Will You Engage Me?

The emergence of online research has created an illusion that researchers now have an endless pool of survey respondents. But the competition for a share of a person's online time is fierce. There are far more enjoyable things to do online than answer long, monotonous, and poorly worded surveys.

According to Simon Chadwick, CEO of online sample provider Peanut Labs, the average response rate for email-based survey invitations has dropped from 20% five years ago to only 4% today. Attrition rates on many panels are now reaching 50% per year. If we as researchers do not engage respondents by offering an enjoyable survey-taking experience, we run the risk of this pool drying up.

Last week, Survey Sampling International (SSI) announced its Respondent Preservation Initiative; an industry wide call to action to preserve and protect the most valuable resource to researchers - the respondent.

"The Initiative is a full-scale program to educate, support, and direct the industry. It places the people who give their time and opinions to marketing research front and center because it is people who, by sharing their insights, help businesses stay informed and reduce risk in decision-making."

Many online sample providers are now beginning to measure their panel members' experience with particular surveys and are offering discounts to clients whose surveys are engaging and enjoyable. This, of course, is a euphemism for saying that they will charge you more if your survey is confusing, boring, or uninteresting.

Advantage Research supports SSI in the Respondent Preservation Initiative and encourages the rest of the research community to do so as well.