The Pros And Cons Of Using Open Ended Questions

By Author: John louis
Total Articles: 16
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Surveys are only as great as the questions you are using and you have 2 kinds to choose from. The close ended questions offer respondents with a particular lineup of responses which ask them to choose one from the available answers. On the contrary, open ended questions provide participants the freedom to comment and respond on whatever problems come to mind related to the provided question.
Effective surveys will balance both kinds of questions, giving meaningful insights regarding the survey was made to gather.
More care is needed in terms of analyzing and creating open ended questions as these present some challenges that should be met to reap complete benefits.
The open ended questions enable the respondents to provide more information, offering you and the researcher with more contextual and useful feedback. These questions also enable you to understand the real attitude and feelings of the respondents regarding the survey topic. Because of their limitations, close ended questions never give the respondents a chance to offer their opinions.
Both open and close ended questions used in the surveys have their advantages. With proper balance of both kinds of questions, asked in proper sequence, the goals of the online surveys are met efficiently. The advantages and disadvantages of both question types are discussed often to evaluate which type to utilize in a particular situation. It’s frequently pointed out that open ended question type gets more candid details as well as unique insights for researchers and may reduce the response errors.
There are several new trends on how you can customize businesses for customers and at the heart of these is enhancing interactions with your audience. Customers are becoming more informative with large amount of data available at their fingertips and want to compare you with some competitors. Through asking questions that have high value, you will be able to determine what your customers are thinking.
The Significance of Open Ended Questions
Questions that provide insights for both parties that administer and take part in the survey. Greater understanding of the respondents’ answers when answering the open ended questions will help you establish better picture on how you can achieve customer satisfaction. Customers who are happier mean more repeat referrals and business.
The use of open ended questions in surveys solicits information to be contributed by the respondents. Sometimes, they are called infinite response questions and unsaturated kind questions. Generally, the open ended questions need the respondents to answer in more than just 1 or 2 words.
When the respondents give feedback in an open ended question, the information they’ll provide are much clear. It not only provides you insights but also reinforces the opinions in the minds of your respondents, offering you a 2-way street in value offering.
Using open ended questions on your surveys is no doubt beneficial and helpful. However, you also have to do your part and that is to make use of them effectively and in a proper manner to get the results you want.

John is a content crafter for PollDeep & loves to write about polls and survey. He will help you to understand you why it is important to link online polling with E-commerce Business.