For all people that are facing a task of selecting the best survey software we created a little help. In this article you will read how to organize simple 5 step selection process to make best survey software choice. 

Step 1 - prepare selection criteria

At the beginning decide what you need and what selection criteria you will use. Typical elements of assessment are : functionality, user friendly interface, references, total cost of ownership (price and other costs like training or additional payments). Each criteria should have is weight, you should also decide what scale you will use to make scoring (for example 1-10).

Step 2 - create list of surveys software vendors

How to start? Use google, ask your friends and colleagues, check popular blogs that write about market research and internet. Try to narrow your google search results by using specific key words for example "satisfaction surveys".

Step 3 - make assessment

Most of the information you need can be found on companies web pages. In some cases you will need to make send an email to ask for additional information.

After this step you will have pretty good idea what survey software you will select.

Step 4 - create short list

Creating a short list helps to select best candidate. Select 3 or 4 best companies from your list and look a little deeper into their solutions. Create an account in each system and test available functionality. Check if there are no hidden fees. Some companies apply additional fees on large surveys or limits response number.

Step 5 - select best online survey tool

Sum up your assessment and select the best online survey system.

Testing is important element of survey design and work on a survey research. Why is so important? During the test you will able to evaluate:

• real time needed to complete survey
• quality of survey questions

As test is finished go back to your survey and if it is necessary correct it basing of test results. Flowing check list will help you evaluate if the test has been finished successfully. As test is finished check:

1. Are survey questions easy to understand?
2. Is vocabulary used in a survey easy to understand?
3. Is your survey not to long?
4. Is respondent not spending too much time on any of the survey questions?
5. Is it possible that any of the survey questions have been misunderstood?

Are  you planning your on-line research? We have prepared short guide for you, it will help you prepare and conduct research project.

Below you will find seven-step approach that will help you manage on-line survey project.

1. Define survey objective – decide what you need to learn. Survey objective should be clearly defined. If you define objective that will not be clear, you risk that your survey results also will be not clear and difficult to interpret.
2. Define sample, on which you will conduct survey. Define who will participate in a survey and how big should be research sample.
3. Select survey method – the way you will conduct responses (direct interview, phone survey, online survey - www, social network, email, …). In our case this will be online survey.
4. Create survey – create questionnaire with question you will ask during research. Important rule is to select questions that will support medium you will use (survey method). For example during phone survey you won’t be able to show pictures, and during web survey your respondents won’t be able to ask you a question “what do you mean exactly”. Therefore it is very important especially in case of online surveys to create clear questions and use the language (words) that is easy to understand. If you have any doubts if respondent will be able to understand world or abbreviation you use select another one more easy to understand.
5. Test your survey – the last step of building questionnaire is to testing your survey on a small sample. Try to conduct your test on a people with similar profile to those that will participate in a survey.
6. Conduct survey and collect responses – send your survey to selected group of respondents. Check your results and send a reminder only to those people that didn’t filled survey. Remember don’t send survey to people that already responded to your survey.
7. Analyze results and create report – analyze collected responses and prepare final report. Prepare and write down "lessons learned" from your survey project.