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    • Have you tried running your own online surveys and been disappointed with the results?
    • Do you wonder if there is more information in the data you’ve already gathered?
    • Would you like to conduct your own research, but worry about doing it right?

    Self-service online survey tools have created new opportunities for cost-effective research. Using tools such as SurveyGizmo, Zoomerang  or SurveyMonkey, it is possible to create a survey at a fraction of the cost of using a full-service research vendor.

    But online survey tools are only part of what is needed to make an effective research project. Just as easy-to-use graphics editors don’t turn you into an artist, an online survey tool doesn’t make users researchers.

    A successful online survey should include several steps (shown in the table below).

    In the past, these tasks were generally handled either by the full-service research vendor or you were pretty much on your own apart from tutorials and examples provided by the online survey tool vendors.

    But now you can get help for whichever parts of the project you choose. Whether you just need a review from an outside expert, advice to get started, or help with execution, the SurveysAlaCarte services offer the options you need. Our SurveysAlaCarte services work with the online survey tools you are already using. It doesn’t matter whether you plan to use SurveyMonkey or LimeSurvey, we can help make your market research projects effective.

    Contact us to see how we can help you with your project!

    Market Research Project Elements

    Phase

    Key Issues
    and Tasks

    Self-service Online
    Survey Tools Offer

    SurveysAlaCarte
    Adds

    Research Planning and Design

    How will the research forward the organization’s objectives and initiatives?

    • Are you interested in customer satisfaction, brand health, advertising, introducing a new product, or how well competitors are doing?
    • Do you want to monitor the situation, fix a problem, test something, or look for opportunities?
    • What specifically will be learned from research? How will the results be analyzed?
    • Who will be surveyed and how will they be reached? How many completed surveys will be needed?

    Not typically available

    Situational Recommendations

    Custom Plan

    Review Client Plans

    Questionnaire Development

    The survey should be developed and approved as a document before programming starts.

    • Which types of questions should be used (scales, attribute batteries, other-specifies, open-ends)?
    • Effective question wording (single topic, unbiased, encourage answers).
    • Skip patterns, piping, required or optional questions

    Reference materials

    Situational Recommendations

    Write Questionnaire

    Review Client Questionnaire

    Survey Programming and Testing

    Program and test to maximize response rate and to deliver reliable data.

    • Program survey directly online or by importing
    • Test for correct execution
    • Test for usability with different computers and browsers
    • Test for understanding by independent users

    Not typically available

    Programming

    Testing

    Invitations and Data Collection

    Manage invitation and collection processes for timely and cost-effective data gathering.

    • Compelling invitation, ideally with personalized link to prevent multiple entries
    • Incentives
    • Soft launch to verify entire data collection process
    • Manage quotas
    • Send out reminders

    Reference materials for invitations

    Customer uploads email list for invitations

    Survey responses captured

    Tools for managing invitation process

    Situational recommendations

    Write invitation

    Assistance with reminders and quotas

    Data Preparation for Analysis

    Ensure data is ready for effective analysis

    • Data cleaning may be needed to handle invalid or partial responses
    • Coding of open-ends and other/specify data will permit numerical analysis
    • Cross tabs if statistical testing of respondent groups is required
    • Create SPSS data file if needed for advanced analysis

    Customer responsible for data cleaning, coding, preparation for additional analysis

    Data cleaning, coding, preparation for additional analysis

    Cross tabs

    SPSS file

    Analysis and Reporting

    Create actionable results from data

    • Analyze data against the original objectives
    • Identify key findings and recommendations
    • Report as appropriate for the target audience and stakeholders

    Online reports typically show topline data with no significance testing

    Additional analysis and reporting not typically available

    Analysis with significance testing

    Key drivers or other advanced analysis

    Reporting with key findings and recommendations