Online Polling

Face it. If polls were cheaper you would survey members more often.

Now you can have reliable membership feedback more frequently and less expensively than phone or mail surveys.

Not every member has Internet and email access. But not every member has a conventional residential phone either (some only have a cell phone). Online surveys have established a good track record demonstrating their reliability.

As with other polling methods, Vector Research weights or adjusts results from online surveys to match the actual characteristics of your membership and make the findings representative.

Benefits of Online Polling

• Less expensive than phone surveys if you poll five or six times a year
• Representative: you can reliably compare the views of groups by age, gender, seniority, job class, region and other characteristics
• Fast: can see opinions every day, as respondents complete their surveys, and have your complete poll results in just 7 to 10 working days
• More interactive: With online surveys you can show pictures or videos. Or members can listen to audio clips
• Private and secure polling: The polling website is secure. Email addresses can’t be used for any other purpose; the participant's privacy is protected
• Some believe online respondents give more truthful responses to questions where respondents may be uncomfortable or embarrassed giving an honest answer to a live interviewer on the phone

How does Online Polling work?

• Vector compiles a representative panel of members who agree to participate in your surveys
• Permission is obtained from a cross-section of members to email them the occasional invitation to complete your survey
• To have reliable results, the online panel is a miniature replica of the members in terms of occupation, age, gender, seniority, branch or department, and, for example, the region where they live
• No one can complete the online survey more than once
• With each poll you will receive a report and the computer analysis for each question
• Whether online or using mail surveys or the phone, Vector Research ensures the quality of the poll, from pre-testing questions to the final poll analysis

See short examples of online surveys using these links:

These examples are condensed versions of what respondents will see. Most polls usually would be longer:

Survey Sample 1

Survey Sample 2

Online union surveys are another Vector Research innovation. Vector conducted the first regular national public opinion polls for unions in 1985, the first tracking studies with union members in 1987 , the first voter tracking polls for unions in 1988 and the first surveys in union organizing campaigns in 1992.

If you're considering regular polls and would like advice about online panels and the costs, please complete our Request Advice form.