Understanding Two Types of Survey Respondents
Treat these respondents right to optimize survey response rates and data quality
Most survey respondents fall into one of two categories. They are either Captive respondents or At Liberty respondents. Each respondent type has different needs that should be considered when designing a survey.
A Captive respondent is one who comes to your survey via a paid panel. Respondents are recruited by research firms and choose to take part in professional survey panels. They are generally compensated for completing the surveys and are usually eager to participate.
A researcher might choose to use a paid panel if they do not have the contact information for their target audience or if they are trying to survey the general population.
Captive respondents are more likely to put up with a little abuse…
Given that there is a fixed payment attached to completing a survey and they are familiar with taking surveys, they are more likely to put up with a little more abuse from the survey designer. If they finish a survey, they will get paid, so they might overlook poor formatting, typos, long length, or lack of clarity. However, these respondents might also be more likely to answer unanswerable questions, skewing the data.
At Liberty respondents, on the other hand, are not explicitly looking for surveys when one arrives in their inbox or pop up on their browser. Most of them don’t often take part in surveys. They might be consumers on a brand’s mailing list or in a customer database. An example would be asking them to complete a satisfaction survey after they have made a purchase or react to the introduction of a new product.
At Liberty respondents need to understand what’s in it for them…
When things start getting tough, they’ll probably quit. Confusing questions, long surveys, and a lack of suitable incentives can kill their motivation. In order to encourage respondents to complete your survey, you need to let them know what’s in it for them. Otherwise, why should they spend the time?
Captive or At Liberty respondents will present different challenges and benefits when conducting a survey. By treating these respondents right, you will optimize survey response rates and data quality.
If you found this article useful, hit the clap button and follow me for more. Here are some other articles you may enjoy:
