Advantages and Disadvantages of Questionnaires: The Complete Guide

In his 1936 classic “How to Win Friends and Influence People,” Dale Carnegie advised, “Ask questions the other person will enjoy answering.”

Embracing this wisdom, businesses can unlock a world of genuine interest and honesty.

Customers love asking questions, especially before making a purchase. But can businesses ask questions to clients and customers?

Absolutely! Enter the magical realm of “Questionnaires” – the perfect bridge that fulfills curiosity and understanding for businesses and their valued customers!

What Are Questionnaires?

Questionnaires are web-based surveys that contain a series of questions asked with the intent of gathering information from respondents.

In some cases, these are used to deliver information to employees and potential customers.

In business marketing, online questionnaires are vital in bringing about significant improvements in the entire process.

It can be used to get information about an organization’s target audience, such as the opinions of their valued customers – an essential requirement for improving the quality of products and services, to collect customer feedback about a particular product/service, etc.

Questionnaires Vs. Surveys

Questionnaires and surveys – are they similar?

Well, almost. But not quite.

Although both belong to the same category, some significant differences set them apart. Here’s how:

A. Structure and Format:

• Questionnaire: A questionnaire is a structured set of questions with predefined response options. It is usually in written form and can be delivered online or on paper.
• Survey: A survey is a broader term that can encompass various data collection methods, including questionnaires. Surveys can also include interviews, focus groups, and observational studies.

B. Purpose and Scope:

• Questionnaire: The primary purpose of a questionnaire is to gather specific information from respondents, often for research or data collection purposes. It focuses on obtaining standardized data.
• Survey: A survey, on the other hand, can have a more comprehensive scope, aiming to collect data for various purposes, such as research, feedback, opinion gathering, or market analysis.

C. Flexibility:

• Questionnaire: Questionnaires are typically rigid and fixed in structure, as the questions and response options are predetermined before distribution.
• Survey: Surveys can be more flexible, allowing for different data collection methods and approaches, including open-ended questions and probing for more in-depth responses.

D. Sample Size and Population:

Questionnaire: Questionnaires are usually administered to larger sample sizes and broader populations to obtain a representative set of data.
Survey: Surveys can be applied to various sample sizes and specific populations, depending on the research objectives.

To be precise, a questionnaire is a specific type of survey that uses a structured set of questions with predefined responses, while a survey can encompass a broader range of data collection methods, including questionnaires.

15 Advantages of Using Questionnaires

In this article, we will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of questionnaires so that you can weigh the pros and cons of this resource to avoid decision-making paralysis.

1. Help Understand the Customer

A good questionnaire is just like a real conversation. You can use both close-ended questions and open-ended questions to design a questionnaire. Marketers mostly prefer more open-ended questions to get detailed information.

Close-one-word answers with predefined responses like “yes” or “no” don’t get much input. However, they are necessary to gather quantitative data from respondents. Open-ended questions help in getting in-depth answers. The benefit is that you actually start learning about your customers.

Close-one-word answers with predefined responses like “yes” or “no” don’t get much input. However, they are necessary to gather quantitative data from respondents. Open-ended questions help in getting in-depth answers. The benefit is that you actually start learning about your customers.

2. Cost Savings

If a business thinks of circulating questionnaires or conducting surveys to gather customer feedback traditionally, they would have to first take into account the material costs, printing, calls, interviews cost, and even the time it will consume.

Questionnaires designed using online tools are the most cost-efficient way to gain demographic information and learn about customers’ experience with the brand. These tools allow you to create professional-looking questionnaires using ready-made templates and questions, reducing the expenses incurred on research and human resources.

All you need to do is log in, select questions, customize the questionnaire, and share it with your target audience, all in just a few clicks.

3. Targeted Surveys

Not all the customers are your target audience. Online software helps you send questionnaires to a target audience. Based on your choice of customers, you can select and place questions in a particular format.

Using the ready-made templates, you can create customer satisfaction questionnaires, demographic questionnaires, employee feedback questionnaires, and more.

Although you can ask as many questions as you want, marketers tend to limit the questions to a maximum of 10. This ensures that respondents don’t get overwhelmed and abandon midway.

However, if there is still something left to be asked, you can create a subtopic and shoot another survey. After all, online surveys are cheap and can be shared easily.

4. Fast Results

Questionnaires are the simplest and fastest means of collecting data as they reach the audience instantly, and responses are registered by the surveyor pretty much simultaneously. ProProfs Survey Maker is especially suited to create questionnaires optimized for all devices such that your target audience can access them from anywhere and anytime.

Depending on customer reach and their willingness to participate, you’ll receive the results in the shortest possible time.