How to Use Open-Ended Survey Questions: Tips, Advantages & Examples

Imagine you’re having a conversation with a friend. To find out how they are, do you hand them a list of yes/no checkboxes or multiple-choice options? Of course not. You ask, listen, and let them describe their experience in their own words. This is exactly the idea behind using open-ended survey questions. 

When you let people answer freely, a simple Q&A turns into a meaningful dialogue. You uncover insights that simple checkboxes could never capture, because you’re hearing the why behind the what. 

In this guide, I’ll break down everything about open-ended questions—what they are, the benefits of using them, when to include them in your surveys, how to handle the challenges (like analyzing all that text), plus tips and examples to help you craft better questions. 

Ready to get comprehensive feedback from your audience? 

What Are Open-Ended Survey Questions?

Open-ended questions allow respondents to answer in their own words, without being restricted by predefined options. Unlike closed-ended questions (like yes/no or multiple choice), open-ended questions often begin with “What,” “Why,” or “How,” encouraging detailed, free-form responses. 

For instance, instead of asking, “Do you like our new product?” (Yes/No), you might ask, “What do you like about our new product?” This approach provides deeper insights into customer preferences, motivations, and pain points by giving respondents the opportunity to explain their feelings.

In business surveys, open-ended questions are invaluable for understanding the why behind the what of customer behavior. They allow for qualitative data (descriptive text) instead of just quantitative stats, enriching your analysis with stories, emotions, and context. While closed-ended questions provide useful stats, open-ended ones help you uncover the deeper drivers behind those numbers, leading to more actionable insights.

In business surveys, open-ended questions offer a deeper understanding of customer feedback. If you’re looking for more insights into gathering and analyzing qualitative data, check out our blog on how to write qualitative research questions.

Benefits of Open-Ended Survey Questions

Using open-ended questions in surveys brings many benefits, making them a valuable tool for gathering rich, detailed feedback. Here are the key advantages:

1. Rich, Detailed Feedback

Open-ended questions encourage respondents to provide deeper, more thoughtful responses. Instead of ticking boxes, they explain their thoughts and feelings, giving you qualitative data that provides insight into the why behind their opinions.

2. Flexibility and Authentic Responses

Without predefined options, respondents have the freedom to express what’s most important to them, offering authentic feedback that you might not have anticipated. This can uncover new ideas or perspectives that might not have emerged from closed questions.

3. Uncover the “Why” (Motivations and Emotions)

Open-ended questions help you understand the motivations and emotions behind responses. For example, after an NPS survey, asking “Why did you give us that rating?” can reveal the story behind the score, offering actionable insights for improvement.

4. Respondents Feel Heard and Valued

When you ask open-ended questions, you show your respondents that their opinions matter. This creates a more conversational and personal experience, leading to better engagement and higher response rates, as people feel their voice is valued.

5. Better Accuracy and Less Bias

Closed questions often limit respondents’ answers, leading to potential misrepresentation. Open-ended questions allow for more accurate, nuanced responses that reflect the respondent’s true opinion, minimizing biases and helping to capture honest feedback.

6. Solving Complex Problems

Some issues are too complex for yes/no answers. Open-ended questions allow respondents to explain multi-faceted problems in detail, helping you understand complex scenarios thoroughly and resolve issues effectively, such as in tech support surveys.

For more on crafting effective questions, you might find this guide to writing qualitative research questions helpful.

When to Use Open-Ended Survey Questions

Here are key moments when open-ended questions are especially helpful:

• Follow Up on Closed Questions: Ask “Why?” after a closed question to uncover deeper insights.
• Get More Context or Details: Use open-ended questions to gather context, e.g., “How do you use this in your daily routine?”
• Understand Emotions and Sentiments: Ask how customers feel to get emotional insights beyond numerical ratings.
• Address Complex Issues: Use open-ended questions to understand complicated scenarios, like tech support issues.
• Initial Discovery and Building Relationships: Start with open questions to learn about new customers’ goals or new employees’ aspirations.
• Encourage Creativity and Ideas: Ask open-ended questions to spark innovative ideas, like “What feature would you add to our product?”
• Identify Trends or Common Themes: Use open-ended questions to catch emerging patterns or concerns from respondents’ free-form answers.

Examples of Open-Ended Survey Questions

If you’re looking to get started with including open-ended questions in your surveys, here are some effective examples. I’ve grouped them by industry use case and by type of feedback to show how you can tailor open-ended questions to different contexts. Feel free to adapt the wording to fit your specific situation – the key is they all invite more than a one-word answer.

A. Industry-Specific Open-Ended Question Examples

Different industries have different touchpoints with customers. Here are examples of open-ended questions tailored to particular industries:

Retail:

• What do you enjoy most about shopping at our store?
• How can we improve your shopping experience with us?
• Can you describe a memorable shopping experience you had with us?
• What products or brands would you like to see more of in our store?

Healthcare:

• Can you describe your experience with our medical staff during your visit?
• What changes would enhance your visits to our clinic?
• How did you feel about the quality of care you received?
• What can we do to make your healthcare experience more comfortable?

Education (e.g., an online course or school):

• What do you find most engaging about our course content?
• How can we better support your learning journey?
• What challenges have you faced in this course so far?
• Can you suggest any topics you’d like to see covered in future classes?

Hospitality (Hotels/Travel):

• What stood out to you during your stay at our hotel?
• What could we do to make your next visit even better?
• How did you find the amenities we provided (e.g., pool, breakfast, etc.)?
• Do you have any suggestions for improving our guest services?

Technology/SaaS:

• How does our software or app help you achieve your goals?
• What additional features would you like to see in our product, and why?
• Can you describe any issues or bugs you’ve encountered while using our software?
• How can we enhance the usability of our product to better suit your needs?

(Notice how each of these questions avoids yes/no wording and encourages the respondent to share specifics or stories related to their experience in that industry.)

B. Open-Ended Question Examples by Feedback Type

You can also categorize open-ended questions by the kind of feedback you’re seeking. Here are examples based on different feedback goals:

Customer Satisfaction Feedback:

• What do you like most about our service, and why?
• What can we do to improve your overall experience with our company?
• Can you share a particularly positive experience you’ve had with us? What made it special?
• What area do you think we most need to focus on improving, and what changes would you suggest?

To learn more about how to measure customer satisfaction, watch this short video: 

Product Feedback:

• What features do you find most useful in our product, and what do you use them for?
• How can we improve our product to better meet your needs?
• Can you describe how our product fits into your daily routine or workflow?
• If you could change one thing about our product, what would it be and why?

Service Improvement (for support teams, etc.):

• What aspects of our service do you think need improvement?
• Can you describe a situation where our service exceeded your expectations? What did we do right?
• How can we make our service more convenient or user-friendly for you?
• What suggestions do you have for our customer support team to serve you better?

User Experience (UX) Feedback:

• What challenges have you faced while using our website or app?
• Can you describe how our product has made a difference in your work or life?
• What improvements would make our product easier to use?
• What do you enjoy most about using our product, and why?

Employee Feedback (if you’re surveying employees):

• What do you enjoy most about working here?
• What changes or improvements would you suggest to enhance our workplace environment?
• Can you describe a recent accomplishment or positive experience at work that you’re proud of?
• What resources or support do you feel you need to perform your job better?

Check out this quick video to create awesome Employee Engagement Surveys:

Disadvantages of Open-Ended Questions (and How to Handle Them)

Open-ended questions can present challenges, but with the right approach, you can mitigate their drawbacks. Here’s a quick look at some common issues and tips to handle them:

• Time-Consuming for Respondents: Writing detailed answers takes more effort than selecting an option, leading to lower response rates.
  Solution: Be selective with open-ended questions, keep them focused, and make them optional or place them toward the end to avoid overwhelming respondents.
• Difficult to Analyze Quantitatively: Analyzing free-form text is time-consuming and can be hard to process without tools.
  Solution: Use text analytics tools or categorize responses into themes. Plan for analysis in advance and prioritize key themes.
• Varied or Irrelevant Answers: Open-ended questions may result in vague or off-topic responses.
  Solution: Phrase questions clearly and discard irrelevant answers during analysis. Provide context or examples to guide responses.
• Inconsistency in Responses: Responses can vary in length or focus, making comparisons difficult.
  Solution: Ask focused questions and provide short instructions for clarity. Use a coding frame to structure responses and identify patterns.
• Requires Skilled Interpretation (Risk of Bias or Error): Interpreting open-ended responses is subjective and can lead to bias or mistakes.
  Solution: Create a coding scheme and ensure consistency by reviewing responses with a team. Leverage tools like AI-based analysis to reduce interpretation errors.
• Data Overload (Too Much Data): A large number of responses can overwhelm you during analysis.
  Solution: Use tools to organize responses, sample data for patterns, and consider visualizations like word clouds for quick insights.
• Potential for Lower Answer Quality: Some respondents may provide minimal or rushed answers, affecting data quality.
  Solution: Design surveys to encourage thoughtful responses, use a conversational tone, and place important questions early to capture quality feedback.

By addressing these challenges thoughtfully and using the right tools, you can effectively handle the disadvantages of open-ended questions and make the most of the valuable insights they provide.

How to Analyze and “Code” Open-Ended Responses

Analyzing open-ended survey responses involves organizing text into categories, or coding, so you can derive meaningful insights. Here’s a streamlined approach:

• Review Responses: Start by reading a sample (10-15% of responses) to identify recurring topics and catch any issues. This gives you a feel for the data and helps you brainstorm categories.
• Identify Common Themes or Categories: Jot down key themes that emerge (e.g., ease of use, affordability). Aim for 5-10 main categories to avoid being overwhelmed, and have an “Other” category for unique responses.
• Assign Codes to Each Response: Tag each response with one or more categories. Be consistent, and if something doesn’t fit, mark it as “Other.” Remember, every response should be categorized.
• Refine Your Categories: After coding, check for categories with too many or too few responses. Merge similar themes or break up large categories for clarity. Ensure category names are descriptive and easily understood by others.
• Count and Analyze the Categories: Count the frequency of each category (e.g., “40% mentioned ease of use”) and interpret the results. Look for patterns like positive or negative sentiment and how different customer types mention specific themes.
• Use Tools to Assist: Leverage text analytics tools, word cloud generators, or AI-driven sentiment analysis to speed up coding. However, always review the results to ensure accuracy, as these tools might misinterpret context or sarcasm.
• Interpret and Report Insights: Summarize the key findings, such as “Most customers praised the product’s ease of use,” and use direct quotes to highlight important themes. Visualizations like bar charts or word clouds can make insights more digestible.
• Avoid Analysis Bias: Be mindful of bias when reviewing responses. Involve multiple analysts if possible to ensure consistency and reduce personal bias. If using AI tools, ensure you oversee the process, as algorithms may overlook nuances.

Tips for Writing Effective Open-Ended Questions

Open-ended questions encourage deeper conversations and provide more insightful responses than simple yes-or-no queries. To craft them effectively, you need to keep a few key strategies in mind. Let’s go through the essential steps.

1. Be Clear and Specific

Keep questions straightforward and focused on one topic to avoid confusion. For example, ask “What feature of our product do you find most useful, and why?” instead of a broad “What do you think about our product?”

2. Stay Neutral

Avoid leading questions that push for specific answers. For example, ask “How would you describe your experience with our customer service?” instead of “Why is our customer service excellent?”

3. Focus on One Thing at a Time

Avoid asking multiple things in one question. Instead of “What did you think about our pricing and support?”, ask separate questions for each aspect to keep responses clear and focused.

4. Encourage Detail (But Don’t Force It)

Ask questions like “Can you describe a time when our service exceeded your expectations?” to encourage detailed responses without forcing length.

5. Use Open-Ended Starters

Start questions with words like “How,” “What,” “Why,” or “Describe” to invite longer, more thoughtful answers. Avoid yes/no or one-word responses. For instance, “What other feedback would you like to share?” works better than “Do you have any feedback?”

By applying these tips, you can craft open-ended questions that yield insightful, high-quality responses.

Leverage Open-Ended Questions for Deeper Insights

Incorporating open-ended questions into your surveys allows you to capture detailed feedback that explains the “why” behind the “what.” Instead of just counting responses, you’ll hear stories and see patterns that provide deeper context and meaning to your data. 

While analyzing open-ended responses can be time-consuming, modern survey tools can make it easier. Features like AI-powered analysis, text tagging, and sentiment tracking allow you to quickly identify common themes and insights. With these tools, you can spend less time sorting through data and more time acting on it.

If you are looking for the right survey tool, I would recommend ProProfs Survey Maker. With its AI feature, you can generate hundreds of open-ended questions for your research and share them with your audience on their preferred channels like email or social media.

Frequently Asked Questions

What makes a good open-ended question?

A good open-ended question is clear, specific, and neutral. It encourages detailed responses and focuses on one topic. Start with words like "What," "How," or "Why," and avoid leading questions. For example, "What features do you find most useful in our app, and why?" is specific and prompts deeper feedback, while "What do you think about our app?" may yield vague answers.

How do I ask open-ended questions effectively?

To ask effective open-ended questions, keep them simple, clear, and neutral. Use starters like "What," "Why," and "How" to invite detailed answers. Be specific about the context and avoid double-barreled questions. For example, ask, "What was your experience with our customer support?" rather than "Did you like our customer service and product?" This ensures focused and useful responses.

Why should I use open-ended questions in my surveys?

Open-ended questions provide rich, qualitative insights that closed questions can’t offer. They help you uncover the why behind responses, like why customers are dissatisfied or what they like about your product. This valuable feedback can identify areas for improvement and new ideas, making your survey results actionable and meaningful.

How do I add an open-ended question to my survey?

To add an open-ended question, select the "open-ended text" or similar option in your survey tool. Write a clear prompt, like, “What one improvement would you suggest for our service?” Ensure the text box is large enough for detailed answers. You may also set an optional or required status, but avoid unnecessary restrictions for a smoother response process.

How do I analyze the results from open-ended questions?

Start by categorizing responses into themes (coding), either manually or with tools. Look for patterns, such as frequent mentions of "price" or "customer service." Count how many responses fall into each category. Use sentiment analysis or text tools for deeper insights, then connect these findings to your goals. This helps turn qualitative data into actionable insights.