Surveys are a great way to gather valuable information and feedback from your customers. It can be a key tool in helping you make more informed decisions that will benefit your business.
But in order for a survey to be effective, the questions need to be well researched and designed. If the questions are inconsistent, confusing, or biased, the results will be inaccurate and unusable.
We’ve put together a list of survey design best practices to help you ask the right questions in the right way, so you can get the most out of your surveys.
1. Use closed-ended questions
Closed-ended questions are the most common type of question in a survey. They ask the respondent to choose from a list of predetermined answers.
These questions are quick and easy for the respondent to answer. They also make it easy for you to analyze and quantify the data you collect.
There are a few different types of closed-ended questions:
- Multiple choice questions: Respondents can only choose one answer from a list of options.
- Checkboxes: Respondents can select multiple answers from a list of options.
- Drop-downs: Respondents can choose one answer from a list, but the list is hidden until they click on the question.
- Rating scales: Respondents select a numerical value to represent their answer to a question.
- Likert scales: Respondents select a level of agreement or disagreement with a statement.
- Semantic differential scales: Respondents choose a number on a scale that has two opposite adjectives at each end (e.g., “good” and “bad”).
- Matrix questions: Respondents answer a series of questions using the same set of answer choices.
2. Avoid leading questions
Leading questions are worded in a way that suggests a preferred response. These questions can be influenced by the way they are asked. Leading questions can be used to manipulate the outcome of a survey, so it’s important to avoid them.
If you need to ask a question that could be interpreted as leading, use a matrix question and ask it in a variety of ways. This way, you can compare the results and see if there are any discrepancies.
3. Avoid double-barreled questions
A double-barreled question is two questions in one. Respondents may have different answers to each question, but they can only select one.
For example, “How satisfied are you with the customer service and the product quality?” would be a double-barreled question.
If you asked this question, you wouldn’t know if your customers were more satisfied with your customer service or your product quality.
This can lead to inaccurate data and make it difficult to identify the root cause of a problem. It’s better to ask two separate questions, so you can collect accurate data that’s easy to analyze.
4. Avoid biased questions
Biased questions are one of the most common survey mistakes made by novice and experienced researchers alike. Bias can take many forms, but it generally occurs when a survey question’s wording, structure, or response options influence the respondent to answer in a way that isn’t accurate.
For example, the question, “How much do you love our product?” is leading because it suggests the respondent loves the product. This will produce higher ratings than if you asked, “What is your opinion of our product?”
To avoid biased questions, carefully review your survey questions and answer options to ensure they don’t lead the respondent in any way. If you’re unsure, consider testing your survey with a small group of people and ask for their feedback.
5. Use simple
Don’t make your survey any more complicated than it needs to be. This means using simple language, avoiding jargon, and keeping your questions clear and to the point.
It also means making sure your survey is easy to take. Don’t make respondents jump through hoops to complete your survey—make it as easy as possible.
One way to do this is to keep your survey short and to the point. Don’t ask more questions than you need to, and don’t include any questions that aren’t directly related to your topic.
clear and concise language
If you’re not a fan of long, complex questions, you’re not alone. Most people don’t want to spend time answering a question they don’t understand.
That’s why it’s important to use clear and concise language in your survey questions. This means avoiding jargon, slang, and acronyms that your respondents may not be familiar with. It also means avoiding long, run-on sentences that can be hard to follow.
Instead, use short, simple sentences and words that are easy to understand. You should also use formatting, such as bullet points or numbered lists, to break up long questions and make them easier to read.
6. Keep the survey short
You have a limited amount of time to engage with your audience. Make sure you’re respectful of that time by keeping your survey short and to the point.
While it may be tempting to ask a lot of questions, it’s important to remember that your respondents are doing you a favor by taking the time to complete your survey. Be sure to show your appreciation by keeping the survey as short as possible.
If you need to ask a lot of questions, consider breaking your survey up into multiple parts and sending it out over the course of a few days. This will help to keep your response quality high and increase the likelihood that your audience will take the time to complete your survey.
7. Use skip logic
Skip logic is a feature that allows you to send respondents to a specific question or page in your survey based on their answer to a previous question.
This is a great way to personalize your survey and prevent respondents from getting frustrated. If a respondent is asked a question that doesn’t apply to them, they may be more likely to abandon the survey.
With skip logic, you can make sure that respondents are only asked questions that are relevant to them. This will help keep your survey short and engaging.
8. Use a consistent rating scale
If you’re asking multiple questions that require a rating scale, use the same rating scale for each question. This means if the first question is rated on a scale of 1-5, the next question should also be rated on a scale of 1-5.
Using a consistent rating scale allows respondents to easily understand what each number on the scale represents. If you use different scales for different questions, it can be confusing and make it hard for respondents to accurately answer your questions.
9. Test the survey
Testing your survey is the best way to catch any issues before you send it out. It also helps you get a feel for the quality of the survey.
A good survey should take about 5-10 minutes to complete. If it’s much longer, consider shortening it. If it’s much shorter, consider adding a few more questions to give more context to your results.
You can also use the test to check for any bugs or errors. This mirrors how AI agents for procurement are trained and validated—inputs are tested early to catch bias, ambiguity, or noise before decisions scale.If you find any, you can fix them before you send the survey to your larger audience.
10. Give respondents a clear reason to participate
Even a well-designed survey can suffer from low-quality responses if participants don’t see any value in completing it. When surveys feel one-sided or purely extractive, respondents rush through questions or abandon them altogether.
Providing a clear incentive or benefit improves both completion rates and response quality. This might include early access to features, exclusive content, or participation in referral and reward programs. Tools like ReferralCandy make it easier to tie survey participation to referral or reward-based incentives, encouraging more thoughtful and motivated responses without compromising survey integrity.
When respondents understand why their input matters—and how they benefit—survey data becomes more reliable and actionable.
Conclusion
Follow these survey design best practices to get the most out of your customer feedback. If you want to take your survey design to the next level, check out our list of the best survey tools next.
