Survey Software HQ

One topic that seems to come up a lot is whether it’s better to use a web survey hosting service or downloadable survey software. It has only been in the past couple of years where this question has been open for debate. In the past, companies were very hesistant to put applications with critical or proprietary data outside the corporate LAN. However, with the mainstream success of companies like SalesForce.com, ASP services continue to gain credibility for use in corporate environments.

So, what’s the right way to go when it comes to conduction web-based surveys? It really depends on what your requirements are.

 Here’s a list of some of the key reasons that generally come into play when picking one over the other:

ASP survey hosting services:
Quick to setup
Simpler feature set that has a lower learning curve
Generally 100% web-based
Low entry cost
Minimal technical overhead

Survey software:

Maximum functionality
No monthly recurring fee
Total control over your data
Ability to integrate with other applications or web sites

There are certainly other things to consider — but at the end of the day it’s really a question of whether or not you want to have your surveys and data collected inside or outside of your company’s network.