When you conduct an online Poll, it is important that you don’t take the plunge without knowing what waits for you at the end of the tunnel. Here are some useful strategies that you can keep in mind the next time you create an online poll to make it more effective.

Know Your Goals
Online Polls are a cost-effective and easy way of identifying the priorities and needs of your audience. These also let you know if you are doing well and what areas need improvement. You can also use these polls to gather other information which can help your organization further its cause. When conducting an online poll, you need a clear focus on its goal for you to make the most out of it.

Pick an Appropriate Format
Do you want your Respondents to write their response using their own words, or do you prefer them to simply tick off checkboxes? Experts revealed that multiple choice polls tend to produce easy to compare and tally responses, not to mention that these also have higher response rates. This is because questions with multiple answers are easier and faster to answer compared to open-ended questions which require more thought and time.
Certain questions might not go well with a series of checkbox options. But, if you are after more details than what is possible with a multiple-choice format, you can add a text box to give your respondents the chance to add further information.

Think of Privacy
One person might be fine with sharing information, while another might not. After all, sharing information and opinions is a matter of personal preference. Honor this by linking your poll to a privacy policy, and be clear as to where, by whom, and how you will use the information you collected. You can offer respondents an option to stay anonymous or the option to opt out some questions.

Count Your Questions
For most people, time is their most precious commodity. Make sure you tell your respondents what they are getting into before starting the poll. Let them know about the number of questions you will ask, or provide an estimated time required for its completion.

Offer Incentives
You can show how much you value the time given by your respondents through a small yet meaningful reward. For instance, if you are running a business, you can offer some discounts for their future orders, or even an entry for your store’s contest.

Spread the Word
You can start with your existing membership mailing list. It will depend on your specific purpose as to how far you will go beyond it for making your survey more publicized. You can invite others to participate in your survey as well as your friends, business contacts, and others.

Follow Through
Once your online poll is finished, remember that your respondents will also be interested to know what will come out of their answers. Make sure you post some updates on your site or blog where you will report all your findings.

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