What are the response rates like for online Surveys?

Online Surveys has become and exceptional tool to do research. It has reduced the cost of surveys. It has reduced the amount of time busy executives have to spend to complete surveys. A 40 Minute survey by phone will take 15 min in an online survey. Online Surveys have increased in popularity thus increasing email requests and business requests to complete surveys. Mistaking them for spam or unnecessary requests. This unfortunately has a negative consequence. But to manage this various tactics can be utilized.

To understand response rates one has to understand the business dynamics behind them. Response rates differ between customer surveys, customer satisfaction surveys post service, employee surveys, and general research projects mailed to a database of respondents. Response rates can also be affected by follow up phone call's and reminders sent to respondents. keeping all of the above in mind lets have a look at some response rates.

Response rates can vary between 5% and 30%, research projects that utilize external database contacts are closer to 5% sometimes less and response rates for employees are closer to 30%. The mean response rate for customer satisfaction surveys where the supplier is known to the respondents is around 10% but can increase if it is a post service (within 3 days). Keeping in mind these are averages lets look at what will influence the response rates of the individual categories.

Customer Surveys

• Do the respondents know your business (quality of database - correct contact)
• Type of business contacts, lower rate for Corporates due to mass mail received
• Level of employee targeted at the customer
• Management involvement personalized invitations work best
• Timing - Research show better response rates for post service survey ie. within 3 days of service provided
• Prize - offering an incentive that is relevant improves response rate
• Anonymity (or perceived - sometimes even anonymous surveys can be perceived to not be) also has an influence, this also relates to how highly your business is currently rated.

Employee Surveys

• Management Involvement
• Anonymity of the Survey (perceived as in customer)
• Follow up's and reminders
• Completion tracking