11 Of The Best Survey Tools You Should Be Using Now

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Consider this: you've just launched a new product. Now, you want to gather feedback from your customers to see what they like, what they don't, and what they might like to see improved. So, you create a survey, share it with your customers, and sit back to await the results. But when you finally check the survey, you find that only a handful of people completed it. What's worse? The survey tool you selected needed to be more explicit so that almost no one could understand or navigate it. Instead of getting the valuable data you wanted, you only frustrated your customers.

This is a familiar scenario for many people. Selecting the best form software is crucial to collecting quality data to help you achieve your goals. Survey tools, like Notion forms, allow you to create easy-to-navigate forms that enable you to gather valuable feedback from your target audience. This guide will explore the best survey tools available today, their unique features, and how to use them to reach your objectives.

What Are Survey Tools and Why Should You Use Them?

Survey tools are digital platforms designed to gather information from specific audiences through structured questions. These tools allow businesses, researchers, educators, and individuals to efficiently create surveys and collect responses. By enabling users to create, distribute, and analyze surveys, these platforms streamline the feedback collection process in a way that traditional methods like paper surveys or manual data entry cannot compete with.

Why You Should Use Survey Tools

Efficient Data Collection

Survey tools simplify the creation and distribution of surveys. With just a few clicks, you can build a fully customized survey, distribute it to your target audience, and collect responses within minutes. These platforms often include templates to jumpstart the process, making it much faster and more efficient than traditional survey methods. Time-consuming tasks like organizing responses and processing data are also automated, saving time and effort.

Access to a Larger Audience

Online survey tools provide access to a broad audience, allowing you to send surveys to people worldwide. Whether you're emailing surveys, posting links on social media, or embedding them on your website, these tools make reaching more diverse respondents easier. This broad reach ensures you can gather various opinions, leading to more accurate and comprehensive results.

Customization and Flexibility

Modern survey platforms offer a range of customization options, allowing users to tailor surveys to their needs. You can customize everything from question formats (multiple-choice, open-ended) to branding elements (logo, color scheme). Many tools also allow you to build dynamic surveys, where questions adapt based on previous responses, creating a more personalized and engaging experience for respondents. Flexibility ensures that the survey captures precisely the information you need.

Improved Data Accuracy

Unlike manual methods, digital survey tools reduce the chances of human error. Automated data collection means that responses are recorded as participants submit them, which improves accuracy. Additionally, survey platforms often come with validation features to ensure that respondents provide complete and relevant answers, further increasing the reliability of the data.

Analytics and Insights

One of the most significant benefits of using survey tools is their ability to provide data analytics. These platforms often have built-in tools for analyzing results, offering visual representations such as charts, graphs, and summary reports. This makes it easier to interpret data and spot trends not immediately apparent from raw responses. Advanced tools even use AI to highlight patterns and suggest actionable insights based on your results.

Cost-Effectiveness

Survey tools are efficient and cost-effective. Many platforms offer free versions or affordable subscription models, making them accessible to small businesses and individuals with limited budgets. In contrast to expensive traditional methods—such as phone interviews, focus groups, or paper surveys—online tools offer a high return on investment.

Enhanced Respondent Experience

Survey tools are designed to be user-friendly, both for creators and respondents. They often feature mobile-friendly interfaces, making it easier for participants to complete surveys on the go. Additionally, features like progress indicators, skip logic, and custom thank-you pages enhance the respondent experience, increasing the likelihood of getting meaningful responses.

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The 11 Best Survey Tools You Should Be Using Now

1. NoteForms (noteforms.com)

NoteForms's Notion forms builder supercharges Notion by enabling smooth form creation that integrates directly with Notion databases. Our key features include creating forms from existing Notion DBs, storing submissions in Notion DBs, unlimited forms and submissions, full customization (custom domains, design, logic, webhooks), embeddable forms, integrations (email, Zapier, Slack), support for Notion-specific columns (relation, people), writing to page body, and database views as a sub-product.

We cater to Notion power users, SaaS startups, and educators, solving challenges like inefficient data entry, fragmented workflows, and administrative overload. NoteForms streamlines data collection, centralizes management, and simplifies workflows, boosting productivity while cutting costs for Notion enthusiasts. Create a form for free today with our Notion forms builder!

2. Google Forms

Google Forms is an accessible, free tool that integrates seamlessly with other Google Workspace apps. It’s perfect for quick surveys, feedback forms, or quizzes. The drag-and-drop interface makes it easy to build surveys, while real-time collaboration features allow multiple users to edit the form simultaneously. Though it lacks advanced analytics features compared to paid platforms, Google Forms is ideal for teams needing a quick, simple solution.

3. Typeform

Typeform offers a visually appealing, interactive way to create surveys that engage respondents. Its conversational form design sets it apart, presenting one question at a time, which can lead to higher completion rates. With a focus on user experience, Typeform integrates with popular tools like Slack, Zapier, and Google Sheets. The analytics dashboard is clean and intuitive, perfect for businesses looking to create engaging surveys without sacrificing depth in the data collection.

4. Qualtrics

A robust tool often used for academic research and large enterprises, Qualtrics excels in advanced survey logic, detailed reporting, and customer experience insights. It provides sophisticated data analysis options, including text analytics and sentiment analysis, making it a top choice for researchers or businesses wanting more profound insights into their audience. Qualtrics is well-suited for companies with more complex survey needs, such as market research or customer satisfaction studies.

5. JotForm

JotForm allows for extensive customization and flexibility with an easy-to-use drag-and-drop builder. It’s a versatile tool that caters to various industries, from healthcare to education. JotForm offers hundreds of templates, and its integration with payment processors makes it ideal for forms that require collecting payments alongside survey data. Advanced features include conditional logic, email autoresponders, and creating PDFs from form submissions.

6. Zoho Survey

Part of the Zoho suite of productivity tools, Zoho Survey, provides a powerful, affordable solution for small and medium-sized businesses. It’s easy to use, with pre-built templates and features like skip logic, customizable themes, and detailed reporting. Zoho Survey also integrates seamlessly with other Zoho products, making it an excellent option for companies already using the Zoho ecosystem for CRM, marketing, or project management.

7. SurveySparrow

SurveySparrow’s primary selling point is its focus on conversational, user-friendly surveys. Like Typeform, it presents one question at a time, enhancing the user experience. It also supports multiple formats, including chat-like surveys and NPS (Net Promoter Score) surveys. With advanced reporting, team collaboration, and integration capabilities, SurveySparrow is a strong option for businesses looking to create engaging surveys while gaining valuable customer feedback.

8. Formstack

Formstack is an all-in-one form-building platform with advanced workflow automation capabilities. It’s known for its robust integrations with other software, such as Salesforce, Mailchimp, and Google Analytics. This makes it perfect for teams that collect data and automatically route it to various departments or tools. Formstack also emphasizes data security, making it a good choice for businesses that handle sensitive information.

9. Alchemer (formerly SurveyGizmo)

Alchemy is a survey platform focused on flexibility and integration, offering features like branching logic, customized survey paths, and detailed reporting. It’s an excellent choice for organizations needing to conduct complex surveys without being overwhelmed by unnecessary features. Alchemy is particularly useful for gathering customer insights, as it integrates easily with CRM systems, allowing for seamless follow-up actions based on survey responses.

10. SoGoSurvey

SoGoSurvey offers comprehensive survey creation, distribution, and analysis tools. Its standout features include data segmentation, cross-tabulation, and advanced reporting, making it ideal for businesses that need deep insights from their surveys. SoGoSurvey also supports multi-channel distribution, allowing users to send surveys via email, SMS, or social media. It’s a strong choice for companies gathering actionable insights from various audience segments.

11. HubSpot Forms

HubSpot Forms offers a seamless way to collect survey data for businesses already using HubSpot's CRM or marketing tools. The form builder is easy to use and integrates directly with HubSpot’s CRM, allowing teams to collect and organize leads automatically. While it lacks some advanced features compared to other platforms, HubSpot Forms is perfect for teams looking to streamline their data collection and follow-up processes.

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Benefits of Using Survey Tools

Make Decisions Backed by Data

Surveys yield valuable quantitative and qualitative data that help organizations make informed decisions. By collecting customer, employee, or stakeholder feedback, businesses can identify trends, measure satisfaction levels, and pinpoint areas for improvement. This data-driven approach enhances strategic planning and reduces reliance on assumptions.

Save Money with Cost-Effective Research

Online survey tools offer a more cost-effective solution than traditional research methods, such as focus groups or in-person interviews. Many survey platforms provide free or low-cost options with robust features, making it accessible for startups and small businesses to gather feedback without a significant financial investment.

Customize Survey Tools to Fit Your Needs

Most survey tools allow for extensive customization, enabling users to tailor questions and formats to fit their needs. This flexibility ensures that surveys can be designed to capture the most relevant information, whether it’s for customer feedback, employee engagement, or market research.

Maximize Your Reach and Accessibility

Online surveys can reach a global audience, allowing organizations to collect feedback from diverse demographic groups. This accessibility increases the potential for gathering a larger sample size, resulting in more reliable and comprehensive data.

Gather Responses and Analyze Data in Real Time

Modern survey tools offer real-time data collection and analysis capabilities, enabling users to track responses as they come in. This immediacy allows organizations to identify trends quickly and adjust strategies as needed, enhancing responsiveness to market changes or customer needs.

Engage Participants with Appealing Survey Designs

Many survey tools incorporate engaging features like multimedia questions, interactive elements, and user-friendly interfaces. This engagement can lead to higher response rates and better quality feedback, as respondents are more likely to complete visually appealing and easily navigable surveys.

Segment and Target Your Survey Data

Survey tools often include data segmentation features, helping organizations categorize responses based on various criteria such as demographics, purchase behavior, or customer feedback. This segmentation enables businesses to tailor their marketing strategies and improve customer experience by addressing specific needs and preferences.

Generate Reports and Gain Insights

The advanced analytics provided by survey tools allow organizations to generate detailed reports that visualize data through charts, graphs, and tables. These insights help stakeholders understand the data better and facilitate discussions on action points based on survey findings.

Streamline Your Feedback Process

Utilizing survey tools simplifies the feedback process, making it easier for organizations to collect, manage, and analyze responses. Automated notifications, reminders, and follow-ups can enhance participation and ensure feedback is collected efficiently.

Integrate Survey Software with Your Business Tools

Many survey platforms integrate with other business tools and systems, such as CRM software, email marketing services, and analytics platforms. This integration enables organizations to streamline workflows, centralize data, and gain a holistic view of customer interactions.

The Importance of Survey Tools

Survey tools have transformed how organizations collect and analyze data, providing invaluable insights into customer preferences, employee satisfaction, and market trends. By leveraging these tools, businesses can make informed decisions that enhance operations, improve customer experiences, and drive growth. Here are some key reasons why utilizing survey tools is essential:

Data-Driven Decision Making

In today's data-driven world, making decisions based on intuition alone is no longer viable. Survey tools allow organizations to collect quantifiable data directly from their audience. Businesses can identify trends, assess customer satisfaction, and understand their target market's needs by analyzing this data. This enables them to make informed decisions that align with their customers' preferences and expectations.

Enhanced Customer Insights

Surveys provide a direct line of communication with customers. Organizations can gather feedback on products, services, and overall customer experience. This feedback is crucial for identifying areas for improvement, understanding pain points, and recognizing what customers value most. With these insights, businesses can tailor their offerings to meet customer needs better.

Employee Engagement and Feedback

Surveys are not just for customer feedback; they are equally important for internal assessments. Employee engagement surveys help organizations gauge employee satisfaction and morale. By understanding employee needs and concerns, businesses can foster a more positive work environment, improve retention rates, and enhance overall productivity.

Cost-Effective Research

Traditional research methods can be time-consuming and expensive. Survey tools offer a cost-effective alternative for gathering data quickly and efficiently. Many survey platforms provide free or low-cost options, allowing organizations of all sizes to conduct research without straining their budgets. This accessibility democratizes data collection, enabling even small businesses to gain valuable insights.

Customizable and Versatile

Most survey tools offer various customization options, allowing organizations to design surveys that align with their branding and objectives. Users can choose from various questions (multiple choice, open-ended, rating scales, etc.) and tailor the survey experience to suit their target audience. This versatility enhances engagement and response rates.

Real-Time Analysis and Reporting

Survey tools often include built-in analytics and reporting features, enabling users to analyze responses in real-time. This immediacy allows organizations to identify trends and act quickly based on collected data. Many platforms also provide data visualization tools, making interpreting results and sharing findings with stakeholders easier.

Informed Strategy Development

By consistently gathering feedback through surveys, organizations can refine their strategies over time. Survey data provides a solid foundation for strategic planning, whether launching a new product, entering a new market, or improving service delivery. Businesses can pivot their approaches based on real-world feedback, increasing their chances of success.

Key Features of Effective Survey Tools

Survey Tools for Survey Creators and Respondents

Ease of Use

One of the most critical features of any survey tool is ease of use. Both survey creators and respondents benefit from a user-friendly interface. An intuitive design allows for quick survey creation, deployment, and management while ensuring a seamless experience for respondents. The simpler the tool, the more likely respondents will complete the survey, leading to higher response rates.

Customizability: Make It Your Own

A robust survey tool offers a high level of customization. This includes creating different types of questions, such as multiple-choice, Likert scales, open-ended questions, and ratings. Customizability also applies to the visual design of the survey, allowing businesses to brand surveys with logos, colors, and fonts that reflect their identity. Advanced tools may also offer branching logic, which enables questions to adapt based on a respondent’s previous answers.

Question Variety and Flexibility

Practical survey tools provide flexibility in question formats, ensuring that creators can gather qualitative and quantitative data. These tools often support various question types, such as:

Closed-ended questions

Multiple choice, checkboxes, dropdown menus, etc.

Open-ended questions

Text boxes for detailed responses.

Ranking or rating scales

Participants rank items or rate satisfaction levels.

Matrix questions

These are for gathering multiple responses under a single topic.

These question formats help tailor surveys to specific research needs, enabling comprehensive data collection.

Data Security and Privacy Compliance

To protect respondent data, survey tools should comply with global privacy standards such as GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) or CCPA (California Consumer Privacy Act). Features like SSL encryption, anonymization of responses, and the ability to password-protect surveys ensure that the data collected is secure. Businesses must choose tools that align with their security requirements, mainly if they handle sensitive information.

Survey Logic and Branching

Survey logic is a feature that adds depth and personalization to the respondent experience. Logic rules, such as skip logic or conditional branching, allow the survey to change course based on how respondents answer specific questions. For example, if a respondent says they do not use a particular service, the survey can skip all follow-up questions related to that service. This improves the respondent experience and ensures that only relevant questions are asked.

Mobile Responsiveness

In an age where many users interact with surveys on mobile devices, having a survey tool that ensures mobile responsiveness is essential. A responsive design adapts automatically to different screen sizes and devices, ensuring participants have a smooth experience regardless of how they access the survey. This leads to higher completion rates, as respondents can conveniently take surveys.

Integration with Other Tools

Many survey tools integrate with other software, such as customer relationship management (CRM) systems, email marketing platforms, or analytics tools. This allows organizations to seamlessly incorporate survey data into their existing workflows and analyze it alongside other business metrics. Integrations also simplify distributing surveys, automating follow-up emails, and importing or exporting data for deeper analysis.

Real-Time Analytics and Reporting

Real-time data analysis is a critical feature of modern survey tools. Effective platforms provide instant access to responses, allowing users to monitor survey progress and identify trends as they emerge. Reporting features often include visualizations like charts, graphs, and heatmaps, making interpreting the data more accessible. Some tools even offer predictive analytics, which helps organizations forecast future trends based on survey results.

Automation Capabilities

Automation features are crucial for larger organizations or those running multiple surveys simultaneously. Survey tools with automation can schedule surveys to be sent at specific times, automatically trigger follow-up emails based on respondent actions, or even deploy personalized surveys based on user behavior. This saves time and ensures that surveys reach the right audience at the optimal moment.

Multi-Channel Distribution

The best survey tools offer multiple ways to distribute surveys, such as via email, social media, website embeds, or SMS. This flexibility ensures that surveys can reach a wide audience through the channels they engage with most. Additionally, some tools offer QR codes or direct links for easy sharing.

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How to Choose the Right Survey Tool for Your Needs

Define Your Objectives

Before considering survey tool features, identify your survey goals. Are you gathering customer feedback, conducting market research, or evaluating employee satisfaction? Understanding your objectives will help you select a tool with suitable functionalities, like question formats, branching logic, or real-time analytics. Some survey tools offer in-depth analytics and integration with data visualization platforms if you need advanced reporting for business intelligence.

Budget Constraints and Pricing Models

Survey tools have different pricing structures, from free plans with basic features to advanced enterprise solutions. Smaller organizations may start with accessible or affordable options like Google Forms or SurveyMonkey. Large enterprises may require more comprehensive tools with detailed analytics and automation, like Qualtrics or Zoho Survey. It's essential to balance the cost with the needed features, avoiding paying for advanced options you might not fully utilize.

Customization and Branding

If your survey needs to reflect your brand identity, customization is critical. Some tools allow extensive customization, from adding your logo to changing color schemes and fonts. Tools like Typeform and Jotform excel in this area, offering visually appealing interfaces that keep the brand front and center while providing a user-friendly experience for respondents.

Ease of Use and User Interface

The usability of both the survey creation process and respondent experience is crucial. The tool should offer a simple, intuitive interface for building and deploying surveys, even for users with minimal technical skills. Likewise, an easy-to-navigate interface for respondents ensures higher completion rates. SurveyMonkey and Google Forms are known for their ease of use, offering drag-and-drop interfaces and pre-designed templates that streamline the survey creation process.

Question Types and Flexibility

Different surveys require different question formats. Whether you need to use open-ended, Likert scales, ranking, or multiple-choice questions, the right tool should provide flexibility in creating various question types. Platforms like Qualtrics and SurveySparrow offer extensive question logic options, ensuring that the survey adapts to the respondents' answers, making it more relevant and personalized.

Data Security and Privacy Compliance

If your survey collects sensitive information, security and privacy compliance are non-negotiable. If you're dealing with healthcare data, ensure the tool complies with local and international data protection laws such as GDPR, CCPA, or HIPAA. Tools like SurveyGizmo and Zoho Survey emphasize security features, including encryption and password-protected surveys, ensuring the data collected remains safe and private.

Integration with Other Tools

Survey tools that integrate with other platforms, such as customer relationship management (CRM) systems, email marketing software, or project management tools, provide a streamlined workflow. If your organization relies heavily on tools like Salesforce, Mailchimp, or HubSpot, survey tools with integration capabilities can automatically sync data and provide a comprehensive understanding of survey responses in the context of your more extensive customer or employee engagement strategies. Tools like SurveyMonkey and Zoho Survey offer comprehensive integration options, making embedding survey insights into your existing systems more accessible.

Mobile Responsiveness

A significant portion of respondents will likely access your survey via mobile devices. Therefore, ensuring that your survey tool provides mobile-responsive designs is critical to gathering accurate data. Tools like Typeform and Jotform prioritize mobile-friendly designs, ensuring a seamless experience for mobile users and increasing the likelihood of survey completion.

Real-Time Reporting and Analytics

If your survey needs to inform real-time decisions, opt for a tool that offers real-time analytics and reporting features. Many tools, including Qualtrics and SurveySparrow, provide dashboards where you can track responses, visualize trends, and export data for deeper analysis. This capability allows organizations to promptly act on feedback, whether addressing customer complaints or understanding emerging market trends.

Customer Support and Resources

Access to reliable customer support is essential, mainly if you use advanced survey logic or integrate the tool with other systems. Some platforms offer 24/7 support, extensive knowledge bases, or even dedicated account managers for enterprise users. Before choosing a tool, assess the level of support provided, especially for the features you will use extensively.

Scalability

As your organization grows, your data collection needs may evolve. Opt for a survey tool that can scale with you, offering flexible plans, increasing respondent capacity, and providing more advanced features as needed. Tools like Qualtrics and Zoho Survey offer scalable solutions that can meet the needs of both small businesses and large enterprises, ensuring you keep your survey tool as your data collection requirements expand.

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Create a Form for Free Today with our Notion Forms Builder

NoteForms's Notion forms builder supercharges Notion by enabling seamless form creation that integrates directly with Notion databases. With NoteForms, you can create forms from existing Notion databases, store submissions in Notion databases, and enjoy unlimited forms and submissions. NoteForms also offers full customization (custom domains, design, logic, webhooks), embeddable forms, integrations (email, Zapier, Slack), and support for Notion-specific columns (relation, people).

You are writing to page body and database views as a sub-product. NoteForms can help solve challenges like inefficient data entry, fragmented workflows, and administrative overload if you're a Notion potential user, SaaS startup, or educator. NoteForms streamlines data collection, centralizes management, and simplifies workflows, boosting productivity while cutting costs for Notion enthusiasts. Create a form for free today with our Notion forms builder!