Use these 5 types of survey methods to gather key insights

Surveys are great resources for learning more about a particular audience or getting input on an important business decision. For example, you may want to gauge customer perception about a new product you’re creating or a service you’re thinking about discontinuing.

But what survey methods should you use to gather this type of information? For that matter, what methods are best for collecting other types of insights? Michael Vigeant, CEO of GreatBlue Research, helps answer these questions below.

5 types of survey methods

1. Online survey

“When online surveys first hit the scene, they quickly grew in popularity because of their cost-effectiveness,” says Vigeant. The only downside of this survey method was it skewed toward a younger demographic that had a tech-first mindset. However, this quickly changed as older generations became comfortable with technology and started craving convenience.

Now you can use online surveys to get input from a lot of people in a short amount of time — for nearly every demographic. For example, Vigeant shares how one electricity provider was considering whether it should expand its offerings to include internet service. The company sent an online survey to its customers, who were mostly above the age of 50. The result was positive overall, but it did identify concerns customers had regarding potential changes in the service levels the company provided. “These insights informed the company’s service design and marketing campaigns,” he says.

Of course, online surveys are only as good as the platform supporting them. Jotform, a powerful form builder, has the right tools to help you create the perfect survey — and you can get started easily with any of its hundreds of prebuilt survey templates.

2. Phone call

As far as survey methods go, the phone call isn’t as popular as it was in years past. This is largely because people want to address things on their own time.  “No one wants to be interrupted at dinnertime to share their opinion about X, Y, or Z,” says Vigeant.

Still, Vigeant notes that phone calls tend to produce high-quality responses from the target audience. “When you speak with someone, you get more context around their answers. For example, you can hear hesitancy in their voice and pose follow-up questions to unearth additional insights.”

Phone calls are also useful for garnering a lot of input from large groups, though they’re more costly and time-consuming than online surveys. Vigeant says you typically see election polls using phone calls. “Survey creators would likely break down calls based on demographics — gender, age, marital status, number of dependents, income, etc.”

Jotform doesn’t make calls, but your team can use their forms or tables to record responses from the people they talk to — and keep them organized in one centralized location.

3. One-on-one interview

The one-on-one interview is similar to the phone call, but you schedule it in advance, so the interviewee is prepared for a Q&A. In addition, you generally conduct the interviews either face to face or via a video conference call.

One-on-one interviews are great for getting detailed responses and learning about a person’s emotional ties and unique experiences regarding a specific subject. “With an interview, you get to learn not only the what but also the why behind someone’s like or dislike,” Vigeant explains.

Much like with phone calls, you can use Jotform to record and organize responses from one-on-one interviews.

4. Focus group

If you need a balance between quantity and quality of responses, you can try a focus group. Vigeant says focus groups are great for times when you may not know exactly what questions to ask. “New product launches can benefit from focus groups. You can round up a sample of your audience, put them in a room, and get their initial thoughts. Commentary from participants will inform the questions you ask on a larger survey.”

Vigeant notes that focus groups tend to have eight to 12 people, and you can hold them in person or virtually.

You can use Jotform to build your focus group survey, which will contain your initial questions. Then you can build (and distribute) the larger online survey.

5. Journey map

You can use a journey map when your customers have multiple types of experiences with your brand and you want to determine the consistency of those experiences. Vigeant says that of all the survey methods listed, this is the most involved. “But it can also reveal incredible insights and inform key strategic and operational decisions.”

With a journey map, you follow a customer through every touch point with your brand — and even external entities, when applicable. A touch point could be scrolling through your website, speaking to customer support, or receiving a marketing email. “You want to capture all the interactions your customer has [with your company] that make up their relationship or journey. [This helps] to identify delights and obstacles that drive satisfaction and dissatisfaction, respectively,” Vigeant explains.

For example, you may have initial evidence that points to your company providing a great sales experience but falling short when it comes to support. A journey map can help you determine where to focus your realignment efforts.

You can build a Jotform survey for every customer touchpoint in a journey map — one for customer interactions with salespersons, designers, vendors, support personnel, and so on. Then, organize and assess responses using Jotform’s informative dashboard. 

Ready to start gathering insights that will help you decide how to move your business forward? Get started with a Jotform survey template today.

Photo by: denamorado