17 Best Survey Design Best Practices for Reliable Research Results

With millions of surveys launched every single day, businesses are collecting more feedback than ever before. But here’s the challenge: not all surveys are designed to deliver honest, thoughtful, and reliable answers. In fact, poorly structured questions and biased formats are the top reasons why surveys fail to produce actionable insights.

So, how do you make your survey stand out in a crowded inbox? And how can you encourage respondents to share authentic feedback instead of rushing through? While you can’t control every aspect of who completes your survey, you can reduce bias, improve participation, and increase data accuracy by following proven survey design best practices.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through the top survey design best practices to follow in 2025, plus how AI-powered tools like TheySaid make it easier than ever to create surveys that feel human, conversational, and insightful.

The Impact of Smart Survey Design

Surveys exist to help you make decisions that actually matter. Imagine you just hosted a workshop and want to know what resonated with your participants. Were the sessions engaging? Was the setup comfortable? Did attendees leave satisfied? The answers you collect should guide improvements for your next event, ensuring it aligns with what your audience truly wants.

But even the best intentions can backfire if your survey isn’t designed well. Confusing questions, cluttered layouts, or too many errors can lead respondents to give half-hearted answers or satisfice, providing the bare minimum rather than thoughtful feedback.

Following survey design best practices, whether online or offline, not only makes your surveys easier and more enjoyable to complete but also shows that you value your audience’s time. The result? Higher-quality responses that you can confidently act on.

17 Best Survey Design Practices for Higher Response Rates

Designing a survey might seem simple as drafting a list of questions, but if you want high-quality, actionable insights, there’s much more to it. An outstanding survey balances focus, clarity, and respect for the respondent’s time. Get it right, and you’ll earn honest feedback you can trust. Get it wrong, and people will abandon your survey or worse, provide biased or unreliable answers.

So, how do you design a survey that actually works? Let’s break it down into best practices:

1. Start with a Clear Goal

Before you type out a single question, define your survey’s purpose. Ask yourself:

• What am I trying to measure or learn?
• Who should take this survey?
• How will I use the responses?

For example, to improve our advertising, we plan to survey people aged 25–34 to gauge their familiarity with our brand.

That single statement keeps your survey focused. Without a goal, you risk writing a list of questions that don’t connect to your business needs.

2. Plan Your Survey Around Objectives

Once you’ve set a goal, outline objectives that ladder back to it. Let’s say your goal is to measure brand awareness. Your objectives might be to:

• Test recall of your latest ad campaign
• Gauge familiarity with your brand overall
• Compare awareness across key demographics

Fewer objectives lead to sharper questions. Too many objectives, and your survey will spiral into a bloated form nobody wants to complete.

3. Design with Data in Mind

Think about the type of data you need:

• Quantitative data (numbers, percentages) comes from closed-ended questions like multiple choice. Example:  Which of the following brands have you heard of? (Select all that apply.)
• Qualitative data (stories, opinions) comes from open-ended questions. Example: When you think of this product category, what brands come to mind?

Both matter. Quantitative is easier to analyze at scale, but qualitative gives you context, the “why” behind the numbers. Best practice? Use mostly closed-ended questions, then sprinkle in 1–2 open-text questions toward the end.

4. Write Clear, Concise Questions

The best survey questions are simple and easy to understand. Keep these rules in mind:

• Use plain language, skip jargon, acronyms, or technical terms.
• Keep questions short and direct.
• Add clear instructions (e.g., “Select up to 3 options.”)

For Example:
Not good: Which of our innovative omnichannel touchpoints enhanced your overall brand journey?
Good: Which of the following factors influenced your most recent purchase? (Select up to 3.)

5. Avoid Common Bias Traps

Bias is the enemy of good data. Watch out for these pitfalls:

• Leading questions: Don’t frame your brand positively in the question itself.
  
  • ❌ We’re known for our high quality. How satisfied are you?
  • ✅ How satisfied are you with your most recent purchase?
• Loaded questions: Avoid assumptions.
  
  • ❌ What influenced your most recent purchase? (What if they didn’t purchase?)
• Double-barreled questions: Don’t ask two things at once.
  
  • ❌ How satisfied are you with the price and quality?
  • ✅ Separate into two questions.
• Absolute questions: Skip words like “always” or “never.”
  
  • ❌ Do you always shop online?
  • ✅ How often do you shop online? (Daily, Weekly, Monthly, Rarely, Never)

6. Handle Sensitive Questions with Care

Certain topics like age, income, gender, religion, or ethnicity require extra sensitivity. Ask them the wrong way, and you’ll lose trust (and respondents).

Best practices for sensitive questions

• Provide ranges instead of exact answers (e.g., $40,000–$50,000 instead of asking for salary).
• Offer inclusive options like “Prefer to self-describe” or “Prefer not to answer.”
• Explain why you’re asking (e.g., “We use this data only for research, not marketing.”).
• Place sensitive questions at the end, when trust is higher, and make them optional.

Read: Demographic Survey Questions: Best Practices and Examples

7. Choose the Right Question Types

Different question formats serve different purposes. A mix keeps your survey engaging while still delivering usable data.

• Multiple Choice (Single Select): Best for demographics or when only one answer fits.
• Multiple Choice (Multi Select): Great for “check all that apply” scenarios.
• Dropdowns: Useful when you have many options (e.g., age, location) and want a cleaner design.
• Scales & Ratings: Perfect for measuring satisfaction or likelihood (e.g., Net Promoter Score).
• Open-Ended: Use sparingly to capture qualitative insights.

Pro Tip: Pair open-ended questions with ratings. For example, ask an NPS rating first, then follow with: “What’s the main reason for your score?” This combines quantifiable data with rich, contextual insights.

8. Use Matrix Questions Wisely

Matrix (or grid-style) survey questions can look like an efficient shortcut. Instead of asking five separate questions about customer service, you place them side by side in a single grid, letting respondents rate their satisfaction across multiple areas at once.

It sounds convenient, but it comes with trade-offs. While matrix questions reduce clutter, they can also lead to “straightlining,” where respondents click the same option across the board without thinking carefully. This reduces the accuracy of your data.

To get the benefits without the pitfalls, keep these best practices in mind:

• Think mobile-first. Many people complete surveys on their phones. A large, complex matrix can be frustrating on smaller screens. If your audience is mobile-heavy, consider breaking the grid into shorter, single questions instead.
• Keep it short. Use a maximum of five items in a grid. Any more and you risk overwhelming your respondents.
• Limit answer choices. Five response options is typically enough—any more and readability becomes a problem.
• Be clear. Short, direct wording works best for both rows and columns. Avoid wrapping long sentences in grids.

Used correctly, matrix questions can simplify your survey. Used carelessly, they drive abandonment rates higher.

9. Get Your Rating Scales Right

After choosing question types, the next step is deciding how you want people to respond. For example:

• Do you want respondents to rate satisfaction on a 1–10 scale?
• Would a star or smiley-face system be more intuitive?
• Or should you use a word-based scale (e.g., “Very Satisfied” to “Very Dissatisfied”)?

Each choice impacts how easy it is for people to respond and how useful your insights will be.

10. Worded vs. Numbered Lists

Imagine you’re running a post-purchase website feedback survey. You want to know how easy it was for shoppers to find what they needed. Should you ask:

• “Rate your experience from 1 (not at all easy) to 5 (extremely easy).”
  or
• “How easy was it to find what you were looking for?” with options ranging from “Not easy at all” to “Extremely easy.”

Here’s what to consider:

• Context. Numbers may be quicker for a time-pressed shopper.
• User-friendliness. Worded scales can be harder to read on mobile or across different languages.
• Insights. Words give you a richer interpretation. Saying “62% found it ‘somewhat easy’” is often more actionable than an average score of 3.5.

11. Yes/No and Agree/Disagree Questions

Dichotomous questions (two-option answers) can be useful for quick insights. For example:

• “Do you agree with the statement: I feel supported by my manager.” (Yes/No)

However, the lack of nuance can hide the middle ground. If your survey requires detail, a 5-point scale (“Strongly Disagree” → “Strongly Agree”) might reveal more accurate sentiment.

12. 5-Point vs. 7-Point Scales

For balanced insights, 5-point and 7-point Likert scales are industry favorites. They allow for nuance without overwhelming respondents. For example:

• 5-point scale: “Very dissatisfied → Neutral → Very satisfied”
• 7-point scale: Useful when you need a more fine-grained view of attitudes or behavior.

The choice depends on your goal. A simple customer satisfaction check might work perfectly with five options, but an employee engagement survey could benefit from a more detailed 7-point spread.

13. Keep Surveys Short and Relevant

Survey fatigue is real. The longer the survey, the more likely people are to abandon it or worse, rush through with inaccurate answers.

Recent data shows that over half of online surveys now contain five or fewer questions per page. This trend reflects growing expectations for brevity and clarity.

Here’s how to respect your audience’s time while still gathering valuable data:

• Aim for 10 or fewer questions on a single-page survey.
• Use screening questions up front to filter out irrelevant participants.
• Don’t cover everything at once. Break complex studies into multiple, shorter surveys.
• Apply skip logic so respondents only see questions relevant to them.
• Save open-ended questions for last, when people are already invested in completing the survey.

14. Question Order Matters

The sequence of your questions can influence how people respond. Best practices include:

• Randomize questions where possible to reduce bias.
• Put easier, closed-ended questions first to build momentum.
• Place sensitive or demographic questions later, once trust is built.
• Only make mandatory the questions essential for your goal.

The smoother the flow, the more likely you are to keep participants engaged through the final click.

15. Use Incentives Carefully

Offering rewards can motivate participation, but they can also distort your results. A gift card or discount may encourage more people to complete your survey, but if the incentive is too attractive, respondents may rush through just to claim the reward.

To strike the right balance:

• Match the reward to effort. A small token works for short surveys; bigger incentives are justified for longer studies.
• Be transparent. Tell respondents what they’ll get and when.
• Avoid leading with the prize. Keep the survey’s purpose front and center, so participants don’t lose sight of why they’re contributing.

Used thoughtfully, incentives boost response rates without compromising quality.

16. Test Before You Launch

Never assume your survey is ready just because you’ve finished writing it. A pilot run with a small group of colleagues or a subset of your target audience can reveal:

• Confusing wording
• Technical issues (especially on mobile)
• Question order problems
• Skewed response scales

Pro Tip: Always test on multiple devices: desktop, tablet, and mobile. With more than half of surveys now completed on smartphones, mobile optimization isn’t optional; it’s essential.

17. Finalize Your Survey Like a Pro

Before you hit “send,” take these final steps to polish your survey:

• Proofread carefully. Typos can undermine credibility.
• Check survey length. Aim for the shortest possible version that still meets your goals.
• Verify logic. Test skip patterns to ensure respondents only see relevant questions.
• Preview the respondent experience. Walk through the survey yourself and ask: Would I enjoy answering this?

Survey Design Best Practices by Survey Type

While general survey design principles apply everywhere, the details vary depending on the type of survey you’re running. Here’s how to adapt your approach for different scenarios:

Customer Satisfaction Surveys (CSAT)

• Keep it short and simple. 3–5 questions are usually enough.
• Use a mix of rating scales and open-ended questions. For example:
  
  • “How satisfied were you with your experience today?” (1–5 scale)
  • “What could we improve?” (open text)
• Send immediately after the interaction. Whether it’s a purchase, support call, or product trial, timing is everything.
• Close the loop. Follow up with customers who gave low scores to show you value their input.

Employee Engagement Surveys

• Ensure anonymity. This builds trust and encourages candid feedback.
• Focus on impact areas: leadership, growth opportunities, culture, workload, and well-being.
• Use pulse surveys. In addition to annual engagement surveys, send short quarterly check-ins.
• Share results transparently. Explain what actions will be taken—employees engage more when they see real change.
• Example questions:
  
  • “I feel recognized for my contributions at work.” (Likert scale)
  • “What’s one thing our leadership team could do to better support you?” (open text)

Market Research Surveys

• Start with your objective. Are you measuring brand awareness, testing pricing, or analyzing competitor perception?
• Balance open- and closed-ended questions. Use multiple choice for quant data, open text for qualitative insights.
• Segment your audience. Tailor questions to different demographics or buyer personas.
• Example questions:
  
  • “Which of the following brands have you heard of?” (multi-select)
  • “When you think about [product category], which brands come to mind first?” (open text)

Product Feedback Surveys

• Ask about a milestone. For example, after onboarding, feature use, or a support ticket resolution.
• Use CES (Customer Effort Score). It reveals how easy it is for customers to use your product.
• Include feature-specific questions. “How valuable do you find [new feature]?”
• Prioritize “why.” Follow up with a text box to capture reasoning behind low ratings.

Event Feedback Surveys

• Send quickly. Distribute surveys right after the event while details are fresh.
• Keep it short (5–7 questions). Attendees are less likely to answer long forms post-event.
• Ask about logistics and content separately. For example:
  
  • “How would you rate the event organization?”
  • “Which session was most valuable for you?”
• Use data to improve. Share highlights in post-event reports to build credibility.

Let TheySaid Help You Design Smarter Surveys

Survey design doesn’t have to feel complicated. With the right mix of expertise, AI-driven solutions, and ready-to-use templates, you can go from idea to insights in minutes.

At TheySaid, we make survey creation simple:

• AI-powered question generation that removes bias and keeps your surveys clear.
• Smart templates designed for customer, employee, market, and product research.
• Instant insights powered by AI analysis—no waiting weeks for reports.
• Multi-channel distribution so you can reach your audience wherever they are.

Our platform is built to help growing businesses and enterprises alike capture the conversations that matter most. Whether you’re running a quick pulse check with employees or diving deep into customer loyalty, TheySaid gives you the tools to design, distribute, and analyze surveys faster than ever.

Sign up free today and see how AI can make your surveys smarter, more conversational, and 10x more insightful.

Read: How to Create an AI-Powered Survey in Minutes with TheySaid

FAQs

1. What are survey design best practices?

Survey design best practices include setting a clear goal, keeping surveys short, using simple language, offering balanced response options, avoiding bias, ensuring mobile-friendliness, and testing before launch. These steps help you collect more reliable and actionable insights.

2. How long should a survey be?

The ideal survey length is 5–15 questions or under 10 minutes to complete. Longer surveys risk lower response rates and rushed answers.

3. What types of surveys are most common?

The most common survey types include:

• Customer Satisfaction (CSAT) surveys
• Employee Engagement Surveys
• Market Research surveys
• Product Feedback Surveys
• Event Feedback Surveys

Each has unique goals and design considerations.

4. How can AI improve survey design?

AI can:

• Suggest clear, bias-free questions
• Personalize survey wording for different audiences
• Analyze open-text responses instantly
• Highlight trends in real time

Tools like TheySaid use AI to make surveys conversational, faster, and more insightful.

5. How do I encourage more people to complete my survey?

Keep it short, personalize invites, offer incentives if appropriate, and explain how feedback will be used. Respondents are more likely to participate when they feel their voice matters.