What is a good response rate for a survey?
Surveys are a great way to gain insight from users of products or services. They help companies gather valuable information and better understand customer needs. But what is a good response rate for a customer survey? In this article, we look at what a good customer survey response rate is and what it means. We will also give you some practical tips on how to improve your response rate.
What does response rate mean?
The response rate shows the percentage of respondents who answered the survey. You calculate it by taking the number of people who responded, dividing it by the total number of surveys sent out and multiplying the result by 100.
What is considered a good response rate?
According to research, the average for online surveys is around 33%. For surveys with fewer than 1000 recipients, the response rate can be over 40%. Experts say that a response rate of 50% or more is excellent, but it can be difficult to reach when surveys are sent to many people. Therefore, it is reasonable for companies to aim for at least 30%.
Why is the response rate important?
The response rate is important because it shows how representative the responses are of the whole target population. A high response rate reduces the risk of error and provides more reliable results.
Research shows that response rates vary depending on the topic, distribution method and target audience. Within organisations, response rates are often 35-40%, while external surveys have lower response rates.
Guidelines for response rates:
- Below 20%: Low response rate, may indicate problems with the survey.
- 20-30%: Accepted in many studies, but risk of some bias.
- 30-50%: Good frequency, sufficient for reliable insights.
- Above 50%: Excellent frequency, high degree of representativeness.
For businesses, it is reasonable to aim for a response rate of 30%, to ensure useful and representative data.
Strategies to increase the response rate:
- User-friendly design: Create clear surveys with relevant questions to increase engagement.
- Customisation: Adapt the survey to the target group and personalise it.
- Follow-up and incentives: Send reminders and offer incentives, such as discounts, to increase participation.
New research on response rates
Digitalisation and mobile-friendly surveys have had a positive impact on response rates. Studies show that mobile-friendly surveys often have higher response rates, especially among younger users. Social media also offer new opportunities to reach more target groups and increase participation.
Differences between B2B and B2C surveys:
B2B: Lower response rates but high quality data due to stronger relationships. Customise surveys to suit business needs and time constraints.
B2C: Higher response rates with a wider target audience. Incentives such as discounts can increase engagement to respond to the survey.
Webropol is not only a platform for creating surveys, but also an end-to-end solution to maximise the response rate and thus the quality of the insights provided by respondents. By offering a range of features such as user-friendly design, mobile-friendliness and customised invitations, Webropol ensures that customer surveys are both appealing and easily accessible. Here are some of the features and services Webropol offers to increase response rates:
- Customised reminders and incentives: Webropol allows you to automate reminders to those who have not yet responded to the survey. Combine this with attractive incentives, such as discounts or special offers, to further motivate participants to complete the survey.
- In-depth analysis and insights: Webropol offers advanced analytical tools that allow you to quickly understand your results and make data-driven decisions. With real-time reporting, you can identify patterns and act on them immediately to optimise future surveys.
- Collect answers: Use Webropol’s capabilities to distribute your surveys via social media. This broadens your reach and especially reaches younger audiences who are more likely to respond via these channels.
- Personalised engagement: Create personalised and targeted surveys to increase relevance and therefore response rates. Webropol’s platform makes it easy to segment your respondents and customise questions based on their unique needs and interests.
- Mobile optimisation: In an era where more people are using their mobiles to manage daily tasks, Webropol ensures that all surveys are fully optimised for mobile devices, reducing friction for respondents.
Want to see even more features to increase response rates? Book a demo and discover all the possibilities Webropol can offer!
References:
• Groves, R. M., et al. (2009). Survey Methodology.
• Baruch, Y., & Holtom, B. C. (2008). Survey response rate levels and trends in organisational research.
• Dillman, D. A. (2007). Mail and Internet Surveys: The Tailored Design Method.
• Porter, S. R., & Whitcomb, M. E. (2005) E-mail subject lines and their effect on Web survey viewing and response.
• Göritz, A. S. (2006) Incentives in web studies: Methodological issues and a review.
• Revilla, M., & Höhne, J. K. (2020). Comparing the participation of mobile app vs. PC web respondents in a probability-based online panel.
• Antoun, C., et al. (2016). The effects of Facebook and Twitter on survey response rates and biases.
• Anseel, F., et al. (2010). Response rates in organisational science, 1995-2008: A meta-analytic review and guidelines for survey researchers.
• Fan, W., & Yan, Z. (2010). Factors affecting response rates of the web survey: A systematic review.