ARRANGING THE QUESTIONNAIRE LAYOUT. Questions need to be neatly formatted so that the questionnaire looks attractive and easy to complete.
Questions covering a specific subject, such as trends, suppliers or purchasers, should be grouped. Respondents should be taken gradually from simple to difficult (or delicate) questions in a logical order. Thus the first questions on the form are likely to ask easy to complete questions about purchasing behaviour. A simple routine question could then lead him into the body of the questionnaire.
By structuring the questionnaire from simple to the more difficult, the researcher is easing the respondent into his work. Once started, she will find a motivation to continue and finish. The embarrassing or controversial questions, left until the end, now stand a chance of completion.
Market research questionnaires are viewed by most as just another form and since there is no compulsion to respond there is a danger that they will end up in the waste paper basket unless the respondent has an incentive to reply. If the questionnaire is visually attractive it will help. It costs no more for the questionnaire to be printed on coloured paper. Not only does this look appealing, it helps stand out in the sea of white paper on most respondents’ desks. Cartoons can give visual relief and again add interest.
Every attempt should be made to lay the questionnaire out on one piece of paper. It looks better and avoids stapled pages. Ideally the questionnaire should be restricted to two sides of A4, i.e. A3 folded so that there are four pages in booklet form.
PILOT TESTING THE DRAFT QUESTIONNAIRE, The perfect questionnaire has yet to be written. When a draft has been prepared which appears acceptable to the researcher, it should be tried on at least two or three colleagues. Next the questionnaire should be tested in the field. Theoretically the test should be a small scale postal survey. However, the draft questionnaire is usually tested face to face amongst half a dozen target respondents who have the opportunity of saying what was in their minds as they completed each question.
Although the design of the questionnaire is the key element of a postal survey, the first thing seen by respondents is the covering letter. The aim of the cover letter is to persuade the recipient to give up time, exercise the mind and part with valuable information without any immediate or obvious reward.
The cover letter should attempt to bond the sender and respondent and so is likely to include liberal doses of the words you and we or I. The style of writing must be engaging so that the interest of the reader is held and yet it should also convey confidence that a reply will be put to good use.
The first paragraph, should explain the objectives of the research. No matter how vague, respondents need a hook or incentive for replying. This could be the promise of an improved service, increased efficiency, a more comprehensive range of products, etc. It should be explained that a reply is critical to the success of the survey and an assurance provided that the completion and response can be carried out quickly and easily. Finally, an offer of confidentiality should allay fears that there will be any future embarrassment or sales pressure.
Ninety per cent of the replies from the mail shot will be returned within two weeks of its dispatch. To increase the response a reminder could be mailed 14 days after the first shot.
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