What is a Good Survey Response Rate? Tips to Maximize Engagement

You’ve worked hard and passionately to create a well-crafted customer survey to understand your NPS score. You invested time and effort in creating visually appealing online surveys, carefully selecting questions, and deciding on the best channels to reach your customers. But what happens when you don’t receive a good survey response rate?

This is a common scenario for businesses aiming to collect valuable customer feedback. One of the first questions that often comes to our mind after creating surveys is, “What kind of response rate should I expect?, how can I boost my email survey response rate?” It’s a fair concern, and the truth is, that response rates can vary widely depending on the type of survey and the channel you use to distribute it.

For instance, event surveys sent right after a session often have high engagement rates, while passive feedback tools like website widgets may receive fewer responses over time. Understanding these benchmarks is key to setting realistic expectations and improving your strategy.

In this blog, we’ll dive into the concept of survey response rates, helping you understand what they are and how to determine whether your rate is good or needs improvement. We’ll also explore the key factors that influence response rates and share practical, actionable tips to boost survey engagement. By the end, you’ll have the insights you need to make your surveys more effective and drive better results. Let’s get started!

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What is a Survey Response Rate?

Simply put, a survey response rate is the percentage of people who respond to your survey out of the total number of people you surveyed. This rate can range anywhere between 0% (no responses) and 100% (everyone responds).

To calculate survey response rate, use the formula:

For example, if you surveyed 150 people and received 30 responses, your response rate would be:

30÷150×100=20%

An acceptable survey response rate varies based on industry and survey type but generally falls between 10-30% for email surveys and 20-40% for SMS surveys. To ensure a high completion rate, design your survey with the audience in mind and focus on creating engaging, concise questions.

When surveys are compared, factors like distribution channels and timing play a significant role in determining success. Tracking completed surveys and analyzing response trends can help identify areas for improvement and optimize future surveys for better engagement.

Why Survey Response Rates Matter

Surveys without responses are like a question without an answer—they serve no purpose. A low response rate can lead to misleading conclusions, or worse, no conclusions at all.

If your customers aren’t responding to surveys, there could be several reasons. For example:

• Unhappy Customers: Some dissatisfied customers may avoid engagement altogether, as they’ve already decided to stop interacting with your brand.

• Content Customers: Happy customers may not feel compelled to respond, as they typically have fewer concerns compared to dissatisfied ones.

But these aren’t the only reasons to pay attention to your survey response rate. Here’s why it’s a critical metric:

• Gauge Participation and Engagement: Your response rate provides insights into how engaged your audience is. It reflects their willingness to participate and share feedback, offering a snapshot of their interest in your brand.

• Ensure Data Accuracy and Representativeness: A high response rate ensures your survey data is accurate and representative of your audience. Poor participation can skew results, making them less reliable and less actionable.

• Compare and Benchmark: Response rates allow you to measure the success of your survey campaigns over time or against similar studies. This benchmarking helps identify strengths and weaknesses in your approach.

• Optimize Resource Allocation: Understanding your response rate helps you allocate resources effectively. For instance, a low response rate may indicate the need for additional outreach or changes in your survey design.

• Maintain Accountability and Transparency: Many stakeholders or reporting agencies require you to disclose your survey’s response rate. A transparent rate indicates that your survey was conducted responsibly and provides context for interpreting the results.

• Foster Customer Engagement: A strong response rate reflects engaged customers who are willing to share their opinions. This engagement is invaluable for building stronger relationships and identifying areas of improvement in your products or services.

• Strengthen Research Validity: A robust response rate enhances the validity of your research. It ensures your results are based on a sufficiently representative sample, making your findings more credible and trustworthy.

What is a Good Survey Response Rate?

A good response rate is more than just a number—it’s a reflection of your survey’s effectiveness and your customers’ trust in your brand. It reflects how engaged your audience is and determines the accuracy of the insights you gather. According to Bain & Company,

However, the survey response rate varies based on several factors, including the sample size, the type of survey, and the distribution channel. Understanding these variations will help you set realistic expectations and ensure you can draw meaningful insights from the collected data.

Average Survey Response Rate Based on Sample Size

The size of your survey audience plays a significant role in determining what qualifies as a "good" response rate. Larger samples and smaller samples have different thresholds for what is acceptable, and understanding this distinction is key to setting realistic expectations.

• Large Sample Sizes: For large audiences, achieving a response rate of 15-20% is often sufficient. While the percentage may seem low, the sheer volume of responses from a larger pool can provide ample data for analysis. This is especially useful in large-scale market research surveys or customer feedback surveys where trends and patterns are more important than individual responses.

• Small Sample Sizes: When dealing with a smaller audience, the stakes are higher. A higher response rate, such as 40-50%, is necessary to ensure the data collected is representative and reliable. With fewer people to survey, every response counts toward creating meaningful insights.

These nuances emphasize the importance of setting realistic expectations and tailoring your goals based on your survey’s purpose and audience.

Average Survey Response Rates Based on Distribution Channels

The distribution channel you choose plays a critical role in determining your survey's average response rate. Each method has its unique strengths and challenges, along with specific benchmarks for what qualifies as a "good" response rate. Understanding these differences can help you select the most effective channel for your audience and goals.

Email Surveys: Balancing Reach and Engagement

Email surveys are among the most widely used and accessible methods for collecting feedback. They are cost-effective and offer a high degree of customization in both design and messaging. This flexibility allows businesses to personalize surveys to specific segments of their audience, increasing the relevance and potential engagement.

• Strengths:
  • Customization: Tailor the survey's look and feel to reflect your brand.
  • Depth of Information: Suitable for longer, more detailed surveys.
• Challenges:
  • Deliverability Issues: Emails may land in spam folders or be ignored.
  • Competition for Attention: Inboxes are often crowded, making it hard to stand out.
• Average Email Survey Response Rate: 15-30%

To maximize engagement, focus on crafting compelling subject lines, personalizing content, and timing your emails when recipients are most likely to read them.

SMS Surveys: Leveraging Immediacy and High Open Rates

SMS surveys utilize text messaging to reach participants swiftly, capitalizing on the high open rates of SMS compared to other channels. Since most people keep their mobile phones within reach, text messages are usually read within minutes, if not seconds.

• Strengths:
  • Immediate Visibility: Text messages are usually read within minutes.
  • High Engagement: Higher open and response rates compared to emails.
• Challenges:
  • Limited Content: Character limits constrain the complexity of questions.
  • Privacy Concerns: Recipients may be wary of sharing information via text.
• Average SMS Survey Response Rate: 35-50%

Keep SMS surveys concise and ensure compliance with regulations to respect user privacy and maintain trust.

In-App Surveys: Capturing Feedback in Real-Time

In-app surveys are integrated directly into a mobile or web application, allowing you to collect feedback from users while they are actively engaged with your product. These surveys can be triggered by specific actions, such as completing a purchase, finishing a level in a game, or spending a certain amount of time on a feature.

• Strengths:
  • Contextual Relevance: Collect feedback relevant to the user's current experience.
  • Higher Completion Rates: Users are more likely to respond when already interacting with your app.
• Challenges:
  • User Experience Disruption: Poorly timed surveys can frustrate users.
  • Limited to Active Users: Only reaches those currently using the app.
• Average In-app Survey Response Rate: 25-40%

To optimize, trigger surveys at appropriate moments, such as after a completed task, and ensure they are unobtrusive.

Website Surveys: Engaging Visitors on Your Platform

Website surveys are deployed directly on your website and can take various forms, such as pop-up windows, slide-in boxes, or embedded feedback forms. They rely on visitors choosing to engage with them, which can result in lower response rates compared to more direct methods.

• Strengths:
  • Immediate Audience: Targets users already interested in your content.
  • Ease of Implementation: Simple to set up and customize.
• Challenges:
  • Lower Engagement: Visitors may ignore or dismiss surveys.
  • Potentially Intrusive: Pop-ups can disrupt the browsing experience.
• Average Website Survey Response Rate: 5-20%

Improve effectiveness by placing surveys on high-traffic pages and designing them to be user-friendly and non-intrusive.

Event-Based Surveys: Maximizing Fresh Experiences

Event-based surveys are administered to participants immediately following an event, workshop, webinar, or training session. Since the experience is fresh in attendees' minds, they are more likely to provide detailed and accurate feedback.

• Strengths:
  • High Relevance: Feedback is based on recent experiences.
  • Strong Engagement: Attendees are more inclined to share their opinions.
• Challenges:
  • Timing Sensitivity: Delays in sending the survey can reduce response rates.
  • Limited Audience: Only applicable to event participants.
• Average Event-Based Response Rate: 60% and above

To capitalize, send the survey promptly and consider offering incentives for completion.

Offline Surveys: Personal Touch in Feedback Collection

Offline surveys involve collecting feedback through non-digital means, such as paper forms, face-to-face interviews, or kiosk-based questionnaires. They are particularly useful in environments where digital access is limited or when personal interaction is beneficial.

• Strengths:
  • Personal Interaction: Can lead to more detailed and honest feedback.
  • High Completion Rates: Immediate engagement encourages participation.
• Challenges:
  • Resource Intensive: Requires personnel and time for data collection and entry.
  • Scalability Issues: Not practical for reaching large audiences.
• Average Offline Survey Response Rate: 50-80%

Ensure that the process is convenient for respondents and that staff are trained to facilitate smooth interactions.

11 Actionable Tips to Improve Survey Response Rate

Boosting survey response rates is essential for collecting meaningful feedback. By understanding what motivates survey respondents and implementing targeted strategies, you can significantly enhance engagement and gather more valuable insights. Here are the 11 effective ways to improve your survey response rates:

1. Know Your Audience

When it comes to getting the most out of your Customer Feedback Surveys, it’s crucial to identify your target audience clearly and design the survey questions keeping them in mind. Understanding key demographics such as age, gender, and occupation allows you to create surveys that truly resonate with respondents.

Timing is equally important. For instance, employee surveys yield better results when sent during weekdays and office hours, as employees are more likely to be available and focused. Similarly, customer surveys might perform better during evenings or weekends, depending on your audience’s routines. By tailoring your surveys to your target audience, you can increase the chances of receiving meaningful survey responses and valuable insights.

2. Define the Purpose of Your Survey at the Start

Transparency is key to a successful survey. Clearly stating its purpose at the beginning builds trust and encourages respondents to provide honest, meaningful feedback. When respondents understand why their input is being collected and how it will be used, they are more likely to engage and provide accurate responses.

A well-defined objective helps you design relevant and effective questions, ensuring the feedback aligns with your goals. Without clarity, you risk collecting data that isn’t actionable. Communicating the purpose not only sets the right expectations but also fosters a positive survey experience, boosting participation and improving response rates.

3. Design Surveys That Captivate and Engage Instantly

The design of your survey is the first thing respondents notice, and it sets the tone for their experience. An appealing survey with well-chosen colors, a clean layout, and relevant visuals acts as a silent ambassador for your brand. A visually impressive survey is more likely to engage respondents and encourage them to provide feedback.

To achieve this, consider using survey tools that offer customization options, including branded, white-labeled surveys. This allows you to align the design with your brand identity and create a professional, engaging look.

4. Create a Survey with Your Customers in Mind

To design an effective survey, consider the tone and approach that will resonate with your respondents. Whether casual and friendly or professional and formal, tailoring the language to match your audience’s preferences fosters a more engaging and personalized experience, increasing their willingness to participate.

Respecting your respondents’ time is equally important. Busy individuals are less likely to complete lengthy surveys, so keep your questions concise and focused. For microsurveys, limit the number of questions to 10 or fewer, ensuring each is clear and easy to answer. A short, straightforward survey shows you value their time and are considerate of their schedules.

5. Keep Survey Length Short and Simple

Short surveys are more likely to be completed. Keep questions concise, clear, and easy to answer to reduce the risk of respondents opting out. Surveys under 5 minutes have a 70% higher completion rate, so aim to stay within this range.

Online survey response rates can be significantly improved by avoiding unnecessary jargon and dichotomous type of questions. Steer clear of leading questions, which can confuse respondents or bias their answers, making it difficult for them to share honest feedback. A straightforward survey enhances the overall experience and improves response rates.

6. Personalize Your Surveys

Personalization can make surveys more engaging and relevant. Use tools like skip and hide logic to tailor questions based on previous responses. For example, if a respondent selects “Yes” in a yes/no question, they can be directed to a specific follow-up, while those who select “No” are shown different questions.

This dynamic approach creates a seamless flow and demonstrates that their feedback matters. Personalized surveys also resonate better with respondents, capturing their attention and encouraging more accurate and meaningful responses.

7. Add Logic to Your Surveys

Incorporate skip and hide logic to create more relevant and adaptive surveys. This feature tailors the survey flow based on the respondent’s choices, ensuring they only answer questions that are pertinent to their experiences or preferences.

For example, respondents with opposite viewpoints or experiences can be directed to different sets of questions. This not only improves data relevance but also respects the respondent’s time, increasing the likelihood of survey completion.

8. Limit the Number of Open-Ended Questions

Open-ended questions provide valuable qualitative insights by uncovering the nuances of customer opinions. However, they require more effort and time to answer, which can discourage participation if overused.

To strike the right balance, limit open-ended questions and complement them with closed-ended ones. Closed-ended questions offer predefined options, making it easier for respondents to provide quick answers and simplifying data analysis—especially for larger sample sizes. This combination allows you to capture detailed feedback while ensuring the survey remains manageable for both respondents and analysts.

9. Show a Progress Bar

Respect your respondents’ time by adding a progress bar to your survey. This feature lets participants know how much of the survey is left, helping to set expectations and reduce the likelihood of drop-offs.

A visible progress bar also adds transparency and professionalism, reassuring respondents that their time is valued. This is particularly effective for longer or more complex surveys, as it motivates participants to complete the survey by showing their progress.

10. Brand Your Surveys

Include your brand’s logo, color scheme, and overall design in your surveys to establish credibility and trust. A professionally branded survey reassures respondents that the feedback request is legitimate and represents a reputable organization.

By maintaining consistency with your brand identity, you not only enhance the survey’s visual appeal but also increase the likelihood of participation. A well-branded survey reinforces your commitment to professionalism and customer engagement.

11. Limit the Frequency of Surveys

To prevent survey fatigue and avoid overwhelming your customers, carefully control how often you send surveys. A good practice is to balance survey frequency with customer interaction rates. For example, if a customer interacts with your business once a month, consider sending a survey every two months.

This thoughtful approach ensures customers remain engaged and willing to provide feedback, helping you gather meaningful insights without frustrating your audience.

Factors Affecting Survey Response Rate

Several factors influence the likelihood of respondents completing a survey. Understanding and addressing these factors can help you improve your survey response rates and collect meaningful feedback. Here are some of the key factors that you should keep in mind:

• Survey Length: The longer a survey, the more it might deter respondents from filling it. Keeping surveys concise and focused increases the likelihood of higher response rates.

• Question type, clarity, and wording: Using clear and concise survey questions based on relevancy would increase the response rate. Whereas asking for longer comments where only choosing from options could’ve worked might also frustrate the users.

• Timing and Frequency: Timing matters. Avoid sending surveys on weekends, holidays, or during busy periods. Additionally, over-surveying your audience can lead to fatigue. Strike a balance by aligning survey frequency with customer interactions.

• Survey Distribution Channels: The channel used to distribute your survey affects response rates. For example:

  • Email and SMS surveys often see moderate engagement.

  • Social media surveys can reach broader audiences but may have lower participation rates.

  • Paper-based and phone surveys typically see higher completion rates due to their personal touch.

• Data Confidentiality and Anonymity: Respondents are more likely to provide honest feedback if their privacy is assured. Highlight how their data will remain confidential or anonymous to build trust and encourage participation.

• Follow-Up and Reminders: Sending follow-up emails or reminders to non-respondents can encourage participation and improve response rates.

• Survey Design and Layout: The visual appeal and user-friendliness of the survey can influence respondents’ willingness to complete it. An intuitive and well-designed survey layout can enhance the overall experience.

Boost Your Survey Response Rates With Zonka Feedback

By focusing on key factors like design, timing, and personalization, you can create surveys that achieve higher response rates and deliver meaningful insights. A well-crafted survey not only enhances participation but also strengthens your relationship with respondents.

Zonka Feedback simplifies the survey creation process with its intuitive platform. Use customizable survey templates, user-friendly tools, or even AI assistance to design engaging surveys that resonate with your audience. Ready to elevate your survey strategy? Start your free 14-day trial with Zonka Feedback and unlock the potential of actionable customer insights!