We used to get asked this question a lot – an enquiry would start out asking for help with an online survey, but ultimately what the enquirer really needed help with was acquiring a suitable email list. If this is you – then you need a specialist list provider such as Sample Answers, Ciao or Mo’web Research (and there are lots of others).
A post on Word to the Wise – another list purchase horror story – reminded me of a very similar experience a few years ago when a client supplied us their email list (we knew it was a purchased list, from a reputable, well known company) and on inspection it contained huge volumes of info@, sales@ addresses. We sent it back because there was no way we were going to email the list.
Never purchase email lists. If your survey needs the general population (or a niche segment) to take part, find a specialist list provider that will send emails to their database (you won’t ever see the actual email addresses). Usually, they charge on a per response basis which can vary enormously depending on the demographics and volumes required.
Dan Wardle
