In today’s world, people are constantly on the go. Whether it’s checking emails, searching the latest news, updating a company’s choice social media, or contacting clients, people heavily rely on their mobile devices to do everyday tasks while they’re out and about. The days of solely using a desktop computer are slowly dwindling. Technology has allowed us in the research industry to easily create detailed questionnaires that would normally cause hand cramps and multiple sheets of paper and writing utensils. Not to mention, online surveys are more engaging and reduce data collection bias by allowing respondents to directly answer questions themselves.
When it comes to survey research, the percentage of
people using their mobile devices to take online surveys continues to increase.
The movement to online survey completion causes concern over the user
experience, as well as the shift to shortened research studies. It’s no
question that mobile devices provide much less screen space than traditional
desktop computers. Does that affect the end user taking the survey? Researchers
question if they should condense surveys into a series of single-choice
questions, or should they continue to use research instruments that respondents
may find annoying and time-consuming.
Have no fear! With a little ingenuity and technological
tools, it’s possible to ask the questions you need answers to without requiring
too much from the respondent. Mobile users want two things: speed and
usability. As research companies, we need to be able to provide them with exactly
that. Although screen sizes continue to decrease, an increasing number of
resources are available to help collect the data you need in order to help
create clarity and understanding for your clients. Much like Google and Amazon
who have mobile-specific websites, researchers should have the ability to
redirect respondents using a mobile device to a mobile-friendly version of the survey,
allowing them to enjoy the same functionality as they would on a desktop
computer. No more zooming in and out in order to see the questions or images on
the screen.
Research companies need to focus on making online
research enjoyable, not just bearable. One way to do that is to make the core
content of the survey responsive. With responsive design, there is one set of
content and one template for both the desktop site and the mobile site. Your
survey will automatically adapt to the respondent’s screen size, regardless if
they’re using a mobile phone or a traditional desktop computer. Aside from
design, you need to make sure that each survey page can handle touch commands.
Touch support can help increase functionality. It’s important to also consider
the bandwidth. Some mobile users can’t access advanced services because of
slower service. In order to improve their experience, develop your survey as
simple as possible. Lastly, always make sure to put yourself in the
respondent’s position. When you put yourself on the other side of the survey
tool, you are able to identify and improve the kinks for a more enjoyable
experience.
As researchers, our overall goal is to ensure that our instruments
allow for honest and thorough feedback from our respondents. Whether they’re
using a mobile phone, a tablet, or a desktop computer, there needs to be an environment
conducive to providing comments. When you use online survey research, your
interview length will be shorter and your respondents will care less about
time. Author of Easy Answers, Ken
Berry, says “if we build instruments that are respectful of their time, they
will be more likely to give it.”
To find out more about our online survey options and how
they can help you KNOW MORE so you
can DO MORE, contact Tweed-Weber,
Inc. at toll-free at 1-800-999-6615, email us at mail@tweedweber.com, and/or visit us on the web at www.tweedweber.com. Also, be sure to follow us on
LinkedIn (Tweed-Weber, Inc.) and Twitter (@TweedWeber).
*To read the whole article, click here: quirks.com/articles/2015/20150206
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