Surveys are an indispensable tool in the toolkit of every content marketer. This enduring and widely embraced method of data collection helps marketers extract valuable insights that can be harnessed across various content formats.
While it is natural to anticipate that survey respondents will provide sincere and accurate responses, the prevalence of fraudulent responses is on the rise. One such form of fraudulent responses that is gaining prominence is referred to as “ghost completes.”
In this article, we will look into how ghost completes can compromise the effectiveness of the surveying process. We will also examine the contributing factors behind ghost completes and effective strategies to mitigate their occurrence, ultimately enhancing the quality of content.
What Is A Ghost Complete?
A ghost complete occurs when a survey respondent appears to have completed the survey, qualifies for an incentive, but no actual data is gathered.
Ghost completes are the result of manipulating the system, typically involving the use of unencrypted redirect links. Consequently, they have adverse effects on the quality of collected data, compromise the survey’s reliability, and introduce gaps in the dataset.
This fraudulent activity clouds the integrity of the survey, making it challenging for marketers to derive meaningful and measurable insights from the responses. In the absence of high-quality data, the survey can become obsolete, posing an unnecessary expense for marketers.
Beyond its impact on marketers, ghost completes can disrupt the entire ecosystem. Clients who anticipate valid responses are instead confronted with invalid completions. This situation hinders content marketers’ ability to convey the true essence of their research and extract tangible insights, resulting in detrimental campaign outcomes. This includes wasted time and effort invested in planning, outlining, drafting, publishing, and promoting a research study.
The Impact of Survey Fraud on Content Marketers
Content marketers heavily depend on precise and thoughtful survey responses as the foundation for obtaining valuable insights into their target audience.
They use this gathered information to craft content that is not only pertinent but also captivating, spanning various formats like infographics, blog posts, whitepapers, case studies, social media posts, and more. This content, in turn, has the potential to drive increased website traffic, generate leads, boost conversions, secure product demos, and ultimately drive sales.
However, when survey responses are either incomplete or fraudulent, the resulting data becomes distorted, hindering the content marketer’s ability to create pieces grounded in accurate information. This can give rise to a host of problems, including:
- Producing content that lacks relevance and usefulness.
- Missed opportunities to effectively connect with and engage prospective customers.
- Squandering valuable time and resources on incomplete data.
- The risk of eroding trust and credibility with the intended audience.
The Influence of Quality Issues on Survey Effectiveness
The surge in fraudulent activity is a pervasive issue affecting numerous sectors, including the market research industry. It’s worth noting, however, that the market research field is still at a relatively nascent stage when it comes to embracing technology and raising awareness about security concerns.
As technology progresses and gains sophistication within the market research domain, the risk of fraud similarly increases. Nevertheless, fraud is not the sole challenge that influences the outcomes of surveys. Market researchers grapple with a range of other data quality issues, including:
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Survey Length
Extensive and intricate surveys tend to result in decreased rates of completion. According to a study, surveys comprising only 1 to 4 questions demonstrated an average completion rate of 83.34%. In stark contrast, surveys containing 16 questions or more exhibited a completion rate as low as 41.94%.
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Poor Survey Design
If your survey lacks clarity, contains an excessive number of open-ended questions, lacks coherence in transitioning between topics, or doesn’t maintain a seamless flow, people may opt out without completing it.
To captivate survey participants, offer straightforward guidance, ensure a logical progression, and incorporate visually appealing elements into your survey.
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Survey Delivery
Similar to other marketing endeavors, your initial attempt to capture the interest of a prospective customer may not always succeed. This principle extends to the process of seeking survey feedback as well.
Increase your chances of garnering maximum participation by sending the survey multiple times. Consider sending a follow-up invitation as a reminder for participants to complete the survey before the designated end date.
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Lack Of Personalization
When a survey participant doesn’t establish a connection with the survey’s content and context, their likelihood of offering valuable responses diminishes.
Integrating personalization is a important aspect of any marketing initiative, including consumer surveys. Tailor your survey invitations to foster engagement and grasp the attention of your respondents.
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Lack Of Incentive
If there’s no motivation provided, consumers might be less motivated to participate in online surveys. Providing an inducement, like a gift card upon completion, can encourage consumers to take part in a survey.
Research findings indicate that an incentive can generally increase response rates by 15-20%, with the extent of the boost depending on the appeal and relevance of the incentive to your target audience.
Fraud Vs. Quality Issues
The market research industry faces a growing challenge of incomplete and inaccurate data, and this issue goes beyond the quality concerns mentioned earlier. It’s important to distinguish between various forms of fraud and data quality problems:
Fraudulent Activities:
- Ghost completions.
- Repetitive responses.
- Systematic behavior.
- Use of similar IP addresses.
- Consistently providing the same response for open-ended questions.
- Using gibberish or a different language in open-ended responses.
Data Quality Concerns:
- Key smashing, involving random sequences of letters or numbers.
- Contradictory responses.
- Inappropriate content, including profanity.
- Unthoughtful or subpar responses to open-ended questions.
Despite your best efforts, challenges related to data quality, fraud, and problematic responses are unfortunately bound to arise. However, market research organizations can take steps to reduce the risk of fraud, especially in cases of ghost completions.
Effective Ways To Reduce Ghost Completes
Ghost completions have emerged as a pervasive issue throughout the industry, casting a shadow over market research companies and their collaborators who engage in consumer surveys.
This phenomenon subsequently casts a gloom over data analysts and content marketers, as it yields skewed results that can diminish the impact of your survey.
To avoid this costly predicament or help your clients as a market research company, consider these recommendations to thwart fraudulent responses and ghost completions:
- Utilize Secure Links: Ensure the links you use are secure to prevent fraudulent access.
- Encrypt Links: Implement link encryption to guarantee data confidentiality and integrity during transmission. This added layer of security also makes it challenging to manipulate the links.
- Partner with Technology Experts: Collaborate with a technology partner who can facilitate secure connections between buyers and suppliers. This not only enhances security but also allows for real-time validation of response data.
- Confirm Legitimate Responses: Implement server-to-server callbacks, which enable the survey-hosting server to send a callback to a designated system responsible for recording and verifying survey responses. This callback serves as confirmation that a genuine survey completion has occurred.
- Furthermore, consider these best practices:
- Open Communication: If you detect any irregularities, promptly inform your survey platform partner. They can investigate and devise action plans to rectify issues.
- Incorporate Data Quality Questions: Include questions that assess data quality, reducing the opportunities for survey “bots” and unauthorized respondents to negatively impact your data.
- Real-Time Data Reporting: Strive to report subpar data as close to real-time as possible, enabling swift corrective actions.
By implementing these measures and adhering to best practices, you can effectively combat the specter of ghost completions in your market research endeavors.
Putting It All Together
In a time when high-quality content holds sway and stands a better chance of ascending to the top of search engine results pages, online studies and various research content formats emerge as winners when they remain free from the haunting specter of ghost completions.
By putting into practice the strategies explained above, content marketers and researchers can effectively reduce the incidence of ghost completions, elevate the quality of responses, and ultimately secure valuable data that informs informed decision-making.
This commitment to quality will render content more valuable, practical, and influential, resulting in increased sharing, heightened search engine prominence, and improved campaign outcomes.
Would you like to read more about the effective ways to reduce ghost completes related articles? If so, we invite you to take a look at our other tech topics before you leave!
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