Step 3 in Market Research: Survey Questions - what do I need to know?

We continue to explore the how to go about market research. 
Now we have established Step 1. who we want to talk to (Target Audience) and Step 2. how many people to talk to (Sample Size) , we need to decide what we want to know.

Step 3. Decide what you want to know

This might sound obvious, but set out aiming to get only information that is key to your needs. It's tempting to us to design a questionnaire to generate as much data as possible, but a long, repetitive survey on a subject that people are not passionate about can end up giving us bad data. People become inattentive when they are disengaged, and you want their full attention. Aim for a maximum of 40 questions.

We are happy to go longer - the more we do, the more you pay(!) - but we believe quality starts to suffer once a survey goes beyond 12 minutes. So try and focus on what you need to know rather than everything you've ever wanted to find out. We can always do a follow up if you need more. Two good surveys are better than one bad one.

Step 4. to come...