Survey Says

by Sam Jones

The mobile revolution is well under way and with more than half of people in Western countries, and a growing percentage in other countries around the world owning smart phones, it is an essential marketing tool.  Small businesses can now reach out to their customers through e-mail, text message, social media or a custom app to interact with them.  This is a great way to keep a brand on the minds of customers as well as gather information about how to serve them better. Understanding how to create high-quality mobile surveys should be an essential part of any small businesses marketing strategy.

1. App & Web Interface – While having a mobile app is one of the hottest trends today, it is important to also have a mobile optimized web interface for customers to access.  Many people don’t want to have to download another app to their mobile device so having a properly formatted page they can access using their mobile browser will make it much more likely that people will take the survey.
2. High-Quality Information Gathering – Whenever using any type of survey to interact with customers it is essential that the questions posed are of the highest quality.  They should always be directly related to the products or services customers purchase, and be written in a way which is easy to understand.
3. Take Advantage of 3^rd Party Services – Using third party mobile survey services is often an excellent way to take advantage the latest technologies without having to invest significantly in any infrastructure.  Many companies like Research Now can provide small businesses with quality mobile research tools to make reaching out to customers much easier and more effective.
4. Use As Up-Sell Opportunity – Many small businesses are missing out on opportunities to make additional sales when interacting with their customers through mobile surveys.  While each business is different, there are almost always great opportunities in this area.  It could be something as simple as offering a discount coupon or directing them to an online sales page where additional purchases can be made.
5. Actionable Information – Whenever sending out a survey it is important to ensure the questions posed to customers will provide the company with actionable information. Regardless of how customers answer mobile survey questions it should provide information which allows a small business to make some sort of change which will help improve the way customers think, feel or interact with the company.

Mobile surveys are a great way to gather information, but only when they are done properly.  With millions of people accessing the web through their mobile devices, it is no surprise that having surveys available on mobile devices is one of the most effective ways to get customers to respond.  Making it as simple as possible for customers to share their thoughts and opinions will ensure they are going to respond in sufficient numbers to give companies the information they need.  Take the time to make sure all research is done properly and the results will help companies grow for years to come.

Sam Jones is a writer for Research Now – the leading digital data collection provider that powers market research insights.