Designing online surveys to be taken on mobile and tablet devices.

1. Designing Online
Surveys for Mobile
Devices
May 2014

2. The Mobile Challenge
• Mobile devices (smart phones and tablets)
are increasingly being used to take online
surveys
• Yet, many surveys are not designed with the
mobile user in mind
• Many survey tools are not well optimised
for mobiles and tablets

3. One fifth take “most” surveys on
mobile devices
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
Smart phone Tablet Desktop Laptop
37%
30%
9%
22%
27%
20%
5%
9%
All Most
* Survey of 300 participants in Singapore from Opini research panel
40% take some surveys on smart phones

4. Surveys taken on mobiles generate a much
lower usability score
5.4
6.4
8.7
8.7
1 10
* Survey of 300 participants in Singapore from Opini research panel
“In general of the surveys you take on research panels,
how easy are they to do on the following devices?”
Hard Easy

5. Panelists want to
take surveys on
mobile devices
…but
> surveys are not always optimised
and designed for mobile
> they don’t want to take too many
questions on mobile devices

6. Surveygoo surveys are fully accessible taken
on mobile devices

7. 0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Smart phone Tablet Desktop Laptop
2%5%6%
24%25%
30%
52%
74%
70%70%
42%
Very easy Quite easy Not very easy
94% said the survey on a mobile was “very
or quite easy” to complete via Surveygoo
18 questions / 5 minute survey

8. Surveys need to be “technically
compatible” for mobile
…but
also “design-
optimised” for
mobile

9. 0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Smart phone Tablet Desktop Laptop
21%28%7%4%
27%
15%
11%
3%
27%
29%
21%
16%
19%22%
40%
31%
6%6%
22%
46%
Up to 10 11 - 20 21 - 30 31- 50 51 +
46% think just 10 question surveys
are comfortable taken on a mobile
* Survey of 300 participants in Singapore from Opini research panel

10. Just 16% were
comfortable
taking surveys of
21-30 questions
on a mobile!

11. Panelists want simple, easy to
complete surveys which can be
completed equally well on all
devices
Researchers want to ask
moderately long, and
sometimes very long
questionnaires
There is the Challenge:

12. The Answer: Good Design!

13. Design plays a significant role: to present questions in
an attractive and engaging format for all surveys but
particularly on mobile devices!
1. consider “gamified" question styles
2. use of graphics and icons
3. apply attractive theme designs
4. limit questions per page and question length
5. have realistic expectations on the overall survey
length!

14. Enquiries
info@surveygoo.com
+44 (0) 1342 824656
www.surveygoo.com
Online Survey Design & Tools