Survey success: How I increased my response rate by 116% and you can too!

By Chris Vasquez April 7, 2023

Among the finest issues about having an viewers in electronic mail is how simple it may be to get suggestions. Individuals have the expectation that electronic mail is a two method avenue and I’ll routinely get of us replying to my newsletters once they learn one thing attention-grabbing (or after I mess one thing up!).

It’s no shock that many individuals survey their viewers to be taught extra about them, what they like and dislike, and how one can higher serve them. Heck, we survey our personal viewers – you might have gotten a type of survey emails from us prior to now.

One of many questions I all the time ask earlier than sending a survey is, “how can we make it as simple as doable for somebody to reply to this survey?” Just lately, I ran an experiment that fully blew me away and doubled the response charge to my survey.

Up to now I’d ship some of these survey emails with a hyperlink or button that took individuals to the survey. 

Right here’s an instance of 1:

I had the speculation that if we let individuals reply the primary query of a survey straight from the e-mail extra individuals would find yourself submitting the survey. I assumed this may occur for 2 causes:

1 – Letting individuals reply the primary query creates momentum and buy-in. They’ve already seen some progress on the survey so the thought of ending it doesn’t look like such a big elevate. 

2 – “Take the survey” buttons or hyperlinks suggest a stage of effort that’s off placing.

To check this, I arrange a easy Typeform survey which was built-in with my AWeber account  and embedded the solutions to the primary query (it must be a number of selection for this to work) as hyperlinks in my electronic mail. 

When a reader clicked on one of many hyperlinks, they have been directed to the survey with their reply chosen. I examined this in opposition to the identical electronic mail with a button linking to the survey.

Right here’s what my electronic mail seemed like:

The outcomes that blew my thoughts

Let’s break this down and see if my speculation was appropriate.

✅ If we let individuals reply the primary query of a survey straight from the e-mail extra individuals would find yourself submitting the survey

This one is fairly simple. We had a considerably larger completion charge.

✅ Embedding Solutions Creates a Feeling of Momentum

I can’t say for sure, however I imagine that is occurring. People hit the survey on the internet having already made progress, so they don’t seem to be “beginning” the survey, they’re persevering with it.

⛔ “Take the Survey” Buttons Indicate Too A lot Effort

I used to be unsuitable right here. I noticed an equal quantity of individuals click on via to take the survey, so it doesn’t seem that folks anticipated the survey to be a heavier elevate to the purpose that they didn’t click on via to start out the survey.

Enhance your survey responses

In the event you’re seeking to enhance the completion charge of your electronic mail surveys, do that method and 

let me know the way it works. 

Hopefully you’ll see considerably extra responses!