Creating a branching survey involves designing a dynamic questionnaire where subsequent questions change based on a respondent's previous answers, tailoring the experience for each participant.
What is a Branching Survey?
A branching survey, also known as a skip logic or conditional logic survey, is a type of questionnaire that dynamically adapts to the respondent's answers. Instead of presenting every participant with the same fixed set of questions, it guides them through different paths based on their responses. This means a respondent only sees questions relevant to their previous input, making the survey more personal and efficient.
Benefits of Branching Surveys:
- Enhanced Respondent Experience: Participants only answer relevant questions, reducing frustration and fatigue.
- Improved Data Quality: By skipping irrelevant questions, you gather more accurate and focused data.
- Increased Completion Rates: A more engaging and streamlined experience often leads to higher survey completion.
- Saves Time: Both for the respondent and for data analysis, as irrelevant data isn't collected.
- Better Insights: Focus on specific segments of your audience to gain deeper, more targeted insights.
Planning Your Branching Survey
Before diving into the survey platform, a well-thought-out plan is crucial for a smooth branching experience.
- Define Your Objectives: Clearly state what information you aim to collect and what decisions you'll make with it.
- Map Out Logic Paths: Create a flowchart or logic tree to visualize every possible question and its subsequent branches. This helps prevent dead ends or loops.
- Example: If "Yes" to Q1, go to Q2. If "No" to Q1, go to Q3.
- Identify Key Branching Questions: Determine which questions will serve as the decision points for your branching logic.
- Draft All Questions: Write all potential questions, even those only seen by specific branches.
- Review for Simplicity: Ensure the logic is easy to follow and doesn't become overly complex.
Step-by-Step Guide to Creating Branching Logic
Implementing branching logic involves a few key steps within most survey platforms. While interfaces may vary, the core process remains consistent:
- Access Your Survey:
- Begin by locating the survey you wish to modify within your survey tool. Select the survey title or open it to begin editing.
- Navigate to Survey Settings:
- Look for a 'Settings' or 'Options' menu. Within this menu, you'll typically find a 'Survey Settings' or 'Logic' section.
- Select the Target Question:
- Browse through your list of questions. Choose the specific question to which you want to add branching logic. This is the question whose answers will determine the next path.
- Define Branching Rules:
- Within the chosen question's settings, locate the 'Branching Logic', 'Skip Logic', or 'Conditional Logic' section.
- For each possible response to that question (e.g., "Yes," "No," "Option A," "Option B"), you will specify which subsequent question or section the respondent should be directed to.
Example of Defining Branching Rules:
| Question Answer | Next Question to Branch To |
|---|---|
| Q1: Do you own a pet? | |
| Yes | Q2: What type of pet do you own? |
| No | Q3: What is your favorite animal? |
| Prefer not to say | Q4: Thank you for your feedback. |
Types of Branching Logic
Different survey platforms might offer variations, but these are the most common:
- Skip Logic: Directs respondents to a specific question, skipping a set of intermediate questions.
- Display Logic: Shows or hides individual questions or entire sections based on previous answers.
- Page Logic: Moves respondents to a different page of the survey based on their answers on the current page.
Best Practices for Designing Branching Surveys
To maximize the effectiveness of your branching survey:
- Keep it Simple: Overly complex logic can lead to errors and confusion. Aim for clarity.
- Test Thoroughly: Always test all possible paths and scenarios before launching. Ask colleagues to go through the survey as different personas.
- Provide Clear Instructions: Guide respondents through the survey, especially when branching might feel unexpected.
- Avoid Dead Ends: Ensure every path leads to a logical conclusion, whether it's the end of the survey or another relevant question.
- Use Clear Language: Phrase questions and answers unambiguously to prevent misinterpretations that could derail the branching.
- Limit Number of Branches: Too many branching points can make the survey difficult to manage and prone to errors.
Common Use Cases
Branching surveys are incredibly versatile and can be applied in various scenarios:
- Customer Feedback: Direct satisfied customers to review sites and dissatisfied customers to a feedback form.
- Market Research: Qualify respondents for specific segments before asking in-depth questions relevant to their demographic.
- Lead Qualification: Ask sales leads about their needs and direct them to different product/service paths or sales representatives.
- Employee Engagement: Tailor questions about department-specific issues or job roles.
- Event Registration: Ask about dietary restrictions only if they indicate they will be attending a meal.
By carefully planning and implementing branching logic, you can create highly effective and engaging surveys that yield superior data quality and insights.
