Examples of good survey questions

There is an old saying that goes, you won't get good survey results unless you ask the right questions. This is why so many surveys don't provide any useful or insightful information.

Knowing what questions to ask depends upon the type of survey you are launching, who you are targeting, and what your goals are. For example, if you are trying to determine if social media is an effective way to promote a business, then you should survey marketing professionals and small business owners. Here are some examples of the type of survey questions you should ask:

• What percentage of new business have you generated from social media sites?

• What is your main social media marketing source Facebook, Pinterest or Twitter?

• What percentage of your marketing budget is allocated for social media?

• In your opinion does social media generate better results than traditional online advertising?

The answers to these questions should give you a good idea as to whether or not social media is an effective marketing tool.

If you are trying to gauge whether the economy is getting better or worse, than your survey targets should be middle income consumers. Some of the questions you should ask include:

• Do you plan to purchase a new home this year?

• Do you plan to purchase a new car within the next six months?

• Are you taking a vacation this year?

• How badly are you being affected by rising gas prices?

These broad range of questions should provide good insight about economic conditions and personal finances.

If you are trying to find out if the unemployment situation is getting better or worse, try asking the following survey questions?

• Are you currently unemployed?

• If so, have you been unemployed longer than six months?

• How many people do you know personally who are unemployed?

• Are you actively looking for work or have you stopped searching?

The answer to these questions will provide an estimated average of the number of people still unemployed. It will also provide insight as to whether the average unemployed person today is hopeful about finding a job and their future.