Writing a survey people finish

Keep it short

A survey answered on a phone, often on a small data budget, should take under two minutes. Five to eight questions is the sweet spot. The portal shows an estimated completion time as you build.

Question types

Mix them so the survey does not feel like a form.

• Single choice and multiple choice for quick facts.
• Rating and scale for satisfaction and likelihood.
• Short text for an open comment, kept optional.
• Max-Diff for trade-offs: which of these matters most, and least.

Templates

Survey templates hold surveys you or your agency have already written. Preview one before you use it, and each change is versioned so you can see what a previous run actually asked.

Consent is not optional

Every survey opens with a clear opt-in. The person's agreement is recorded with the date and the wording they saw, which is what PoPIA and GDPR expect you to be able to produce.