| Survey hosting can mean different things to | | | | your custom survey solutions. |
| different people. At one end of the spectrum it | | | | What about technical support? |
| can refer to an ASP offering market research | | | | Obviously, you will want the vendor to provide |
| software where users can program and | | | | you with adequate technical support. If you select |
| administer their own surveys. At the other end of | | | | an ASP model, you may have questions on |
| the spectrum it can refer to a full-service survey | | | | different stages of the user process. A |
| solution where the survey company's professional | | | | full-service approach passes the responsibility of |
| staff programs and administers the survey on its | | | | deployment and administration onto the vendor; |
| own platform. This article describes differences in | | | | although there is a cost for this service. |
| each approach and discusses some of the key | | | | Just as important as your own technical support is |
| considerations in the selection of a survey hosting | | | | the technical support provided to survey |
| vendor. | | | | participants. There needs to be a process in place |
| Survey Hosting and Software: | | | | to promptly respond to their questions, collect and |
| There is a limited number of survey and market | | | | remove incorrect email addresses from the |
| research companies using their own research | | | | system, and manage unsubscribes. If you adopt |
| software to conduct surveys. End user clients of | | | | an ASP approach that does not provide tech |
| hosted survey solutions should note that the | | | | support for survey participants, be sure to |
| survey vendor might not be the actual developer | | | | designate several persons at your organization to |
| of the software and/or could be hosting its | | | | handle support and make sure they are |
| surveys on another vendor's platform. Many | | | | appropriately trained to answer technical questions. |
| survey companies license their survey software | | | | Full-service versus ASP -- do you need |
| from a 3rd party vendor specializing in survey | | | | professional services? |
| engine development and install the software on | | | | The field of survey data collection generally |
| their own platform. Other companies license the | | | | requires as close to perfection as possible in |
| use of hosted survey solutions on another | | | | every step of the process to produce a reliable |
| vendor's platform to circumvent the need for | | | | data set. One of the most important |
| software installation and ongoing hosting. In the | | | | considerations in deciding whether an ASP |
| case of licensed software, if the software | | | | approach to survey hosting will best meet your |
| developer does not provide a complete roadmap | | | | needs is your ability (and availability) to program, |
| of the installation requirements, the survey | | | | administer, and monitor the survey. This can |
| software alone might not provide an adequate | | | | depend on such factors as the complexity of the |
| solution. Relevant factors can include: processing | | | | survey instrument; length of the survey |
| power of the hardware; proper selection and | | | | instrument; number of survey participants; and |
| configuration of application servers (if needed); | | | | time in the field. Your own (or staff member's) |
| database selection and configuration; and the | | | | survey expertise is also important, as is the ease |
| amount of bandwidth. | | | | of use of the ASP interface. It is important to |
| General Considerations: | | | | carefully examine the processes of each ASP |
| In evaluating the best choice of vendor in the | | | | vendor to make certain that you are comfortable |
| survey hosting space, here are five considerations | | | | choosing such a solution over full-service. |
| -- some of which are more important than others | | | | Special considerations in the case of market |
| depending on your specific requirements: | | | | research surveys: |
| | | | Programming and administration of market |
| 1. Do you prefer to program and administer the | | | | research surveys can require special expertise. |
| survey on your own (ASP model) or would you | | | | Screening questions need to be properly |
| rather contract these functions with a full-service | | | | programmed to terminate non-qualifying |
| hosted survey provider? | | | | participants and quota stops may need to be |
| 2. Does your survey instrument require special | | | | used to prevent excess completes in particular |
| features or custom programming? | | | | cells (manual monitoring is possible but it can |
| 3. If you are engaging in market research | | | | require constant attention). In addition, survey |
| surveys, how easily does the software coordinate | | | | panel vendors providing survey sample may |
| with sample providers i.e., does the software | | | | require interaction with their own platform. Some |
| offer redirects and/or recording of PINs? Does | | | | will accept recording of PINs for each respondent; |
| the software offer quota stops? Does the | | | | while others will require the insertion of |
| software offer respondent filtering? | | | | re-direction links. It is important to be certain that |
| 4. Does the software and its environment offer | | | | the hosted software correctly interfaces with the |
| fast page views and an error-free survey | | | | sample provider you will use. |
| experience for the volume of participants you are | | | | Another relevant consideration for market |
| expecting? | | | | research surveys is the ability of the survey |
| 5. Will you be able to provide technical support for | | | | hosting platform to provide respondent filtering. |
| survey participants? | | | | This can take many forms at different vendors. |
| Pick the software that matches your needs: | | | | At a minimum, you will want to be able to |
| Regardless of whether you select an ASP or | | | | remove survey data of respondents who provide |
| full-service solution, you need to identify the | | | | incomplete, contradictory or straight-lined |
| requirements needed for your survey projects | | | | responses. The availability of respondent timers is |
| and whether the software can meet those needs. | | | | also a nice feature because it allows you to |
| For example, if you expect to use such features | | | | identify and remove respondents who rushed |
| as skip logic programming, branching, piping, | | | | through the questionnaire. It is also helpful if the |
| percent tables, etc., then you want to select a | | | | platform allows you to record each respondent's |
| vendor that offers these features. | | | | PIN against his/her responses and use this |
| Similarly, if you expect to have a large volume of | | | | information to re-sample those respondents, if |
| survey takers and/or use survey instruments | | | | needed. |
| which are long (such as 15 minutes or longer), | | | | In summary, when evaluating the concept of |
| make sure that the software has the capacity to | | | | survey hosting, it is important to determine which |
| handle this with fast page views and error-free | | | | model - ASP or full-service - will best meet your |
| data collection. | | | | needs and fully price out each vendor based on |
| If you require custom programming of question | | | | your specific requirements. Start with your |
| types or programming logic to meet your survey | | | | underlying software needs to determine which |
| needs, make sure that the vendor can provide a | | | | solutions meet all or most of your requirements. |
| solution. For example, if the survey company is | | | | Consider your programming and administration |
| not the developer of the software and does not | | | | requirements and decide if you or a member of |
| have a IT development staff, there might be | | | | your staff has the desire, time, and ability to |
| limitations on the custom features it can offer. | | | | self-administer the survey. A properly |
| Before selecting a vendor, ask for a general cost | | | | administered survey can be a time-consuming |
| estimate on the development and deployment of | | | | process. |