Are you looking to increase your survey response rate but feeling frustrated with low participation? You’re not alone! This is one of the biggest challenges survey creators face.
Low response rates can be incredibly frustrating when you’re trying to gather valuable feedback. You spend time carefully crafting your questions, planning your distribution strategy, and then… crickets. Or worse, you get such a small number of responses that you can’t draw any meaningful conclusions from your data.
But don’t worry, I’m here to help! I’ll share 12 proven techniques to increase your survey response rate in this comprehensive guide.
But first…
What Is a Good Response Rate for a Survey?
Before we look at how to improve your response rates, let’s talk about what “good” actually looks like. The truth is, there’s no one-size-fits-all answer. What’s considered a good survey response rate varies depending on several factors.
In my experience, here’s what you should generally aim for:
- Internal surveys (like employee feedback): 40-60%
- Customer satisfaction surveys: 10-30%
- Market research surveys: 5-15%
- Email surveys: 15-25%
But here’s something important to keep in mind: these numbers are just benchmarks, not hard rules. Your “good” response rate depends on factors like:
- Your industry
- Your target audience
- Survey length and complexity
- Distribution method
- Relationship with respondents
Pro Tip: Instead of obsessing over industry averages, focus on establishing your own baseline and working to improve it consistently. Even a 5% increase in your current response rate can provide significantly more valuable data.
Remember, while higher response rates are generally better, what matters most is getting enough quality responses to make your data statistically significant. Even a survey with a lower response rate can be valuable if it provides meaningful, representative feedback from your target audience.
How to Calculate Your Survey Response Rate
Calculating your survey response rate is actually pretty straightforward. Let me break it down for you in simple terms.
Here’s the basic formula:
Response Rate = (Number of Completed Surveys/Total Number of Surveys Sent) ×100
Let’s look at a real-world example: Say you sent your customer satisfaction survey to 1,000 people, and 150 completed it. Here’s how you’d calculate your response rate:
150 (completed surveys) ÷ 1,000 (total sent) = 0.15
0.15 × 100 = 15% response rate
Pro Tip: Pay attention to the word “completed” here. Partial responses should be tracked separately to help you identify where people might be dropping off in your survey.
Key Factors That Impact Your Calculation:
- Bounced emails (should be subtracted from your total sent)
- Partial responses (should be tracked separately)
- Invalid responses (should be removed from your completed count)
While this calculation is simple, what really matters is understanding the story behind your numbers. A 15% response rate might be fantastic if your survey is long and complex, but not so great for a one-question customer feedback survey.
12 Proven Ways to Increase Your Survey Response Rate
Ready to transform your survey response rates from mediocre to impressive?
I’ve gathered the most effective strategies that actually work in the real world. These aren’t just theoretical tips—they’re practical techniques that will help you collect more responses and better data.
- Keep Surveys Short and Sweet
- Perfect Your Timing
- Personalize Your Survey Invitations
- Offer Strategic Incentives
- Use Clear, Simple Language
- Optimize for Mobile Devices
- Be Transparent About Survey Length
- Send Strategic Reminders
- Ensure Anonymity and Confidentiality
- Target the Right Audience
- Create Engaging Survey Design
- Use Multiple Distribution Channels
1. Keep Surveys Short and Sweet
Nobody likes filling out long surveys and attention spans are shorter than ever! This means that every extra question reduces the likelihood of completion.
In fact, surveys with more than 12 questions that take more than 7 minutes to complete see a 20% drop in response rates. That’s a lot!
The sweet spot? Aim for a survey that takes 3-5 minutes to complete. That’s typically around 10 questions or fewer.
Here’s how to keep things concise:
- Focus on must-have questions only
- Remove redundant or “nice-to-have” questions
- Use skip logic to show only relevant questions
- Break complex questions into simpler ones
Pro Tip: Before finalizing your survey, take it yourself and time it. If it takes you more than 5 minutes, it’s probably too long for your respondents.
2. Perfect Your Timing
Timing can make or break your survey response rate. Just like you wouldn’t call someone during dinner, you need to be strategic about when you send your surveys.
The sweet spot for sending surveys is typically mid-week, either around mid-morning (10 AM) or mid-afternoon (2-3 PM). Avoid Mondays when people are catching up on work and Fridays when they’re mentally checking out for the weekend. And don’t forget to consider your audience’s time zone.
Context matters too. Think about when your survey will be most relevant to your recipients. If you’re looking for feedback about a purchase, send your survey within 24 hours while the experience is still fresh. For event feedback, aim for within 48 hours, and for general customer satisfaction, try to catch them right after a meaningful interaction.
Pro Tip: For B2B surveys, stick to business hours. For B2C, early evening can work well when people are unwinding from their day.
3. Personalize Your Survey Invitations
Nobody likes feeling like just another number. Personalization can transform your survey from a corporate task into a meaningful conversation with your audience. It shows you value their individual experience and care about their specific feedback.
Think about the difference between these two approaches: “Dear Valued Customer, Please complete our satisfaction survey.” versus “Hi Tom, How was your experience with the new camera you bought last week?”
The second approach feels more like a natural conversation, doesn’t it? That’s because it references a specific interaction and speaks directly to the customer’s experience. This kind of personalization can significantly boost your response rates by making your survey feel more relevant and important to the recipient.
4. Offer Strategic Incentives
Let’s talk about incentives—because yes, sometimes people need a little extra motivation to share their thoughts. But not all incentives are created equal, and throwing money at the problem isn’t always the answer.
Small, guaranteed rewards often work better than the chance to win something big. Think about offering a
coffee gift card to everyone who completes your survey, rather than a chance to win a $500 prize. Why? Because people tend to value a sure thing over a potential windfall.
Pro Tip: Make sure your incentive matches your audience and the effort required. A 30-minute survey might need a more substantial reward than a quick 2-minute feedback form.
5. Use Clear, Simple Language
Complex language is a response rate killer, plain and simple. So write your questions like you’re explaining them to a friend.
- Instead of: “Please indicate your level of satisfaction regarding the user interface of our digital platform.”
- Try: “How easy was it to use our website?”
If your respondents need to read a question twice to understand it, you need to rewrite it. Keep your language conversational, direct, and jargon-free.
6. Optimize for Mobile Devices
More than half of your respondents will probably try to complete your survey on their phone. If your survey isn’t mobile-friendly, you’re essentially shutting the door on these potential responses.
Making your survey mobile-friendly isn’t just about shrinking it to fit a smaller screen. It’s about rethinking the entire experience for someone using their thumb to navigate while possibly multitasking.
Key mobile optimization tips:
- Use single-column layouts
- Make buttons large enough to tap easily
- Keep text input to a minimum (typing on phones is tedious)
- Test your survey on multiple devices before launching
A perfectly crafted survey with amazing incentives still won’t get responses if people can’t easily complete it on their preferred device.
7. Be Transparent About Survey Length
Nobody likes surprises—especially when it comes to time commitments. Being upfront about your survey length builds trust and sets clear expectations. When people know exactly what they’re getting into, they’re more likely to complete your survey.
Instead of leaving your respondents guessing, tell them straight up: “This survey takes about 3 minutes to complete” or “Just 5 quick questions for you.”
When you’re honest about the time investment, people can decide when they have the right moment to engage, rather than abandoning halfway through.
8. Send Strategic Reminders
We all need a gentle nudge sometimes. People get busy, emails get buried, and your survey gets forgotten. But there’s a fine line between helpful reminders and annoying spam.
Here’s what works: Send a maximum of two reminders, spaced about 3-4 days apart. Each reminder should feel fresh and friendly, not like you’re simply copying and pasting the same message. And always acknowledge that they might have missed your first email—don’t make them feel guilty about it.
Also, test different subject lines for your reminder emails. Something like “We still value your opinion!” often works better than “Reminder: Complete our survey.”
9. Ensure Anonymity and Confidentiality
People are more honest when they know their responses can’t be traced back to them. If you want genuine feedback, especially on sensitive topics, you need to make your respondents feel safe.
Clearly explain:
- How you’ll use their responses
- Who will have access to the data
- What steps you’re taking to protect their privacy
10. Target the Right Audience
Sending your survey to the wrong audience is like trying to sell ice cream in a snowstorm—you’re wasting everyone’s time and hurting your response rate.
Think carefully about who can provide the most valuable feedback for your specific questions. A survey about your mobile app should go to people who’ve actually used it, not your entire email list. When people receive surveys relevant to their experiences and interests, they’re naturally more motivated to respond.
A smaller, more targeted audience often yields better results than a massive, unfocused blast to everyone in your database.
11. Create Engaging Survey Design
First impressions matter and this absolutely applies to surveys too. A well-designed survey isn’t just pretty to look at; it’s easier to complete and more likely to keep respondents engaged until the end.
Think of your survey design as a welcoming conversation rather than an interrogation. Use plenty of white space, clear headings, and a clean, professional layout. Colors should be easy on the eyes, and your branding should be subtle but present.
I’ve found that breaking longer surveys into logical sections and showing progress bars helps keep respondents motivated.
Pro Tip: If you’re asking for ratings, consider using familiar symbols (like stars or emojis) instead of just numbers. They’re more engaging and often lead to higher completion rates.
12. Use Multiple Distribution Channels
Relying on just one channel to distribute your survey is like fishing with a single line when you could be using a net. Different people prefer different communication channels, so why not meet them where they are?
Consider distributing your survey through:
- Email (still the classic choice)
- In-app or website pop-ups
- Social media
- Text messages
- QR codes at physical locations
Also, adapt your approach for each channel. An email survey invitation can be more detailed, while a social media post needs to be short and snappy. The survey itself should remain consistent, but how you present it should match the platform.
Think about timing too—a text message survey might work better in the evening, while a business-focused LinkedIn survey could perform better during work hours.
The goal isn’t to bombard people across all channels but to thoughtfully choose the most relevant ones for your specific audience and survey goals.
And that’s it!
Now that you have these 12 proven strategies to boost your survey response rates, you’re well-equipped to create surveys that people will actually want to complete. But having the right tools is just as important as having the right techniques.
Speaking of tools, if you’re running a WordPress website, let me share a game-changer that helps streamline the survey process and consistently achieve higher response rates.
Best Tool for Running Surveys: UserFeedback
Now that you know how to improve survey response rates, you need the right tool to put these strategies into action. As a WordPress user, I can’t recommend UserFeedback enough—it’s specifically designed to help you implement all the response-boosting techniques we just discussed.
What makes UserFeedback particularly effective for increasing response rates is its user-centric approach. The tool presents questions one at a time, making surveys feel less overwhelming and more conversational.
Key Features That Boost Response Rates:
- Smart targeting options to reach the right audience
- Customizable designs that match your brand
- Mobile-friendly surveys that work seamlessly on all devices
- Flexible display options that don’t disrupt the user experience
- Pre-built templates for quick setup
UserFeedback’s conditional logic feature lets you create dynamic surveys that adapt based on previous answers—making your surveys more relevant and engaging for each respondent.
What I particularly love about UserFeedback is how it combines powerful features with simplicity and it’s even possible to get started for free.
You don’t need to be a tech expert to create professional-looking surveys that actually get responses. Plus, all your survey data integrates directly with your WordPress dashboard, making it easy to track and analyze results.
Whether you’re collecting customer feedback, running market research, or measuring satisfaction scores, UserFeedback gives you everything you need to create surveys that people actually want to complete.
Get started with UserFeedback today!
Frequently Asked Questions
Below I’ll answer some frequently asked questions about running surveys and response rates:
Is 20 respondents enough for a survey?
Twenty respondents are generally too little for reliable survey results. While you might get some useful insights, you’ll need more responses to draw statistically significant conclusions. The ideal number depends on your audience size and desired confidence level.
What is a good sample size for a survey?
A good sample size depends on your total audience and desired margin of error. For most business surveys, aim for at least 100 responses for smaller groups (under 1,000) or 300-400 for larger. This typically provides a reasonable confidence level for decision-making.
What is a low response rate for a survey?
Response rates below 5% are considered low for most surveys. However, context matters—a 5% response rate might be acceptable for a general market research survey but would be concerning for an internal employee survey, where rates should be 40% or higher.
What is response bias in surveys?
Response bias occurs when survey respondents answer questions inaccurately or untruthfully. This can happen when questions are leading, when respondents want to please the surveyor, or when they feel pressured to give “socially acceptable” answers. Good survey design helps minimize this bias.
That marks the end of my guide on increasing your survey response rate.
I hope you liked it and found it helpful. Be sure to also check out these other resources:
- The Ultimate Guide to Customer Feedback
- 44 Customer Survey Questions + Guide to Meaningful Feedback
- 20 Customer Satisfaction Survey Examples & Templates to Use
- How to Get and Improve Your Customer Effort Score
Not using UserFeedback? Get started today!
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