How to Use Survey Tools in Creative Ways
Today's websites give users a central role, creating an experience that is interactive, dynamic and immersive. There are many "Web 2.0" style techniques that play a part within this, and surveys are one of the most commonly used. Surveys are generally easy to implement within a website, and make your visitors feel they are making a recognizable and lasting contribution. Survey tools are a way to make people feel their voice is being heard, and to put their views within the context of the wider community of other people who are also using your site.
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Instructions
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Use surveys to allow people to express something about themselves. Surveys do not need to be about business, although they can play a vital role in capturing information about the users of a site. People enjoy expressing their views and aspects of their personalities online, and so a survey is a way to give them this experience while also providing yourself with what could be invaluable information. Consider using survey tools to ask for visitor opinions on some topic.
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Combine surveys with other media and technologies to create a rich, stimulating experience. People expect instant feedback from a Web survey, and you should therefore always look to present the results of a survey taken immediately after the information has been submitted. Creative and visually interesting ways to do this include presenting overviews of total survey responses within charts and graphs. There are many free chart tools using images and Flash animation, including Google Charts and Open Flash Charts. (See References 1, 2)
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Include surveys on topics relating to the topics on your site pages. You can include a survey on virtually any page of a site, even if this amounts to a simple poll. Relate the topic of your survey to the topic on the website page, making people feel your site is about more than just a single function. If your site has a commercial purpose, making visitors feel that they are part of a community in this way can be an effective marketing technique, as you are demonstrating how much you value their input.
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Use surveys to inform future development for your site. Look at surveys as an opportunity to gain an insight into what the people using your site want to see in the future. If you do use surveys for this purpose, be sure to act on the input you receive, and let people know that their views have been acted upon where possible. Modern websites can be more like a team effort, with users given a central role in how Web organizations progress.
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Use different types of interaction with your surveys to give users new experiences. Technologies such as Flash and JavaScript can incorporate many types of user interaction. Utilizing the inherent abilities that these tools have for animation and interactivity makes a site seem professional and memorable, making a lasting impression on visitors. Many of these tools are freely available for use, do not require extensive development efforts and can be tailored to match the visual style of your website.
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Tips & Warnings
Look at surveys on other websites for ideas, as well as checking out the various code libraries where you can pick up excellent resources for free.
Try selecting your surveys randomly on certain pages of your site, so that the experience of visiting those pages is slightly different each time.
Although surveys can often add value to a website, try not to distract users from the main purpose of your site, as this can happen.
References
Resources
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