A ranking survey is a type of survey that asks respondents to rank a list of items or options according to their preferences, opinions, or priorities.
A ranking survey can help you understand how your audience values different aspects of your product, service, or brand. It can also help you identify the strengths and weaknesses of your competitors, the needs and expectations of your customers, and the trends and opportunities in your market.
But how to create and analyze a ranking survey? This article will show you how to do it in a few easy steps.
What is a Ranking Survey?
A ranking survey is a survey that presents respondents with a list of items or options and asks them to rank them from most to least preferred, important, relevant, etc. For example, you can ask your respondents to rank the following features of a smartphone from most to least important:
- Battery life
- Camera quality
- Screen size
- Storage capacity
- Price
A ranking survey can have different formats, such as:
- Drag and drop: Respondents can drag and drop the items or options into the order they prefer.
- Numbered list: Respondents can assign a number to each item or option according to their preference. The lower the number, the higher the preference.
- Likert scale: Respondents can rate each item or option on a scale from 1 to 5, where 1 means least preferred and 5 means most preferred.
Why Use a Ranking Survey?
Using a ranking survey can have many benefits, such as:
Measure Preferences
You can measure how your respondents rank different items or options according to their preferences. This can help you understand what they like and dislike, what they value and prioritize, and what they expect and demand.
Compare Alternatives
You can compare how your respondents rank different items or options relative to each other. This can help you identify the strengths and weaknesses of each item or option, the trade-offs and compromises that your respondents make, and the gaps and opportunities that exist in your market.
Segment Audiences
You can segment your respondents based on how they rank different items or options. This can help you create personas, profiles, or segments of your audience that share similar preferences, needs, or behaviors.
Test Hypotheses
You can test hypotheses or assumptions that you have about your audience or market by using a ranking survey. For example, you can test if your respondents prefer quality over price, convenience over customization, or innovation over tradition.
How to Create a Ranking Survey?
To create a ranking survey, you need to follow these steps:
Step 1
Define your objective and research question. You need to have a clear and specific goal and question that you want to answer with your ranking survey. For example, your objective might be to improve your product design and your research question might be: What are the most important features of a smartphone for our target customers?
Step 2
Choose your items or options. You need to select the items or options that you want your respondents to rank. They should be relevant, clear, concise, and mutually exclusive. You should also limit the number of items or options to avoid overwhelming or confusing your respondents. A good rule of thumb is to have between 4 and 10 items or options.
Step 3
Choose your format and scale. You need to choose the format and scale that best suits your objective and research question. You should also consider the ease of use, clarity, and reliability of each format and scale. For example, drag and drop might be more engaging and intuitive than a numbered list, but a numbered list might be more precise and consistent than drag and drop.
Step 4
Design your survey. You need to design your survey using an online tool or platform that allows you to create and share ranking surveys. For example, you can use Google Forms, SurveyMonkey, Typeform, etc. You should also add an introduction, instructions, demographic questions, and a thank you page to your survey.
Step 5
Test your survey. You need to test your survey before launching it to ensure that it works properly and meets your expectations. You should also check for any errors, typos, or ambiguities in your survey. You can test your survey by yourself or with a small group of people who represent your target audience.
How to Analyze a Ranking Survey?
To analyze a ranking survey, you need to follow these steps:
Collect Your Responses
You need to collect your responses from your respondents using the online tool or platform that you used to create your survey. You should also monitor the response rate, completion rate, dropout rate, and feedback of your respondents.
Summarize Your Results
You need to summarize your results using charts, graphs, tables, or other visual aids. You should also calculate the mean, median, mode, standard deviation, and other descriptive statistics of your results. You can use Google Sheets, Excel, SPSS, etc. to summarize your results.
Interpret Your Findings
You need to interpret your findings by looking for patterns, trends, outliers, and differences in your results. You should also compare your results with your objective and research question, your hypotheses or assumptions, and your previous or existing data. You can use Google Data Studio, Tableau, Power BI, etc. to interpret your findings.
Report Your Insights
You need to report your insights by presenting your results and findings in a clear and compelling way. You should also provide recommendations, implications, or actions based on your insights. You can use Google Slides, PowerPoint, Keynote, etc. to report your insights.
Final words
A ranking survey is a useful tool that can help you measure and compare the preferences of your audience or market. It can also help you segment your audience, test your hypotheses, and improve your products or services. To create and analyze a ranking survey, you just need to follow a few easy steps that we have explained in this article.
We hope this article has helped you learn how to create and analyze a ranking survey. If you have any questions or feedback, please feel free to contact us anytime. We are always happy to hear from you!
