Asking the Questions

Survey respondents should be able to understand a question instantly. Avoid using jargon, acronyms or technical language. If your survey targets a specific audience familiar with certain terms, ensure clarity isn’t sacrificed for brevity.

Broad or vague questions leave room for varied interpretations. Instead of asking, "Are you satisfied with our services?", be specific, such as "How satisfied are you with our customer support responsiveness?"

Your questions should be neutral and shouldn’t hint at a preferred answer. For instance, "Don’t you think our new product is groundbreaking?" is leading. Instead, use "How would you describe our new product?"

Double-barreled questions address two topics but only allow for one answer, which can be confusing. Split them. Instead of "How satisfied are you with our product quality and delivery time?", separate it into two distinct questions.

For scaled questions, always include a midpoint or neutral option, such as "neither agree nor disagree," to capture respondents who genuinely sit in the middle.

Questions with words like "always" or "never" may be too extreme for many respondents. Instead, use scales like "often," "sometimes," and "rarely."

Multiple choice questions should encompass all likely answers. It’s always wise to include an "Other" option with a fill-in box for unexpected answers.

While open-ended questions can provide rich qualitative data, they might also deter participants because they require more effort to answer. Use them strategically.

Review your questions to ensure they’re free from personal bias, cultural assumptions or gender biases. Such biases could skew results and alienate respondents.

For multiple choice questions, it's good practice to randomise the answer choices (except where a logical order is needed). This minimises the chance of response bias.

Before rolling out your survey, test it with a pilot group. This will highlight confusing questions, technical hiccups or issues you might have overlooked.

Long surveys can lead to respondent fatigue, which can impact data accuracy. Make sure your survey is as concise as possible and respect the respondent’s time by indicating how long the survey might take at the beginning.

An effectively designed survey is a powerful tool in the business decision-making process. By adhering to these best practices, you’ll maximise response rates, enhance data accuracy and ultimately gain more valuable insights. 

Remember, the goal isn’t just to collect data, but to collect meaningful data. Effective question design is pivotal to achieving this outcome.