Going Mobile? "Optimized" is Not a Solution!

In May I was at the Orlando MRA conference where I listened intently to a large panel company representative explaining why they got into mobile.  The answer was that "we had to...because 25% of the responses were coming in via mobile anyway."

As tepid as that response was, one thing was clear...the need to be "mobile" is finally dawning upon panel providers and so they all claim to have a mobile solution.  But what is their "solution?"  To "optimize" website-based surveys for smartphones and tablets. 

The fact is mobile-web based "optimized" solutions merely squeeze a platform built for desktop computers onto a mobile device - benefiting the survey platform provider, not the on-the-go consumer.  And that is not a good way to start your data collection.

Mobile "optimized" solutions rely on fleeting Wi-Fi connections and notoriously overburdened cell phone carriers, leaving the respondent with a frustratingly slow and inconsistent survey experience.

If researchers truly want to interview the modern consumer, they must do so using tools that work for on-the-go consumer, meaning native smartphone applications.  The respondent can focus on the survey questions and answers; push notification invitations that gain immediate attention; and a custom questionnaire layout that fits the uniqueness of their device.

Let's compare the statistics regarding panelist engagement between online "optimized" and a native app solution:

 






In fact, the completion rate for native app respondents is 98% - meaning 98 out of every 100 respondents complete the survey once they start.  This stat holds with survey lengths of up to 15 minutes.

When you put the two methods side-by-side it becomes clear - a native app offers a faster, more robust experience for respondents, leading to more representative completes and quality data.  In addition, the native app unlocks the power of the smartphone to bring researchers the ability to show and capture audio, video, images, as well as scan barcodes, and harness the power of GPS technology.

We are a mobile only, app based solution...and with more than 300,000 active respondents with their GPS "on", we can field surveys better, faster and more efficiently.

For more of an in-depth look at the app solution, visit us at mfour.com.