Take a poll!
Squidoo's new Quick Poll module helps lensmasters quickly and easily survey the readers of a specific lens.
Lensmasters can set up polls, access the results, and otherwise build in interactive elements to their lenses.
This lens will help you get up to speed with Quick Poll.
1. What's Your Question?
Coming up with queries
To make a good poll, the first thing you need is a good question. Try to come up with a query in which people will be polarized: love it, hate it questions tend to work best. Questions that attract a wider range of more nuanced responsed make for weaker Quick Polls. Things aren't always black and white, but in a good, quick poll, they may be! 2. Anticipate the Answers
Revealing responses
While your quick polls don't have to be scientific, you do want to give some thought to the options you give people reading your lens. Do you want to force people to choose between two extremes? Better gauge the range of reactions? Also make sure that your answers are as clear and cleanly worded as possible. If folks are confused about what you mean, your poll will be less successful. 3. Poll Early and Often
The "quick" in Quick Poll
By design, the Quick Poll module is, well, quick. The Squidoo team aimed for simplicity. One question per module. A handful of responses. The ability to clear a poll and start again. The idea isn't to support long, long-lasting surveys -- but to offer quick polls to test the winds and waters. If you want to ask more questions, add more modules. If you want to report back on the results, use a different kind of module. And let us know what else you'd like to be able to do! A Quick Survey of Sites
Links pollsters like
For some examples of polls -- and ideas on how to write better questions, check out these web pages
- PollingReport
- An independent, nonpartisan resource on trends in American public opinion.
- The Gallup Poll
- We called this module the Quick Poll so it doesn't confused with this respected polling organization.
- How to Write a Good Survey
- Some useful tips and tricks
- Qualities of a Good Survey Question
- Additional guidelines
Quick Question
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Reader Feedback
What think you?
Share your ideas and insights
MSchindel wrote...
I'd love this module to have an "Other" option so voters could to write in an answer if they don't like the predetermined choices. E.g., I'd love to create a poll asking for input on which metal-clay-related topics visitors want me to cover next. "Other" w/ a write-in field would give me new ideas.
Posted June 23, 2007
