One of most challenging aspects of conducting email surveys is getting people to take the time to participate. Unlike approaching people on the street, over the phone, or in any circumstance that offers personal interaction, emails are often ignored. From the recipient's point of view, the lack of interaction discourages them from taking part, especially after a long day at their job. So, the ongoing challenge is to create a system that improves their audience's response. In this article, I'll share 6 ways to do that effectively.

#1 - Keep It Simple

The design, layout, questions, and menu of possible answers should be as intuitive as possible. If any of those items confuses your audience, you'll run the risk of losing them. Remember, they'll be filling out your survey online. If they're confused about something, you won't be able to clarify or help. The more intuitive you can make it, the better response you'll enjoy.

#2 - Write A Simple Email

Your primary goal in emailing your audience is to motivate them to visit your company's website in order to participate. A long message with multiple links is likely to be skimmed and deleted. Keep it short. Tell (or remind) the recipient who you are and why you're conducting the study. Quickly describe how they'll benefit from taking a few minutes to participate. Let them know how much time your survey will require from them. Finally, give them 1 link that takes them to your website.

#3 - Offer The Results

Curiosity is a powerful motivator. A large portion of your audience will be interested in how others have answered your questions. In your emails, offer to show the results of your survey in exchange for their time. Often, this alone is enough to encourage people to take part.

#4 - Remind Your Audience

If you're working from an in-house list, plan to send 2 or 3 reminders to the people who don't fill out your survey immediately. Often, the reason for their lack of participation is due to simply forgetting, not because they don't want to help. By emailing them a quick reminder with a link, you'll improve your response. A note of caution: don't send more than 3 reminders. After awhile, your audience will likely consider them a nuisance.

#5 - Make It Personal

This won't always be possible, depending upon whether you're using an in-house list. That said, use as much personalization in your messages as you can. Start with your recipient's name since your emails will be less likely to be deleted. Beginning with "Dear Friend..." is an invitation to hit the delete key. Use personal, even conversational language to grab their attention and persuade them to take part.

#6 - Explain Privacy Protection

A growing concern for people is whether anything they do online will compromise their privacy. Before they participate, they'll want to know that you're taking the appropriate measures to ensure their personal information is kept confidential. Let your audience know in your emails that you consider their privacy a priority. Then, explain the steps you're taking on the survey itself (upfront on the first page is ideal).

Better Data From A Larger Pool

Your goal for every survey you conduct should be to gather as much reliable data as possible from a targeted audience. Through email, you can attract far more participation from a larger sample population. But, doing so effectively to leverage the distribution channel takes planning. Use the 6 tips above to dramatically improve your response rates.