Recruit survey participants

Surveys are a set of questions used to collect data from a target audience for UX research, market research, or other forms of research. Surveys can be quantitative or qualitative (or both) and used at any stage of the product development lifecycle.

Researchers love surveys because they’re a relatively easy and inexpensive form of research, and have the potential to reach large audiences in a short amount of time. They’re also a great option for automating ongoing data collection for continuous research. But don’t let this simplicity fool you—you still need to adhere to survey best practices in order to collect valid, usable insights.

Note: On this page, we’re referring to surveys as a UX research or market research method. If you’re interested in our survey tools for screening: learn about screener surveys.

Tips for conducting successful surveys include:

• Avoid bias and leading questions to prevent skewing your data
• Keep your survey as short as possible to prevent drop-off
• Use skip logic to eliminate irrelevant questions when possible
• Ensure that response options are mutually exclusive to avoid confusion
• Include an “other” response option as often as possible to capture unexpected data

Learn more about surveys, including their pros and cons, best practices for designing surveys, and how to recruit survey participants, in the Surveys Chapter of our UX Research Field Guide.

Participant recruitment for surveys is easy with User Interviews! Potential participants can sign up to join our proprietary Recruit panel and get matched with studies based on key criteria like demographics, professional experience, and technical skills. If you have your own panel you’d like to recruit from, our top-rated panel management solution Research Hub can help you manage that too.

Other methods for survey recruitment include posting Craigslist ads, sharing links to survey applications on social media, or contracting a recruiting agency. However, these methods tend to be more time-consuming and less reliable than a tried-and-tested platform like User Interviews.

People who participate in research are sharing valuable time, energy, and insight to the benefit of your team. Research incentives are a great way to say thank you to survey respondents and help them understand the value of their participation—but it can be tricky to determine how much to offer. 

The exact type and amount of incentive you offer will differ depending on the audience you’re recruiting from, the type of study you’re running, the length of the study, and more. If you’re not sure how much to pay survey participants, our UX Research Incentive Calculator can provide a customized, data-backed incentive recommendation.

Even the best survey tools can’t provide great insights with sub-par recruitment, so we recommend choosing any best-of-breed survey tool and integrating it with User Interviews to get high-quality data from the right users. User Interviews already integrates with many of the survey tools you already know and love, such as SurveyMonkey, Qualtrics, and Typeform.

Yes! Paid online surveys are a common way for researchers to collect data from their target audience, and for participants to make some extra cash at home. 

With more than 1 million sessions completed and over $48 million in incentives distributed through our platform, User Interviews is a trusted platform for both participants and researchers. Learn more about who’s in our panel and how we source and vet participants to ensure quality.