Survey Tools

Which survey tools are the best? In this post I thought I’d share a few of my experiences of what I went through when I was looking for web survey tools to assist me with my marketing research. There are a lot of websites on the internet offering tools to help you in creating and executing surveys. When I first began my research, I was unsure of what to look for and I did not understand the technicalities and complexities involved with working with web based survey tools. This did not keep me from exploring my options. The deeper I dug the more I realized that not all applications are created the same.

The reason for this page is to highlight some of the most popular tools online and to discuss some of the most important features of each. I will also provide you with the resources for each as well.

I am sure of the reasons you need tools for surveys but I do know that the technologies that have evolved in the last decade in web based survey tools are not only robust but they are also very powerful applications well capable of handling your research requirements. It does not matter if you need to create an employee questionnaire to survey how well the last company picnic was received or if you need a email survey solution that works in conjunction to the web, the applications and tools of today are far more advanced and I might add – more user friendly since a lot of the manual processing power of modern survey tools now incorporate advanced analytical algorithms to assist end users with data extraction and manipulation.

The first thing I did was go online and to visit a few forums and blogs looking for any reviews. I wanted to get a quick consensus of what people were talking about when it came to these programs. I enjoy reading through forum threads and blog posts about site tools for surveys since they are regularly unbiased. When I found a few that people seemed to talk highly of, I made notes of them and visited the actual websites. I did this for a while until I came up with a nice sized listing of sites featuring survey tools.

How can these online survey tools help you? They are a low cost method for collecting and analyzing information using one centrally located platform to help you if you are running some sort of paid surveys campaign or just looking to get opinions from your existing customers. These tools are meant to help you collect information from the types of customers who are internet savvy and have experience using the technologies of the internet such as filling out web-based forms and initiating online response mechanisms. They do not give you the market reach into customers who mainly rely upon printed correspondence. A good thing to mention is that most of the updated today let you create surveys on your computer or via a web-based interface that you can download and print out for mailing to your customers.

These survey tools do not replace the power of your creative imagination to design highly effective surveys which generate responses. You will have to do this based on the tips and tutorials provided in the manuals. Designing an effective survey involves more than conjuring up a list of questions that you think are good. The strategies used in making an effective survey should be designed in a way that solicits specific answers based centered on product or service enhancements or have a specific goal which yields revenue and profit producing data.

Selecting the Correct Survey Tool

Which survey tool or application is best? It all starts with your personal needs. Corporations often rely on outsourcing this activity to specialized companies and consultants for surveys and for handling customer experience management solutions. Most medium sized and smaller business relies on web-based tools and desktop applications. If this is your first campaign, start by thinking about the kinds of surveys you plan to conduct and how the results will benefit you. In other words start by defining your end goals and work forward.

If you don’t have any experience, you can also begin by using free tools and programs. Some are considered open source tools which are free for public use. One caveat is that most open source survey tools do not come with technical support. Support is usually optional at a minimal fee. In my next report, I will talk about the companies that I found and provide you with some reviews and details of each.

By exercising a little diligence, you can get the best survey tool to help you collect and analyze the type of data you need. Your need to acquire software may stem from something as simple as wanting feedback from your employees or clients last outing or as complex as product development or improvements. Whichever the case, you can quickly find the answers.