Definition, Templates, and Best Pratices of Survey Report

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What is survey report – purpose and templates nominal scale
Table of Contents

The survey report is a document whose purpose is to convey the information acquired during the survey in its whole and objectively. The report includes all of the results that were gathered.

The following are included in the full survey report:

  • Completion Rate
  • Total Number of Responses
  • Date of the Most Recent Response
  • Views from a Survey
  • Breakdown of Survey Respondent Answers
  • Dissection of Closed-Ended Questions

Exploratory Research Guide

Conducting exploratory research seems tricky but an effective guide can help.

Completion Rate

In basic words, the completion rate is the number of questions answered divided by the total number of questions in your survey. This is crucial to understand for a variety of reasons.

For example, if our survey had any items that respondents could skip (were optional), or if they abandoned the survey halfway through.

If we have a survey with 12 questions but most responders only answer six of them, our completion rate is 50%.

The completion rate can indicate a variety of things depending on the survey tool we use. For example, if the majority of respondents were only offered six questions out of a total of twelve because half of the questions were irrelevant and were skipped, it is most likely a response rate we’ll be happy with. 

But what if our 50% response rate is due to individuals purposefully ignoring questions? It might imply that we need to enhance our survey.

Number Of Responses

In order to fully assess our survey findings, we must know exactly how many individuals responded. Be cautious: certain survey platforms may not count individual respondents, only their replies to individual questions.

As a result, it’s critical that our survey platform allows us to tally the number of distinct people that replied so that we can assess whether we have a substantial sample size.

How do we figure out how many samples we’ll need?

This depends on the type of data we want to study; however, we may select to examine data from our whole audience or just a certain group.

For example, if we are a beauty firm that offers face creams exclusively for ladies over the age of thirty-five, our survey may reveal that we also have younger women who use our products because they want to look as youthful as possible for as long as possible.

We may select to divide these replies into distinct age groups in order to gather the data we need or data that may provide us with intriguing insight.

So, if we polled them on the efficacy of a new anti-aging lotion, we may find that ladies under thirty had significantly different replies than those in their sixties. This is the type of data that we could have neglected but that can considerably help us with our marketing efforts.

Date Of Last Response

This may not appear relevant if we are performing a survey for a limited and specified time period. Even yet, if we ask clients to complete a customer service evaluation survey once each case is closed, we may have years of data.

A lot may change for our product, staff, and customers over time, therefore it’s critical to determine if the data we’re evaluating is still relevant.

For example, if we rebuild our website but have a normal survey that we ask all new customers to fill out after purchase that isn’t updated with the redesign survey, the entire data may be inaccurate. This is due to the fact that it takes into consideration the sentiments stated prior to the release of the new design.

Survey Views

We need to know the overall number of survey views as well as the total number of unique survey views (the number of total views versus the number of different people who viewed the survey, as some people may have viewed it more than once).

If there is a significant difference between these two totals, this might indicate a number of reasons.

First, our survey may be aimed at a big number of people, and the questions may not be relevant enough for all of our respondents to answer.

Respondents may potentially read the survey and opt not to complete it for the following reasons:

  • They just do not have the time.
  • They lack the necessary equipment (things like open-ended questions can be difficult and tedious to answer on a small phone screen)
  • They look at the first few questions and determine that doing the survey is not for them.

Breakdown Of Survey Respondent Answers

We want to observe how each person responded all of the questions so that we can examine how individuals answered all of the survey questions. This might be useful for identifying trends in particular respondents’ responses.

If we discover a really smart response to one of their questions, we can also uncover their other responses.

Breakdown Of Closed-ended Questions

When you think of a survey report, you probably see graphs and pie charts summarizing the results of closed-ended questions.

This is vital for a successful survey report since it helps you to take in a huge amount of data at a look and communicate it readily to individuals who may find the data useful.

The use of graphics in survey analysis makes it more user-friendly and does not necessitate a lot of effort or prior knowledge to evaluate.

In this example, we can see the NPS® (Net Promoter Score) at a glance – we know that over 75% of respondents are supporting our brand, 3.2 percent are detractors (which can and should be handled to the best of our ability), and we received 800 total replies. All of this information is plain to see and easy to interpret. 

Purpose Of Survey Report

The primary goal of survey reports is to collect all of the data and information gathered during the survey and use it for research and other reasons. In the case of weather survey reports, analysts utilize the reports to assess changes in climate between the current year and the prior year. Survey reports are used by marketing research firms to examine the behavioral responses of clients and consumers to new services and commodities. Understanding such data enables the organization to make improvements, implement changes, and raise awareness. This leads to the company’s growth.

See Voxco survey software in action with a Free demo.

Best Pratices Of Survey Report

  • Use Data Visualizations to Display Information

Visuals are the most important component to incorporate when writing a survey introduction.

Including a chart in our introduction helps to bring it to life and adds emphasis to the tale we’re telling.

Survey Visualization Examples

Pie charts are ideal for bringing numbers to life. Here’s an excellent example from a wedding poll:

  • Write a Brief Survey Summary 

Our survey summary should provide the reader with a thorough overview of the information. However, we don’t want to take up too much room.

Because they are intended to be swiftly digested by decision-makers, survey summaries are also referred to as executive summaries.

We’ll want to eliminate the less important findings and concentrate on what’s crucial.

For most surveys, a one-page summary is sufficient to provide this information.

Short Survey Introduction Examples

A teaser at the beginning of a survey summary is one method to keep it brief. Here’s an example of an opening that doesn’t reveal all of the results but gives us a reason to keep reading:

  • Write the most important information first

When considering how to write a summary of survey findings, keep in mind that the start must capture the reader’s interest. Focusing on crucial data assists us in doing so straight from the start.

This is why, once the remainder of the survey report has been produced, it is typically better to write the survey introduction towards the conclusion. That way, we’ll be able to identify the key lessons.

This is a simple and effective technique to design a survey introduction that entices the reader to research more.

Survey Summaries with Key Facts Examples

Here’s a great example of a survey that catches the attention right away. The main result is presented first, followed by a fact around half the group immediately after: 

And here’s an excellent survey introduction that explains the findings in a single sentence:

Survey Report Templates

  • Basic Sample Survey Report

  • Labor Market Survey Report

  • Structural Survey Report

  • Survey Research Report

  • Salary Survey Report

Net Promoter®, NPS®, NPS Prism®, and the NPS-related emoticons are registered trademarks of Bain & Company, Inc., Satmetrix Systems, Inc., and Fred Reichheld. Net Promoter Score℠ and Net Promoter System℠ are service marks of Bain & Company, Inc., Satmetrix Systems, Inc., and Fred Reichheld.

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