When surveys are done right, they can be one of the most useful tools in market research. They help you gather direct feedback, spot behaviour patterns, and tap into what your audience really thinks. But when response rates are low, getting clear and usable insights becomes nearly impossible. If too few people respond, your data doesn’t reflect reality and you risk making the wrong decisions based on incomplete feedback.

Poor survey response rates are a common frustration for businesses of all sizes. Sometimes the questions are too long. Other times the surveys land at the wrong time or come across like a chore rather than something worth a minute of someone’s time. If you’re working with a market research company in the UK, improving the approach to survey design and delivery might be the first step to getting better, more useful answers.

Craft Engaging And Relevant Surveys

One of the most common reasons surveys don’t perform well is that they’re just not interesting, or they take too much time to complete. If your survey feels like a chore, most people won’t even make it past the first few questions. So it makes sense to focus on making the experience simple and purposeful.

Here’s how to make your surveys more engaging and relevant to those taking them:

• Keep it short and sharp. Don’t make people scroll through endless questions. Stick to what you need to know.
• Start with the easy stuff. Warm them up with simple, non-invasive questions first. Save the open questions for later, once they’re more invested.
• Try yes/no options or rating scales. Easy questions boost completion rates. People enjoy ticking boxes over writing long answers.
• Use everyday language. Avoid jargon or technical phrases that confuse people. If they don’t understand the question, they’ll likely skip it.
• Make it look better. Poor design puts people off. Even small visual elements like progress bars, simple fonts, or images can improve flow.
• Make each question relevant. If your target is health and wellness professionals, don’t ask about unrelated trends in technology.
• Avoid survey fatigue. Only include questions that actually help you make a better decision from the data.

One example that works well is using branching logic. This lets the survey change depending on previous replies, so people see only the questions that apply to them. If someone answers “no” to using a service, they won’t get follow-ups asking how often they use it. This keeps things quick and personalised.

Surveys that come across as thoughtless or generic rarely see decent response rates. People want to feel like their input matters, and that starts with respecting their time and understanding their needs.

Offer Incentives For Participation

Sometimes, even the best-written survey won’t get clicks without a little push. That’s where incentives can help. When someone knows they’ll get something back for their few minutes, they’re more likely to commit.

It doesn’t have to be expensive or over the top either. What matters most is that the reward feels fair for the time they’re giving. Try keeping it simple and clear. Here’s what that could look like:

• Offer a small discount or voucher to anyone who completes the survey
• Run a prize draw where participants are entered to win a gift
• Give early access to a new product, service, or report
• Provide exclusive content, like a resource or downloadable guide

While incentives work well, it’s important to be honest about what the participant is getting and how their data will be used. Transparency builds trust and keeps your audience willing to engage again in the future. Make sure you’re clear about eligibility, delivery of rewards, and privacy. This avoids any misunderstanding and ensures you don’t come across as trying to trick someone into taking part.

Even small rewards can make a big difference, especially if your audience feels the survey is otherwise unlikely to benefit them directly. A little appreciation can go a long way in encouraging valuable feedback.

Optimise Delivery Methods To Reach Your Audience

You could have the best survey in the world, but if it never reaches your audience or lands in a way they ignore, it’s not going to do much for your research. That’s why the delivery method plays such an important role in how many people actually respond.

Different channels work better for different groups. Email is often the first go-to, and it can be effective, especially if you have a warm mailing list. But people don’t always check their emails as often as you might think. Others might prefer quicker formats like SMS or even getting the survey through a platform they already use daily, like WhatsApp or LinkedIn. Social media can also be useful, but it depends on where your target audience hangs out and how active they are.

Timing is another piece of the puzzle. In the UK, weekday mornings between 10 AM and 11.30 AM tend to get better response rates, especially midweek when people are more settled into their week. Avoid early mornings, evenings, and Friday afternoons if you want your survey to stand out in inboxes or alerts and not get lost in the overnight pile.

One thing that can’t be overlooked is mobile-friendliness. Most people check emails, texts, and social media on their phones. If your survey loads slowly, has tiny buttons, or doesn’t format well on smaller screens, they’re not going to fill it out. Test how your survey looks and works across a few different devices before sending it out to a wide audience.

Here’s a quick checklist to help get the delivery right:

• Use a mix of channels that match your audience behaviour, not just what’s easiest for you
• Send your survey mid-morning during the working week
• Keep subject lines and messages short and direct
• Make the first question visible with no extra clicks
• Format for mobile first, desktop second

Small changes in timing and channel can mean more people open and complete your survey without needing a second nudge.

Follow Up And Show Appreciation

No matter how well-crafted your survey is, many people will still ignore or forget about it on the first try. That’s normal. But don’t let that be the end of it. A friendly reminder can often turn non-respondents into contributors if done the right way.

Follow-up messages should feel personal and useful. Saying something soft like “Just a quick reminder” or “We’d still love your input” works much better than repeating the original message word for word. Keep it light, not pushy. Space them out, sending one or two reminders a few days apart is usually enough without becoming annoying.

A good approach is using different messaging styles across follow-ups. The first one might sound appreciative, while the second could mention the limited reward or deadline. This helps recapture attention from people who were initially curious but forgot or got distracted.

Showing appreciation after someone completes your survey goes a long way. Even a quick thank-you message at the end of the form makes participants feel acknowledged. If you’ve promised a reward, make sure they know when and how they’ll get it. You can also build trust by sharing what you learned from the results when appropriate. This shows that their voice made a difference.

Real example? A coaching business that ran regular feedback surveys started publishing a short roundup at the end of each month. It helped participants feel heard and see how their input shaped future services. Over time, their audience became more consistent about filling in surveys because they saw it had real impact.

Getting The Most From Your Market Research

Boosting your response rate doesn’t have to be guesswork. It’s about staying thoughtful in how surveys are planned, shared, and followed up on. When your audience feels heard and valued, they’re far more likely to join in and share honest, helpful answers. Keep things simple, relevant, and respectful of their time.

The real value of market research lies in the strength of the data behind it. Improving your survey methods is one of the most practical ways to make sure that your decisions reflect what your audience actually wants rather than just a lucky guess. With small changes in how your surveys are written, delivered, and managed, better insights are well within reach.

Looking to get more from your surveys? Team up with a trusted market research company like Include Work to fine-tune your approach, boost response rates, and turn feedback into smart business moves. Let’s make every response count.