Creating a survey is an effective way to gather valuable insights and feedback. Microsoft 365 offers a user-friendly platform to design and distribute surveys. In this guide, we'll walk you through the process of creating a survey using Microsoft Forms, a part of Microsoft 365.
Before we dive in, ensure you have a Microsoft 365 subscription that includes Microsoft Forms. If you're unsure, you can check your subscription plan or sign up for a free trial to get started.
Getting Started with Microsoft Forms
Microsoft Forms is integrated into Microsoft 365, making it easily accessible from your web browser or the Microsoft Forms app. To begin, sign in to your Microsoft 365 account and navigate to the Microsoft Forms website.
Once you're on the Microsoft Forms homepage, you'll see a list of your existing forms or a blank canvas to create a new one. Click on 'New Form' to start creating your survey.
Setting Up Your Survey
After clicking 'New Form', you'll be directed to a new page where you can start building your survey. Begin by giving your survey a title and a brief description. This helps respondents understand what the survey is about and why their input is valuable.
Next, you can customize the theme of your survey by changing the color scheme, font, and background image. This allows you to create a survey that aligns with your brand or the purpose of your survey.
Adding Questions to Your Survey
Now that your survey is set up, it's time to add questions. Microsoft Forms offers a variety of question types to choose from, including multiple-choice, rating scale, date, and text. To add a question, simply click on the 'Add new' button at the bottom of the form.
For each question, you can customize the question text, choose the question type, and add answer choices if necessary. You can also make a question required by toggling the 'Required' switch to the 'On' position. This ensures that respondents must answer the question before submitting the survey.
Customizing Your Survey's Settings
Microsoft Forms offers several settings to help you manage and analyze your survey responses.
To access these settings, click on the '...' icon at the top right corner of your form and select 'Settings'. Here, you can choose to allow respondents to edit their responses after submission, set a deadline for your survey, or require a response from specific people or groups.
Sharing Your Survey
Once you've added all the necessary questions and customized your survey settings, it's time to share it with your respondents. Click on the 'Share' button at the top right corner of your form to get a shareable link or embed code.
You can share the link via email, social media, or your website. Alternatively, you can embed the survey directly into a webpage using the provided embed code. Microsoft Forms also allows you to share your survey with specific people or groups within your organization.
Analyzing Your Survey Results
After respondents have filled out your survey, you can view and analyze the results directly in Microsoft Forms. Click on the 'Responses' tab at the top of your form to see a summary of the responses.
Here, you can view the number of responses, the average rating for rating scale questions, and a summary of the most common answers for multiple-choice questions. You can also export the results to Excel for further analysis.
Creating a survey with Microsoft 365 is a straightforward process that allows you to gather valuable insights and feedback. With Microsoft Forms, you can create professional-looking surveys, customize them to fit your needs, and analyze the results with ease. So, what are you waiting for? Start creating your survey today and unlock the power of data-driven decision making.