It used to be sufficient to write a survey instrument, print it, mail to the target audience, and sit back and wait for the completed surveys to pour in! In these technology-driven times, written customer surveys – business-to-business or business-to-consumer – are most often consigned directly to the recycling bin. Not only are these surveys ineffective, but it they also consume a great amount of resources.

Go mobile!

To increase response rates and decrease delays in reporting, the best approach these days is to initiate a mobile research campaign that harnesses the latest technology - in the form of a mobile survey device loaded with mobile survey software. Usually, even the most technologically challenged individuals are intrigued when they see new uses for handheld or mobile survey devices, such as Tablet PCs and Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs). With that said, it’s important that the customer feedback survey is written to probe for top-of-mind responses. In addition, it’s important that a survey doesn’t take more than two to four minutes to complete. A young mother with a wandering toddler and a screaming infant or a businessperson on a lunch break simply cannot spare more time, otherwise their distractions would be reflected in your data.

Targeting your audience

One of the best advantages that mobile survey tools equipped with mobile survey software offer is allowing the survey administrators to speak with customers where they encounter the subject company, service or product. If your survey is for a financial institution, then talk with customers as they experience the products or as they exit the bank branch. Likewise, if the survey concerns some facet of healthcare, then acquire unadulterated customer feedback just after they have experienced the care provided. This approach provides the most candid opinions from the exact target audience required for the survey.

Mobile research also brings the advantage of personal contact between surveyor and respondent. Although the person administering the survey may be an outside contractor temporarily representing the firm, they provide a face of the organization to the respondent which helps to personalize the organization and boost its awareness and positive perception, even for just a short while.

Where to find a mobile survey app

Rather than consuming in-house resources to creating mobile survey software and researching which mobile survey device to use, contact Opinionmeter ( www.opinionmeter.com), one of the nation’s premier market research technology companies. With more than 40 years of experience in obtaining real-time customer feedback, the company is well-qualified to assist you in conducting an interactive customer feedback survey using mobile research technology. They have done the footwork of creating professional mobile survey software that works with a number of mobile survey tools. Instead of reinventing the wheel, use Opinionmeter’s expertise and resource libraries to develop a customized mobile survey app that gathers and interprets the data you need on site, on demand, and on time.