A good survey starts with a decision you need to make, not with a list of questions. This guide uses a practical example, a regional chain of fitness studios in Texas and Oklahoma asking members about new class times, and walks through each step in Mailpro.
Step 1: Set one objective
Write the decision the survey should inform: “Decide whether to add early-morning classes at our Dallas and Tulsa studios.” Anything that does not help with that decision can wait for another survey.
Step 2: Choose your respondents
Survey the people whose answers matter. In the example, that means active members of the two studios, not the entire mailing list. Build the group with segmentation on membership status and location.
Step 3: Write clear, neutral questions
- Ask one thing per question.
- Avoid leading wording (“How much would you love early classes?”).
- Use rating scales consistently, with the same direction throughout.
- When asking about times, name the time zone; Dallas and Tulsa share Central Time, but a national survey would not.
- Keep it under five minutes and say so in the invitation.
Step 4: Build it in Mailpro
Open the survey builder, choose a template or start blank, and add your questions. For inspiration, look at the templates for customer satisfaction, market research and job satisfaction.
Step 5: Add branching logic
Members who say they would never attend before 7 a.m. do not need to rank early class types. Use branching to skip irrelevant questions, which shortens the survey and improves completion.
Step 6: Be transparent about data
Explain at the top why you are asking and how answers will be used. If responses are linked to names or emails, mention your privacy notice; state laws such as California’s CCPA/CPRA give people rights over that data. If you promise anonymity, do not collect identifying fields.
Step 7: Send at the right time
Invite respondents by email, or share the survey by link, on your website or as a QR code printed at the studio. Send on a weekday mid-morning in the members’ time zone, and send one reminder three or four days later. Avoid major holidays such as July 4 and Thanksgiving week.
If you offer an incentive, such as a prize draw, state the rules clearly and keep it modest so it does not attract people outside your target group.
Step 8: Analyze and act
Follow responses as they arrive in survey statistics, then compare answers by studio. Share a short summary with respondents (“You asked, we listened: 6 a.m. classes start next month”). Closing the loop makes people more willing to answer next time.
Responses are stored in Switzerland, outside US jurisdiction. For more survey types and features, return to online surveys for US businesses.