Why a Business Needs Enterprise Survey Software for Success

Why a Business Needs Enterprise Survey Software for Success

When endeavoring the various available market research techniques, a business must rely on enterprise survey software. Given that market research incites business growth and success, businesses ought to channel their growth strategies into a valuable market research tool.

However, many entrepreneurs and businesses forgo the market research process entirely, which leads to business failure. In fact, one of the top reasons that businesses fail is due to the lack of conducting market research

Therefore, a business must invest into its market research endeavors, as they result in major improvements when it comes to growth and scaling. This is largely due to the fact that this practice involves understanding a target market — the group of customers most likely to buy from a business.

Despite the large swath of free online survey platforms, a business would benefit more from enterprise survey software.

This article explains enterprise survey software and why a business is better-suited with it instead of a basic, free survey tool.

Understanding Enterprise Survey Software

Enterprise survey software is the highest tier of survey software, offering premium functionalities, services and plans. This is to say that this kind of software does not solely refer to survey plans of the enterprise variety, although this is usually one of the options. 

However, in regards to its name, it is equipped for large enterprises, although businesses of any size can benefit from it. Unlike a basic survey platform, which offers free services, enterprise survey software provides far greater and powerful survey campaign-building.

Some providers of this kind of software may offer free versions, which are limited iterations of it, meant to give researchers a sample of the software. Others may offer a freemium version, that is, a free version with premium chargers for supplemental features. 

Businesses that strongly rely on market research, or intend to gain firsthand insights on their target market or any target population will need to use enterprise survey software. This way, they will have the leeway to tailor their surveys entirely to their likely and send them to the appropriate audiences. 

How Enterprise Survey Software Differs from a Basic Online Survey Platform

Enterprise survey software maintains several differences from those of a basic, standard or free online survey platform. All of these differences render enterprise software as the superior option, as each functionality and service carries an advantage in the market research process.

Here are some of the major ways in which this kind of software differs from its free, standard or basic counterparts.

  1. Mobile-first surveys
    1. While most companies claim to be mobile-first, most survey software is not ideal for mobile usage, as some question formats are simply not designed for the mobile experience. 
    2. Enterprise survey software uses a mobile-first approach to ensure easy usage of surveys, the inclusion of the questions you’d see on desktop and more survey incentives offered in native apps (from partner publishers of the platform).
  2. First-Rate Quality checks
    1. This kind of software is usually equipped with quality checks to ensure only the highest quality of data is funneled into the surveys’ results.
    2. Checks that avoid survey fraud
    3. Multiple layers of quality checks to avoid respondents who don’t pay attention to questions.
  3. Random Device Engagement (RDE)

    1. A method of randomization and iteration during survey deployment, in which respondents are extracted from their natural digital environments rather than being pre-recruited.
    2. River sampling software cannot monitor or track respondents, thus cannot avoid duplicate surveys and other fraudulent activities that skew the data.
    3. Provides respondent verification: checks on duplicate respondent IDs via their IP or MAC addresses, Google Advertising and mobile device identifiers.
  4. AI and machine learning
    1. Provides automated quality checks, so no post-survey manual labor is required.
    2. Quickens the survey sampling process while filtering through and disqualifying sub-par and low-quality data.
    3. Removes bots
    4. Disqualifies those who don’t complete their surveys or provide gibberish answers, hasty answers or flatlining   
  5. A global support network
    1. Enterprise survey software providers have global tech support employees working 24 hours, so that researchers are never left without a helping hand.
    2. Supports global audiences with round-the-clock assistance and survey available in 46 languages.
  6. An exhaustive survey platform experience
    1. The most recognizable and clear-cut distinction between free and enterprise survey software, since the former offers a limited version of what would be a fortified system.
    2. Offers a wide variety of questionnaire functionalities: question types, predefined answers, batch answers, advanced skip logic, adding media to questions, recalling information, carrying forward answers
  7. A robust system for all
    1. Designed to be used for the democratization of data; all team members should easily access the insights and run surveys
    2. Allows you to make your own survey in 3 easy steps
  8. Enhanced dashboard and data visualizations
    1. Results are available in various formats: charts, graphs, Excel files, SPSS, crosstabs and more
    2. Clearly laid out demographics filters and data pertaining to demographics and screening conditions
  9. SaaS integrations and agile data
    1. Integrations with the main dashboard and an external one to reap the capabilities of more than one software provide
    2. Provides agile data, a system  that ensures smooth collaborations across systems and speed to insights
  10. Data Security and compliance
    1. Adhering to all data privacy legislation, including the GDPR
    2. Researchers, publishers and respondents can make data requests in regards to personal data, so as to verify that they are comfortable with the data they provide.
    3. Specific request types include:
      1. Consent Withdrawal
      2. Access request
      3. Rectification of personal data
      4. Erasure of personal data
      5. Restriction of processing of personal data
      6. Personal data portability request
      7. Objection to the processing of personal data

When to Use Enterprise Survey Software

There are various points at which businesses ought to consult and consolidate with enterprise survey software into their market research endeavors. Whether you begin a new campaign or have gathered secondary research on a topic, it is best to choose enterprise survey software over standard survey platforms.

Why? A business cannot wait to gain results, let alone market research insights to drive such results. A basic survey platform lacks on a multitude of fronts, many of which are divulged in the section describing how this software differs from the enterprise kind.

Additionally, free survey software does not have the capacity to use multiple audiences per survey, nor can it gain a large volume of respondents per survey. This kind of software is therefore far less powerful and this will show in the results.

This is because the results will not offer the same kind of quality in the data, be it from the way respondents are extracted or their responses themselves.

Enterprise-grade software creates enterprise-grade surveys and survey campaigns. Thus, they are far more useful and reliable for any market research campaign, whether you seek to study a particular segment or your target market.

As such, businesses should rely on this kind of software at any point in their market research needs. This breed of software handles the following with ease:

  • Create a complex system of data based on answers and audience types
  • Organize complex data into digestible formats
  • Parse through responses and create test questions to assure respondents are paying attention
  • Create a robust system of visualizations and analytics
  • Complete surveys according to all their preset quota in a small window of time

Finding the Correct Online Survey Platform

It has become progressively more important to understand your target market in order to foster customer loyalty and retention. With stiff competition and continuous innovations, businesses must know their customer base inside-out in order to please it.

They can achieve this with the correct online survey platform, so long as it is built on enterprise survey software. This kind of software can level up any research campaign efficiently, reducing the amount of manpower, labor and resources that lower quality software would require. 

As such, businesses ought to settle on a single platform in order to centralize their data and create an easy point of reference. This will require them to check just one platform to choose respondents, deploy surveys, create surveys, analyze results and take part in data-driven decision-making or DDM.