Online surveys are a quick and effective way to get to know your customers and analyze their feedback. When done right, you’ll get back actionable insights on your brand and audience while also building trust.

In other words, surveys are a win-win-win: for your organization, your brand, and your audience.

Want to perfect your online survey? Here are 8 tips.

1 Keep it short

Your respondents are using their valuable time to provide you feedback, so be respectful of that time and use it well. Ensure that you ask the most relevant questions in the shortest amount of time. You’ll get the information you need, and users who take the survey won’t feel like their time was wasted.

2 Ask open-ended questions

Open-ended questions encourage respondents to explain their ideas and feedback in a valuable way that can provide more information than a simple one-word answer. Just make sure to keep the questions logical and short enough to keep the user’s attention.

3 Build a baseline

Ask the same questions in different forms regularly to create a baseline that you can use to better understand your customers. Having a clear baseline from the beginning allows you to measure data changes over time.

4 Be clear and specific

Check your wording carefully so that there’s no room for misunderstanding or misinterpretations of any of the questions. Use clear language and a simple sentence structure that’s easy to read and follow. Avoid questions with too many sections that can lead to confusion. Accessibility is important; make the process easy for your end-user.

5 Be honest and direct with your questions

Only ask questions that are relevant and will elicit targeted information. Be careful to watch your wording and ensure you’re not implying your point of view in any way through subtle language. The best online surveys are unbiased and yield clear data.

6 Ask specific “feeling” questions to test colors

Test colors or color combinations for your brand or a specific project by asking users a few key questions: 

  • What emotions do you associate with these specific colors? 
  • What colors come to mind when you think of this word? 

This is an easy way to gauge the feelings colors evoke and then determine whether those emotions align with your message.

7 Ask questions about different phrases to test messaging

Test words and phrases to assess how your audience perceives your message and mission.

You might ask:

  • Which of the following words and phrases would you most associate with [org name]? (You can then include a selection of words below that they can select from.)
  • What word(s) come to mind when you think of [specific word/name]? 
  • What emotion(s) do you associate with [specific word/name]?
  • What product or services do you associate with [specific word/name]?
  • Which of these phrases best represents our organizational brand?
  • How well would you rate this name with [specific narrative]?

The results of these types of questions can yield clarifying ideas for your messaging.

8 Present visuals and A/B tests to get UX feedback

Present an A/B test side-by-side in your survey to get feedback on which design works best for an app or webpage. 

Design two mock-ups with different layouts or structures, then ask users:

  • Which design appeals to you most?
  • Which contains the information you’re looking for?
  • What section would you click on or visit first? 

You can also include a single image of your site or app and ask specific questions about it, like:

  • What do you think this tool/website is for?
  • What would you click on to find (specific item)?
  • Would you know what to do on this specific page, or do you have questions?
  • Does this tool/website remind you of something else you use?
  • What would you change or add to this specific page?

Test it out

Online surveys don’t need to be daunting. Follow these 8 steps to create an online survey that gets you the data you need as you test new ideas—and helps you build stronger relationships with your audience.

And remember: If you’re unsure of something, testing it is more of a guide rather than a rule. You might not always get the answers you’re looking for, but it never hurts to ask!