I just finished creating a survey for my readers and website visitors, to find out more about the impact of overwhelm in their businesses and their lives. It was an interesting challenge. What questions could I ask that will allow me to get the most useful data from the answers, to best shape future content? Here’s how I determined what to ask, so that you can use a similar strategy when developing your own market research survey.
The Starting Questions
These simple questions are warm-up questions. Two demographic questions with binary answers. Are you male or female? Are you the person in charge (a manager or executive) or are you the person taking orders from someone else? This is some of the demographic information I’d like to know. But it’s easy, binary demographic information. I realize that there are other choices to these questions — you may be gender fluid, or have a day job where you’re an employee and a side hustle where you’re in charge. However, there should be one option you more strongly identify with.
The Open Ended Question
The heart of the survey is a single open-ended question. What is the one thing that is your biggest issue when it comes to overcoming obstacles? It turns out that there is a statistical significance between the likelihood of someone continuing to engage with you, and the length of their answer to an open-ended question. It makes sense. These are issues that people feel passionately about, and are desperate to find solutions and relief. If you can provide a solution that gives relief to that issue, they will become huge fans.
The Demographics
These are optional questions, that provide additional demographic information. I’m trying to build a picture of the person most likely to read my book, read my blog, listen to my Alexa skill, or engage with me in any other way. I also include the option for you to give me your name, email, and phone number. That way, if I would like to follow up with you to get more details about your answer, I can do so.
So please, stop on by the survey and fill it out. It will only take a few minutes to answer the questions.
