Online Survey Question Types – SurveyRock Best Practices

SurveyRock offers many different survey question types for use on surveys. Below are some best practices associated with various online survey question types.

Mandatory Questions

• Use mandatory questions only as necessary. Using too many mandatory questions tends to result in fewer completes
• Reduce the number of mandatory questions on a page, especially if you are requiring involved rating/matrix questions
• Allow for N/A (non applicable) or ‘other’ answer when using mandatory questions. In many cases, if there is no valid answer, the results could be skewed by not allowing a N/A option

Ranking and Rating/Matrix Scale Questions

• When using ranking and/ or rating/matrix questions, limit the number of questions per page. If the respondent has to scroll down to view the next question, consider adding the next question to a new page. In general, it is best to limit the amount of scrolling that a respondent needs to do on one page. Fewer questions per page also causes respondents to use the submit button more frequently which records their answers
• Limit the number of items in ranking or rating/matrix scale questions to fewer than ten. These questions can become difficult to read after ten options. Longer rating/matrix or ranking questions can also cause display issues in some environments

Open-Ended/Textbox Questions

SurveyRock offers three types of open ended questions: Textbox (single line), Textbox (multiple lines) and Text Area Box

• For short answers, the Textbox (single line) and Textbox (multiple lines) work well; each line is limited to 200 characters
• For essay or longer comments, use the Text Area Box to accommodate up to 30 lines and 65.500 characters of text answers.

With SurveyRock, you can quickly and easily create online surveys and receive the fast feedback you need to make important decisions. Remember: the information you need is only a survey away!