Whether you're new to unmoderated research or a seasoned pro adding Lyssna to your toolkit, we've put together a few best practices to help you get the most out of your Lyssna tests and collect results that are as accurate as possible. Consider this your checklist for running your first (or one hundred and first!) test.
Setting up your test for success
Ask clear and well-defined questions
This will help eliminate confusion and ensure panelists can provide an accurate response. Here are a few tips:
Consider using a spell-checker to eliminate spelling mistakes.
Avoid using internal company jargon (unless it's what you're testing).
Think about how familiar the average person you're targeting might be with your brand—use language that is clear and easy for that person to understand.
Keep questions separate
Avoid asking multiple questions in one. This will help keep your results organized and make sure that the estimated duration of your test is accurate. It will also help prevent questions from being missed or skipped by participants.
Rename test sections for added organization
Renaming your test sections is a great way to keep your tests organized. By giving each section a descriptive name, you can easily keep track of the different parts of your test and make larger tests easier to manage. Your results will also display these custom names to make it easier to navigate when reviewing your data.
Ensure the test language matches the language used in your questions
When ordering responses from our panel, we'll only send your test to those who are fluent in the language set in the test builder. If you want to run a test in a language that is different from your default, make sure to change it on the individual test.
Questions are optional by default
If you expect a response, set your question to required so that participants can't skip it. You'll need to toggle this on for each individual question where you'd like an answer, but leave it toggled off for questions that are truly optional—e.g. "Any other feedback or comments?"
Randomize questions to limit bias
To avoid bias in your study's results, you may find it helpful to randomize the order of any follow-up questions where possible. Respondents tend to remember choices at the beginning and end of a list, leading to the "primacy and recency" effect. This can cause respondents to answer based on the need to save time, rather than their true preferences. Enabling question randomization can help reduce potential bias and enhance the reliability of the data you collect.
Use caution when deleting parts of your test
If you accidentally delete a section, question, or screenshot from your test, you will have the opportunity to undo only that most recent action. That means if you delete an image, and then a question, you'll only be able to recover the question and you'll need to upload your image again.
Use conditional logic to keep questions relevant
By toggling on conditional logic on a question or section, you can choose to hide or show that section or question based on a condition. This will ensure participants only see questions that are relevant to them based on previous responses.
Recruitment best practices
Consider what demographic information you need
When ordering from our panel, we will provide basic demographic information for each panelist so you won't need to ask for this within your test. Note that we also don't allow questions that ask for any personally identifiable information from panelists—e.g. their name or email address.
If you need to target a particular country or demographic from our panel, please ensure you have selected all of those options on the order form before placing your order. We are unable to retroactively apply the requirements and you'll end up having to place a new order.
If you're recruiting from your own audience, you can turn on Demographic questions to collect your participants' basic demographic information or you can add it as a question within your test.
Always preview your test prior to recruitment
This allows you to see your test from the participant's point of view and will help spot any potential errors or improvements needed on your test.
Utilize Saved Demographic Groups for Efficient Test Setup
Recruiting responses from Lyssna's participant panel? Saved demographic groups allow you to save commonly used demographic filters for future orders. By storing these filters, you can quickly apply them to new orders, saving time and ensuring consistency in your order criteria.