Thanks to the Likert scale, it is easier to know what customers think and measure their attitudes. This is why it is a highly valuable psychometric measurement and research mechanism in marketing actions. Find out what it consists of, what its benefits are and how this evaluation scale is applied.

What is the Likert scale?

The Likert scale is a type of research survey created by psychologist and educator Rensis Likert to measure the satisfaction, behaviors, and beliefs of a given audience. In this type of questionnaire, a specific statement is made and what it is how  the user indicates how much he or she agrees or disagrees with the statement.

It usually consists of 5 answers that follow a scale dynamic: from the most negative to the most positive. However, this is the general average; an effective scale can also be made with only three answers. Or at most seven. However, it is advisable not to give too many options for the answers, since this has two negative connotations: the first is the time spent filling out the survey. The other is that people often get confused bahamas phone number data and do not provide the exact answer they want to give.

What is the Likert scale used for?

As mentioned above, it is used to measure levels of geolocation and email marketing: best practices with examples satisfaction or opinions of users. From there, the Likert scale allows:

• Manage statistical data on a specific subject.

• Make data-driven decisions.

• • Know the performance of the areas or japan number list departments of a company in terms of perception.
  • Understanding a customer’s level of satisfaction with a product or service.
  • Seek and implement continuous improvement.

• Improve user experience.

Most notable advantages and disadvantages

Like any measurement instrument, the Likert scale provides a series of benefits, although there are also certain disadvantages, especially when evaluating the specific needs of the company. If we start by analyzing its pros, we see that:

• Its application is low cost and does not require specific equipment.
• As a rule, the questions are easy to answer.
• It processes percentages better because it evaluates in degrees and not in open questions.
• Analysis is easier because information is compiled quantitatively.
• You can answer anonymously .

As for its disadvantages, everything will depend on what you want to achieve. This instrument could be biased, since its application is based on questions and answers already formulated , so it could be designed so that people answer exactly what you want.

It should also be noted that it does not allow for a qualitative evaluation , so if you need another type of information, it is better to apply another method of information collection.

How to use the Likert scale in surveys?

The first thing you need to identify is what your company’s objective is and determine it in order to shape the survey. Questions such as What do you want to know?; What do you hope to infer? or What data do you hope to collect? are important to properly define the information you want to obtain:

1.- Write precise questions

The clarity of the questions will lead to the answers, so based on what you want to find out you should write questions that can be easily answered through a rating scale . Accuracy in implementing the questions is essential for the instrument to work. Users should only answer the exact question. An example would be the following:

Overall, how satisfied are you with the service we provided to you?

• Very satisfied
• Somewhat satisfied
• Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied
• Somewhat dissatisfied
• Very dissatisfied

A mistake would be to ask:

Are you satisfied with the service we provided?

This approach would lead to a yes or no response, or to a definition of one’s own.

2.- Pay attention to the objectives

Within any Likert scale, you need to determine which adjectives you are going to choose to define the question. This will help you perform the final analysis of the responses in a statistical manner. It is important that you pay attention to the estimates and the responses.

For example, the adjective “extremely” can be used for cases that represent extremes of the surveys. For example: “Extremely satisfied” or “Extremely dissatisfied.” Likewise, the word “very” will work to indicate the estimate.

3.- Unipolar or bipolar estimates

Within the Likert scale there are several estimates that can be divided into unipolar or bipolar. As the name suggests, these are responses that move between two or just one option, even if it is broken down into several points:

• Bipolar estimates: These can be used when you want to investigate responses that are between positive and negative. This could be the case of “How likely would you be to recommend our services?”, where the responses are between “Very likely” or “Not very likely” with a middle ground.
• Unipolar ratings: These range from zero to extremes, so it is a different approach. “How good do you think our service is?” And the answers range from “Extremely good” to “Not good at all.” 

4.- Grade the items appropriately

Each one must be clearly related to the question being asked, but something very important in the Likert scale is that the degrees of the answers are fulfilled according to the question being asked. For each question, an estimation scale is developed with two extreme positions as a starting point: a positive extreme and a negative extreme. Then, the middle points are developed for those people who do not agree with the extremes, these being the ones that give balance to the answers.

Most commonly, this type of survey has 5 items. However, if necessary, you can add more, as long as they are not ambiguous. Everything must be very clear to avoid confusion among respondents. 

Examples of Likert scale

When creating satisfaction surveys, you need to know what you want to find out. Your objectives will determine what type of survey you will develop. Here are some examples that you can adapt to your objectives:

1.- Level of satisfaction

As its name suggests, this survey is used to measure how satisfied users are with your products or services . It is an ideal type of questionnaire to find out people’s perception by measuring the weak and strong aspects of what you offer in order to work on continuous improvement.

Satisfaction surveys in marketing campaigns can be applied internally and externally to find out the level of satisfaction of your employees or collaborators. In general terms, it serves to find out what each person thinks. The answers will go from one extreme to another: from “Extremely Satisfied” to “Extremely Dissatisfied”. 

2.- Degree of importance

 

This is a survey that is established at various levels and measures, precisely, the perception of the importance of people with respect to a new launch, the usefulness of a service or a product . Its application is very versatile so, if you are thinking of introducing a change, it is ideal for knowing what potential recipients think.

Before launching a project or making an investment, it is very prudent to conduct a survey to determine how it will be received in the market.

In this case, the Likert scale establishes responses ranging from “Very important” to “Not at all important” , with average considerations such as ” Neutral” or “Not very important” .

3.- Frequency

This is a survey that is used to measure the relevance of the regularity with which an action is carried out. For example, a survey to find out if users agree with the frequency of your email sendings. The measurement can be general, with responses such as “Very frequent” or “Infrequent” .

You can also look at specifics to gauge how often they want to approach your brand in the future or how they use your products or services in their lives. In this case, answers like “daily,” “weekly,” or “monthly ” may be appropriate.

4.- Degree of difficulty

It is used to find out how users rate the difficulty. It is ideal for companies that launch digital products or when you want to evaluate how complex they rate your processes. Remember that the difficulty of a process is related to the user experience. The simpler it is perceived, the better they will rate the experience.

So, it is important to simplify your processes when you get assessment results that are perceived as “Very Complex.” The responses to this estimation survey will range from “Extremely Complex” to “Extremely Simple.” Then, you establish midpoints that are sufficiently descriptive.