Online Surveys - Why Would I Want to Create A Survey?

Big companies with big marketing departments will probably create their own market research surveys. But that can cost big money. 

Online survey service providers can be a cost-effective way for your business to get all the advantages of targeted market intelligence. In the not-so-distant past, traditional market research questionnaires ran into problems that respondents were unavailable, unsuitable, or unmotivated to participate. This resulted in a lot of paper surveys with responses that had no value to the company that commissioned the survey.

With many online polls offering small cash rewards for qualified respondents, online survey services have been inundated with poll-takers signing up to give their opinions and earn extra cash.

The survey services ask new members a set of questions when they sign up. This helps to determine which types of surveys are sent to which members. The goal is to make sure that polls about methods of preparing a Thanksgiving turkey don’t get sent to nineteen year-olds college students, and skate park activity questions are not delivered to stay-at-home moms. Ensuring that your survey is put in front of the right people is a big step in the right direction.

As with any service that attracts a lot of members, some less-than-ethical sites have emerged. Generally, if a website or service requires a registration fee to respond to polls, that’s where it makes most of its money—not from the vendors who create the surveys. If you want to use this kind of service, you should find one that charges you, not your respondents, and which can provide clear pricing information.