Benefits of Web Survey Tools

The key benefits that can be derived from internet survey tools are:

Simplicity. You can create a survey quite quickly -- once you learn how to use the tool. Survey invitations are typically sent out electronically through an email. That email will contain a link to an HTML form that is the survey questionnaire. Responses are then captured electronically, either through incoming emails or by direct loading into a data base, depending on the type of survey tool used. This data collection function is by far the key benefit of online survey tools. If you've ever processed a hardcopy survey by postal mail and keyed in the data, you'll see the benefit from survey automation tools very quickly!

Low Cost. The out-of-pocket cost of these tools is quite low. You can buy a PC-based tool for $500 or less or you can buy it as a service in a hosted application, typically paying a monthly or annual subscription fee. The fees can be as low as $15 to $20 per month for a basic tool. If you need more sophisticated features, the monthly cost could be much higher. As noted above, the major cost is not the acquisition cost of the survey capabilities, but rather, the time to learn how to use the survey software tool.

Scalability. Unlike telephone or postal mail surveys, you can survey 10,000 people as easily as 10 people. This scalability is part of what makes this a low cost method.

Quick Data Capture Turnaround. Since you may be soliciting feedback information about organizational performance, such as a customer satisfaction survey, how quickly you get the data back is important, especially if this is a transactional or event survey. Quick data capture allows addressing a customer issue promptly, which is a key element in successful service recovery practices.

With email most of us practice a “do or delete” approach. People will either take the survey or delete the invitation. So, you'll find with a web form survey that most of your responses will come back in one to two days. Responses will quickly tail off to nothing. Only IVR surveys can be faster since they are administered at the close of the transaction.

Response Rate. When web-form surveys were a novelty, response rates were quite high, perhaps above 50%. Based upon my own survey project work and feedback from those in my Survey Design Workshop, response rates typically are in the 20% to 40% range. However, the relationship you have with your group of interest is the single most important factor in driving the response rate, not the administration method.

Questionnaire Complexity. Internet web form surveys are fairly flexible. (We can argue forever about which is more flexible: a printed page or a web form.) You can create a fairly complex survey questionnaire with these tools, using extensive branching and other available survey features. Do note that the survey tool you chose will set constraints on the questionnaire you design! It's better to determine what functionality you need and then select the tool, rather than the other way around.