long survey questions, you want to go back and make sure you can’t split them in two. If you can, please do it. There should only be one topic per question.

#7: Be Timely

When sending surveys be timely. For example, if you’re sending a survey after a customer service touchpoint, it should be sent immediately, not four days later.

It’s hard for respondents to accurate complete your survey and give you meaningful data if too much time as lapsed.

To Conclude

Finally, surveys with the most meaningful results are tested by several people before they are sent out.

First, testing keeps you from having typos in your survey. Next, testing lets you know how long it takes users to complete your survey. And ultimately it lets you know if your survey makes sense.

Have your colleagues, friends, and family take your survey before you send it out. You might be surprised what they find.

The best surveys have meaningful questions that provide data you can act on. Use the tips here to create better surveys with even better results.

Surveys help you make the best decisions for your business. Are you ready to get started with your free Survey Town trial? Start with your free account today, and you can upgrade at any time.

Image: Wei Pan on Unsplash