How to create a survey

Surveys are a powerful tool for gathering valuable insights, whether you’re conducting market research, seeking customer feedback, or running academic studies. This guide walks you through how to create a survey that gives you meaningful results.

Creating a survey is simple. On your Dashboard, click Create, enter the form name, and you’ll be taken to the form editor. Add questions using Add question on the right sidebar.

How to create a survey step by step

1. Create your first form after creating your account by clicking Create.
2. Name your survey – you can change it later at any time.
3. Go to the editor – after confirming the name, you’re taken to the survey creation module.
4. Prepare the cover page – start with the welcome/cover page. On the right panel, you can add graphics and a more detailed description with key information about the survey.
5. Add questions – on the left side you can add questions. There are 25+ question types.
6. Design the look – in the Design tab you can adjust the survey’s appearance. Use ready-made templates or set your own colors and background. Read more about survey design.
7. Configure logic and scoring – in the left-side tabs you can set up logic, scoring, or apply hidden variables.
8. Adjust settings – in the Settings tab you can add your logo, set a random order of questions, and configure security options.
9. Test the form – when the form is ready, test it carefully and fix any issues.
10. Choose sharing methods – in the Sharing tab you’ll find all ways to share your forms.
11. Analyze results – while the survey runs, you can monitor incoming responses in the Analysis tab in real time. After the study is complete, you can export data or create cross-tabulations.

4 types of research

In research, four main types stand out, each offering different insights:

1. Demographic research – focuses on economic and population data and helps you target audiences genuinely interested in your product or service. Use demographic survey questions.
2. Employee research – helps you understand employees’ beliefs, thoughts, and opinions about their jobs and the industry.
3. Market research – explores industry and buyer insights, letting you gauge competition and understand market sentiment.
4. Customer research – gathers feedback from people interacting with your business, product, or services, giving you insight into how to improve customer experience.

Recognizing the importance of surveys is one thing; knowing how to conduct them effectively is another. The right questions and presentation are crucial. Responsly offers ready-made templates so you can quickly find formats that fit many use cases and run surveys easily.

10 steps to create a good survey

1. Define your objectives – clearly state the purpose of your survey and what information you want to obtain.
2. Identify your target audience – know who you want to reach so you can tailor questions to their needs and characteristics.
3. Choose the right question types – use closed-ended questions for quantitative data and open-ended questions for qualitative insight. Learn more about quantitative vs qualitative research.
4. Write clear and concise questions – keep wording simple and avoid jargon or leading language.
5. Organize questions logically – move from general to specific topics to keep respondents engaged.
6. Provide diverse response options – include enough answer choices, plus options like “Other” or “Not applicable” when needed.
7. Design an attractive interface – a clean, visually appealing survey improves completion rates.
8. Pilot test the survey – run the survey with a small group first to catch issues in wording, flow, or technical behavior.
9. Launch and collect responses – distribute the survey via email, social media, website embeds, or other channels.
10. Analyze the data – when responses are in, analyze them to find patterns and insights, using charts and other visualizations where helpful.

What to do after conducting a survey

After the survey closes, there are several important follow‑up steps:

1. Clean and validate data – check responses for inconsistencies, errors, and incomplete entries.
2. Analyze results – run detailed analysis and visualize results to make them easier to understand.
3. Interpret findings – identify trends and key conclusions that answer your research questions or inform decisions.
4. Compare with objectives – verify whether the results match your initial goals and whether the survey achieved its purpose.
5. Find actionable insights – pinpoint areas that need improvement or further investigation based on the data.
6. Share findings – prepare a report with key takeaways, data, and recommended actions, and share it with stakeholders.
7. Implement changes – act on what you learned: update processes, products, or communication where needed.
8. Communicate with respondents – when appropriate, let respondents know that their feedback was used and appreciated.
9. Continuously improve – use experience from this survey to refine the design and distribution of future surveys.
10. Plan follow‑up surveys – if necessary, schedule future surveys to track the impact of changes over time.

Conducting online surveys is an efficient and cost‑effective way to understand your customers’ preferences and expectations. A well‑designed survey can guide strategic decisions based on data instead of guesswork and significantly improve your customer service and overall business outcomes.