User surveys - why and how? Annegrete Wulff Statistics Denmark

Statistics Denmark, Copenhagen

User surveys in Statistics Denmark User surveys or user satisfaction surveys Method and timing Benefits contra inconveniences Some results Alternatives

Some facts 250,000 sessions monthly 150,000 unique visitors monthly All official statistics free of charge Several billions figures 150,000 table retrievals monthly

StatBank Denmark Online and free of charge for everyone Complete English version Statistics released 9:30 a.m. at: are simultaneously released at a greater level of detailwww.dst.dk More than 1,500 tables, several billions data Links to documentation (declaration of contents) Links to publications Saved queries Data shooting Output formats: Excel, PC-AXIS, SAS, etc. Maps and graphs

External retrievals from StatBank

Why are we doing a survey? We want to improve something The results as such are not interesting Do we plan to take action? Questions shall be related to the actions Do we follow up?

Users or users’ satisfaction Who are the users? –who are the respondents? How do they use our product or service? Are the they satisfied? –in general –looking at specific elements

Web surveys for web products Questionnaire pop-up to –everybody –to external users only –to every tenth –answer now or later

Pop-up Dear User Hopefully you will assist our improving Statistics Denmark’s homepage by answering these questions. It will take you only a couple of minutes. Answers will be handled confidentially. Thank you for your help! Go to the questions Return to the home page

15 questions ( )

Respond rate %11%13%14%36% -9%10%7%8%

2005 StatBank survey Change of method: 15 questions 4 questions General Specific Questions related to the task

Comments from users User comments with address get a personal answer Results published on the web :

Some results 1444 users cared to fill in the web survey that was active for three days. The respond rate in this survey has been very high: 36 %. This is almost three times the respond rate from the previous year. 1/3 visits the StatBank for the first time. 2/3 find what they are looking for. A major part of the users are students. 1/4 comments on the usefulness of the StatBank. The action plan for 2006 includes an improved effort on easing the accessability for first time visitors.

2005 pop-up/pop-in

The questions How often do you use the StatBank? 2.For what purpose do you need the statistics you just found? 3.Did you find the data you needed 4.A retrieval from StatBank can be saved in Excel. You can get automatic update to this file with the latest data, without opening the StatBank again. Is this something you can use? (See a demo on Do you have any comments regarding the StatBank?

Alternatives – to be combined Full user satisfaction survey Specific satisfaction survey Usability test Eye tracking Focus groups Help desk registrations