1. Only test one thing at a time<\/h2>\n\n\n
Testing more than one thing at a time skews your results. Your business name<\/a> is distinct from your logo and will be judged differently. The same is true for a book\u2019s title and cover design, or a product\u2019s name and its packaging, your company name with a tagline, and on and on. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Below is an example<\/a> where an entrepreneur wanted to test two business names. However, when he posed the question<\/a>, he submitted the names in two different type treatments that some saw as an early logo concept. Respondents to this PickFu poll commented on both the name and the logo design. Sounds like twice the value, right? Wrong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is a type of polling bias called a double-barreled question<\/strong>. A double-barreled question<\/a> asks two separate things, but only leaves room for one answer. Respondents usually only react to the one that means the most to them. And even if the respondent only reacted to the name in a written comment, that reaction was likely subconsciously influenced by the logo and vice versa. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Some responses that reference the name: <\/p>\n\n\n\n Some responses that reference the logo: <\/p>\n\n\n\n When testing your business or product name, test the name only. Whether your logo design bad <\/a>or good and any other considerations for later tests.<\/p>\n\n\n On a related note, consistency is key in testing creative options. For example, if you\u2019re testing book covers, make sure that each design option includes the same information. If you test two designs but each has a different title, you won\u2019t know whether respondents prefer the design layout or the title on that design layout. Remember, only test one thing at a time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Below is an example of an author who tested two book covers<\/a>. However, the two titles are slightly different, only one option included a subtitle, and only one option included the \u201csuperfitdads\u201d logo. Any of these variances may have skewed the results.<\/p>\n\n\n This poll would be less biased if each cover included the same title, subtitle, and author attribution. Then, the only test parameter would have been the cover design.<\/p>\n\n\n When testing images, keep the dimensions of the images the same. If the images are different sizes, respondents sometimes react to the size of the image rather than the image itself (ex: \u201cI think the bigger image makes it look more important.\u201d) <\/p>\n\n\n\n Here’s an example of a book cover poll<\/a> where the cover options were different sizes: <\/p>\n\n\n\n Some respondents reacted to the image quality rather than the image itself, for example, “[Option B is] much bigger so it stands out more.” <\/p>\n\n\n In this PickFu poll<\/a>, an online seller ran a split test asking respondents to choose between two featured images for an exercise belt. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Option A depicts a model wearing the belt with an inset showing the back view of the product. Option B shows a model wearing the belt, but with a different pose. An inset advertises that a wrist wrap is included. In Option A, the brand name on the belt is \u201cposture.\u201d In Option B, it is \u201cGO4FIT.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The test revealed a gender divide: 25 males in this poll preferred the more sexy Option B, compared with 6 males who preferred Option A. However, the majority of women in this poll preferred Option A, with 12 out of 19 votes. Based on the women\u2019s comments in favor of A, some of them actually had a bad reaction to B because<\/em> of the sexy image.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Think about whether men or women are your target customer \u2014 who is more likely to buy<\/em> the product? Once you know that, surveying only people who identify as that gender may be more helpful than surveying a mixed-gender audience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n PickFu enables you to customize your audience<\/a> in myriad ways. You can target poll respondents by demographic and behavioral traits such as exercise frequency (which might have also been relevant in this poll), Amazon Prime membership, homeownership, marital status, and many more. You can also combine targeting parameters to test with the kind of people who matter most to your brand. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Once again, this poll demonstrates the importance of consistency. The images tested in the poll had a lot of different variables: the model, the wrist wrap, and the brand name. The difference in brand name may have colored the audience\u2019s opinion of the overall image. For example, two of the respondents that picked Option A did so because they thought the model\u2019s pose aligned with the brand name \u201cposture.\u201d Because the product image and the brand name are both hugely important business decisions, they deserve to be polled independently.<\/p>\n\n\n Your question is the heart of your PickFu poll, the basic information to which respondents react. Writing an unbiased question<\/a> helps to ensure unbiased results. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As you write your question, consider what (if anything) to tell the poll respondents about your business or service. <\/p>\n\n\n\n For example, this business owner was deciding between two logos and gave the respondents a basic overview of the business: an organic skincare line made from plants sourced from small farmers. In doing so, the pool of respondents, made up of females earning over $60K, were able to offer thoughts like<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, there are times when you want the creative idea to speak for itself. In these situations, asking a more basic question such as \u201cwhich logo design is more appealing?\u201d enables you to see how respondents react without prompting, and glean whether they are reading similar messages in your design.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In this example, respondents offered reactions such as<\/p>\n\n\n\n When writing your question, decide whether some background information should be included. If so, keep the language succinct and objective.<\/p>\n\n\n PickFu respondents not only vote on your options, but they write comments to explain their choices. This feedback is often the most valuable and insightful part of polling with PickFu. You can filter poll results<\/a> by recurring words or by audience segments to make it easier to group similar comments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When Michael Cowden wanted to name his mobile game<\/a>, he tested two potential names: Outrun the 80s and Super 80s World. Super 80s World won, but only by a margin of six votes. Should those six votes be decisive?, he asked himself. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In the end, the decision was yes. Based on the comments, those who voted for Super 80s World were closer to his game\u2019s intended target. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As he wrote on his blog, \u201cI could immediately tell that Super 80s World communicated the game concept much better. The folks that liked that name got what the game was about and, more importantly, wanted to play it!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Another gaming poll demonstrates a similar theme. A poll of 50 mobile gamers<\/a> split right down the middle when choosing between the names Squid Attack! and Squid Squad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Many respondents liked the alliteration of \u201cSquid Squad\u201d and thought it was fun to say. But respondents repeatedly commented that a \u201csquad\u201d suggests cooperative play (which the game is not), while \u201cattack\u201d sounds more like a player vs. player game (which it is).<\/p>\n\n\n These five best practices highlight ways your polls can become even more effective. And you can continue to learn from other PickFu polls so that your own polling skills will get better and better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For example, each Wednesday on the PickFu blog<\/a>, we post a column called Which One Won?<\/a> This weekly feature looks at a real customer poll and offers in-depth analysis on how to read the results and the implications it might have in your own business. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In addition, you can look at hundreds of past polls in our Public Poll Gallery and see how others have used our testing service. We have examples of e-commerce<\/a>, mobile apps<\/a>, books<\/a>, and business<\/a>-related polls. <\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"PickFu](\"https:\/\/blog.pickfu.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Screen-Shot-2021-08-26-at-9.06.35-AM-1.png\")
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2. Keep your options consistent<\/h2>\n\n\n
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<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nAnother important note about consistency in images <\/h3>\n\n\n
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<\/figure>\n\n\n\n3. Choose your audience wisely<\/h2>\n\n\n
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<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n4. Decide how much you want to reveal<\/h2>\n\n\n
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5. Look for recurring themes and reactions<\/h2>\n\n\n
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<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\nAdditional resources<\/h2>\n\n\n