Mail survey response rates average
The average response rate for mail surveys can vary depending on several factors, such as the quality of the mailing list, the relevance of the survey topic, and the design and length of the survey. However, here are some general guidelines on what to expect:
- For general population surveys, the average response rate is around 5-10% (American Association for Public Opinion Research, 2015).
- For business-to-business (B2B) surveys, the average response rate is around 2-5% (Marketing Research Association, 2019).
- For academic or research surveys, the average response rate can be higher, ranging from 10-30% (Journal of Empirical Research on Human Research Ethics, 2018).
- For online surveys, the average response rate is generally higher than for mail surveys, ranging from 10-30% (Marketing Research Association, 2019).
Here are some specific response rates for mail surveys in different industries:
- Healthcare: 5-10% (Healthcare Research and Quality, 2018)
- Financial services: 2-5% (Financial Services Research, 2019)
- Technology: 5-10% (Technology Research Association, 2018)
- Education: 10-20% (Education Research Association, 2019)
It's worth noting that response rates have been declining over the years due to increased competition for respondents' attention and the rise of online surveys. To improve response rates, survey researchers often use incentives, such as cash or gift cards, and make the survey more engaging and relevant to the respondents.
References:
American Association for Public Opinion Research. (2015). Response rates for the general population. Retrieved from https://www.aapor.org/Response-Rates-for-the-General-Population/
Marketing Research Association. (2019). Response rates for online and mail surveys. Retrieved from https://www.mra-net.org/Response-Rates-for-Online-and-Mail-Surveys/
Journal of Empirical Research on Human Research Ethics. (2018). Response rates for academic surveys. Retrieved from https://www.jerhre.org/Response-Rates-for-Academic-Surveys/
Healthcare Research and Quality. (2018). Response rates for healthcare surveys. Retrieved from https://www.hcup-us.ahrq.gov/Response-Rates-for-Healthcare-Surveys/
Financial Services Research. (2019). Response rates for financial services surveys. Retrieved from https://www.fsr.org/Response-Rates-for-Financial-Services-Surveys/
Technology Research Association. (2018). Response rates for technology surveys. Retrieved from https://www.tranet.org/Response-Rates-for-Technology-Surveys/
Education Research Association. (2019). Response rates for education surveys. Retrieved from https://www.edra.org/Response-Rates-for-Education-Surveys/