Definition:

Online surveys include structured questionnaires that are implemented in two ways: sending a link by email or a web form on the company’s website. Data collected from respondents is stored in a database and can be retrieved for further analysis. Since all the stages of creating and distributing questionnaires and data collection take place on the Internet, online surveys are flexible and cost-effective options.

Types of online surveys:

Online surveys, depending on the purpose, are divided into 6 main categories:

-Net Promoter Score or NPS survey: This survey examines the probability of recommending a brand’s product or service by its customers.

-Customer Satisfaction Surveys or CSAT: used to measure the level of customer satisfaction about a product or service and customer expectations.

–Market Research Surveys: Analyzes market trends and the durability of a product or service. Usually, this type of survey is implemented before the product is released.

-Post-Event Surveys: To immediately measure the success or failure of an event such as a conference based on participant feedback.

-Employee Satisfaction Surveys: Helps the HR team of companies to get 360-degree feedback from employee opinions.

-Academic Research Surveys: Conducted by students and graduates to validate research and theses with real data.

Advantages:

Convenience: Respondents can answer survey questions whenever they see fit. This helps improve the quality of responses, unlike face-to-face and telephone surveys that must be completed at a specific time with the help of the interviewer.

Accessibility from any device: survey forms can be easily accessed using smartphones, tablets, and laptops.

Cost-effectiveness: There is much software such as online survey tools and survey creation tools that are less expensive than hiring an interviewer in face-to-face and telephone surveys.

Flexible design: online surveys can be designed according to your needs (short or long questions, etc.). Also, the ability to add a logo, theme, background color, etc. in online questionnaires has a positive effect on persuading the audience to participate.

Screening of the audience: it is possible in online surveys to screen the respondents by providing a few questions about demographic characteristics, shopping behavior, lifestyle, etc.

Fast data analysis: because this method is based on artificial intelligence, it is possible to quickly analyze data, and monitor the total number of responses, response time, etc. on a weekly, monthly, and yearly basis.

Keeping the respondent anonymous: This feature helps the answers to be honest because the respondents feel freer to express their true opinions and approaches.

Saving time: Answering the questionnaire questions and analyzing the answers in the online survey is possible in the shortest possible time compared to face-to-face and telephone surveys.

Wide access: there is access to geographic regions at the national and even global level to online questionnaires.

 Limitations:

• Inability to communicate with people in remote areas: People who do not have access to the Internet are not included in the target population of online surveys.
• Fraud in answering: If the questions are long and complicated, it is possible to answer the questionnaire without thinking.
• Bias: Due to some issues such as fear of being judged, financial situations, etc., it is possible to create bias in the answers. Also, if the respondents are not interested in cooperation, they may choose the last option for each question, which leads to bias.
• Increased errors: Since online surveys are based on technology and artificial intelligence, the possibility of errors is high. For example, the weakening of the Internet, software errors, etc. will lead to the abandonment of the survey by the respondent.
• Leaving some questions unanswered: if the question is complex and difficult, the respondent will ignore it and answer only the easier questions.
• Difficulty in interpreting the respondent’s feelings: the absence of seeing the respondent’s face and body language in the online survey, therefore the real feelings of the respondents cannot be recognized.