How to Use Pre-program Surveys to Deliver a Better Program Experience

surveys-blogOf course you know what you’re getting out of your next speaker program. But what’s in it for your attendees? Why not ask them what they think? Surveys aren’t just a great strategy for post-program evaluation. They can be used to create more interesting breakout sessions, optimize presentation content and select better speakers.

A custom survey platform or an out of the box solution, like Survey Monkey, can help you reach a wider audience. This is a value add when you’re collecting quantitative data because it gives you a higher completion rate and more accurate results. If your objective is to improve your speaker program, the breadth of your audience is not as important. But you may still want to consider a web-based solution for benefits like easy email distribution, responsive design templates and real-time metrics that tell you right away who’s completed your survey and when.

Of course even the best platform can’t save you from an ineffective layout. Avoid potential design pitfalls with these tips:

  • Include an introduction that clearly states who you are, why you are conducting the survey and how long it will take to cross the finish line
  • Trim the copy and leave some space around your survey questions. Clutter overwhelms users. And an overwhelmed user is not likely to complete your survey
  • Flow your survey in a way that piques the user’s interest. Place interesting questions in the front and more sensitive questions at the end of your survey
  • Keep scrolling and page jumping to a minimum. Any complexity in your survey is guaranteed to cost you respondents
  • Test surveys with a sampling of users before distribution. Testing can go a long way in ensuring that you’re asking the right questions in the right way to achieve your objectives

If you’re looking for a web partner to help distribute your next survey, call Creative MediaWorks. We’re a full-service web and graphic design agency with over 25 years of experience supporting the life sciences industry. We specialize in innovative, cutting-edge web services and creative graphic design, including: eLearning, KOL and speaker portals, event registration websites, scientific posters, branding, slide presentations, and meeting collateral. To learn more about our company, visit website creativemediaworks.com