The best online survey tools compared

Survey Tool Definition: What are survey tools and why are they needed?

Today, it's more important than ever for companies to pay close attention to their (potential) customers. Knowing precisely their requirements, needs, and expectations not only brings significant advantages in marketing, sales, and ultimately for the sales volume. Furthermore, considering this information is also vital for competition reasons. If target customers feel that their concerns are not being fully addressed by one company, they will quickly find a better-suited alternative thanks to the numerous options available on the Internet. The alternative will then be their preferred choice, leaving much potential untapped for other businesses!

Understanding customers, what they need or desire, and how they expect it to be delivered can be achieved through the creation of buyer personas, consideration of the customer journey, and differentiated online analytics. But why not just directly ask your target customers?

Collecting feedback online is a direct method for finding out what you should be offering your target customers. Such inquiries provide precisely the information needed in the respective context. Additionally, directly addressing customers through a survey is a clear sign that the company cares about its (potential) customers and their needs or challenges. It can make the business more tangible in the customers' eyes and significantly boost a personal relationship.

Such precise, personalized surveys, evaluations, questionnaires, votings, feedback, etc., and their evaluations can be obtained using a survey platform (survey tool). Survey software - whether for a small survey or a larger survey - is often available online and often even free of charge. There are almost no limits to the possibilities of inquiries. Survey tools offer useful insights in any conceivable context and can be integrated purposefully into the respective strategy.

They are not only useful in the sales environment. They can also be advantageously used in human resources, for clarifying internal corporate processes or tasks, for academic research, or for arranging appointments in a private context.

Creating a feedback survey: How do survey tools work?

How a survey is conducted depends first on the type of survey program used. In fact, there are three different types of survey tools: telephone software, on-site survey programs, and web-based tools.

Telephone survey software automates the process of calling people and collecting and analyzing their responses.

Software for personal on-site surveys collects responses when both parties, i.e., interviewers and interviewees, are in the same room. It is usually installed on one or more computers.

Then there are completely web-based survey software - this is the most common type of tool. With such a solution, feedback is collected via a web service. The data can be analyzed directly online or exported to another analytics program.

Since online survey software is by far the most widely used variant, here is a quick overview of how such a tool typically works. The scheme can indeed be transferred to the other types.

1. Designing the survey: Within the online survey tool, there are usually drag-and-drop functions or other simple settings with which the right questions can be placed. Users can also usually decide how they want to capture the answers. This can be done with a rating scale, emoticons, an agreement scale, or simply with a text box. A well-designed and attractive survey that promises real added value to the recipients generally has a positive effect on the response rate.

2. Sharing the survey: Once the survey is ready, it can be shared with the respective target group via a link by email, a text message, or a chat window (survey bot). Companies can also embed corresponding feedback options on their website as a survey. This can be implemented as a popup survey, directly within the main content, or after important conversions, such as purchases, contacts, etc. There are undoubtedly numerous strategically advantageous opportunities to gain insights via survey software. Some programs are even live feedback tools. That means that users can view the evaluation of their answers live or compare them online with the general opinion poll. This often significantly boosts the participation rate.

3. Analyzing the survey: Now comes the crucial step - the analysis of the feedback. Advanced and intelligent reports help users to check their answers and work accordingly to make customers more satisfied based on these insights. The data can also be exported to other tools for more comprehensive analyses.

What are the Pros and Cons of Survey Tools?

Surveys are an important tool for companies to understand the opinions of their (potential) customers or employees and to adapt their practices to the requirements of the market. Especially conducting online surveys is an effective and cost-efficient way for companies to accelerate the research process on their target group and improve its accuracy. Special software allows companies of any size to create and distribute questionnaires over the Internet conveniently and at a fair price. The following points detail the central advantages of using a survey tool.

• Easy usability: Survey creation software is usually easy to use and understand. Even for those with no prior experience with such a system, there are generally no difficulties in using it. Detailed and simple surveys can be created quickly using an uncomplicated step-by-step guide. From start to finish, the entire process requires relatively little organization and personnel: much less than a conventional survey or implementing and using web tracking for target group analysis.

• Design and branding options: Publishing a feedback form online also allows for detailed customization. Surveys can be precisely adapted to the specific needs of the company and the recipients. There are numerous options regarding themes, colors, and layouts - and users can upload their logo or other image content into the questionnaire design. With appropriate tools, users can create surveys that seamlessly integrate into the branding of the operation and the expectations of the target group.

• Advanced analysis: Analysis is a crucial part of the survey process. Those who use online feedback tools can usually benefit from basic analytics at least. Some applications also offer a broader range of partly automated functions, which take over the review of the data very comfortably. The insights can finally be displayed in a variety of graphics and tables. It is also possible to receive raw data, which those responsible can further process themselves, and often there is the opportunity to filter and break down the facts. This way, users can get a more accurate picture of the results. Since all survey respondents' data are uploaded immediately, the companies or institutions conducting the survey can perform timely analyses throughout the course of a project.

• Accurate results, fewer mistakes: All data are entered directly into the system by the survey participants. Thus, they do not have to be re-entered into an analytics tool by the staff, as is the case with a paper questionnaire. This makes the system much less prone to errors and enables very accurate or reliable results.

• Email Integration: With many online survey tool providers, users can easily upload their contact list into the system and then collect feedback via email. Such messages offer the opportunity for very personal address, which in turn increases the chances that the query will really be accepted. The system keeps track of all emails and shows, among other things, whether they have been correctly forwarded or whether the associated surveys have been fully or partially filled out.

• Responsive participant experience: Unlike paper questionnaires, online surveys can be adapted to each individual participant. It is possible, for example, to skip irrelevant questions based on previous answers. This offers the respondents a more personal experience and allows them to complete the survey in much less time. Once again, there is important branding potential for the company or institution conducting the survey.

These are all clearly arguments for using a survey tool. However, there are also some potential drawbacks or possible problems. The following challenges are typical.

• Inadequate responses: This is a potential problem that can hinder the data collection process - particularly with anonymous surveys. If a person's name is not associated with a survey, they may feel less obligated to fill out answers to the extent they otherwise would. But also generally, online surveys are often quickly clicked through to save time, or simply ignored entirely. Therefore, it is important to use a strategy that aims for lean, fast feedback and also delivers real added value to the survey participants.

• Ambiguity of questions: This problem occurs not only in surveys conducted with survey software. If a company wants to use the data collected in a survey, it should ensure that the open questions are clear and that the answers can be standardized. Uncertainties in the questions can lead to poor data, which then defeats the purpose of the survey.

• Data protection: Surveys that collect personal data, linking survey tools with email addresses, or even disclosing survey data can be problematic in terms of data protection. Therefore, organizations should ensure that the data they collect is protected and generally processed in accordance with the GDPR.

The Best Survey Tools: How to Choose a Suitable Survey Tool?

Finding the best tool for an online survey is not that easy. The market is full of good solutions, but not all of them fit all requirements. A general roadmap for selection can therefore hardly be given. In whatever context a survey tool is used - those interested should always consider the following factors before deciding on a solution.

• Good security: Online surveys always produce data, which can usually even be associated with personal information (at least an IP). This makes the GDPR highly relevant. Interested parties should make sure that the provider company complies with the requirements of the General Data Protection Regulation. Certifications, independent checks, and clearly formulated guidelines should exist. ISO27001 is the recognized gold standard for data and information security.

• Flexible, functional themes: Participation rates in online surveys are declining - there are simply too many of them. Surveys must clearly stand out from the competition to increase the chances that they will really be filled out. Much of this is about the first visual impression. Therefore, interested parties should look out for appropriate design and branding tools. In this context, robust organization tools for questions are also important. This way, for example, the randomization of questions can prevent the same top options from always being selected. Some tools also offer the possibility to tailor follow-up questions specifically to previously given answers.

• Various types of questions: There are different types of questions for various strategies: Questions where a single answer is allowed, questions where any number of answers are allowed or questions where numbers (with or without decimal point) are captured. But also open-text questions and rating scales as well as questions where images or videos are used are available. The more diverse the options of the chosen tool, the more differentiated the survey strategy can be aligned.

• Powerful routing tools: A complex logic for the delivery of questionnaires is important. Perhaps feedback should specifically be collected from those customers who have purchased a product they found through a particular advertisement. Such logic sounds simple but can exceed the capacity of some systems.

• Flexible Analytics: Some survey tools offer hardly more analytics than an option to export the collected data as a spreadsheet in Excel or CSV format. That's not good enough for many contexts. Especially users with less experience in data analysis should rely on solutions that take a lot of analytics work off their hands and provide good results in the form of easy-to-understand reports.

• Integrations: Once important survey data has been collected, it is often advantageous to link it with external databases (for example, with customer databases) and process it further through these for other purposes. The adoption of information from a database, so that it can be used for the selection of the questions to be asked, can also be extremely useful at times. In fact, any meaningful link or automation will contribute to a holistic optimization of the processes around the respective survey tool.

What Do Survey Tools Cost?

Survey software is usually offered as a web-based solution. This means that users can purchase a license and use the system immediately without having to install anything on their own computer.

These online systems usually charge a flat fee based on various plans. Costs increase as more features are added. For good solutions, interested parties should budget between ten and 30 euros on average. However, if elaborate analytics, automations, or even AI come into play, it quickly becomes significantly more expensive. Payments are usually made monthly following a subscription model. But there are also bundles to be paid annually.

Some providers limit the number of surveys or forms that can be created per month or the number of simultaneous users for certain plans. Many offer their survey tools free of charge or provide a free version with limited functionality.

Small to medium-sized businesses can certainly use a free survey tool for initial steps. However, online questionnaire freeware usually reaches its limits when more individual surveys and deeper analytics are required.

There is also on-premise software, i.e., software to be installed on individual computers. Often, this software is aimed for on-site surveys. Examples may include survey tools for students, survey tools for schools, or software for opinion polls at public events. Such on-site systems are usually significantly more expensive than online programs.