Wondering what a Likert Scale is? We've got your answer here with some examples. Plus, we also show you how to add one to your site today!
Approximate read time: 6 minutes
When you think about surveys, your mind might jump to simple "yes or no" survey questions.
But, the more detailed survey answer options are, the more valuable and clear the results become. It's hard to compile data from hundreds of survey takers if their responses don't follow a similar format.
That's where the Likert Scale comes in.
A Likert scale helps survey-takers tell you exactly how they feel about a question without a long response. And it helps businesses learn from detailed survey research.
In this article, we explain what a Likert scale is, how it works, and why it's an excellent choice for online surveys. Then, we'll show you how to add Likert scale questions to surveys on your site!
Let's get to it!
What is a Likert scale, and how is it used in surveys?
In a nutshell, a Likert scale is a psychometric tool commonly used in surveys and questionnaires. By "psychometric," we mean that researchers use this kind of test to measure attitudes.
They usually use a five-point or seven-point scale, which gives takers a large range of options to choose from. And even if you're not a psychologist or a researcher, Likert scale survey questions are a valuable tool for collecting data from users.
Usually, it starts with a statement, then a series of strongly agree, disagree, strongly disagree, etc. that takers can choose from.
Here's a quick example of a Likert scale question:
Using a Likert Scale lets people give more detailed answers than just "yes" or "no."
For example, if you sometimes make friends, you could pick the second or third option on the scale or even the neutral option. With only "yes" or "no," you might just answer "no."
When you find out what customers really think about your products or services, you can make better changes and boost customer satisfaction! And that's using your Likert Scale data effectively.
Some great uses for a Likert Scale are:
- Customer satisfaction survey: Businesses use these scales to find out if people like their customer service. It helps them understand what customers enjoy and what could be better.
- School surveys: Schools ask students to use Likert scales to share their thoughts on classes and teachers. It helps teachers know what students like about their classes and what could make learning more fun.
- Understanding feelings: Psychologists use these scales to learn about people's feelings and behaviors. This helps them understand how people are doing mentally and emotionally.
Tips for designing accurate Likert scales
It's important to understand you can't simply add a Likert scale to any old question and expect it to get a trove of accurate data.
For this survey tool to work, you'll need to follow several basic guidelines:
- Make the scale balanced. Usually, these scales give choices that are even on both sides. Instead of just asking if people "agree or disagree," you can create a 5-point scale with answers from "Strongly agree" to "Strongly disagree" and include a middle option for those who feel neutral.
- Ask questions that work well with a scale. Some questions don't fit a scale format well, like: "Will you return to our website?" A better way to ask this might be: "How likely are you to return to our website?" This lets people give an answer that shows how they feel on a scale.
- Stay away from using descriptive words in your questions. These words change how people answer. For example, if you ask, "Did you love our services?" you might not get true answers, or some people might not want to answer at all.
There's no universal template for Likert scales. What matters most is to provide clear, simple questions and a reasonable degree of choice.
How to add a Likert scale to a WordPress survey
Today we'll walk you through creating a WordPress survey with Likert scale questions using our favorite WordPress survey plugin, Formidable Forms.
Why use a plugin, you may ask? Because it's quick and code-free!
If you don't have Formidable Forms yet, click the button below to grab a plan! You'll want either Business or Elite plan to benefit from all of the survey features.
Once you have your license, install and activate Formidable Forms on your WordPress site. Then, head to Formidable → Add-Ons and click Install and Activate on the Survey and Polls Add-On.
Once you've got this all set up, it's time to start creating!
Step 1: Create your survey
Next, under Formidable → Forms click the + Add New button to create a survey form.
You can then choose to use one of the pre-built WordPress survey templates or build a survey from scratch by selecting Blank Form. After you name your survey form and click Create, you'll be taken to the drag and drop form builder to customize your survey.
Find the Likert Scale field under the Advanced Fields section on the left side of your screen.
Then, drag the field onto your form to insert it into your survey.
Using Formidable Forms, you can add multiple questions to a single Likert field, which works perfectly if you want to use the same rating scale for several prompts:
To edit the questions, answers, or rating scale, just click on the field in your form to open the Field Options menu.
Using Formidable Forms and the Surveys add-on, you can also combine Likert scales with all kinds of other questions. That includes yes and no questions, multiple-choice prompts, open-ended questions, and more.
Here's a quick video tutorial in case you need a hand.
Once your survey is ready, click Update to save it. Almost done! Now we just need to share our survey with the world and start collecting Likert Scale responses!
Step 3: Publish your Likert scale survey
Head to the WordPress post or page where you want to insert your survey.
In the text editor, click the + to add a block and select the Formidable Forms block.
And last, select your survey from the dropdown menu that appears in the Formidable block.
Congratulations, your survey will now be live whenever you hit Update or Publish!
Ready to add a Likert scale to your online survey?
Likert scales are remarkably easy to implement in surveys as long as you keep a couple of tips in mind:
- Each interval level should be symmetrical so as not to skew statistical analysis.
- Stick to questions that can be answered using a scale.
- Avoid adjectives!
And adding these scales to your online surveys is even simpler if you use a WordPress form maker plugin. We think the best one out there is Formidable Forms, but we may be slightly biased.
With Formidable Business plans and above, you can add Likerts to your surveys or regular forms, include as many questions as you want, and design a rating scale with whatever values you see fit.
Plus, unlike most survey plugins on the market, you can collect an unlimited number of responses and emails with Formidable too!
Get Started With Formidable Forms!
Read more about creating online surveys
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Mahmudul Hasan says
awesome thanks for this informative article
Peipei Dai says
It’s my honor to contact with you by this chance, I’m Peipei Dai from Clinflash Healthcare Technology (Jiaxing) Co.,Ltd. We provide agency service in China to help the sponsor acquire license of PRO tools. Now the sponsor requests us to acquire the license of 4-point Likert scale. Could you pls let me know the next step for acquiring the license? Thank you in advance~
Jonathan A says
Hey Peipei,
Thank you for reaching out about this today. You can purchase the Business license that includes the Likert field here > https://formidableforms.com/pricing/
If you have additional questions about the license, you can create a new ticket over here:
https://formidableforms.com/new-topic/
Best,