What to Look for in an Online Survey Software Service

Once you’ve made the decision to start conducting online surveys, there’re a few more points to consider. Finding the right online survey software service can take a lot of the hassle out of conducting surveys, and collating data – leaving you free to focus on keeping your business running. A good online survey software service is flexible, allowing your surveys to grow and change as your business needs evolve. So, to find the best online survey software service, you’ll want to ask a few questions before settling on a solution.

How Time Consuming is the Survey Making Process?
One of the keys to getting the best result from your online surveys is streamlining the process of creating the surveys your customers and visitors will receive. An online survey software tool that takes up half a day to create a survey is counter productive – you might as well get your secretary out on the street with a clipboard to ask people random questions. A good online survey software solution can help you craft a professional, user-friendly online survey in minutes by using stock templates that can be easily personalized. When comparing online survey software services, try the demos on offer – odds are if you get bored or confused doing a ‘free trial’ survey, the tool isn’t right for you and the surveys produced won’t be enticing for your customers. Always seek out services that offer a trial or demo free of charge to see how flexible the product on offer really is; but, don’t be put off if the demo version of the survey software is in some way limited.

Is the Online Survey Software Service Flexible?
Any good business person has a vision of the future – and whether you’re using online surveys to tailor product launches or gain an insight to your clients, the survey software service you choose should be flexible. Online survey software services with built-in flexibility will allow you to create a number of different survey types tailored specifically to the needs of your projects, as well as providing you a variety of ways to view and display the results of your online surveys. Another important feature in terms of flexibility is how the survey itself is deployed – many online survey software suppliers are one-trick ponies, allowing you only one method of distributing the survey to your contacts. Seek out online survey software suppliers with a variety of options – invite participants to your survey by email, have the survey appear as a pop-up window or embed it in a webpage. Allowing you to provide surveys in different ways helps keep your customers interested in the online survey process – providing you with more consistent, reliable results for your efforts.

What’s the Cost of the Online Survey Software Solution?
Last but certainly not least, the price you pay for an online survey software package must be taken into account. Some firms charge a per-survey fee, others charge by the number of responses or participants and others offer a scalable service payable in monthly increments. The important thing here is to consider what your business needs – if the online survey software service you’re considering forces you to sign up for a full year but you’re uncertain of the success your surveys will face, find something a bit more flexible. An online survey service offering a selection of packages at variable price points is usually preferable as it allows you to try using a survey service for a month without any long-term commitment or penalty. Also, consider the time you or yoru staff will be putting into the survey-making process – a good, flexible online survey software service will save you time, which ultimately saves you money.

source: http://www.esurveys.com/survey-articles/survey-software/what-to-look-for-in-online-survey-software-070602/page1.html