The Most Important Website Survey Sampling Methods

It takes about 50 milliseconds for a visitor to make an opinion about your website and decide whether they want to stay or leave. 38% of visitors would stop engaging with a website if they feel that the content or layout are unattractive. Even though it may be difficult to achieve 100% visitor satisfaction, you can always listen to what your potential customers have to say by collecting website feedback through surveys.

A good example of Stratified Survey Sampling can be a sample of men and women. By collecting data from this sample feedback survey, one can check how the product appeals to both genders.

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We are discussing some established and popular website survey sampling practices or survey sampling methods that you can use to conduct website surveys with different goals. Let’s get started.

There are two main types of survey sampling techniques. Let’s understand them in detail.

1. Probability Survey Sampling Technique

When each member of the population has a non-zero probability of being incorporated in the sample, the process is called the Probability Survey Sampling Method. Probability samples are selected to represent the characteristics or attributes of the population it was selected from. Hence, the results are credible and most valid.

There are three Probability Survey Sampling Techniques:

Random Survey Sampling

Just as the name suggests, random samples are selected randomly at a single time with each member selected completely independent of the other members of the population. There is no bias in Random Survey Sampling since all members of the population have an equal chance of being selected.

Random samples are great for when the population is large and it is difficult to identify members individually. However, it may not be the best survey sampling for when you’re looking for specific feedback. For example, if you wish to measure customer loyalty, you cannot use Random Survey Sampling since not all members of the sample may have had experienced your brand enough to be loyal to the brand.

Systematic Survey Sampling

In Systematic Survey Sampling, the population is logically homogenous. Before selecting a sample, the elements of the population are arranged in a specific sequence and then selected at regular intervals. For example, in a supermarket, every 10th or 15th customer entering the supermarket can be selected as the survey target.

The main advantage of Systematic Survey Sampling is that the population is evenly sampled. The only thing random about this Survey Sampling technique is the periodicity of the list.

Stratified Survey Sampling

In Stratified Survey Sampling, the population is divided based on characteristics, such as gender, demographics, age group, etc. Then the population within each category is sampled separately. This method overcomes the shortcomings of random sampling since every category of the population is represented in the sample.

A good example of Stratified Survey Sampling can be a sample of men and women. The sample can be surveyed to check how the product appeals to both genders.

2. Non-Probability Sampling Technique

In the Non-Probability Sampling Technique, the samples are selected with no specific probability structure. The sample selected is not randomized, which means that it is not representative of the entire population. There are three Non-Probability Sampling Techniques:

Convenience Survey Sampling

The elements in a Convenience Sample are simply selected on the basis of convenience in terms of reach, availability, and accessibility. Therefore, this method is often used for preliminary research.

Distributing promotional pamphlets and asking questions at a mall comes under the Convenience Survey Sampling Method.

Snowball Survey Sampling

Snowball Survey Sampling is when you are looking for features that are rare to find. It is when the initial respondents refer to the next set of respondents that can actually contribute to the research. For example, to gauge the satisfaction of an elite club’s members, you would need to have a direct conversation with a member who can then provide the contact details of other members. This Survey Sampling Method is also known as the chain-referral method.

Quota Survey Sampling

Quota Survey Sampling is done on the basis of certain desired features. It starts with characterizing the population and then sampling based on the feature-specific results you are looking for. This Survey Sampling technique covers several characteristics and complexities.

Conclusion

Depending on who you want to survey and when do you need to conduct a survey, you can choose from these sampling methods. When you know what outcome you are expecting, you will be better able to understand who to survey.