Web Survey Response Rates [CHART]

Chart: Web Survey Response Rates

Garnering survey responses can be a notoriously challenging task, facing headwinds such as general dissatisfaction with market research and survey fatigue. Consider that telephone survey response rates plummeted from 36% in 1997 to just 9% in 2012. For brands and researchers trying to improve response rates (basically everyone conducting research), new Gallup data on the use of incentives could provide some hope – if the researcher has the budget.

In a recent blog post, Gallup outlined the results of a study it undertook with a large university in the US to measure the effectiveness of pre-paid and post-paid incentives for a web-based survey. The survey was fielded among the university’s alumni: 10,000 were assigned to a group that received no incentive; 1,000 were assigned to a group that was promised a $5 gift card after completing the survey (post-paid incentive); and another 1,000 were assigned to a group that received a $5 gift card in the survey invitation (pre-paid incentive). Read the rest at MarketingCharts.com.