5 Mistakes Companies Make When Using Customer Surveys for Strategy
The Idea in Brief
THE CHALLENGE
Marketers run surveys to guide brand and product decisions — but too often, the results mislead rather than illuminate.
WHY IT HAPPENS
Surveys fail when they ask the wrong questions, rely on biased design, use poor samples, collapse insights into meaningless averages, or don’t connect to real business decisions.
THE SOLUTION
Design surveys around decisions, use methods that reveal real tradeoffs, guard against bias, prioritize sample quality, and analyze beyond the average.
"Research without action is wasted investment. Every survey should start with the question: what decision will this data help us make?"
— QWERRY
Introduction
Most marketers run surveys. They’re one of the most accessible tools in the research toolbox. With a few clicks, you can spin up questions, send them to a panel, and have hundreds of responses in days.
The problem? Surveys can just as easily mislead your brand strategy as sharpen it.
We’ve seen brands launch products, set pricing, or pivot messaging based on survey results — only to realize later the data was flawed, misinterpreted, or not actionable.
When surveys go wrong, the costs are high: wasted budget, missed opportunities, and strategies that don’t resonate with your actual customers.
The good news: most of these failures are avoidable. The difference comes down to how you design, field, and interpret your surveys.
Here are 5 common mistakes — and how to avoid them.
Mistake 1: Asking customers what they “want.”
Customers aren’t always reliable narrators of their future behavior. Ask them directly what they “want,” and they’ll often give answers that sound rational but don’t reflect how they’ll actually choose in-market.
Instead, focus on tradeoffs and choices. Methods like MaxDiff or Conjoint force respondents to prioritize — revealing true preferences.
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
Decisions drive growth. Don’t ask what people want. Test what they choose.
Mistake 2: Using biased or leading questions.
Survey design is an art as much as a science. Small wording choices can dramatically skew results. For example:
“How valuable would this new feature be?” presupposes it’s valuable.
“Which of these features would you use most often?” frames the question more neutrally.
Randomizing answer order, keeping language objective, and pre-testing surveys are small steps that protect against bias.
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
Biased inputs create biased outputs. Get the design right before you trust the data.
Mistake 3: Treating averages as the answer.
The “average” customer rarely exists. Data aggregated into means or top-box scores often hides the truth: some segments love your idea, others reject it.
Segmentation, clustering, or even simple subgroup analysis uncovers these differences. Instead of chasing the mythical “average,” you can see where the real growth opportunities lie.
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
Strategy is about focus. Find the segment that matters, not the average that doesn’t.
Mistake 4: Ignoring sample quality.
It’s tempting to run a quick survey to any available list — employees, friends, a generic online panel. But if your respondents aren’t the people who actually buy, use, or influence purchase of your product, your results won’t translate into effective strategy.
Invest in defining the right target. That could mean qualified B2B decision-makers, high-value consumers, or niche influencers.
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
The wrong audience guarantees the wrong strategy.
Mistake 5: Collecting data without action in mind.
Too many surveys are written without a clear endgame. They gather “interesting” data points but don’t link back to decisions a brand needs to make.
Every survey should start with a simple filter: What decision will this data help us make? Positioning? Pricing? Messaging? Product roadmap?
When data is designed to answer real business questions, research becomes a strategic asset instead of a report that sits on a shelf.
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
Data without action is noise. Data linked to decisions creates clarity.
Conclusion
Surveys aren’t just about collecting opinions. When designed and executed correctly, they sharpen strategy, reduce risk, and reveal growth opportunities.
Avoid these five mistakes, and your research shifts from being a “check-the-box” exercise to a true competitive advantage.
