Ever felt like your marketing team keeps guessing what customers want? Or maybe you’re a founder who’s tired of gut feeling and wants cold, hard data before you launch the next big thing. Either way, user research matters—but most tools make it confusing, expensive, or both.
Appinio (link) is one of those survey platforms that promises fast, affordable, and actually useful market research. But even good survey tools can trip you up with weird workflows or unclear options. This guide walks you through setting up and launching your first survey in Appinio step-by-step—no fluff, no jargon, just what you need.
Step 1: Get Clear On What You Want To Learn
Before you even touch Appinio, get specific about your goal. Vague questions like “What do people think of my product?” won’t get you anywhere. Instead, try:
- “Which logo design creates more trust?”
- “Will people pay for this feature?”
- “What’s the biggest pain point when buying [product]?”
Pro tip: Write down your main research question. If you can’t summarize it in one sentence, you’re not ready to build the survey yet.
What to skip: Don’t cram 10 unrelated topics into one survey. You’ll confuse people and muddy your data.
Step 2: Create Your Appinio Account
Head over to Appinio (link) and sign up. The signup is pretty standard—email, password, confirm your account, all that.
Quick notes: - You can poke around with a free trial, but you’ll need a paid plan to launch real surveys. - Appinio isn’t cheap, but it’s not outrageous either. Pricing is transparent, but watch out for add-ons (like targeting niche audiences) that can rack up costs.
Step 3: Start a New Survey Project
Once you’re logged in:
- Click "Create New Survey" (usually a big button; they want you to find it).
- Name your project—pick something specific so you can find it later.
- Select your survey type. For most market research, the “Standard Survey” will do. Don’t overthink this unless you need advanced logic or tracking.
Step 4: Build Your Survey Questions
This is where most people mess up. Here’s how to avoid the common traps:
Pick the right question types
Appinio supports: - Single choice: One answer (good for “Pick your favorite”) - Multiple choice: Select all that apply - Open text: Write your own answer - Rating scales: Stars, numbers, sliders - Images: Test designs, logos, packaging
What works: - Keep questions as short as possible. - Avoid “double-barreled” questions (e.g., “Would you buy this and recommend it to a friend?”—split that into two). - Put the most important questions near the start; people get bored.
What doesn’t: - Avoid open-text questions unless you’re ready to read and analyze freeform answers. Multiple choice is almost always easier to use and analyze. - Don’t use jargon or insider language. Test your survey on a friend who’s not in your field.
Use Logic—But Don’t Overdo It
Appinio lets you add skip logic (showing or hiding questions based on answers). It’s powerful, but easy to overcomplicate.
- Use logic for relevance: If someone says they don’t use your product, skip the “Why do you like it?” question.
- Don’t create a choose-your-own-adventure novel. The more branches, the harder it is to track and analyze.
Step 5: Set Up Target Audience
Now, decide who you actually want answers from.
- Appinio’s panel lets you target by age, gender, location, job, income, and a bunch of other filters.
- The more specific you get, the more expensive (and sometimes slower) it is.
- Start broad if you’re unsure. You can always run a follow-up survey with a more refined audience.
Warning: Don’t try to micro-target unless you have a big enough budget and a clear reason. You’ll end up waiting days for responses or paying a premium.
Step 6: Preview and Test Your Survey
Before you hit launch, test your survey like a real respondent.
- Use Appinio’s built-in preview mode.
- Walk through all the logic paths (yes, no, multiple options).
- Check for typos, unclear wording, or dead ends.
Pro tip: Send the preview link to a colleague or friend who isn’t involved in the project. If they get confused, real respondents definitely will.
Step 7: Set Sample Size and Budget
You don’t need thousands of responses for good data. For most small to mid-size research projects, 200-500 responses is plenty to spot trends.
- Appinio will show you the cost per completed response based on your targeting.
- Adjust your sample size up or down to fit your budget.
- Don’t pay for more responses than you can actually analyze.
What works: Start small and scale up if you see interesting trends or need more confidence.
Step 8: Launch the Survey
Double-check your setup—questions, logic, targeting, sample size, and budget.
- Hit “Launch.” Appinio’s panel will start sending your survey to real people.
- You can usually see responses coming in within minutes to a few hours, depending on your targeting.
Heads up: If you set super-niche filters, it could take a day or two. If nothing’s coming in after 24 hours, check your audience settings.
Step 9: Monitor Responses (And Pause If Needed)
Appinio shows real-time results as responses roll in.
- Watch for any weird patterns—like everyone quitting at question 3 (maybe it’s confusing).
- You can pause or stop the survey if you spot a major issue.
- If you realize you messed up a question, it’s better to pause early and fix it than waste your budget on junk data.
Step 10: Analyze the Results
Once your survey hits its target, Appinio gives you charts, tables, and the option to export your data.
- Look for clear answers to your research question, not just interesting stats.
- Ignore tiny differences (like 51% vs. 49%) unless you have a huge sample.
- Share findings with your team in plain language—“Logo A won by a landslide,” not “Our NPS delta increased by 1.2 points.”
What works: Focus on actionable insights—what will you do differently based on what you learned?
Step 11: Iterate and Improve
No survey is perfect. Market research is about learning and adjusting.
- If results were unclear or surprising, tweak your questions and run a follow-up.
- If you spotted a new trend, dig deeper with a more focused survey.
Don’t get paralyzed by analysis. You’re not writing a PhD thesis. Get enough data to make a call and move forward.
Key Things to Ignore
- Overly complex survey logic: Simplicity usually wins.
- Micromanaging sample quotas: Unless you need a perfectly balanced sample, let Appinio handle it.
- Trying to learn everything in one go: You’ll end up with surface-level answers.
Wrapping Up
Market research doesn’t have to be a slog. With tools like Appinio, you can get real answers fast—if you keep your survey focused, simple, and actionable. Don’t stress about perfection; just launch, learn, and tweak as you go. Your future self (and your customers) will thank you.