Google Surveys are digital marketing’s secret weapons. Because validation from a target market is key for any business, Google Surveys (sometimes called Google Consumer Surveys) provide the ability to survey a target audience for the questions you most need answered, which is why we at Crimson Advantage swear by it. We use it and many of our clients use it, and we believe it’s a powerful tool to strengthen your digital marketing presence.

Some reasons that Google Consumer Surveys are a popular choice:

They’re cost-effective
They can survey anyone in your target market across multiple geographical locations
They’re easy for businesses and consumers
They take significantly less time than typical market research surveys
They’re web based so no need for in-person surveys

You may have seen Google Consumer Surveys pop up in your own time surfing the web, such as before a YouTube video starts. Multiple choice options guarantee ease in soliciting data, and pinpointing the ideal target audience can transpire easily to YouTube videos of choice.

Getting Started with Google Surveys

When looking to garner insights from the minds of your target market, first consider which insights are the most valuable to your company. The more your goals are at the forefront of the surveys, the more focused the action can be. At Crimson Advantage, we recommend the following example questions as a good starting point:

Who is our target demographic? (age, gender)
Are they more price or quality conscious?
What is our brand awareness? What is it for competitors?
What are we looking to accomplish with the information?

Setting Up a Google Consumer Survey

Once the company goals and target demographic have been solidified, plug this information into the survey creation process. Google offers specific targeting measures such as general population targeting, iPhone or android specific targeting, website traffic targeting.

Google also offers the option for “screening questions,” which are essentially qualifying questions to determine if the respondent is within your target audience. Respondents will first see the screening question, then depending on their multiple choice answer, may or may not be shown the main survey questions. This technique of filtering respondents helps to ensure that the survey responses are not diluted.

Budget plays a role, too: Google charges based on number of questions asked, but Website Satisfaction surveys (when you can survey your website visitors for their feedback) are free. Play around with the number of responses you want, too. That’s a personal preference, but Google also makes a few recommendations based on what’s worked best for their other clients.

Crafting Questions and Answers

It’s important to be as specific as possible when writing the survey questions.

For example, rather than asking, “Do you buy kombucha?”, ask, “When’s the last time you purchased kombucha?”

That way, you get the most out of your answers: rather than consumers choosing a simple “yes” or “no,” they’ll be prompted to choose a time period if they have purchased kombucha recently, or could select “never” if they never have.

Or, if crafting a question about brand recognition, invest some time in researching the other competitive names for your target market. Then, you can ask, “Which brands have you heard of?” and choose a multiple choice format that allows for the selection of multiple options. Make sure to also add an option for “none of the above.” The more inclusive and specific the possible answers are, the more valuable your insights will be.

Additionally, make sure that the questions are phrased in a neutral fashion as to not bias the answers. For example, rather than starting a question with “How much do you like…?” which assumes the viewer likes something, start with something more open-ended, such as “how do you feel about…?”

Final Tips

It’s also recommended to randomize the order of your multiple choice answers. Sometimes, consumers just want to clear the survey off their view or choose the answer closest to the top. If your answer order is fixed, you may find that the answers listed at the top get the most hits.

However, you can fix the order of just one answer, such as “all of the above” or “none of the above” as the last option.

As always, tweak as you get more data. If certain questions aren’t yielding specific enough answers and insights, make changes. Get feedback from consultants, your team members, or rely on Crimson Advantage when crafting your questions and answers to ensure you get the most out of Google Consumer Surveys.