Here are 6 easy-to-implement tips to entice your customers and members to improve your survey response rate.

1. Make your survey as short as possible

Think through your survey carefully. Only include the questions you absolutely must have the answers to—5-10 questions is the sweet spot. One way to do this is to choose a specific survey topic, like a particular event or promotion, and focus on that.

2. Tell recipients upfront how many questions are on your survey

If you tell the recipients how many questions there are, they know what to expect. Adding questions causes the completion rate to drop. By being upfront, you’re reassuring recipients your survey won’t take up too much of their time.

3. Keep your questions clear and simple

The minute someone reads a question on your survey that causes them to pause, or forces them to re-read it, the less likely they’ll be to finish. Have a co-worker or friend read through your questions to ensure they’re as clear and concise as possible.

4. Refer to survey results in your emails or on social media

Remind your audience you take their opinions seriously. Rolling out a new program based on some feedback you got?  Tell your customers and members that it’s a result of their input in your email newsletter or on your organization’s Facebook or Twitter account.

5. Brand your survey

You’ve taken time to build a positive, secure relationship with your customers or members. Include your logo and brand colors on your survey and survey invite so your recipients know right away it’s not a random spam survey—it’s from your organization, the one they know and trust.

6. Say thanks

Your customers just did you a favor: they took some time and completed your survey. Now you can serve them (and new customers) even better. A heartfelt thank-you page is only right; plus, customers who feel appreciated are more likely to take your next survey!

Have you sent out a successful survey lately? Leave a comment to let us know what you did to improve your response rate.