Likert Scale 101: A Comprehensive Guide for Every Marketer

Ever come across a question where you can’t just stick with a plain yes or no? We’ve all been there!

Figuring out what customers really think about a brand is like solving a puzzle. Brands are curious to know how much their customers like them, but guess what? It’s not always a straightforward yes-or-no kind of deal.

Here’s where the superhero swoops in – the Likert Scale. It helps us dive deeper into opinions and sentiments.

In this blog, we will cover how you can use a Likert scale, the best practices, and why you need a Likert scale in the first place. But first, let’s start with an important question, shall we?

What Is a Likert Scale?

A Likert scale is a simple rating tool used to measure users’ opinions. It typically presents a question or statement followed by a set of responses ranging from strong agreement to strong disagreement.

Likert scales are easy to use and understand, making them popular in surveys, questionnaires, and market research. They provide quantitative data, which can be statistically analyzed and compared across different user groups.

What Does a Likert Scale Look Like?

The average Likert scale consists of 2 parts.

1. Question or Statement:

A Likert Scale begins with a carefully designed question or statement that prompts respondents to express their opinions.

For example: You can ask a question like “What’s your opinion on LGBTQ issues?”

2. Response Options:

Users then navigate through response options that vary from agreement to disagreement, allowing for a diverse range of feedback.

• Responses: Strongly agree, agree, neutral, disagree, strongly disagree (a 5-point scale is common, but can be 3, 7, or more).
• Numbers assigned: Each response gets a score (e.g., 5 for strongly agree, 1 for strongly disagree).
• Data analysis: Scores are used to understand average trends and overall user sentiment.

Let us now look at the types of Likert Scales.

Types of Likert Scales

Likert Scales come in different forms. Let’s discuss some of the common types here.

Numerical Likert Scale

This classic format uses numbered points to represent different levels of agreement, typically ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). This popular option is simple and versatile, as used in the example: “1 – Disagree, 5 – Agree”.

Verbal Likert Scale

Instead of numbers, this format uses descriptive labels for each level, such as “Very satisfied,” “Somewhat satisfied,” “Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied,” “Somewhat dissatisfied,” and “Very dissatisfied.” This can be helpful for audiences unfamiliar with numerical scales.

Visual Likert Scale

This more engaging format replaces words with emojis, icons, or even images to represent different levels of emotions and agreement levels. This can be particularly effective for reaching younger audiences or those less familiar with traditional scales.

The simplicity of these scales makes them adaptable to different contexts. They can even be customized based on the specific needs of a survey or a questionnaire.

Let’s take a look at that in the next section.

Where to Use a Likert Scale in Real-world Scenarios

The Likert Scale is a versatile tool that actively shapes research and insights across diverse real-world scenarios. Let’s dive into some captivating Likert scale examples:

Educational Applications

Educational institutions can use Likert Scales in course evaluations. Students can rate aspects like course content, instructor effectiveness, and overall satisfaction, providing valuable insights for educational improvement.

Brands like Duolingo, which is primarily used for educational purposes, can use Likert scales after the completion of their lessons. 

For example:

“Did you find this quiz challenging but engaging?” (Strongly disagree-Strongly agree) lets teachers gauge learning effectiveness and adjust their approach.

Or

“How confident are you speaking French after this lesson?” (1-5 scale) helps the app personalize difficulty and keep you motivated.

Employee Satisfaction Surveys

Companies often use Likert Scales in employee satisfaction surveys. Questions may cover job satisfaction, work environment, and managerial effectiveness, aiding in HR decision-making.

You can take a look at this Job Satisfaction Survey created by Outgrow.

By combining insightful questions with a user-friendly and engaging format, this survey has the potential to gather valuable, accurate, and actionable feedback from employees.

Product Feedback Forms

Product feedback forms for e-commerce brands frequently use Likert Scales. Users can rate aspects like usability, features, and overall satisfaction, resulting in product enhancements.

You can take a look at Nike’s feedback form, for example. 

This is a feedback form regarding a user’s visit to Nike’s website. Nike uses the collected data to analyze and optimize according to the user’s preferences.

Healthcare Surveys

Patient satisfaction surveys in the healthcare industry use Likert Scales as well. Questions about the quality of care, communication with healthcare providers, and facilities provided all contribute to the improvement of service.

Take a look at Outgrow’s Fitness Survey.

By answering a series of interactive questions, users can fill out the survey using the Likert scale to express their opinions and experiences related to different aspects of fitness.

Event Feedback Surveys

Event organizers use Likert Scales in post-event surveys. Users rate aspects such as event organization, speakers, and overall experience, which results in planning more successful events.

You can take a look at Outgrow’s Post-Event Survey.

This survey empowers event organizers with actionable data, helping them enhance future events based on attendee preferences and feedback.

Customer Feedback Surveys

Likert Scales are most common in customer feedback surveys. Users rate their experience with product experience, customer support, responsiveness, and problem resolution, helping companies enhance service quality.

Take a look at Outgrow’s Product Test Survey.

This survey focuses on gathering insights related to product testing and evaluation. Users can provide ratings and comments using the Likert scale. This provides a deeper understanding of their opinions on different product features.

Now that we have learned about the various applications of Likert scales, are you wondering how you can create Likert scale surveys or questionnaires yourself?

Worry not!

Leverage platforms like Outgrow to create dynamic and engaging Likert scale surveys. Outgrow, a no-code drag-and-drop platform provides dynamic and visually appealing survey creation tools. 

It allows you to craft engaging and customer-centric Likert scale questions that resonate with your audience. By improving user interaction, you can easily understand the insights gained from Likert scale responses.

Now that we have looked at the applications of the Likert scale in the real world, let’s take a look at some of the best practices while using the Likert scale.

Best Practices to Keep in Mind While Using the Likert Scale

To get the best results out of your implementation of Likert scales, there are some things you need to keep in mind. Let’s take a look.

1. Crafting Precise Questions

The effectiveness of a Likert Scale heavily relies on the clarity and precision of the questions asked. Craft questions that are straightforward and directly related to the subject. Complex questions may lead to varied and unreliable responses, undermining the value of the collected data.

2. Choosing the Right Scale

Tailor the Likert Scale to align with the nature of your survey and the information you seek. While the 5-point and 7-point scales are common, opt for a scale that offers enough diversity to capture specific responses without overwhelming the users with excessive options.

3. Make it Visually Appealing

Ensure that your Likert Scale is visually appealing and easy to navigate. Use clear and concise language for response options, and maintain a consistent format throughout the survey. A well-designed Likert Scale encourages user engagement and a smoother survey-taking experience.

4. Pre-test and Analyze the Results

Before deploying your survey, conduct a pre-test with a small group to identify any potential issues with question clarity, response options, or overall survey flow. Analyze the results to optimize your Likert Scale and address any areas of confusion. Regular optimizations based on feedback and analysis contribute to the reliability and relevance of your survey.

5. Provide a Neutral Option

Including a neutral response option (e.g., “Neither agree nor disagree”) allows the users to express indecision or neutrality. This ensures a more accurate representation of opinions and prevents respondents from selecting an option that doesn’t truly reflect their stance.

6. Avoid Biased Language

Avoid the use of double-barreled or biased language in your Likert Scale questions. The Likert scale aims to gather genuine and unbiased opinions. To get more accurate feedback, users need to be presented with neutral questions. This way they are not being compelled to choose a particular answer through biased language.

7. Randomize Response Order

To avoid order bias, where users may favor options presented earlier, consider randomizing the order of response options. This ensures that the distribution of responses is influenced by the content of the question rather than the position of the response.

Now that we know the best practices to follow while leveraging Likert scale, let us take a look some pros and cons of using the Likert scale.

Pros and Cons of Using the Likert Scale

Here are some of the benefits and drawbacks of using Likert scales:

Benefits of Likert Scales

1. Deeper Insights: Likert scales let you explore opinions and feelings in more detail, not just yes or no. It’s like getting a detailed map instead of just an address.

2. Quantifiable Data: With numbered responses, you can easily analyze the data and compare results from different groups.

3. Versatility: From marketing to education, adaptable across industries.

4. Improved User Experience: User-friendly for better responses. Quick and easy to answer, Likert scales tend to make people more willing to fill out surveys.

5. Actionable Feedback: The insights you get can help you improve things as they translate into concrete action plans.

6. Efficient Resource Allocation: By seeing what people care about most, you can allocate resources wisely.

Drawbacks of Likert Scales

1. Limited Detailing: Sometimes, a 1-5 scale might not be detailed enough to capture all the nuances of someone’s opinion.

2. Potential for Response Bias: People might choose the middle option just to play it safe, making it harder to understand what they really think.

3. Context Dependence: Interpretation varies with context. So, the meaning of a “4” on a scale can change depending on what you’re asking.

4. Lack of Specificity: Some scales lack precision. So, It might be hard to pinpoint specific issues with Likert scales.

5. Limited to Attitudes and Opinions: Less suitable for factual data.

6. Interpretation Challenges: Making sure everyone interprets the scale the same way can be tricky. So, consistent interpretation can be difficult.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Likert Scale is more than just a survey tool; it’s a keyhole through which we can understand human opinion. It allows us to move beyond the simplistic yes/no and let us discover sentiments, motivations, and aspirations that drive customer behavior.

By using this powerful tool with precision and insight, we open doors to a deeper understanding of our audience. Also, you don’t need to be a coding expert to create your survey and use the Likert scale. You can use a tool like Outgrow. With its no-code functionality, creating engaging surveys is just a breeze. And the best part is you can take advantage of their 7-day free trial to create your first piece of interactive content where no credit info is required!

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