How to do an online survey
In today's era of information explosion, online questionnaires have become an important tool for collecting data and understanding user needs. Whether it is a business, academic research or personal project, mastering the correct questionnaire survey method can get twice the result with half the effort. This article will combine the hot topics and hot content in the past 10 days to provide you with a detailed analysis of the steps and techniques for making online questionnaires.
1. Basic steps of online questionnaire survey

1.Clarify the purpose of the investigation: Before you start designing a questionnaire, you must know what the objectives of the survey are. Is it to understand user satisfaction? Or is it to collect market data? Clarifying the purpose helps to design more targeted questions.
2.Design questionnaire structure: A complete questionnaire usually includes the following parts:
| part | content | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Introduction | Briefly describe the purpose of the investigation and commitment to confidentiality | "This survey is designed to understand your experience using a certain product. All data will be kept strictly confidential." |
| Basic information | Gather demographic information from respondents | Age, gender, occupation, etc. |
| Subject matter | The core content of the investigation | Satisfaction score, frequency of use, etc. |
| Conclusion | Thanks for participating | "Thank you for taking the time to participate in this survey!" |
3.Choose the right question type: Choose different question forms according to the purpose of the survey. Common ones include:
| Question type | Applicable scenarios | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Multiple choice questions | When you need a clear single answer | "Which color is your favorite?" |
| Multiple choice questions | When multiple selections are allowed | "What channels did you use to learn about our products?" |
| Scale questions | Measuring attitude or satisfaction | "Please rate the product quality (1-5 points)" |
| open question | Collect detailed opinions | "What suggestions do you have for our services?" |
2. Things to note when conducting online questionnaire surveys
1.Problem design principles:
- Avoid leading questions: such as "Do you agree with the excellent quality of our products?" This kind of question has obvious tendencies.
- Keep questions concise and clear: it is best to ask only one point of information per question.
- Avoid jargon: use everyday language that the interviewee understands.
2.Questionnaire length control:
| Questionnaire type | Recommended duration | Number of questions |
|---|---|---|
| simple survey | 2-3 minutes | Questions 5-10 |
| Routine investigation | 5-8 minutes | Questions 15-20 |
| In-depth investigation | 10-15 minutes | 25-30 questions |
3.Questionnaire testing and optimization: Before official release, conduct a small-scale test to check:
- Is the question clear and easy to understand?
- Are the options comprehensive?
- Is the logic reasonable?
- Is the technology smooth?
3. Recommendation of online questionnaire survey tools
Based on recent hot topics and user reviews, here are the most popular online survey tools in 2023:
| Tool name | Main features | Suitable for the crowd | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| questionnaire star | Friendly Chinese interface and rich templates | Small and medium-sized enterprises, individuals | Free/Paid |
| Tencent Questionnaire | Deep integration with WeChat ecosystem | WeChat users | free |
| SurveyMonkey | Powerful functions and in-depth analysis | professional researchers | Pay |
| Google Forms | Easy to use, integrated with Google ecosystem | educational institutions, individuals | free |
4. Questionnaire distribution and data analysis
1.Distribution channel selection:Choose the appropriate distribution channel according to the target group:
- Social media: suitable for young people
- Email: suitable for existing customer database
- Website embed: suitable for website visitors
- Offline QR code scanning: suitable for events
2.Data analysis methods:
| data type | Analytical methods | Tools |
|---|---|---|
| Quantitative data | Descriptive statistics, cross analysis | Excel, SPSS |
| Qualitative data | Text analysis, thematic coding | NVivo, Atlas.ti |
3.Result presentation: Use charts to visually display survey results:
- Pie chart: shows proportion distribution
- Bar chart: compare different groups
- Line chart: shows trend changes
5. Summary
Producing a high-quality online survey requires careful planning and a professional approach. From clarifying the purpose and designing problems to distributing and recycling, and analyzing data, every link is crucial. Through the methods and tools introduced in this article, I believe you can design an effective questionnaire and obtain valuable data. Remember, a good questionnaire not only collects data, but also improves the respondent’s participation experience and lays a good foundation for subsequent surveys.
Finally, based on recent hot topics, it is recommended to pay attention to the following trends in questionnaire design: the impact of AI technology, sustainable development concepts, remote working experience, etc. These topics have high attention and research value at present.
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