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Undoubtedly, online surveys are the most cost-effective means of obtaining essential data such as customer satisfaction and employee opinions. However, the question remains: how can one maximize response rates? This dilemma is faced by most businesses embarking on online surveys, and there is an abundance of literature available on the subject, each presenting varying facts and figures concerning response rates, techniques to increase participation, and survey length, among other factors.

However, the truth remains that there is no single guideline to follow when conducting an online survey, as each survey possesses its own unique variables that impact response rates. Nonetheless, there are common practices that can heighten the likelihood of survey completion by potential respondents.

Having conducted hundreds of online surveys targeting customers, employees, businesses, membership groups, and event attendees, I have documented survey response rates alongside the key variables likely to influence them. The recorded variables include:

1. If survey invitations were personalized (i.e., “Dear John Smith” versus “Dear customer”)
2. Survey length, categorized into completion times of 1-4 minutes, 5-9 minutes, and 10+ minutes
3. If a reward or prize was offered
4. If the survey was targeted towards individuals with a known interest in the survey subject (e.g., job-related, previous customer, social interests)

The following figures are derived from data obtained from 143 online surveys, completed by a total of 49,335 respondents. As part of the general process, potential respondents received two email invitations encouraging their participation in the online surveys.

Kindly note that the majority of respondents had previously submitted their information to various databases or were existing customers of my clients. Hence, it is likely that they were already familiar with the brand or company prior to receiving the online survey invitation. Individuals who send email invites randomly to subsets of contacts should not anticipate achieving response rates as high as those listed below.

Out of the 24 possible combinations resulting from the 4 variables and their options, the lists provided below highlight the 5 highest and 5 lowest response rates:

5 highest response rates:

1. Personalized email, 1-4 minutes to complete, reward offered, and respondents with a known interest in the survey subject = 45.3% average response rate
2. Personalized email, 5-9 minutes to complete, reward offered, and respondents with a known interest in the survey subject = 40.1% average response rate
3. Non-personalized email, 1-4 minutes to complete, reward offered, and respondents with a known interest in the survey subject = 39.8% average response rate
4. Personalized email, 1-4 minutes to complete, no reward offered, and respondents with a known interest in the survey subject = 39.2% average response rate
5. Personalized email, 5-9 minutes to complete, no reward offered, and respondents with a known interest in the survey subject = 38.4% average response rate

5 lowest response rates:

1. Non-personalized email, 10+ minutes to complete, no reward offered, and respondents without a known interest in the survey subject = 8.2% average response rate
2. Non-personalized email, 10+ minutes to complete, reward offered, and respondents without a known interest in the survey subject = 15.5% average response rate
3. Personalized email, 10+ minutes to complete, no reward offered, and respondents without a known interest in the survey subject = 16.2% average response rate
4. Non-personalized email, 5-9 minutes to complete, no reward offered, and respondents without a known interest in the survey subject = 19.4% average response rate
5. Non-personalized email, 10+ minutes to complete, no reward offered, and respondents with a known interest in the survey subject = 19.5% average response rate

So, what measures yield the best results?

The above findings reveal significant correlations between response rates and the variables affecting them. As a general guideline, the following actions should maximize response rates when conducting an online survey:

1. Personalize your email invitations. Individuals are more likely to respond to emails that address them by their names rather than generic greetings such as “Dear Sir/Madam,” “Dear Colleague,” or “Dear Customer.” If you possess potential survey respondents’ names, utilize them! Simple software such as Microsoft Word in conjunction with the mail-merge feature enables you to easily send personalized email invitations via Outlook. This process directly links to your database, eliminating the need to manually input each recipient’s name into every email invitation.
2. Keep the survey as concise as possible. In most cases, shorter surveys yield higher response rates. However, it is crucial to bear in mind that certain online surveys necessitate in-depth questioning and may exceed a 10-minute time frame. Nevertheless, strive to avoid including questions that only gather extraneous information. This is an all-too-common mistake made by survey developers during the preparation of online survey questions.
3. Offer enticing rewards. Everyone loves receiving something for free, so endeavor to offer a reward when disseminating online survey invitations. Some experts, including Kurt Knapton, Executive Vice President of e-Rewards Market Research, propose that offering each respondent a small reward rather than the chance to win a large sweepstakes prize results in higher response rates. Knapton’s research discovered that offering 4,000 individuals $2 each to complete a survey yielded a 19.3% response rate. Conversely, providing the same number of people with an opportunity to enter into a $2,500 sweepstakes draw only managed a 12.2% response rate.
4. Target contacts likely to possess an interest in the survey subject. Though this is not a groundbreaking discovery, response rates will inevitably be higher among potential respondents who possess a genuine interest in the survey subject. Surveys focused on job satisfaction typically garner commendable response rates because employees believe that their answers will bring about positive changes. Similarly, repeat purchasers of a particular product or service will undeniably exhibit greater interest in a related online survey compared to individuals who have only used it on one occasion or not at all.

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Ihab Salloum