Web surveys can be a handy way to collect information from a large audience in a relatively short period of time. And they are especially good for exploring sensitive topics because they give the participant a sense of anonymity.

Here are a few things I’ve learned about web surveys that might help you get the most out of yours:

• Not everyone you invite is going to respond, so it’s important to have a large, relevant list of contacts to send it to.

• Incentives can increase your response rate. If you’ve completed one of our surveys, you’ll know that we usually offer entry into a draw for some wine or a gift voucher.

• While a mix of quantitative and qualitative questions is best, people are more likely to complete the quantitative questions on the web than the qualitative. For this reason, it’s good to complement your research with other forms of data collection, such as interviews.

• The way that you frame and phrase your questions will influence how people answer. Make sure that your questions are concise, neutral and unambiguous, and that you’ve randomised your answer choices where appropriate. It’s also a good idea to have other people test your survey to check these things.

• Only ask questions to collect information that you are going to use. Too many surveys try to cover everything, and then do nothing with the data. The longer the survey is the less likely people are to finish it—or participate in the first place!