User Experience (UX) research is the key to any well functioning website. When gathering information to begin the design process, it’s always a good idea to reach out to your users first for the upper hand in what they want.

Surveys have had a bad reputation over the years. When thinking about surveys, telemarketers come to mind - calling over dinner, asking ambiguous and poorly constructed questions for the next 30 minutes. However, great surveys can help identify many unknowns.

According to the UXMastery.com article, “Better User Research Through Surveys,” by Chris Gray. “Surveys can be an effective method of identifying: Who your users are, what your users want, what they purchase, where they shop, what they own, and what they think of your brand or product."

Getting your questions right is important. Creating a survey must be crafted and communicated in a way that users understand. They should feel comfortable and know what is needed prior to taking the survey. EVE keeps things in a simple, easy-to-understand and logical format. If questions are vague they might be answered incorrectly.

Here are some questions EVE would think about before conducting your survey:

Is the survey for the end-user? Meaning are questions aimed at a person currently using your website.

Is the survey for leading a design direction? For example, questions that target on a particular design layout.

Is the survey for assessing an existing problem? For example, investigating a website’s bounce rates (users visiting one page and leaving the website) or drop off rates (users visiting multiple pages and not making a purchase or providing their information).

Surveys help build a case to reevaluate business needs with solid evidence. Surveys also help to analyze human behavior by asking open-ended questions that understand ‘why’.