Tips for a Great Consumer Survey

Do you wonder what it takes to create a consumer survey fit for a Statistician? In this blog, I’ll dive into why consumer surveys matter and what’s wrong with most of them. I’ll also share my best insider tips on how to make your surveys truly effective. Don’t miss out—transform your survey game today!

The Importance of a Consumer Survey

Consumer surveys give businesses valuable insights into customer preferences, behaviors, and satisfaction levels. Statisticians systematically organize and analyze survey results. They then report these results to companies. Companies can identify trends and understand market needs. They can also see how well their products or services are doing. This data-driven approach allows businesses to make informed decisions. It lets them tailor their offerings to meet consumer demands. It enhances customer experience. Ultimately, it drives growth. Consumer surveys help companies stay on top by making sure they’re meeting what their target audience wants as it changes.

When do consumer surveys fail?

People often avoid surveys because they can be annoying and frustrating. Do they really need to ask so many questions?

Long surveys can feel like they’re producing a documentary about you rather than a quick opinion.  Roughly 70% of people quit surveys before they’re done. I’m one of the 70 percent. Irrelevant questions can alienate respondents. This is especially true if they are asked about a service they haven’t even used yet. Privacy concerns also play a role. Nobody wants to share their secrets with a survey. People fear having their information used in unexpected ways. Generic, one-size-fits-all surveys often feel as impersonal as chatting with AI. Consider factors like too many surveys and unrealistic time estimates. Surveys ending up in spam contribute to a bad reputation.

These Articles Nailed It

Take a look at these two articles on how some consumers perceive surveys.

I’m fed up of being asked for feedback – when did companies get so needy? | Anne Karpf | The Guardian

Customer service is becoming more Kafkaesque by the day | Oscar Rickett | The Guardian

Pepsi vs. Coke: The Epic Taste Test That Shook the Soda World!

The Pepsi vs. Coke challenge, also called the “Pepsi Challenge,” is a marketing stunt. Pepsi initiated it in 1975 to test consumer preferences between Pepsi and Coca-Cola. In this blind taste test, participants sampled Pepsi and Coke without knowing which was which. They were then asked to choose their preferred drink. The challenge aimed to show that Pepsi was preferred over Coke. The results often showed a significant number of participants favoring Pepsi. This was a marketing coup for Pepsi.

This campaign effectively highlighted the differences in taste between the two leading soda brands. It leveraged the results to challenge Coca-Cola’s market dominance. The Pepsi Challenge became an iconic marketing strategy, sparking extensive media coverage and competitive responses from Coca-Cola.  This, in my opinion, was the best survey I took.  I was able to quench my thirst and answer just one simple question.

Consumer Survey Design Tips

• KISS- “Keep It Simple, Stupid”.  The shorter the survey, the better.  Your overall main response outcomes are either positive, negative, or neutral, such as: a.) “Wow! I love this so much”/ “Yeah, it’s pretty cool“, b.) I dislike this so much! c.) Honestly, I don’t care/ How much longer is this survey going to take?
• Stop declaring how much time the survey will take.  Some people answer quickly to reach their top-line response. Others aim to be the best and most articulate survey takers ever.
• Work on the survey hook to get everyone to participate.  For example, if I ever see an e-mail with the heading…” I only have 3 questions to ask you about your recent purchase”, I will always take that survey.
• Ask your company’s Statistician to review the survey questions. They’ll be able to create a custom design with the appropriate sample size. They can also assist with wording questions without bias and ensure open-ended questions are analyzed for keywords. You don’t have a Statistician in your company? Contact Topline Statistics, and we’ll help with your consumer research.