{"id":4494,"date":"2019-05-17T06:56:01","date_gmt":"2019-05-17T06:56:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.surveycrest.com\/blog\/?p=4494"},"modified":"2026-01-20T07:17:19","modified_gmt":"2026-01-20T07:17:19","slug":"designing-your-first-survey","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.surveycrest.com\/blog\/designing-your-first-survey\/","title":{"rendered":"8 Considerations To Make When Designing Your First Online Survey"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>You are about to create your first online survey. Now what?<\/p>\n<p>I know that it\u2019s scary, but every first time is because it\u2019s something you have never done before. It might sound difficult and terrifying, but it\u2019s not. It\u2019s all about knowing what, you, as a survey creator, should consider in order to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.platoforms.com\/pdf-survey-form-creator\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">create a successful online survey<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>Choosing A Survey Maker<\/h2>\n<p>The first thing you  need to do before working on your first online survey is to decide which survey  maker you will use. There are many online tools and software which can help you with your survey creation, such as the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.surveycrest.com\/survey\/selection\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">SurveyCrest<\/a> or short quiz maker, Qiuzizz or a WordPress quiz plugin. For a deeper dive into creating engaging and functional quizzes, check out <a href=\"https:\/\/ays-pro.com\/blog\/7-best-lms-plugins-in-wordpress\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Best LMS Plugins<\/a>, where you&#8217;ll find expert recommendations to take your quiz-making to the next level.<\/p>\n<p>When choosing a survey maker, you need to look at its features, such as:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Is it easy to use?<\/li>\n<li>Which question types does it support?<\/li>\n<li>Which design features does it have?<\/li>\n<li>What\u2019s its price? etc.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"ebookdwnbut\">\n  <a href=\"https:\/\/www.surveycrest.com\/survey\/selection\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"cta-button\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Create Your Survey Today!<\/a><\/div>\n<h2>Defining The Survey\u2019s Purpose<\/h2>\n<p>What\u2019s the purpose of your survey? What do you want to achieve? Knowing the purpose of your survey determines the way in which the survey is designed. It\u2019s especially important when it comes to <a href=\"https:\/\/estateagentnetworking.co.uk\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">choosing the target population<\/a>, the creation of questions, as well as for deciding upon their types.<\/p>\n<p align=\"center\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.surveycrest.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Survey-Question-Breakdown.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.surveycrest.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Survey-Question-Breakdown.jpg\" alt=\"Survey Question Breakdown\" title=\"Survey Question Breakdown\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-4497\" width=\"570\" height=\"567\"><\/a><\/p>\n<h2>Specify The Target Population<\/h2>\n<p>Knowing your target population is one of the crucial factors when designing an online survey. You have to determine who the survey is about; which people can give valuable responses.<\/p>\n<p>Specifying the target population is also important for the survey\u2019s visual design, the language used, and the nature of questions.<\/p>\n<p>You might ask yourself questions like: <em>Can I relate the survey\u2019s goal with teenagers, 30-40 years old or older? Do they live in a country relevant to my survey\u2019s purpose<\/em>? etc.<\/p>\n<p>Failing to specify the right target population, might result in a negative response to the survey or  collect wrong and\/or irrelevant data.<\/p>\n<h2>Survey\u2019s Visual Design<\/h2>\n<p>The first thing people always notice is the visual design, so you need to put an effort into the survey\u2019s design. Otherwise, participants might find it unattractive and deny participating in the same.<\/p>\n<p>When creating your online survey, you should make it appealing by using <a href=\"https:\/\/www.webyurt.com\/how-to-pick-the-best-fonts-for-your-website\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">different fonts<\/a>, colors, sizes, headings, and so on, to help participants identify and differentiate questions from explanations and answers. For example, if you are doing a survey for a coffee shop, make sure the <a href=\"https:\/\/elijahcoffee.com\/coffee-shop-logos-ideas\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">coffee shop logo<\/a> is visible on the survey form for the audience to connect and remember. You can easily create it by using a logo maker tool or by utilizing <a href=\"https:\/\/www.techigator.ae\/services\/logo-design-dubai\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">logo designing services in Dubai<\/a> for a more professional and customized logo design. The picture below explains this visually.<\/p>\n<p align=\"center\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.surveycrest.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Survey-Design.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.surveycrest.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Survey-Design.jpg\" alt=\"Survey Design\" title=\"Survey Design\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-4496\" width=\"570\" height=\"873\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.surveycrest.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Survey-Design.jpg 570w, https:\/\/www.surveycrest.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Survey-Design-196x300.jpg 196w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 570px) 100vw, 570px\" \/><\/a><br \/>\nImage Source: td.org<\/p>\n<h2>Survey\u2019s Structure<\/h2>\n<p>The survey\u2019s structure is another factor that supports its <a href=\"https:\/\/thehotskills.com\/visual-trends\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">visual design<\/a>. You should structure the survey properly by dividing the contents into categories and\/or subcategories depending on the questions.<\/p>\n<p>The good structure allows participants to easily navigate through the same and gives a logical flow to the survey so they can understand it better. It also allows you to simplify the survey\u2019s analysis and assign categories to the data collected.<\/p>\n<p>As <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.socialcops.com\/academy\/resources\/eight-steps-designing-ideal-survey\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Socialcops<\/a> suggest on their blog, you can divide the  survey <em>\u201cinto sections on Particulars  (personal background information) and Impact Assessment (Social, Educational and Cultural)<\/em>\u201d.<\/p>\n<h2>Choose The Right Question Type<\/h2>\n<p>We all know that questions make the survey since they are the tools for collecting data. What you need to remember is that you need to come up with questions which are relevant to your goal.<\/p>\n<p>When it comes to choosing the question type, here are a few suggestions:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Use open-ended and different  types of close-ended questions, such as multiple choice, yes\/no, and response  scales.<\/li>\n<li>Rephrase yes\/no questions  whenever possible. Instead of starting your questions with <em>\u201cDo you\u201d, you can use \u201cHow often\u201d, \u201cHow many\u201d,<\/em> etc.<\/li>\n<li>Try to avoid matrices or grids for responses because participants usually don\u2019t fill-in them accurately and they are not mobile-friendly. Instead, you can divide them into separate questions using the standard response scales.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>How To Ask The Questions?<\/h2>\n<p><em>How to ask the question<\/em>s is probably the most difficult part of survey design. Basically, you should keep them clear, straightforward and simple. This will allow you to receive more relevant responses.<\/p>\n<p>When creating your first survey, consider the following ideas:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Check if every question is necessary according to the purpose of your survey. For example, if you are running a survey for a blog about inventions, you may want to ask questions that are relevant for your audience.<\/li>\n<li>Ask direct questions because they are easy to understand and answer. Avoid using adjectives, adverbs, and unnecessary phrases and words.<\/li>\n<li>Use a language that your participants can understand \u2013 Avoid using technical jargon, complex phrases, or modern abbreviations.<\/li>\n<li>Ask only one question at a time \u2013 Every question should contain one part, a simple sentence. Here\u2019s a  great example I found on the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.qualtrics.com\/blog\/10-tips-for-building-effective-surveys\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Qualtrics\u2019  blog<\/a>: \u201cWhich of these cell  phone service providers has the best customer support and reliability?\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p align=\"center\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.surveycrest.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/good-survey-question.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.surveycrest.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/good-survey-question.jpg\" alt=\"good survey question\" title=\"good survey question\" class=\"alignnone\" width=\"570\" height=\"404\"><\/a><br \/>\nImage Source: Qualtrics.com<\/p>\n<h2>Survey\u2019s Introduction<\/h2>\n<p>The survey\u2019s introduction is the first impression potential participants make about the same. Although many of the survey creators don\u2019t think of its importance, it\u2019s a crucial part of the survey according to which participants decide whether to answer the survey or not.<\/p>\n<p>When writing the introduction, you need to make it catchy for the potential participants. For example, you can start by thanking the participants for their time and interest, and explain what the survey is about and what its importance is.<\/p>\n<h2>Real Estate Feedback Surveys<\/h2>\n<p>Real estate agents are always interested in quality feedback from other agents and prospective buyers who view their listings. Putting thought into questions for an open house survey will help facilitate constructive feedback.<\/p>\n<h3>Conclusion<\/h3>\n<p>Surveys are important tools for collecting data which is later used for a particular purpose. When designing your first survey, you should keep it short and simple, regardless of its purpose or what questions you will create. This is because most of the participants, including myself, avoid participating in long and complex surveys because they are boring and time-consuming. Having a short and simple survey will make the same more appealing and will help you in structuring the same.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>You are about to create your first online survey. Now what? I know that it\u2019s scary, but every first time is because it\u2019s something you have never done before. It might sound difficult and terrifying, but it\u2019s not. It\u2019s all about knowing what, you, as a survey creator, should consider in order to create a [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4498,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4494","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-online-survey"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.surveycrest.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4494","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.surveycrest.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.surveycrest.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.surveycrest.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.surveycrest.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4494"}],"version-history":[{"count":25,"href":"https:\/\/www.surveycrest.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4494\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6515,"href":"https:\/\/www.surveycrest.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4494\/revisions\/6515"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.surveycrest.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4498"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.surveycrest.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4494"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.surveycrest.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4494"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.surveycrest.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4494"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}