We define a “mobile friendly survey” different from a “modern survey.” A modern survey involves more than a device agnostic design; all components of a modern survey are designed specifically with consumer’s time and experience in mind. Here are five tips for going modern: 

1. LOIs must come down

Put yourself in the shoes of your customer. Would you want to answer a 25 minute survey during your limited personal time between family obligations, work and household activities? The answer is probably not. Keep the length of interview (LOI) under 15 minutes (ideally under 10 minutes). A short survey is not only a more enjoyable experience, but consumers can more easily fit a 10 minute survey in before work, on a break or when they’re winding down for the day.

2. Use the right tools for mobile optimization

Smartphone ownership is on the rise, but consumers still own and use other devices throughout their day. The same respondent may be primarily on their smartphone on the weekend, use a laptop during a weekday lunch break and a tablet during their downtime. For this reason, make sure the programming tools you use cater towards whatever device a respondent enters a survey with. 

3. Design to fit into the mobile experience 

Email, social media, fitness tracking, news, coffee shops, sports hub…there’s an app for that! Surveys now compete with the multi-tasking nature of smartphone usage. Surveys should fit into the mobile experience. Make it easy for them to access, take and complete on these devices.

4. Gamify your research

To the point above, it’s important to gamify your research in order to compete for attention. You can gamify a survey by making tasks voluntary, giving questions purpose, applying rules or delivering rewards. For example, rather than asking “what ads can you recall”, give your question a purpose by asking “what ads can you recall in three minutes.” Instead of asking a consumer to describe themselves, put a rule that they must use exactly seven words; you’ll find you collect more descriptors and have higher participation rates.

5. Utilize smartphone features

Researchers can take advantage of all that smartphones have to offer a user. For example, consumers carry it throughout the day and smartphones are full of features researcher can utilize, such as the camera, video functionality and speaker. Be creative with your research and take advantage of the real-time data you can collect. Try a video open-ended response or have respondents upload a photograph while they shop.