Creating a better B2B survey: U.S. and U.K. respondents speak!

Response rates for online research, particularly surveys, have declined in the past several years. This issue affects B2B surveys more than B2C, given the smaller and more specific populations that are available for online survey participation.

Meanwhile, demand for business survey participants increases consistently, especially for higher managerial decision-makers and specialist target audiences such as ITDMs.

Quest found no existing research-on-research asking actual business audiences about motivational drivers and strategies for better engagement – what B2B survey-takers like/don’t like, want and need in order to participate more frequently, willingly and authentically.

So, we conducted our own original research into this topic! We thought “Who better to comment on what will increase B2B survey participation than the people who are asked to take those surveys?” Quest presented the results of our recent survey of U.S. business professionals at the Quirk’s Dallas conference in February 2024 and have expanded our investigation to the U.K. We’ll be presenting a side-by-side comparison of the most frequently requested B2B audiences to provide information, insights and advice for researchers of all types.

Key takeaways:

What motivates potential business respondents to participate in B2B online surveys? You’ll learn direct from the source, a survey of hundreds of U.S. and U.K. business professionals crossing company sizes, types and industry verticals.
Quest investigated several aspects of the business survey process, from targeting and invitations, through screening and qualification, to survey-taking experiences and incentives. You’ll get questions answered ranging from creating more compelling survey invitations to alternative rewards B2B respondents value highly.
This research-on-research informs B2B online survey best practices, supported by real data. We’re looking for ideas and collaborators for extending this work – come hear what we’ve done, take the opportunity to share your thoughts and help us shape further investigations.